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NaggeringU t1_je5mkx1 wrote

Austerity is necessary. Get back to consistency, then we can talk improvement.

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  1. Lobby the state to remove the price caps on MBTA
  2. Increase subway price to $150
  3. Decrease frequency of all lines during rush hour to once a half hour
  4. Use increased revenue and decreased expenses to fully audit (really this time) and repair tracks on all lines
  5. Remove slow zones on all lines
  6. Increase speed to precovid 25mph+ speeds
  7. Once above four have been done successfully begin to increase rush hour frequency back to pre-covid.
  8. Stop any expansions of any line on the MBTA until the debt is completely paid off. Lobby the state to refinance the debt to make it more manageable, if necessary.

If by some miracle the state gives any meaningfully high amount of money to the MBTA it should be used to pay off the debt. IMHO state money should be used to pay off the debt, so in the future, revenue can be used to expand the MBTA as exposed to running in place.

Of course, no one wants to pay more for less, so ...

−42

PunishedDommyMommy t1_je61s41 wrote

This has got to be the least plausible plan to fix the T I have ever seen...

And that includes just demolishing it and starting over

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NaggeringU t1_je63uw9 wrote

What’s implausible about it?

−6

PunishedDommyMommy t1_je64aw9 wrote

> trains once per half hour

> increased revenue

🤡

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NaggeringU t1_je64opj wrote

Most people on the T do not pay per ride, they have time passes per their last annual report, and I also mentioned hiking the price of all passes including the subway.

Good luck, tho. Complaining on Reddit when nothing changes next year will work.

−3

PunishedDommyMommy t1_je64zax wrote

Hiking the passes that amount will not make up for the lost revenue from cancellations and lost individual fares. It's not like I didn't read your comment...

> Complaining on Reddit when nothing changes next year will work.

Thank goodness no policy makers read your complaining on Reddit for tips and tricks to fix the local transit agency.

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NaggeringU t1_je6578d wrote

Ok, then. Good luck to the T without raising more revenue and reducing expenses.

−1

PunishedDommyMommy t1_je65lhv wrote

> posts the worst possible way to reduce expenses

> complains that other people don't want to reduce expenses at all

30 minute headways would be a death sentence for ridership...

15

Brave_Ad_510 t1_je67121 wrote

Have you ever heard of a transit death spiral? Yoh seem to have no basic knowledge of how successful transit systems are run. Lowering frequency will not reduce expenses enough to cover the completely collapse in ridership that will be caused by your proposed measures. The mbta spends almost $600M on wages, $550M on debt service and only $365M on materials and services.

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RogueInteger t1_je5omkt wrote

Things are bottoming out... austerity measures don't seem prudent or safe.

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NaggeringU t1_je64ecb wrote

What exactly is unsafe about austerity? The T needs more money and needs to lower its expenses.

Anything else is delusional.

−7

RogueInteger t1_je6guar wrote

The people making sacrifices in your comments are the ones that depend on the T, not the MBTA. The idea of taking a failing service that many depend on and increasing pricing while reducing availability and access will result in reduced ridership and quality fo experience.

> Anything else is delusional.

I don't know how to tell you how unhinged you come across. There are other public transportation systems that have been resurrected through improved management and government intervention... why do you think the T can't be helped without hurting everyone that depends on it?

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ToadScoper OP t1_je5nprn wrote

Austerity is not viable when nobody trusts a failing agency. Governance and management need to be restructured, and transparency needs to be restored with the public. A new manager is not going to solve anything if there are no other changes to T management. Only then will we might see the T get back on track, or at least to the point of it operating beyond the bare minimum

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NaggeringU t1_je6449l wrote

Even if the management were perfect the reality is that ridership, and therefore revenue is down. It’s only common sense to increase revenue and decrease expenses.

−4

Justtryme90 t1_je78eo8 wrote

Fuck worrying about the Ts ability to generate revenue. It's a public good, it should be invested in until it actually fucking works.

5