From the Boston Globe (paywall):
For commuters, that’s meant chaos and anxiety. And lost wages, late fees at day care, and rage-inducing commutes in the car. It means the stress and uncertainty of not knowing whether you will make it to your meeting on time, or how long your kid needs to get to school. It undermines the investment in jobs and housing built to be close to the trains.
More than that, it’s a sense of feeling cheated, that the city we left pre-pandemic doesn’t function as it’s supposed to anymore. And even more than that, it’s the notion that Boston — the economic engine of the whole state — cannot really bounce back until the T gets it right.
Frozen in the Ice of our Own Indifference
Bostonians are frustrated by the MBTA, but have also given up on it. When I post to Reddit about the dysfunction of the bus system, I am assured it has always been this way. Caught in Southie writes about the 7 bus which has long flummoxed our local representatives and MBTA leadership.
What They’re Saying
Most of the South Boston representatives lack websites with updates from them so I had to search their twitter profiles for mentions of MBTA to see what they care about or are working on.
- Rep. David Biele in 2019 testified in support of improved bus service. Also in 2018. Was at a hearing in Feb 2019.
- State Sen. Nick Collins wants to convert the bus fleet to electric. He also:
- Ed Flynn posted about the broken Broadway escalator in August. It is still broken.
The Rapid Bus Route is Moving Slowly
In 2019 Biele and Collins filed a bill to establish a rapid bus route to relieve issues with the 7 bus. It was referred to a study committee. The bill disposition does not indicate whether that committee was formed, nor if they’ve done anything if they have.