MBTA chief warns of 'hefty' fare hike

With rising gas cost Public Transportation use is soaring. If the current governance can not make it work with higher than ever levels of ridership then we should look at a new management strucure rather than fare hikes.

I love the MBTA. But, they need to start by enforcing fares on the street-running green line. Everday, I see a significant percentage (25% or more) of the riders, just walk in the middle doors waving their Charlie Card as though it was a monthly pass. I want the MBTA to get the revenue they deserve. Enforcement and a fare hike - fine. But fare enforcement is an easy first step to take.

To enforce fares on the street-running Green Line. JUST CHANGE THE COLOR OF THE MONTHLY PASS! Make it look different than the Charlie Card. This is not tough!

I take the E line from the longwood stop to Prudential almost every afternoon. Almost every day, the driver opens all the doors and people just get on without paying at the Longwood, MFA and Northeastern stops. I'm sure this is happening at most above ground stops on the green line. I'm sure it's just a drop in the bucket, but if they made an effort to collect ALL fares, it might reduce their debt.

I'm fortunate because I live in Waltham and work in Watertown and only need a local bus pass. A modest increase wouldn't be a big deal. If I lived in the outer suburbs, I doubt I could handle the monthly commuter rail fares, which will soon approach those of the Long Island Rail Road.

If T personel would only treat customers with due respect and not with the contempt that is usually reserved for sexual preditors, then I would go along with a fair hike if it is truly needed to provide good service.

The T is ridiculous and is run terribly. Everyday, I spend more than $2.00 to go 6 stops total and the T still stops and starts. Way too many signal delays. And now another hike?

I thought Mr. Grabuskus was going to fix the system without it costing trillions of dollars.

Let's face it - any idiot could fix the system with an unlimited budget.

I would be very impressed if he came up with options for saving money while improving service. But what we are listening to is hardly progress for the commonwealth.

I thought the point of public transportation was to discourage people to not use their cars for a cheaper alternative, not the other way around.

I read last month that the T had booming ridership, and they STILL need to raise fares? Sounds like Mr. Grabauskas can't run his agency correctly.

But isn't the T seeing an increase in riders? Wasn't the a fare hike fairly recently? How about seeing a T cop riding a train once in a while?

Hike? Forget that i'll start driving again, only reason i take the T is because its cheaper than gas a substantial fare hike is going to destroy the recent increase is riders.

So either we pay with our tax dollars by taking on the T's debt or we pay a hirer fare. Either way, the tax-payers lose, and we should not be saddled with the incompetently managed agency's debt.

Well, I'd like to say I think it's ridiculous, but as much as it is ridiculous it's expected. Until the T figures out how to manage costs, it's not going to succeed as business.
I can't tell you how many times fares go uncollected due to busy trains, or employee negligence. As a Commuter Rail monthly pass holder it really sucks to see someone with a 12-ride, or single ride pass get a freebie. I'm sick of it.

This makes perfect sense......gas prices are killing us, so raise the price of public transportation too...........I am soooo sick of politicians right now I could spit..!!!!!!!!

Why doesn't someone investigate the pensions retired T employees are recieving.....I bet some money could be cut out of there to prevent continuous fare hikes!

Get rid of the numerous lifelong hacks who do nothing at the T but collect a salary and later a pension off of our backs and watch how mirculously that debt will decrease. The T, MTA, and MHD should all be under one roof with a good manager. Its time to blow up these lifelong hacks who get these jobs because there fathers, uncles, and cousins got them in.

If only the conducers would collect the fares their wouldn't be any need for a fare hike instead a giving FREE RIDES to the none regulars.

Go ahead and raise it to whatever it cost to operate the system. If it can't be managed in a manner that makes it self-sustained --- then turn it over to a private company that i'm sure will make it profitable.

Maybe Dan should take a paycut

Those MIT people should come up with a solar energy way to make the buses and trains run free of any other energy source. The sun is free for all!!!

We all know the MBTA is losing hand over fist, but it's not the T riders' fault.

IT'S THE T UNION...these union members are overpaid, they get huge pensions and retirement packages, there highest ranking members leave the T making over 100,000 per year...it's the freakin T.

Our public sector jobs are killing this state. Until someone steps in, our cops, firemen, T employees and everyone else who is protected by unions that get away with stealing from this state will just continue to bleed us dry.

Deval Patrick supports these unions who steal from us. Sal DiMasi gets paid by them. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have taught them how to do it. Who is going to protect us? Who will support the tax payer? Is there anybody out there who will end the corruption?

I'll give Mayor Menino praise for trying to stop the mess in Boston, but you can see we are still getting screwed by the Fireman.

I don't have the answer to make it all go away, but it would be nice to know we had someone who at least wanted to see this crap go away.

"The head of the MBTA says riders face "hefty" fare hikes as soon as 2010 unless the Legislature steps in to bail out the debt-ridden agency."

