The Daily News of Newburyport recently published a letter from Amesbury resident, Marianne Rutter, asking Governor Baker how he plans to address desperately needed improvements to the [...]
Yesterday The Boston Globe published an article highlighting the MBTA’s impressive arsenal of snow-removal equipment, including a piece of innovative machinery invented by a MBTA machinist [...]
Recent reports from WCVB/Channel 5 and MassLive show that state officials spent over $100,000 of taxpayer money on a private bathroom for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The [...]
In a recent post for the Conservation Law Foundation, Rafael Mares responds to Governor Baker’s statement that a fare hike for T riders may be in order. Responding to Baker and MBTA claims [...]
On February 8th the Boston Foundation hosted a panel discussion to unveil a new report entitled, “The Transportation Dividend: Transit Investments and the Massachusetts Economy.” The [...]
The Boston Business Journal recently reported on a new study of the Greater Boston area’s transit system, which finds the system lacks a “broader vision.” The study, conducted [...]
On January 19th the MBTA and machinists union, IAM Local 264, announced that they had reached a tentative bargaining agreement. The announcement follows months of protests by the union over the [...]
On January 6th, The Boston Globe reported that T officials rebuked commuter rail contractor, Keolis over its failure to provide consistent service during last week’s winter storm. The storm [...]
On Wednesday The Boston Globe reported on how the MBTA is dealing with ongoing issues with private contractors as the agency embarks on new projects including a $2.3 billion extension of the [...]
On December 26th the Boston Herald reported on new emails released by T officials regarding private contractor, Keolis’ mishandling of an investigation into a train car that broke free from [...]
On Monday lawmakers confronted members of the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board on their efforts to privatize the agency’s bus maintenance operations. Statehouse News [...]
This week, reports emerged that the MBTA is officially ending their contract with its paratransit contractor, Global Contact Services (GCS). The private vendor, which won the $38.5 million [...]
Last week Commonwealth Magazine reported that the MBTA’s Director of Parking, David Friend, has stepped down from his position, effective December 1. Before submitting his resignation, Friend [...]
On Sunday Boston University’s The Daily Free Press reported on a new multimedia campaign opposing privatization of the MBTA’s bus maintenance which will focus on the sole bidder for [...]
Last week, Commonwealth Magazine reported that the MBTA is planning to find a way to end their contract with Global Contact Services — a private contractor hired to manage operations of the [...]
Last week, Boston University’s The Daily Free Press reported on IAM 264’s announcement that there has only been one bidder on the contract to privatize MBTA bus maintenance. The paper [...]
Yesterday The Boston Globe reported on the MBTA mechanics’ union, IAM Local 264’s findings that the MBTA has only received one bid on its contract to privatize bus maintenance. [...]
Yesterday The Boston Herald reported on IAM Local 264’s findings that the MBTA has only received one bid to take over bus maintenance operations. Although T officials told The Herald that [...]
Bus safety and maintenance RFP process fails, yields single controversial bidder: First Transit MBTA sources have indicated that only one vendor, First Transit, has submitted an official [...]
Last week multiple sources reported on new federal data ranking the MBTA service the worst in the nation. Stories from NBC Boston, The Boston Herald, WCVB, highlighted the findings from The [...]
Last Friday, two contractors were arrested under accusations of stealing parts, including cables and copper wire, from a MBTA Medford warehouse. The contractors were employed by Mancon Inc., a [...]
Commonwealth Magazine reports that during an October 2nd meeting of the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board, Stephanie Pollack, Transportation Secretary, expressed frustration with [...]
Issues surrounding quality assurance concerns with the T’s collision avoidance contract with the private contractor, Ansaldo STS, arose during the most recent meeting of the [...]
Last week State House News Service reported that the MBTA’s new ticket app, from developer Masabi, went down during Monday’s morning commute, resulting in free rides for many T [...]
Robert Martinez, Jr., the International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, recently wrote an op-ed for the HuffPost, calling on Governor Baker to stay [...]
At a State House hearing on Monday, legislators introduced a bill that would reign in privatization across the state. The bill, which already has the support of two-dozen [...]
Following up on a previous story, The Boston Globe reports that Global Contact Services, the private contractor that has taken over two-thirds of The Ride’s logistical operations, is still [...]
A recent article in Boston Magazine reports that MBTA officials spent approximately $500,000 on recruiting for 10 open positions with the agency over the last year. The article cites numbers [...]
In response to recent questions posed in The Boston Globe’s “The Argument” column regarding privatization of the Arborway, Lynn, and Quincy MBTA garages, readers [...]
In a recent story for Boston University’s The Daily Free Press, Breanne Kovatch reports on the launch of Machinists Union Local 264’s new public awareness campaign, [...]
From WGBH’s Callie Crossley: Most of the time I ramble through the streets of Greater Boston in my nearly 20-year-old car. But in the winter, during the dreaded snow days, I head for [...]
In a recent op-ed for Commonwealth Magazine, entitled “Baker taking T privatization too far,” State Senator John F. Keenan explains how years of deferred maintenance and failure to [...]
