WU SINGLES OUT BAKER FOR MBTA TRAIN BLAME
Sayssystem ‘headed toward a total shutdown’
City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu — building on her MBTA constituency outreach agenda — blasted Gov. Charlie Baker Wednesday and warned that the decades-old subway system is headed for a “total shutdown,” after a Blue Line blackout once again delayed commuters during morning rush hour.
“We have a limited window to find the funding and the political will to get a plan in place. I think there’s one person that is really holding a lot of that back, which is Gov. (Charlie) Baker,” Wu said.
“When there are Red Line train cars that are older than me and still running and haven’t been fixed up, it is inevitable that we are going to get to the point of more derailments, more risk for people’s lives, and the system is headed toward a total shutdown.”
A power issue plunged Blue Line riders into darkness Wednesday morning, forcing an evacuation of one train as thousands of riders were heading to work.
“We really need to take this moment and recognize it not just as a one-off, not just as another incident on the Blue Line, but the whole system is in crisis,” said Wu. Her comments came during a half-hour roundtable on
Boston Herald Radio that included Councilor Kim Janey and at-large candidate Alejandra St. Guillen.
“There are so many people who depend on the T every day,” said Wu.
The at-large councilor has emerged as a champion for Boston’s beleaguered commuters following backto-back derailments last month that deeply snarled a system already pockmarked by daily delays. The incidents came just days before fare hikes forced MBTA riders to pay more to ride the troubled service, and Wu spearheaded a protest against the increase.
More than one month later, Boston riders still face setbacks.
“Every single day there is something that goes wrong on the T,” said Councilor Janey, who also directed her frustration at Baker. “We need to do more to hold the governor accountable to invest in the T.”
Baker’s office declined to respond directly to the comments yesterday, pointing instead to a statement touting upcoming improvements.
“The MBTA is focused on implementing its $8 billion infrastructure investment plan, the highest amount spent in any five-year period, to modernize and improve the reliability of the system.”
Wu said she plans to continue her advocacy next week when she’ll ask MBTA board members to decrease fares for low-income riders.
Wu’s MBTA activism has been seen as preparing the ground for a run for higher office. But when asked about rumors she might challenge Mayor Martin Walsh in 2021, Wu said she remains focused on collaborations like the one she has with Janey and St. Guillen. The trio are sharing office space and helping each other during their 2019 campaign.
“It’s really not about just building up for Election Day. The power that we have in politics today is to engage the community for way after that to build up partnerships, build up grassroots,” she said.