Why do they have to look to be bailed out?? It seems to me that poor management is to blame for this kind of failure to control costs/spending (salaries, benefits, new projects...). Take a look at that before taking in more money and possibly decreasing ridership if gas prices come down! Maybe they should hire a consulting firm to look at waste and trimming fat before asking to be bailed out.

Right now it makes sense for me to take the T but the commuter rail is constantly late by a minimum of 5 minutes and we are lucky if the air is running on those trains. How is there a need for a fare increase with overcrowded trains every day during rush hour? If there is a significant increase I will most likely consider either a change of job to avoid the T or I will drive. Nice work Dan. The T gets worse every day.

I actually know someone who got a job working maintenance for the green line almost a year ago. After he started I asked him how his job was going. He told me frustrating because his first few days working for the MBTA he got yelled at by his superiors for doing work. They told him that’s not how we do things around here. A few months later I again asked how his job was going. He told me it was the best job he’s ever had. His day consists of going into work and watching movies in the office and taking naps with the rest of the maintenance guys. He uses this job to catch up on sleep from working his other job. This guy is a hard worker and his other employer loves him. He just isn’t allowed to do anything while working for the MBTA. Now those crooks are asking for more money. What a joke.

How about requiring T retirees to start paying something for the Cadillac health insurance that they receive for free...and use frequently while "retiring" in Florida? Or how about increasing the measly amount that current employees pay for their health insurance? Is it asking too much to get these people to pay 20-25% of their health insurance costs?

For that matter, why does the MBTA have a separate health insurance plan, which obviously costs money to administer. Why isn't the T part of the state's insurance plan run by the GIC? If it's good enough for cities and towns, why isn't it good enough for the state's transit authorities? There have got to be millions to be saved right there...and it's not as if the GIC is selling barebones insurance.

Nah, instead just gouge the middle income and lower income T riders with higher fares. That way, you don't rile up the unions. So typical.

Sell some of the SUVs that MBTA upper management uses to get around, since the MBTA doesn't run to their liking. They can plan ahead or take cabs like the rest of us.

If this happens, Boston will become one of the most fit cities in the world!!!! A change that may help would be keeping the T open later... There are so many college students that need the T open later which would generate more money if they ran on a limited schedule. Also the T is a well paying "people who know people" type of business... you can only work there if you know people and they get paid a lot of money for what they do. They need an entire reconfiguration of the system before we have miles and miles of obsolete subway tracks, running under our city.

Why do you continue to raise fares when MBTA employees continue to close
their eyes when passengers do not pay. It seems that we are throwing money
away at both ends. How much more do you want from honest passengers who always pay. Is this the way you run your household????

First off, Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority should be fired. He is not getting the job done and any other chief or CEO or president would of been gone by now.

The MBTA needs a complete management overhaul. They need to bring in outside of Mass, fiscally responsible, non-corruptable management to balance the books.

They need to reduce the compensation of the big brass who do not deserve what they earn.

MOST IMPORTANTLY - no matter how many rate hikes the MBTA does, until there is repsonsible managment in place, there will ALWAYS be debts.

These changes will never been made because our state political system it totally corrupted. So, prepare to dig deeper.

Ridership is up - Service (on the Needham line) is down ... at the height of service (the 5:20 out of South Station - I'm sorry the 5:30 disguising as the 5:20) the MBTA has replaced the 6 doubledeckers with 5 single level trains. The train is packed before leaving South Station. It is ridiculous once we add passengers from Back Bay. Boarding passengers at Ruggles (who pay the same fare as I do) can barely make it onto the train never mind hope to get a seat. What does this mean? ...in part, conductors continually apologising and unable to walk the aisles to collect the fares. Look at all that loss of revenue right there!!!! Where did our cars go? Make the passengers miserable and get them driving again.... we can do cost benefit analysis as well.

A fare hike is not totally uncalled for when you compare it to the cost of gasoline- that will surely continue to rise. The cost of public transport is pittance compared to the current gas price levels. Should the T raise fares again- it would be prudent to still look for internal waste to remove, but we all know how likely that is...

The biggest issue of all though is the threat of reduced service. If Boston is to maintain, or become (depending on your POV) status as a "world class city"- EXTENDED service is needed on both schedule AND geographic service. The Green Line extension is vitally important as is the Urban Ring and extensions of regular services in growing neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain and South Boston.

If not, we are really only living in the shadow of cities with better transport.

It's the retirements. The pensions, the fact that employees retire after 23 years and get their pensions the day they do. The full medical for the rest of their lives. The politicians have been selling us out for years in order to get the public employee union support. There is no amount of funding that will fix this mess as long has this money continues to bleed. Face it, there are two Masaachusetts. The people who work in the private sector and have to worry about and save for their retirements, and the public sector who just go to the politicians with their hands out and get whatever they ask for. Compare the average pay of a T worker with that of a T rider. This is a disgrace.

