George Donnelly
Executive Editor- Boston Business Journal
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There was a point in Speaker Robert DeLeo’s speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce this morning when it he made it seem like economic growth would be virtually impossible without a first-class public transportation system. In essence, the notion was a no-brainer. Not only did he think so, but so did the governor, business leaders, think-tanks, you name it. Quoting a recent study, he said “failure to maintain the transportation network … leads to a loss of business confidence and a reluctance to invest and expand, limiting economic development.”
Given how obvious the need for good public transportation is, one must wonder: Why did the Legislature let the MBTA become such a rickety, deeply indebted, and subpar system? Perhaps it’s impolitic to ask, especially now that political leadership seems determined to tax Massachusetts citizens to make it more serviceable. It’s important to note that the MBTA is the most indebted public transportation system in the country, although it has a few worthy rivals. It can’t stand on its own two feet without borrowing like crazy.
For some reason, legislators have been on a proverbial slow trolley ride toward actually doing something about public transportation. But it’s going to cost us. DeLeo would say how much, but if Deval Patrick’s wacky and outsized tax plans accomplished anything, it’s making DeLeo seem reasonable in comparison. There will be new taxes. And those taxes will be dedicated to public transportation.
And it will be good for business, because the neglected system of roads, bridges, trains, buses and trolleys will hurt us in the long run if it’s allowed to rot much further. How it was allowed to get that way says a lot about how government budgets are getting eaten up by fixed costs and health care, leaving little left for us to get from here to there.