Following Monday’s launch of DontGiveAwayTheMBTA.org — a public awareness campaign taking aim at the performance records of for-profit companies, such as TransDev and MV Transportation, [...]
MBTA machinists and supporters rallied outside the Transportation Building this morning to announce the official launch of an advertising campaign against the privatization of bus maintenance at [...]
At an August 23rd press conference, MBTA mechanics and allies, including Congressman Michael Capuano, gathered at the Arborway Garage in Jamaica Plain to speak out against Governor Baker’s [...]
Recently, for-profit companies snuck into MBTA garages under the cloak of night between midnight and 3:00 A.M. to survey the properties they will be bidding for control of. Advocates and [...]
WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti and Kathleen McNerney recently examined the turnaround record of newly appointed MBTA head, Luis Ramirez, in his previous position as CEO of Global Power Equipment [...]
On August 11th the Boston Herald reported that two customer service ambassadors from the privately-held company, Block by Block, were fired after a physical confrontation with a disabled rider [...]
On August 6th, MBTA mechanics, their families, and activists rallied outside of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as federal officials and state legislators gathered for the National [...]
As a part of the MBTA mechanic’s campaign against Governor Baker’s efforts to privatize MBTA services, workers, family members, and supporters gathered at a major rotary, as [...]
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, made an unscheduled appearance at a rally comprised of MBTA mechanics and their families outside of a recent MBTA board meeting. The rally was held in response to [...]
On Monday, August 14th, U.S. Senator Edward Markey stood with the INVEST NOW coalition in support of MBTA mechanics and their families at a rally and press conference held at the Lynn MBTA bus [...]
LYNN, MA – U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D) will stand with the INVEST NOW coalition in support of MBTA mechanics and their families at a rally and press conference slated for Monday, August [...]
The MBTA has received $5.6 million in a settlement after the Attorney General’s office found that under private contractor “LAZ Parking” millions of dollars had been [...]
Despite touting early retirement as a cost-savings measure, MBTA management failed to budget for those retirement costs according to the State House News Service. Former Acting General Manager, [...]
Last week we shared a story from KJZZ reporting that the City of Phoenix has put First Transit, a private contractor responsible for 30 percent of the city’s bus services, on notice in [...]
Blue-collar MBTA mechanics and fuelers, who have offered nearly $30 million in savings through contract negotiations, respond to Governor Baker issuing “request for proposal” on bus maintenance [...]
In our June Newsletter, we shared some specific examples of MBTA privatization and outsourcing schemes hurting taxpayers, workers and riders. If you missed it, read on to learn more about [...]
KJZZ reports that First Transit, a private contractor responsible for operating approximately 30 percent of Phoenix’s public bus services, has been put on notice by the city for failing to [...]
On June 28th the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism hosted CONDEMBTA: A Conversation and Exhibit about Public Transportation Infrastructure and Priorities in Greater Boston. The event, [...]
Commonwealth Magazine reports: “MBTA UNION WORKERS rallied against privatization efforts Monday morning at a bus maintenance garage in Quincy, where US Rep. Joseph Kennedy spoke in support [...]
Friday, July 14, 2017 MBTA mechanics launch massive voter outreach and advertising campaign in response to outsourcing threats Ex-transit chief rejects more than $29 million in [...]
In a June 28th article, The Boston Herald reported that the MBTA hired Karen Antion as a consultant to oversee the Positive Train Control project which aims to improve train safety. Antion, who [...]
In a June 23rd article the Boston Globe reported that complaints from users of the MBTA’s door-to-door paratransit program, The Ride, have surged following an overhaul of the service [...]
On May 17th MBTA mechanics escalated their campaign to defend taxpayers, workers, and riders against the latest proposed MBTA privatization scheme by calling on legislators and the MBTA Fiscal [...]
Quincy resident Regina Tham speaks out against privatization and for transparency at the T. “As someone who uses the MBTA everyday, I believe that the privatization of the MBTA is a poor [...]
A recent article by Jeremy Mohler of In the Public Interest highlights privatization schemes surrounding the Washington D.C. Metro services. The Washington D.C. area Metro service is the only [...]
Local groups are joining together in opposition to Governor Baker’s proposed appointment of outgoing MBTA Chief Administrator and Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve to the MBTA Fiscal [...]
A new Change.org petition urging Governor Baker to keep MBTA services publically operated has received 1,140 signatures. The petition highlights the negative impacts of privatizing public transit [...]
Frustrated with the Keolis Commuter Services partnership with the MBTA, commuter rail workers gathered at the State House on Thursday, May 11th to express their concerns with the private [...]
A recent letter to the editor in the Washington Post, entitled “Privatization efforts tend to overpromise and underdeliver,” responds to the April 29th story on Metro General Manager, [...]
Last Thursday the MBTA filed a lawsuit against LAZ Parking Ltd. LAZ Parking is a privately-held company that managed parking operations for the MBTA from 2013 until the termination of their [...]
In Washington D.C. grassroots activists are calling for an annual 1 billion dollar investment in the city’s Metro system. Similar to Boston’s residents, D.C. riders and workers have [...]