Oh, by the way, or elected officials are also able to retire after twenty years and collect there pensions on starting the day they leave regardless of age. Now that's something that should be repealed.

Fare hike? Again? You are kidding. Right?

It now costs me more to take the commuter rail into Boston from West Roxbury, than to drive back and forth to Waltham. I also had a shorter commute time. Maybe it's time to get rid of the employee cars and free health care. When I was on call in IT I had to drive my own car at 2AM to work and pay for my own gas.oh yes I have no pension and pay thru the nose for health ins. I am college educated and work my butt off. Oh yes and I also work my butt off keeping the damn doors closed on the overcrowded trains. Maybe if the conductors would close a door occasionally the cost would go down!!!
These costs are killing those in the private sector. Enough is enough.
The commuter rail service on the needham line is horrendous and has gone down hill immensely in two years. It is a joke.

If you want to save money, stop work on the boondoggle known as Silver Line Phase 3. Like the T needs to ass 800 million to it's debt bottom line.

It comes to no surprise that the best a political hack can offer is to raise fares in order to meet short-term objectives. None of this will solve the chronic delays, grime, heat, understaffing, overall contempt for the customer, fare-skipping and the general confusion that permeates the system due to the lack of a comprehensive information system that hasn't been farmed out to someone's nephew.

At least we'll feel good knowing that we pay world-class fares on par with great cities as we ride the relic that is the T into the 21st century.

I can never understand why the MBTA, the Mass Turnpike Authority and MassPort get to be independent agencies and not under the Governor's Executive Branch? It appears throughout the years the most significant financial abuse, poor press releations and mismanagment in government are these so-called independent authorities. These authorities are supposed to have autonomy and a seperate governance structure to work on large scale government management. But these boards and agencies rarely ever work out. They give government the worst name. I think the Legislature should ensure these agencies are brought underneath the Exective Branch.

Scott (#24) is right. I've had friends work maintenance at the T. If you work hard, you are yelled at because you make the 'other guys' look bad. I'm sure there are some good workers there, but general overall Union attitude is nothing but trouble.

T employees are allowed to retire after just 23 years with both a heavily subsidized
pension and almost free insurance for life!!! Why the hell is this tolerated by
those of us suckers in the private sector, who are forced to work until 67 to
start collecting our much smaller checks from Social Security?

It is also infuriating that the private sector is so demanding, so stressful, while
most of the state's labor force is immune from firing, regardless of how lazy
and worthless so many are.

So he wants the "legislature" to cough up money? Where does the legislature get their money? From you and me.

Dan - we're not an ATM! Clean up your own house. People in Western MA should not be subsidizing a mostly Boston based transit system (I understand there are T buses in Springfield. But that's pennies on the dollar compared to running light rail systems.)

Dan can't even fix the ceiling in Alewife to prevent roosting pigeons from crapping on the steps ever day. Dan - you're a loser. Resign now and save face.

Some of the comments here are pretty good and a few a bit off color...

The MBTA is a bit of an unpolished jewel. It should be 'fiscally responsible' and management should be results oriented, but a public transit system shouldn't be held to being self-supporting on rider revenues alone. Some cities, even in the US, were considering LOWERING fares to get ridership up. The reason is that by encouraging higher ridership, we cut congestion and pollution, we use less fuel as a community. It's important that public transit be 'cheaper and easier' than car-alternatives. Raising fares or cutting service help neither of these. Having a public transit system helps make Massachusetts more of a jem also. If Dan and top MA government are listening, I'd say we should acknowledge it's very hard for a public transit system to be self-supporting, even in the best of times and at the moment it is trying to service 8 Billion in debts. In our economic current times, it should and can be relied upon to provide inexpensive transport. It would be a shame to change that by cutting services, and for many the recent fare hikes would make further hikes difficult.

I am a regular rider on the 505 bus. I get on near the Mass pike. I think at $4, with a Charlie card, each way for a 20 minute 10 mile ride, it is already priced high enough.
We pay more for this short bus ride per unit distance than probably any other trip in the system. I pay the most of any of the T riders in my office. For this I get to stand all the way sometimes in both directions, and sometimes face delays of 30-45 minutes.
If the fare increases beyond $10 per day I will drive in. I will get door to door service, not have to wait outside in all kinds of weather with no shelter, be able to run errands on the way home, take my child to school and it would not cost me more. I want to help the planet but not at such a high cost.
My job performance has suffered over the years due to this commute, at times arriving up to an hour late.
Price this trip higher and I would expect more riders like me to drive in. For now I leave my car at home, and walk to catch the bus. Go over $10 a day and I will be driving in. Gas would have double in cost to get me to pay over $10 per day for this kind of service. I will burn one gallon of gas extra a day.

