A set of service cuts expected to be announced Monday to help float the cash-strapped MBTA through the coronavirus pandemic could send the flailing transit system into a “death spiral,” advocates warn.
“They’re talking about cutting weekend service on commuter lines, cutting some bus lines entirely, cutting ferries from Hingham and Hull — these are pretty drastic and would really have an impact on people’s access to transit at a challenging time,” said Chris Dempsey, director of the advocacy group Transportation for Massachusetts.
Dempsey said the extent of the cuts could reach up to a fifth of all MBTA services.
“That’s what we call the death spiral: When it doesn’t become a cost effective or compelling service for people anymore and ultimately we end up without a transit system,” Dempsey said.
Though the scope of the service is still unclear, MBTA officials are expected to announce a set of service cuts they say are needed to bail out the system’s floundering finances. For fiscal 2022, the T expects to face a budget shortfall of $308 million to $577 million unless it receives additional aid — something Dempsey warns people shouldn’t “hold their breath” for.
The FMCB meets virtually at 11 a.m. Monday.
MBTA ridership has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic, dropping 75% year-over-year between September of 2019 — when people took 1.26 million daily trips — and September 2020 when riders took around 330,000 daily trips.
The drop has meant massive revenue losses as expenses have largely stayed the same and in some cases increased as the system concentrates on sanitization protocols and supplies personal protective equipment for staff.
Though service cuts could be detrimental for the economic recovery, Charles Chieppo, Pioneer Institute senior fellow, said without further federal aid, “it’s not going to be possible to avoid those cuts.”
“The cost associated with this pandemic is just way beyond what state and local government’s can be expected to shoulder,” Chieppo said.
The MBTA is asking the public to weigh in as it navigates the path to more stable financial footing and help it to preserve the most critical transit access.
The MBTA is accepting public comment on the proposed cuts through Dec. 4. It has also planned a series of virtual public meetings and a public hearing to help reach riders.
The Link LonkNovember 09, 2020 at 09:26AM
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/11/08/service-cuts-will-send/
Advocates warn service cuts could send T into ‘death spiral’ - Boston Herald
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