A Vision for Boston:
Questions for the 2009 Mayoral Candidates

Day 6: MBTA

What should the Mayor's role be in supporting the MBTA, keeping it affordable for residents, and encouraging better service?

Response from Councilor Flaherty:

Earlier this year, I pressed the Governor to include added monies for the MBTA in the FY2010 state budget in order to avoid fare increases and service cuts because I recognize public transportation investments and improvements are smart strategies that will help the city of Boston achieve many important economic, environmental and social objectives. Unfortunately, we know little about the financial details of the MBTA, except that they are relying on riders to bail them out. As a strong proponent of performance management, I believe that the state’s reorganizing efforts must begin with the scouring of the MBTA’s budget and an exhaustive review of its services. Funding and service decisions must be rooted in ridership data and traffic studies and should give priority to those initiatives with the most compelling data.

With our city paying the heftiest MBTA assessment of all other cities, Boston and its residents need to be a part of the discussions and solutions that ensure the viability of the MBTA. As Mayor, I will take an active role to work with public and regional partners to make sure that Boston and the state honor their commitments to be a well planned, sustainable and economically-sound community.