Yippee, now riders and the general public can continue to pay for MBTA workers to retire with full pension and health benefits before they turn 50! Where else in the world can people fully retire after only serving 22 years? And people wonder why T service keeps getting worse, and the fares have to be raised every 2-3 years?

That is the elephant in the room that no one seems to want to talk about. All you hear about is how the fares MUST be increased, and the state MUST step in to ease the debt burden of the MBTA. But the unions get to keep scamming the general public and the T riders with such ridiculous pension and health benefits, with such a mention of reform in that area. I bet if the Globe starts looking closely at the MBTA, they will find similar shenanigans going on like they've found at the BFD. That is Mass. gov't at its finest: raise fares, build new projects, but NEVER, EVER demand reform, efficiency, or accountability for how the taxpayers/T riders money is spent.

We need to do a couple of things.

1)Stop the sweetheart pensions. That is a thing of the past and it is too costly. There is a reason companies don't do it anymore. The T says "we don't have to divulge that info because we aren't totally public entity" We'll if we (the state) are going to bail you out..changes need to be made at how it is run.

2) The State then can invest heavily into the T. We need to make it run like the best in the country. More tracks in more directions, running later.

3) The fuel crisis isn't going to change. Looking forward, in order to make this a "green city" the T has to be a viable option that people would choose use instead of driving. Currently it is not. This coupled with the huge costs associated with the road and bridges that have been ignored is the only way we can go

Even if they raise the fairs. it is still a bargain (compared to driving and to other t's around the country).

Coup' Deval needs to make a new Transportation that encompasses Turnpike Authority and get the leadership in there in order to make it the most important dept in the State

First of all, fare collections need to be consistent on the Commuter Rail. Too many times people get by without paying, especially when there's a delay or a cancelled train, and then they get reimbursed for being late as well. I'm sure that's figured into the amount I pay for my monthly pass. Why should I pay for the ones who don't have to? It may only be a small percentage, but it angers the riders who buy passes.

Before you increase fares, make the transfer between South Station and Back Bay more convenient. We have been told that the trains don't run between the two stations for our convenience, which is very obvious. If we didn't have to run like idiots to make the train connection each morning, I might be willing to pay more, but connection times are not at all planned to coincide with trains from the South Shore. Absolutely absurd, especially since the 9:00 o'clock train to Worcester was changed to 8:50. Now there are two trains that leave at 8:50, and then nothing until 9:20. How about thinking of your passengers for a change?

All I know is that I can't wait to retire and get away from the totally inadequate train service we have here. Since there is no choice, I will have to pay whatever the increase will be. It still beats driving on the Expressway every day. What the Big Dig did for that is a huge mystery to me. Another Massachusetts fiasco. This State is beyond comprehension when it comes to transportation of any sort. All they know how to do is raise prices and mismanage the money. Unbelievable!

My friend used to work in the General Manager's office and he said when they had meetings it was almost entirely made up of people who rarely, if at all, actually rode the subway. EVER! And these people determine policy for a mass transit system?

And yeah, where are all these SWAT Transit cops when there isn't an emergency? One day they're all standing around in camouflage gear and the next day they're gone! Are they napping with the maintenance crews?

Why does the MBTA provide insane benefits to its employees, such as full retirement healthcare that no other profitable and non-taxpayer funded organization would ever think of doing? The debt cost of the T’s horrible union contracts are crushing the organization and affecting service and its ability to grow new revenue.

The issue is that the T and big Dan have no real worry b/c they can always go back to the taxpayer, if this were the real world ( non government) Dan would have to make T workers accept normal benefits to reflect a changing marketplace (such as what the United Auto Workers have done) or he would be fired!

I am all for a living wage, which T workers earn and then some but perks such as retiree healthcare , full pensions, etc are benefits of a bygone era, let’s move the T into the 21st century where other business have been for years!

It will take true leadership these core issues here so that the T remains viable for years to come, its time Dan for you to be a leader or get out of the way!

Far and away the worst run transit authority in the country. End the fat cat salaries and ridiculous union benefits for all. Drivers that do nothing should not be paid these huge salaries - to open doors and read the metro? I am sick of seeing a group of T workers in orange vests doing NOTHING but standing around talking. How much money was wasted on all the unnecessary new landscape renovations on the C line? We did NOT need it. We need a T that runs on time with space for riders. How many years ago did they raise the fare by 65 cents with no service improvements? What percentage is that? Makes the percentage of rising gas prices seem trivial. Make these people work for their money! You need to start at the top with these changes and don’t stop till you evaluate the need of people standing around with flags do nothing or those in MBTA vehicles driving to their next break.

Running a system like the MBTA costs money, and if we are serious about cutting global warming emissions and getting off our addiction to oil, we need to make a real commitment to a new and better way of getting to work and doing the things we need to do. if we are going to tackle global warming, we need to drive less. 40% of our emissions in New England come from cars.

