Transit Privatization: A Black Eye for Massachusetts, A Black Hole for Taxpayer Money

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 by Boston area commuter rail passengers despite repeated promises from for-profit operator Keolis that service would improve. Keolis continues to demonstrate terrible performance especially on the Worcester line, which arrived on time only 78% of the time. 11% of delays across the privatized system exceeded 15 minutes. These revelations come as the MBTA and ideologically motivated privatization hawks at the Pioneer Institute and Mass Fiscal Alliance continue to call for the privatization of core MBTA services like bus maintenance. In Massachusetts and across the country, private companies continue to overbid and under-deliver. This latest report from NBC on the privatized commuter rail results should serve as a warning sign against any further privatization of MBTA services.