In CommonWealth, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone writes...

THE SYSTEM-WIDE MBTA failures during the recent snowstorms should serve as a call to arms for everyone in Massachusetts. Quite literally, our prosperity is on the line. I’m not talking about just the prosperity of metro Boston or the eastern portion of the state. I’m talking about the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The reliable operation of the MBTA is a bread and butter issue for the Bay State. This catastrophic failure of the transportation system in our leading commerce center threatens to undermine our economy.

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We appreciate the leadership, energy and vision that Dr. Beverly Scott has brought to the job of MBTA General Manager. She has been a tireless advocate for bus and rail riders. We at Transportation for Massachusetts thank Dr. Scott and wish her all the best.

On MASSter List, George Donnelly writes...

Gov. Charlie Baker recited a fundamental natural law at a press conference earlier this week. “If I’ve learned one thing over the course of the past two weeks it’s that Mother Nature makes the rules,” he said. 

But there are other natural laws that are less obvious but more germane to the recent freeze of public transit service: Material objects disintegrate and fall apart over time. The technical term is entropy, the tendency of things to break down and decay.

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In just a few days, 2000 people signed our petition asking the state to fund safe and reliable transportation. Facebook, Twitter, email, news stories and more are making the case that the MBTA was on the ropes long before the snow started falling.

The weather brought this failing system to a halt, and made people pay attention. Unprecedented system closures have made the point that we have a broken transportation system regardless of the weather.

By now, you’ve seen plenty of articles, pictures, and tweets about the MBTA’s breakdown in this week’s snowstorm, along with mammoth traffic jams, detours and delays across the state. After many years of underfunding transit maintenance, upkeep and upgrades, a crisis like this was bound to happen.

Our newest coalition member is the Berkshire Community Action Council, a Western Massachusetts agency with a mission to assist low-income, elderly and working-poor of Berkshire County towards achieving sustainability and self-sufficiency. 

Transportation for Massachusetts welcomes five new members to our coalition to support transportation investment and excellence all across the commonwealth.

We share the pride of many residents that Boston has been selected as the U.S. candidate to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. We also share the concerns of many residents that the Olympics may divert urgently needed resources and attention away from the region’s and state’s challenges.

Governor Baker’s appointment of Stephanie Pollack as Secretary of Transportation shows the Governor’s commitment to reform, and to making transportation policy and project decisions based on good information and in the interests of the entire commonwealth. Our ability to compete and thrive as a state depends on a robust transportation network, and we acknowledge the Governor’s leadership in appointing an experienced professional to guide MassDOT.

Transportation for Massachusetts looks forward to the leadership of the Charlie Baker Administration. Our priorities are shared in The Next MassDOT, a summary of recommendations to keep the commonwealth moving forward.