If we invest in a good public transportation system, we can have more productive lives with less time spent in traffic, more time with our families, and more broad prosperity for all people.

we have gotten used to trying to get something for nothing - our taxes are the way we pay for the things we need and use. Of course there is corruption, and we need to fight that. But a good transportation system costs money.

We should try to streamline and get good service for the least amount of money and the least amount of waste. But you must pay for something you value, and the easiest and most efficient way to finance public transportation is through state money.

Are you KIDDING me??? The T has record ridership and they are still threatening to raise the prices????

It is time for someone to step in and and take control of money sucking entity. In this failing economy, public transit should be proliferating with the rising inflation and costs of gas, not failing.

RIDICULOUS!

Before a rate hike is granted, the T should take a look at their overpaid, rude employees. I ride the T only occasionally, but invariably I run into a rude, uncivil T worker. What is wrong with them? They're well paid and apparently the management is as well, perhaps overpaid. Also there should be more security apparent at some of the more troublesome T stops.

It might also help if they developed a real schedule and stuck to it, at least on the Green Line. How many times have people been waiting at Arlington or Copley on Sox game night and seen three 'E' trains in a row blaze on by with barely any people in them?

After that happens, the rest of the people waiting for 'B', 'C', or 'D' trains are screwed because the crowd at earlier stations has built up too much and the trains are filled to capacity by the time they even get to Boylston.

There's no need to run that many 'E' trains in a row when a majority of people are trying to get to other lines. It's just wasteful.

i support the unions. HOWEVER, unions were designed to protect very different kind of workers and for very different reasons. Do the MBTA employees suffer from inhumane working conditions? do they suffer from poverty level wages? do they suffer from economic exploitation? if not, maybe the union and state should reconsider its stance?

MBTA employees (union or no) may retire after 23 years. Antiquated. Ridiculous. Criminal. This must be addressed before any fare increase.

Massachusetts Government at work. WHAT A DISASTER. And it never ends.

Ah yes. Everyone wants a free ride. Free rides in life, and free rides on the T. When are people going to learn that socialism just doesn't work? The T is a manifestation of socialism.

The schedule, fares, and wages are determined not by the market (i.e. riders), but by a government buearucrat. Socialism is alive and well in Mass..eh comrades.

I believe that if the system was run for profit the service would more closely match the expectations of the majority of riders. I also believe that those who do not ride the T should have to pay for it with their tax dollars.

But before you raise fares how about being FAIR and collecting tolls from all riders first. If there is still a deficit then raise the fares.

The MBTA has been ignored by the Celucci/Swift/Romney administrations except for increases. I hope Patrick, who keeps touting green policies as key to our future, sees the T as the ultimate in green (as well as a way to help the cost of living in MA down) and starts giving the T the resources it needs. The T needs more than the arbitrary 1 cent from the sales tax to run, this never worked and makes NO SENSE and needs to be changed.
Menino, who loves to TALK about being a green mayor, needs to start lobbying for more train access in Boston, or at least stop fighting it (helping to kill the green line in JP). The mayor and governor need to start working on the greenest initiative we have, giving all Bostonians a train stop within walking distance.

I threw out my T pass after being stuck or slowed down due to "signal problems" on the Red line 4 days in a row. This happened about 6 months ago. I drive everyday to work now, and I dont care that it costs me more. I've given up on the T...good riddance and good luck

A fair increase without an improvement in service is just wrong. Besides getting on the T if and when it shows up on time, what about the stations themselves? Has anyone ever gotten Off the T at back bay station? There is always a thick fog of exhaust fumes gagging people waiting both down on the platforms and above in the waiting area. Instead of plugging in a simple fan to get some air movement, they decide to spend millions on several new announcement signs that are rarely working. No one is going to pay more for the same poor service. Increase fairs = less ridership=bigger deficits. Fix the product or it just wont sell!

Increased Fares. Increased Penion/Retiree Benefits. Decreased Service. Decreased Customer Satisfaction. This sounds like a broken record and has and never will change.

The state needs to step in and help the MBTA. Fare hikes are never the solution and the few extra passengers who squeeze onto the T during rush hour are NOT the reason the T has so much debt (Big Dig, anyone?). There are no public transit systems in the US that can cover their costs through fares alone.

I have no problem with fare hikes - the commuting costs are artificially low. What I have a problem with is watching 8 MBTA guys with 3 trucks hanging around for an hour, wandering around on the tracks in front of a stop, trying to figure out what direction the "u" shaped bolts should be in when placed on the tracks - as I look and see a half mile of "u" shaped bolts, all facing the same direction, and then have one of them jokingly say "I think it should be this direction....see.....all the other ones go in that direction." Then they all get in their trucks and leave. Maybe it's me, but did it really take 8 guys 45 minutes to figure that out? And what is their level of competence, if they can't figure anything out? Several people at work have told me similar stories of pure waste of use of personnel.

