BOSTON – A special panel examining the Mass. Bay Transit Authority has recommended a series of measures to bolster the agency, including creating a five-member Fiscal and Management Control Board and the development of one, five- and 20-year spending plans.
In February, Gov. Charlie M. Baker’s administration announced a team of national leaders in transportation, economic development and municipal planning charged with performing an in-depth diagnostic review of the MBTA’s core functions. The panel met 18 times over six weeks to review past studies, with MBTA staff, Mass. Department of Transportation leadership, transit advocates and labor representatives in order to benchmark the MBTA against peer agencies and analyze performance through objective analysis.
Among key findings, the panel found the authority was subject to chronic capital underinvestment and struggled to get projects completed. •
