The Transit is Essential Coalition recommended the legislature for passing a proposal creating a new MBTA oversight board, and urged Gov. Charlie Baker to swiftly sign the bill.
“We have no time to lose in getting a new MBTA governing board in place,” said Stacy Thompson, Executive Director of LivableStreets Alliance. “The proposed Board’s composition and responsibility centers equity, affordability and accessibility while giving riders a stronger voice. We urge the governor to sign this bill into law.”
“We thank the legislature for listening to rider advocates in creating a governance framework that strikes the right balance of perspectives and priorities,” said Josh Ostroff, Interim Director of the Transportation for Massachusetts advocacy coalition. “The governor must act now to get the new board in place so we can seize this moment to create a more equitable and reliable T than ever before.”
The Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB), the MBTA’s governing board since 2015, expired on June 30. Key MBTA decisions hang in the balance at a critical moment in which the Commonwealth is reopening and the federal government is advancing a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure package. Since the FMCB has expired, MBTA governance has reverted to the MassDOT board, which juggles multiple statewide priorities, including oversight of all state highways and bridges.