Why does the MBTA spend money on fancy "immediate notification" signage, then not use it? Why can't they fix their speaker system in Government center and other stops (and on the trains) - and why do they allow singers/musicians to play right near the speakers so whatever message is being given to commuters regarding changes in the schedule is drowned out? Climate control at the stations stinks. Why are we always playing musical trains - sometimes having to get off a train 3 times each way as they "express" trains past stops? Or having to wait a half hour at rush hour for the next "T" - in addition to the musical train delays?

Security? You mean the 3 or 4 security guys who stick together like they are joined at the hip, spending most of their time on the outside, rather than the inside, of the stations, and are nowhere to be seen in the actual stations where the trains and passengers are?

Come to think of it, the ride probably isn't worth much more than 50 cents. Why should the taxpayers reward waste, incompetence, and a lousy public transportation system by bailing them out?

Privatize the T, and then privatize the highway system around the state, and let them compete against one another for commuters. Get the Massachusetts transportation system out of the hands of the government, which can't seem to keep anything fiscally solvent these days.

Why not just let the T start doing massive layoffs, the options being to have the union renogiatiate its contract with fewer benefits to save jobs - just like the airline and every other industry does (and they give far fewer benefits than the T - retirement after 23 years with full benefits - REALLY!!). Let's not give them more money so they can hire more people and get even deeper in debt with legacy costs to justify more bailouts.

No... wait a minute ... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em ... I think I'll apply for one of these golden umbrella jobs! Where else can you get that kind of money and benefits without an education, special training, or qualifications??

I have been on the T almost everyday of my life since I was 9 years old. Buses, commuter rail, orange line, green line, red line. You get the picture. What I wish is that the T management does what we, the commuters, do day in and day out - take the T. Instead they are in their cars (paid for by us?). When they answer anyone's questions do you notice how their responses are always telling the person they are incorrect?. He (Dan) wouldn't know what it's like to take the T on a sweltering hot day w/ no AC if it hit him in the face.

How about down sizing the workers? I see dozens of T employees sitting around and chatting and doing NOTHING every week. How about not spending almost a billion dollars on a glorified bus system. Maybe they should have taken that $ and put it toward what we have right now to make it better. How about extending lines where there are already tracks? The orange line is a great example. There are tracks all the way up into Rosi / W. Rox that could be shared w/ the commuter rail.. you then have 2 more areas in Boston that could be on the T line. NO instead you want to charge me $139 to go 4 stops on the commuter rail. I stopped taking the commuter rail (which is a 3minute walk from my home) when it went up $50 in one year.

I now buy a montly pass for $60.. which is supposed to work on all trains and buses inside Boston... oh, except for the commuter rail. But I could take a bus to Forest Hills and get on the commuter rail w/ my monthly pass w/out paying anything... so essentially you want to charge me $139/mo for 2 stops or if you don't have the proper commuter rail pass and only the monthly pass theyw ill charge you $4.25 each way (for 2 stops).

The T is a joke.. it could be a really great system but unfortunately it's more important to give ridiculous benefits to it's workers/management and not use what we have and make it better.

I agree with a lot of these comments. Would anyone like the name of a few bars where the maintenance workers go while they are "on the clock" and brag about it. (Check the Somerville bars near Sullivan).
Dan Grabuskus does not have the stones to walk up to someone sleeping on the job and fire them. You'll never catch in the trenches. At times a nice guy, he has gone from one state agency to another and I have never seen any real changes.
Step up to the plate or head for the private sector. The abuse is more than blatant!

It's a very patronage-heavy organization, from top to bottom. Anyone who expects the T to be efficient and cost effective must be (a) new to massachusetts, (b) doesn't read a local paper, and (c) hasn't taken the red or green lines regularly.

This seems to be how we staff most if not all of our public-facing organizations in Massachusetts outside of law enforcement and fire services. Unless we change how we build and maintain our organizations, they will continue to misfire and stall (which I saw a lot of on the green line Monday night.)

I no longer commute to Boston however I took the Blue Line in last Friday for an appointment. Going in I got to experience the newer trains. I did not slide around on the new seat as some riders have complained. The cars were clean, the AC was on instead of the heat and no water dripping down from the roof. What I did notice is the MBTA digging up and reconstructing platforms from Wonderland to Wood Island. Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont, Suffolk Downs and Wood Island are relatively new stations and it doesn't seem to me that additional construction, repairs or improvements is a necessary expense. Surely there is much waste and less urgent projects should be put on the back burner. I'll bet the benefits are way out of whack with today's standards too. Probably far too generous with sick/vacation and would love to see the stats on how many employees are out on "disability." The system needs overhauling and cost cutting from the inside in order for the MBTA to turn the debt around and provide riders with efficient, affordable, up-to-date transportation. Why are so many other cities successful and never Boston? One word; POLITICS!

amazing - 68 posts and not a single educated person who fully understands the MBTA and its debt problem. The MBTA has the highest debt servicing costs of any public transit authority in the country. Over 30% of the MBTA's budget goes to paying its massive debt load ($8billion).

