Will they ever return? MBTA’S ad blitz goal

Commuting motorists pumping their gas — or pumping their brakes in rush-hour traffic — may now think twice about ignoring the MBTA’S latest media-driven ad campaign to lure back lost T ridership.

At least that’s the hope of that state transportation agency, still struggling to overcome COVID-WARY residents’ reluctance to rub elbows with others on buses, subways or trains.

While ridership remains down across all modes of the MBTA’S system, vehicle use continues to climb to near pre-pandemic levels. And that will only increase as more businesses wean their employees off remote work routines.

An MBTA spokesperson disclosed that through October, bus ridership had returned to only 59% of prepandemic levels, with subway (44%) and the commuter rail (42%) reporting even weaker numbers.

So, the T’s message on billboards, radio and newspapers to its lapsed customers: we want you back.

We need you back might be the more appropriate message.

A report released in September by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation concluded the MBTA faces a growing future budget shortfall, due to the sluggish recovery in ridership and resulting lost fare revenue.

It found the MBTA might face a budget gap of between $200 million and $400 million in the fiscal year beginning in July 2023, depending on how quickly ridership rebounds and the amount of federal funds the agency needs to make up for lagging cash flow.

The T’s in-house campaign, amounting to about $69,000 in radio and gaspump ads and an additional $14,470 in Boston’s two major newspapers, will run through November.

It uses several mediums to attract riders, including Mbta-owned billboards replete with images of gridlocked cars with messages like, “Bottlenecks. Take the T” and “You could be reading something interesting. Next time take the T.”

The T has prioritized an emphasis on convenience and cleanliness.

In addition to promoting its new flexible commuterrail passes, social media campaigns stress that “In buses and subways, we refresh the air every 60 seconds,” and reminds riders that HVAC units in subways filter more air than most offices.

At an MBTA Board of Directors meeting last month, General Manager Steve Poftak said the agency is also conducting outreach to large area employers, offering toolkits and videos to showcase the T’s cleanliness, safety and high onboard mask compliance.

According to Brian Kane, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, without a rebound in ridership, “we’re looking at major service cuts.”

Rick Dimino, president and CEO of A Better City, which called on the MBTA to initiate an ad campaign earlier this year, thinks the T’s on the right track.

Dimino told the Boston Herald that he’s working with the MBTA to understand commuters’ wishes. Through surveys, his team has found that riders are also looking for incentives such as discounted, flexible fares and parking.

We’d like to believe this concerted MBTA message blast will help revive its eroded customer base.

Its best ally may be the misguided energy policy of the Biden administration, which has forced this country to again be an importer of oil.

That’s pushing gasoline prices ever closer to $4 a gallon — almost double what it was just a year ago.

That could ultimately persuade those who’d rather drive to give the T another try.

But at this point, just like the song about Charlie on the MTA, the fate of this ad campaign is still unlearned.