State Senate would create transportation superagency

Why continually allow these quasi-public "authorities". They've all shown an unyielding tradition of taking the public's money and losing it.
Not that the state is anything great, but make this thing either public or completely state-run, and have transparency on all spending.

Super agency = super corruption

This is definitely too good to be true.

It would save too much $$, cut into too many valuable turf battles, and create less hack jobs. Plus, no longer would we wonder who was in charge of a particular stretch of road.

I am sure the Governor will have a much smarter plan.

That Stevie Baddour was quite the tennis player growing up!

This is a wonderful step in the right direction. I just hope they realize that once you combine the agencies you have to eliminate staff (in other words- lay off/fire/let go/downsize) in order to reap cost savings. And that doesn't mean just move the staff you eliminate to another state agency long enough so they can reach the magic defined benefit pension at the end of the State employee rainbow...you get the government you deserve...

well it is about time. this plan will work.

Aren't the lawmakers wonderful, they have decided on a solution to the turnpike and MBTA financial nightmares. Now they are proposing a SUPERAGENCY unlike that of the Turnpike Authority or the wonderful MBTA Authority. I WONDER JUST WHICH EX-POLITICIAN IS GOING TO HEAD THIS AGENCY AND FOR HOW BIG A SALARY. So the solution to the quagmire is not to eliminate the toll takers or the former politicians who never got re-elected so they got a job one of the authorities, rather let's keep everyone on the payroll and just make a bigger nightmare for the taxpayer. Oh yes, let's not not forget Deval Patrick's solution to the 'BIG DIG', a doubling of the gas tax. God forbid that the Massachusetts political hacks ever decide to do a little belt tightening like the good old taxpayer has to do.
The new motto for Massachusetts should be:
................BUSINESS AS USUAL AND TO HELL WITH THE TAXPAYER

If done right, I love it. Love it.

ridiculous. They can't operate as independent agencies. It's gonna be even more miserable as one "Super Agency". Let Deval do the work...he knows what needs to be done.

Finally, something that makes sense..... We should continue to assess the other state departments for efficiencies...

The new superagency would simplify operations and reduce costs, with potential savings of up to $6.5 billlion over 20 years, the leaders said in a statement.

...yeah, right.

More like:
The new superagency furthewould further complicate issues and increase costs, with potential of putting MA in a deeper hole r embarrassing the state on a national level.

I thought of this as a long-awaited piece of good news. Then I noted the name... "Massachusetts Surface Transportation Authority". This won't do to properly characterize the MBTA. Surface is but one transit option available from the MBTA's filth-splattered menu. Besides, "transportation" only applies to stuff that moves. If it doesn't move, it's no longer transit. It's a disease-filled underground temporary holding cell.

Surface Transportation will also not fit the T's subway offering as it's below the surface... a place incidentally where many end up thanks to the T's outstanding rail line security.

Surface Transportation implies horizontal. Since the T offers (MBTA-lingo here) "vertical transportation", the fit is difficult to establish. The entire MBTA technical term is "vertical transportation device". It's a rather nice way to say "urine-soaked elevator", or "limb-extracting escalator", no? Actually, escalators are probably "inclined transportation" as in "I am inclined not to function today", which we can apply to the entire system, with the notable exception of the MBTA's and MTA's payroll departments. They seem to never miss a Friday.

Better idea. House the MBTA and the MTA under the auspices of the Department Of Correction. It's the one stop that both of these corrupt messes have deserved for decades.

Governor and Legislature: you can change the facade, but beyond the doors the whole thing stinks. Why not get rid of it, and start over instead?

Long live Mitt Romney!!!

The redundant agencies need to go..
However I doubt any union will allow it.. So there will be built in bloat if it ever comes into being..

If the state had to be run like a profit making business - this would be simple, but they get to print their own money...

God help us! Instead wasting the human and fiscal energy in creating this nonsense, the new Transportation Secretary ought to be getting funding and learning what goes on the rest of world in publc transit so we can have:

1) A light or heavy rail transit tunnel built parallel to the Ted Williams Tunnel with transit access under each Airport terminal to cut the trip down from 20 to 5 minutes as it ought to be.
2) Completion of the Silver Line tunnel and making the Silver Line a light or heavy rail system
3) Connect South and North Stations
4) Replace the current operator of the commuter rail with a more forward looking group that will actually inform passesngers and those waiting at the station what time the time train will arrive.
5) GPS Rail and bus tracking systems that will electronically post where all trains and buses are so passengers will know how long until the next arrival at every bus or rail station.
As many of my European and Japanese friends ask me when they attempt to ride any US transit system is "don't they have any sense of responsibility to the public?"
No, they don't but they love to create Mega-agencies.

3)

To those who dismiss this proposal as one that would create a more inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy, your implicit assumption is that the current system is well-coordinated, efficient, and lacking in corruption. I'd be interested in seeing some evidence to support that view. Sorry entrenched interest groups--the day of reckoning has finally arrived! Massachusetts may finally be ridding itself of the culture of no-show, hack jobs--funded by taxpayers--that are only available to friends and relatives of those already employed in such jobs. Good riddance.

Nice Idea. Why, "Quasi-Public?" Every other state that I can think of has a Department of Transportation (perhaps adding on "Roads, and Bridges.") Can someone explain why this should not be a fully accountable, transparent state agency like every other?

Or would that decrease the opportunity for political patronage and for grossly-unqualified former politicians holding well-paying "quasi-state." jobs. Bulger, anyone?

So, the MBTA and the Pike both have massive budget problems. Why not put them together and create an colossal inability to manage budgets? BRILLIANT.

Of course, the best idea would be to abolish the turnpike authority completely

This is a great plan! It will keep transportation bureaucracy all in one department now!

All kidding aside this IS a good plan. The pro's is that the state and save millions on administrative and operational costs alone! The Con is MANY people will be out of work.

I also think by teaming up all agencies, the state will have better control over budgets and costs since they will be a single entity verses several different agencies.

My only suggestion is.. Don't call it the MSBA (stupid name).. Just call it what it is. The MTA (Massachusetts Transportation Authority) or the MTD (Massachusetts Transportation Department)

What the state is doing is just simply taking these authorities that are self funded so that they can take their revenue. The Turnpike is in trouble because they lent the state the money to pay for the Big Dig; state didn't have the money Pike got the Big Dig; Governer appoints the head of Pike did we expect something else. State wants the MBTA's and Pike money; tolls will still go up, gas tax will go up - Are you people understanding that no matter what the name is they still need to pay for it as they do know except know the State has their hands in it even more that means we pay more not just in tools but in whatever else they feel like raising; state is in worse condition then Pike and MBTA.

massport definitely need to go restructured and reorg this definitely a place where money is wasted and the behavior of it's employees is one not to be mentioned.