Is this a result of bad management by Grabauskas, lazy union employees, non-existent mbta police, poor fare collection policies, etc etc etc? No. These are all problems that the T needs to deal with but they are not the ultimate cause of the T's disasterous finances.

The debt stems from obligatory expansion as a result of the Big Dig that was not paid for up front - Central Artery-related commitments were shifted with little debate to the MBTA as part of the 1999 legislation. These costs should have been part of the overall Big Dig budget and not shifted to the MBTA. The state should take responsibility for that debt - stop trying to scapegoat the public transportation users to the benefit of the car drivers.

No one but the legislature is to blame for this mess. They thought that giving the T a mere penny of the state sales tax would be all the revenue the T would need to run the 5th largest transit agency in the U.S. and pay off $8 billion in debt. It seems the legislature is secretly encouraging the T to raise fares.

The big dig has been going on since my parents lived in Boston in the early 70's. A huge issue on the T right now is obviously the potential fair hike in 2010. However, I wanted to focus on a huge issue, the longfellow bridge connecting cambridge and boston on the red line. They have slowed down the trains due to repairs being made to a bridge that probably isn't safe to drive on. Almost every aspect of it is in sad shape. The T needs to face the fact that the bridge is going to have to be replaced one day or have a major overhaul which will mean shutting down the red line between charles MGH and Kendall MIT. This is going to cause a huge problem and it is something that T riders will be facing very soon because that old bridge will not stand forever.

How to deal with the problems at the MBTA?

It's called PRIVATIZATION: bring in new management to run this organization like a real company; get rid of all the excesses and wasteful spending; reform the employee pension plan; no more free health care for retirees and current employees.

Change the makeup and culture of this agency from top to bottom, basically gut the whole organization inside out; hire only those folks who will put in an honest day of work for honest pay.

The MBTA will have to make drastic changes in how its business is run. A handout from the State will not solve its debt problem, nor should they expect one from the taxpayers in MA, given the difficult economic conditions and the State's own budgetary constraints.

They have a lot of nerve telling us we face a "hefty" fare hike to support their ridiculous pensions, life-long free health care, ridiculous salaries, and huge bureacracy. The MBTA is no different than every other state or quasi-state agency. They are a huge bureacracy that is run like a big corporation. We don't need flashy press conferences to announce new things, we don't need press secretaries, we don't need some big shot general manager in a suit and tie. This agency needs to be completely overhauled and built from scratch from the ground up. This is not some big financial services corporation, it is a public transportation agency that is responsible for getting people to work and school throughout the city. Massachusetts is turning into a giant corporation while we the normal people are getting raped.

I do find it odd that the legislature bailed out the turnpike authority but not the MBTA. In fact, letting both agencies go insolvent might be only way to get out from some of these ridiculous contracts -- labor and supplier -- that they have to deal with.

Otherwise, some places to start:
- defined contribution pensions for anyone with less than 10 yrs in
- all workers and retirees get insurance from GIC under the standard package
- eliminate 90% of toll workers and shift all but one lane at each toll booth to EZ Pass (that should motivate people to get the transponder... it's really not that hard)
- stop making non-viable transit planning decisions to please political interest groups -- e.g., south coast rail, red line-blue line connection; focus on projects with high ridership potential and transit-oriented development
- tolls on 93 and the NH border
- EZ Pass-only tolls on particular projects (Storrow Dr tunnel, e.g.)
- higher gas tax
- an end to accruing sick and vacation time for executives. Three weeks; use it or lose it. No comp time.

Shared pain. Common sense.

The Red Line has been pathetic all summer, not including the 10 mph over the Longfellow Bridge. I signed up for the Mobile T-Alerts and have received 2-5 per day regarding delays on the Red Line. I have waited 15 minutes for one train to come by in the middle of the evening commute home. This morning the heat was on full blast and we would just stop and go in between Alewife and Kendall for no reason. How about an announcement every once in awhile!!

All you guys complain and then vote the same hacks into office. VOTE TO END THE INCOME TAX this November and show the state that we mean it. Put an end to the free healthcare, overgenerous pensions and early retirement deals for no-work jobs. Stand up to the unions (including the teachers union) and show the politicians we mean business. If you continue to vote the same hacks into office, it is your own fault.

Try putting your complaints in emails to either of these addresses:
gm@mbta.com
dgrabauskas@mbta.com

Make sure Dan understands that there is only so much incompetence riders are willing to take.

