Comments on: Why the T is Broke http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884 Rob Goodspeed's blog Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:37:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ed Hamm http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884/comment-page-1#comment-567629 Ed Hamm Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:06:03 +0000 http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2884#comment-567629 Rail transit is not a business that goes broke. Like federal and state highways and public streets , transit is a public utility that needs investment. Transit supports more highly sustainable urbanity relative to highways. This factor alone should argue for sustained maintenance and support. Rail transit is not a business that goes broke. Like federal and state highways and public streets , transit is a public utility that needs investment. Transit supports more highly sustainable urbanity relative to highways. This factor alone should argue for sustained maintenance and support.

]]> By: Goodspeed Update » Blog Archive » Lights Out For Free Public Goods? http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884/comment-page-1#comment-564054 Goodspeed Update » Blog Archive » Lights Out For Free Public Goods? Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:49:14 +0000 http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2884#comment-564054 [...] is sowing the seeds for future problems. Here in Boston, last year the MBTA only had enough funds to fix six of the agency’s 56 infrastructure projects that were ranked as most important for public safety on an internal 10-point rating scale. At the [...] [...] is sowing the seeds for future problems. Here in Boston, last year the MBTA only had enough funds to fix six of the agency’s 56 infrastructure projects that were ranked as most important for public safety on an internal 10-point rating scale. At the [...]

]]> By: Charlie http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884/comment-page-1#comment-556836 Charlie Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:01:19 +0000 http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2884#comment-556836 An idea that was tossed around but didn't have very broad political support was creating a congestion charge along I-90 and I-93 for entering the urban core. Part of the revenue from this charge would go towards funding the T. Whatever new sources of funding we find for the T, however, should be indexed to inflation. That's how we got into this mess, by providing a primary source of funding (the sales tax) that has actually gone down in dollars as inflation has gone up. An idea that was tossed around but didn’t have very broad political support was creating a congestion charge along I-90 and I-93 for entering the urban core. Part of the revenue from this charge would go towards funding the T.

Whatever new sources of funding we find for the T, however, should be indexed to inflation. That’s how we got into this mess, by providing a primary source of funding (the sales tax) that has actually gone down in dollars as inflation has gone up.

]]> By: Tim http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884/comment-page-1#comment-554812 Tim Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:22:28 +0000 http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2884#comment-554812 I don’t think a fare increase is really feasible for the MBTA, honestly. One of the main points of the D’Alessandro report is that the MBTA has actually generated more revenue from fares over the past decade than expected. The Transport Politic had a very interesting post a while ago about the problems of transit funding in the US: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/04/how-to-fix-transit-financing/

]]> By: Jeremy http://goodspeedupdate.com/2010/2884/comment-page-1#comment-554798 Jeremy Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:45:50 +0000 http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2884#comment-554798 I know the CTA in Chicago just raised fairs from $2 to $2.25 within the last year. They also don't give change if you pay with cash on the bus-i.e. whereas the T will give you the difference between your fair and your cash payment on a separate Charlie ticket, the CTA pockets any extra money you put in. This might largely be inconsequential at the aggregate, and it may have always been the case. Still, it seems like penny-pinching measures are in order. I know the CTA in Chicago just raised fairs from $2 to $2.25 within the last year. They also don’t give change if you pay with cash on the bus-i.e. whereas the T will give you the difference between your fair and your cash payment on a separate Charlie ticket, the CTA pockets any extra money you put in. This might largely be inconsequential at the aggregate, and it may have always been the case. Still, it seems like penny-pinching measures are in order.

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