20-05-2025
MBTA board approves ‘nuts and bolts' capital budget, leaving billions of critical projects unfunded
'We're talking about what is a very fiscally constrained' capital investment plan, said Tom McGee, board chair.
The agency has previously said it needs at least $25 billion to repair and replace its
More than $3.8 billion in funding is dedicated to rapid transit investments,
including for buying new Red and Orange line vehicles and making upgrades to outdated signal equipment on the subway lines to boost the frequency and reliability of service. The budget also allocates more than $2.5 billion for the commuter rail network, with heavy investments in new locomotives and the North Station Draw One Bridge.
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Meanwhile, the bus system, which accounts for 40 percent of ridership, get the least. The plan allocates just over $1.1 billion to buses, including for implementation of the
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In a presentation, the MBTA advisory board outlined two conflicting realities: the transit agency's 'funding structure is fundamentally incapable' of supporting its capital needs and 'structural reform is imperative.'
A bulk of the funds for the capital budget will come from the agency borrowing against future revenue. The plan is also heavily reliant on federal funding — approximately 70 percent of the federal funds, or $2.8 billion, is unobligated, a worrisome amount with
the Trump administration repeatedly promising to slash federal funds.
'Yeah, it's bad,' said Kane. 'I don't know what to tell you.'
To date, all of the federal grants that the agency has been awarded have come through, 'and we will remain working with our regional [federal] office' to keep federal dollars flowing in, said T
general manager Phil Eng. He added that some of the funds 'have taken a little longer' to arrive because of staffing cuts at the Federal Transit Administration.
'What we're doing today, stabilizing the infrastructure, is actually the stepping stones and the foundation of all of the other things that we want to do: modernize and electrifying and expanding. Because for us to be able to do those, a lot of these components are essential,' Eng said.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers on Beacon Hill are now considering how much money they give the transit agency for its day-to-day operations, including wages and benefits for employees, fuel and supplies, and debt repayment for capital projects.
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The stark differences will likely inflame debate about how much taxpayer-funded help the state should pour into the agency, particularly when its own spending plans
Shannon Larson can be reached at