This week, the MBTA pulled out of their third public meeting in a row to discuss the summer shutdown of their Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line. The line, which is operated by notoriously [...]
Boston-based transportation startup Bridj has folded after a deal with a major car company fell through. The startup, which offered app-based bus rideshares, provided an allegedly unsolicited [...]
According to an April 24th statement from officials, commuter rail coach shortages, which have been the cause of overcrowding on these lines since mid-March, will continue for a few more weeks. [...]
Turns out private bus operator TransDev is struggling to improve public bus service not only in Wisconsin, but in Melbourne as well. A recent article in Melbourne’s The Age, reveals [...]
Contrary to the conclusions of a report released last month by the pro-privatization Pioneer Institute, the MBTA paid workers about the same and spent less of their budget on worker salaries, [...]
Craig Hughes, special representative for Local 264, which includes frontline MBTA bus maintenance and repair workers, addresses how schemes to outsource at the MBTA have repeatedly failed as the [...]
In response to the announcement of a rally by MBTA mechanics on Monday and in anticipation of the FMCB’s discussion of FY18 budgeting, Lee Matsueda released the following statement on behalf of [...]
A large crowd descended on MBTA headquarters in downtown Boston today as transit mechanics rallied with allies to defend taxpayers, workers, and riders against the latest MBTA privatization [...]
A new report from NBC Boston shows that the largest privatization project in the history of the MBTA continues to be a failure. Reporter Ally Donnelly outlines the continual service delays faced [...]
A recent article by The Boston Globe highlights the skills, hard work, and innovation of MBTA employees like machinist Mike Haywood, who’s ingenious retrofit of a John Deere vehicle [...]
Earlier this week, members of IBEW Local 103 who work for the MBTA helped saved a life by applying their union training to rescusitate a man who collapsed at the Government Center MBTA station. [...]
According to reports coming out of Wisconsin, TransDev is already facing criticism from transit employees for using forced overtime and for not hiring enough workers. TransDev is one of the [...]
New study shows again that increased investments in public transit spur local economies U-Cal and Rugers scholars say investments in public transit pay off exponentially “Public Transit is Worth [...]
Tab is increasing for Silver Line bus repairs sent to Maine “IT’S A simple equation. Whenever we privatize or outsource public services, we as a state and as taxpayers lose control. Case [...]
A recent report by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and Northeastern University shows that people are driving their cars less and opting instead to walk, bike, or use the MBTA. Since [...]
As Massachusetts senator Linda Dorcena Forry and state representative Nick Collins outline in their op-ed for the Boston Herald, the South Boston Waterfront is brimming with billions of dollars [...]
As reported in the Boston Business Journal, the Pioneer Institute recently recommended that Social Security benefits for MBTA employees be cut. The conservative think tank singled out Social [...]
On Tuesday December 13th, state transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack told the Boston Herald that “right now” the private sector could run the city’s bus service “better” than [...]
A recent analysis by the Globe reports a quadruple increase in cancelled commuter trains this fall as compared to last fall. Keolis, the for profit company contracted to operate the commuter [...]
In response to an increasingly urgent need to improve service along the Red Line, the MBTA’s fiscal control board approved a long overdue $277M extension to the Red Line that would add 134 more [...]
Recent revelations about the MBTA under the Baker administration’s control have hinted that the administration may be placing its philosophical views favoring privatization and austerity [...]
In October of this year, the Boston Globe reported that the Green Line had the most derailments of any light rail in the nation in 2015. This staggering figure was only made public after the [...]
A public records request from the Globe in October reveals a closer relationship between Governor Baker’s administration and commuter rail contactor Keolis than expected. The lobbying and media [...]
In October, the MBTA approved a $1 million dollar contract awarded to a consulting agency to assess the viability of privatizing their other services beyond the cash counting department.[1] The [...]
In October, MBTA officials quietly waived over $800,000 in fines accrued by Keolis for unprecedented poor service during the winter storms of 2015.[1] During that January, Keolis-controlled [...]
In order to boost a struggling Keolis, the private, for-profit company operating commuter rail lines, MBTA officials announced in October that they agreed to pay Keolis $66M more in addition to [...]
Taxpayers place their trust in the MBTA and state officials to make the right decisions to keep the T running efficiently, safely, and equitably. To ensure this trust, transparent processes for [...]
As the MBTA considers possible revenue options beyond fares, it has increasingly turned to the possibility of leveraging how access to public transit increases property values. As the MBTA makes [...]
As important as the T’s passengers are the people that work on the trains themselves. We put our safety and trust in MBTA workers to transport us safely and on time to our destinations. Their [...]
The T is an inexpensive transportation option that connects far-reaching corners and everywhere in between for an affordable fare. It expands employment options for residents, stimulates economic [...]
Every day, thousands of people board the T when going to work or school, visiting our city, and going about their day. It is of the utmost importance that each person that boards the T trust [...]
Our city is grounded in a dynamic economy with a diverse and growing workforce. Our businesses and communities rely on the T to keep our economy moving forward. We need a transportation system [...]
