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MBTA

Opportunity, Transportation
July 14, 2025

Study Finds MBTA Operating Costs Surging Since Control Board’s Elimination

In the years since fiscal 2018, when the MBTA last balanced its budget without state contract assistance or federal funds, operating costs have been rising at an alarming rate, culminating in an increase of nearly 15 percent from FY 2023 to FY 2024 alone, according to a new policy brief published by Pioneer Institute.
Data Labs, Transportation
June 20, 2025

Riding toward a greener future? How Massachusetts public transport compares to other public transportation networks.

What is the relationship between public transportation usage and CO2 emissions in Massachusetts? To investigate this question, this blog uses a peer group of the only nine states with over 100 million total public transport trips in 2023, which are referred to as ‘high transport states’ throughout the blog.  
American Citizenship, Healthcare, Transportation
July 11, 2024

How Public Transportation’s Efficiency Changed During Covid

The MBTA's efficiency plummeted during Covid; as people chose either personal transportation or personal work, the MBTA lost significant ridership. However, it maintained its vehicle fleet and the depth of its services even as its operating cost per passenger mile increased dramatically.
Transportation
June 27, 2024

The MBTA’s Aging Infrastructure: Improvements have Failed to Materialize for the T

Reform for the MBTA has long been a priority for Massachusetts government. However, the MBTA still struggles to grow its ridership and revenue, as its infrastructure grows increasingly in need of repair.
Transportation
July 5, 2023

Cheap, Efficient, Effective: The Lessons from the PVTA and WRTA

The MBTA is recognized as one of the best transit systems in the nation. It's not perfect, however: comparisons to other Massachusetts transit systems can indicate the MBTA's flaws and highlight the regional authorities' strengths.
Transportation
June 29, 2023

Fare-Free Public Transit in Boston: A Holistic View

In recent years, ridership on bus routes which run through low-income areas has increased due to programs which have eliminated fares on those routes. With some politicians looking to expand this to all Boston transportation, it is important to remember that while public transit is good for society, it is not a public good.
American Citizenship, Transportation
June 21, 2023

MBTA retirement fund is headed for a financial reckoning

The new MBTA Retirement Fund Actuarial Valuation Report shows the fund is only about 51 percent funded. In 2006, it was 94 percent funded. A “death spiral” generally accelerates when retirement system funding dips below 50 percent.
April 26, 2023

PioneerLegal Gains Access to MBTA Pension Arbitration Award After Seven-Month Process

After a more than seven-month struggle, PioneerLegal—now known as Pioneer Public Interest Law Center—has gained access to an important August 2022 arbitrator’s decision about a dispute between the MBTA and its largest union, the Carmen, over the severely underfunded MBTA Retirement Fund (MBTARF).
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
July 5, 2022

Looming Budget Crisis Reveals MBTA’s Dependency on Federal Funds

The MBTA is about to lose federal funding at a critical moment when ridership has not yet recovered. Will the state make up the difference?
American Citizenship, Transportation
June 21, 2022

Study Finds Pension Obligation Bonds Could Worsen T Retirement Fund’s Financial Woes

A new study published by Pioneer Institute finds that issuing pension obligation bonds (POBs) to refinance $360 million of the MBTA Retirement Fund’s (MBTARF’s) $1.3 billion unfunded pension liability would only compound the T’s already serious financial risks.