One thing that could help the "starving" T is something that the employees and union would never go for. Have the employees pay SOMETHING for health insurance.

Instead of the MBTA paying 100% of this, have employees pay 20%. Yes, this is would be unpopular, and never happen but it would sure help push it toward the black.

SO let's give the T 1-5 cents of gas tax revenue - at least some money to get them a hand - and maybe even rough enough trains to cover the service need...

Yes, the T is saddled with Big Dig debt but who created and built that financing structure? Remember this financing structure was meant for a $2Billion Cost not a $14Billion one.

The T is saddled with union employee fringe benefits that many of us do not enjoy. Who okayed that fringe to go through years ago? Remember people didn't live long enough to enjoy them, you wanted to be faithful to your employees right?

The MBTA, MTA, Massport and MHD have separate fiefdoms that cannot be touched. How did that happen? At one point these groups needed separate groups because there were no computers and the roads needed tighter management... Why are they separate entities without any oversight or governance? checks or balances? Are unions the only group that seems to keep them in check?

We are victims of history. We are the future generation those people didn't care about all those years ago. We are the generation that is supposed to pay for everything - Tail End Boomers and Gen X ers...

Meanwhile the rest of the state below Route 24 and beyond Route 495 is ignored. Towns have to increase property taxes just to get by.

Telling Dan Grabauskas about commuter rail issues is a waste of time. Dan doesn't use the commuter rail to get to work from Ipswich maybe HIS job requires that he be on time. Dan gets to drive to work in a company car. Dan and his high level associates should use and experience what they manage to see what (we the commuter) deal with on a daily basis.
It would be interesting to see upper level "T" managers/supervisors in the trenches dealing with problems, delays, overcrowding, lack of air conditioning, cancellations, fare evaders etc. When ever there is a problem there is never a manager available to complain to or to seek answers about issues. Get the "T" officals out of their company cars and ride the rails/buses with the rest of us.

The U.S. Government cut costs dramtically in 1984 by eliminating the fixed pension for all new employees. Like the rest of us working for a living, they have to fund their retirement with a 401(k). If all state and local governments in massachusetts adopted this simple plan the MILLIONS of dollars saved would be astronmical and thes folks working at all levels of our state would be forced to live the same way as the rest of the population. Pensions are disappering in the private sector. The same should happen in the public sector.

It's time to look into electrifying most of the commuter rail system. This would isolate the T from fuel costs. Eventually they could replace the long trains with more efficient small trainsets for offpeak times. Most of the better train systems in the world run on electric.

The unions have too much power and the employees get too many benefits. Any effort to reduce some of these ridiculous costs will be faced by strike threats.

Here's an idea to raise revenue, charge T employees the same parking fee's as commuters. They already get to ride the T for free, why do we have to pay for thier parking too? Guess they know if they take the T they will be late.

All Management must take a 50% pay cut
All Union contracts must be voided and renegotiated
All Union employees must take a 10% pay cut
Set up a 401k that employees can contribute to and the T matches up to 3% vested after 5 years of service
Health Insurance benefits that are paid by the employee 20-25% of total cost.
All T employee's must take the T to work - no exceptions, excuses. There will be no parking for T employee's at any location.
All jobs must be publicly posted and advertised, get rid of the patronage system
The turnpike authority takes back the debt put onto the T back in 1999
Allocate .02 cents of sales tax and add a % of the mass gas tax to fund the system.
All Workers must take courses in customer service and customer complaints must result in diciplinary action.
This is the REAL World!

Why is the MBTA still using old, falling apart, filthy dirty, barely working buses on the 450 bus route to Salem Depot, with no air conditioning, no heat, no shocks, bad transmissions and a variety of other dangerous malfunctions (no lights interior & exterior; mirrors that don't stay where the driver puts them; marquee's that don't work, no stop bells etc.) for a 16 mile, 60 minute trips?
There is a fleet of brand new buses which are probably more gas efficient and properly working, which have been sitting at the Lynn garage for about a month now?
If what is noted about is true about the maintenance staff sitting around on their duffs doing nothing, someone needs to light a fire under their butts and get those buses out on the road. NOW today, not when they feel like it.

wahh wahhh... bunch of whining pathetic babies. The t is still cheap and gets you from point a to b. Take your car, cab, bike, or walk. You have options. I am so sick of the sniveling and crying, it is laughable. T employees have an attitude???? Jeez I wonder why? When was the last time you went to work and got spit on? Or threatened or assaulted? T workers have UNPAID breaks built into their days, some as much as 3 hours. They are are paid for 8 hours but are owned by the T for 12 or more. Dealing with the riding public is an absolute thankless job yet let's all blame the employees. 23 years is enough dealing with a-holes like most of you posters.

Blood sucking T Union members all of them! The rest of the country laughs at us. The situation is absurd.