Beacon Hill is in denial over serious problems with the T

EDITORIAL | Globe Editorial

July 15, 2011

WHEN A broken-down Red Line train stranded more than 400 people underground near Porter Square this week, the only surprising thing was that so many riders took it as well as they did. Some passengers made new friends, the Globe reported; others tossed around ideas for mobile apps that would take account of unexpected delays; still others lent out their iPhones so harried parents could pacify their toddlers with Angry Birds.

But while the breakdown, which ultimately forced passengers to walk to safety through a dim, muggy tunnel, showed MBTA riders at their best, it also exposed a disturbing sense of resignation on their part. When riders think that complaining about major service interruptions is as fruitless as complaining about the weather, it’s bad news for a transit agency that provides 1.3 million trips a day - and for a region that can’t accommodate 1.3 million more car trips on its highways and streets.

The T is long overdue for billions of dollars in repairs, many of which are crucial to the safe operation of a rickety old system. By failing to provide enough for those repairs, Governor Patrick and state lawmakers are taking it as a given that the T is, now and forever, a basket case.

There are some obvious places to look for money. A fare increase would have to be part of the mix, but airport parking revenues controlled by Massport should also be part of the equation. More far-reaching ideas - such as a gas tax that would also provide more money for roads and bridges - should eventually be on the table as well.

Over time, at least, the 2009 transportation reform bill should produce savings in MBTA employee benefits and other costs - and could help dispel public skepticism about new revenue proposals. But the T is breaking down faster than the state’s unwieldy transportation bureaucracy is improving its credibility with the public.

By mishandling a February incident in which a lighting fixture in the Big Dig fell on to a roadway, the state transportation department has hurt the T as well. But the T’s repair backlog won’t just go away. At this point, the T is like a homeowner who transfers debt from one credit card to the next, while ignoring the gaping hole in the roof and the leak in the basement. As the Porter Square breakdown showed, repairs can’t be postponed forever - or in some cases, even for very long.

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