Faith in MBTA is down
As workers continue to return to the office, chamber boss James Rooney worries a lack of confidence in the public transportation system could hurt a rebound.
“When you look at the dynamics right now, as business is navigating this return to the workplace moment, one of the No. 1 employee concerns is the commute,” Rooney told the Herald. “It’s not safety of the workplace. It’s not being around other people.
“What employees are saying is they don’t have confidence in the T and many of them are driving and the data supports that,” the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president and CEO added.
Rooney said traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels and downtown parking garages are full. Employees are telling their employers that they don’t want to take the MBTA, he said.
“We need to understand, for the dynamics and the vibrancy of the downtown district, it’s all about people,” he said. “It’s all about people wanting to come down to the downtown district and the T plays a key role in that.”
Rooney said the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce decided to weigh in on the matter, first by using his own Twitter account on Wednesday, to reflect what’s on the minds of its members.
Today, a well-functioning transportation system is top of mind as they try to figure out how to navigate the hybrid work environment, he said.
He said the purpose of using social media this week was to keep the safety issues at the MBTA in the public consciousness. He said the chamber wants to ensure the T is at the top of the agenda for the next governor.
Rooney said the chamber also wants to shift the dialogue from effort to results. He said that while he is not criticizing the amount of money that has been invested into the T or the effort of its general manager, “at the same time, we can’t confuse effort with results.”
Further, Rooney reiterated his support of increased federal oversight at the agency, saying that the feds have an ability to force some issues once they complete their investigation.
The T is currently the subject of a safety probe by the Federal Transit Administration. A Red Line passenger was killed after his arm became caught in a train door and he was dragged in April, and two Green Line subway trains collided last week, injuring four MBTA operators.
MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the T has been advancing a number of safety initiatives, including $8 billion in infrastructure and vehicle investments over the past five years.
“Unwavering in its commitment to its riders and employees, the MBTA has robust, well-funded plans for delivering safe, accessible and reliable services for decades to come,” Pesaturo-said.