History of the MBTA
The history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its predecessors spans two centuries, starting with one of the oldest railroads in the United States.
Privately owned mass transit in the Boston area evolved from the colonial period into the early 1900s, including ferries, steamships, steam commuter railroads, horse and electric streetcars, elevated railways, and subways.
Partly due to an increase in ecommerce, sales tax revenues were lower than expected, and because debt service for the Big Dig transit projects had been allocated to the MBTA, the agency experienced financial problems that required occasional supplemental state funding.
During the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, an accumulation of high-profile safety incidents resulted in a Federal Transit Administration investigation in 2022, and sudden safety-related service cuts.
This route marked the beginning of the development of intercity railroads that eventually evolved into the MBTA Commuter Rail system and the Riverside Green Line D branch.
[5][6] The Grand Junction trackage has also been considered for the proposed Urban Ring Project, intended to bypass severe overcrowding in the Downtown Boston rapid transit stations.
The company consolidated ownership of existing streetcar lines in Boston and the inner suburbs and began converting the animal-drawn vehicles to electric propulsion.
Some of the prepaid transfer areas still exist architecturally, and faregates enclose all subway stations (but not most above-ground Green Line stops).
A short non-revenue connection from the terminus of the #71 trackless trolley out of Harvard Square runs to the Watertown Carhouse for maintenance.
[12] The original MTA district consisted of 14 cities and towns — Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Milton, Newton, Revere, Somerville, and Watertown.
A state commission headed by Lieutenant Governor Arthur W. Coolidge published in 1947 an ambitious plan to replace private commuter rail services (which were losing money) with higher-frequency electric rapid transit that would run roughly out to what is now the Massachusetts Route 128 corridor.
Trackage between Framingham and Worcester was not acquired by the agency, and due to a lack of state subsidy, commuter rail service on this portion was cut in 1975.
As with the commuter rail system, many of the outlying routes were dropped soon before or after the takeover, due to low ridership and high operating costs, and out-of-district communities' refusal to join or contract with the MBTA.
Following a moratorium on major highway construction inside Route 128, numerous transit lines were planned for expansion by the Voorhees-Skidmore, Owings and Merrill-ESL consulting team.
In 1999, the district was expanded further to 175 cities and towns, adding most communities that were served by or adjacent to Commuter Rail lines (again including Maynard).
Since 1988, the MBTA has been the fastest expanding transit system in the country, even as Greater Boston has been one of the slowest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.
[25] Claims have been made by the Pioneer Institute that since 1988 the MBTA has been the fastest expanding transit system in the country, even as Greater Boston has been the slowest growing metropolitan area.
"[27] When, in 2000, the MBTA's income was capped, the agency began to run up large debts from already-scheduled projects and obligatory Big Dig remediation work.
The program would have been expanded to pipe in music, light news, weather, entertainment tips, and eight to ten minutes of commercials each hour to every MBTA subway station.
[32] On May 8, 2009, two Green Line trolleys collided between Park Street and Government Center when the driver of one of them, 24-year-old Aiden Quinn, was text messaging his girlfriend.
[35] During the ensuing manhunt for Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev the MBTA was fully shut down until the stay-inside request for Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Cambridge, Belmont, and Boston was lifted.
[53][54] After initially blaming the snowfall and a lack of public investment in an aging system for the crisis,[55] MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott announced her resignation effective April 11.
[61] Ramirez's previous management experience, as well as the process for vetting him,[62] came under public scrutiny and criticism because of a twice-dismissed class action lawsuit during his tenure as CEO of the Dallas-based Global Power Equipment Group.
The MBTA cut rush hour service frequency on the Red, Blue, and Orange Lines to allow dispatchers and subway supervisors adequate rest.
[74] Federal inspectors also issued emergency directives concerning runaway trains in yards, and the backlog of track maintenance, which caused about 10% of the subway system to be under speed restriction.
[76] In December 2022, the Orange Line was unable to meet even its reduced schedule when about half the trains were pulled from service without notice to passengers, due to problems with electrical arcing.
[119] The following month, Baker approved the Fiscal and Management Control Board's request to exercise the two-year extension option to continue its governance of the MBTA allowed under the law that authorized its formation.
When the stay-at-home advisory was issued the following month, businesses closed or sent staff to work from home, and people were advised to avoid riding public transit unless necessary.
To facilitate social distancing from drivers, buses started running fare-free with rear-door-only boarding, passengers were required to wear face masks (except small children and people with relevant medical conditions), and the agency began frequently sanitizing vehicles and stations.
[130] On the other hand, opponents argue that by reducing services, it will be harder for riders, who are typically low-income or people of color to get to essential jobs.
