Healey Unveils $1B Funding Plan to Refresh MBTA
On Thursday, March 13, Gov. Maura Healey unveiled an ambitious plan to refresh the MBTA with a more than $1 billion investment. The money targets funding for new Commuter Rail coaches, Orange and Red Line cars, station accessibility, and track and power system improvements.
“Just like we have got to build more homes and lower housing costs, we gotta fix transportation so people can get to where they need to go,” Healey said in remarks to the media.
The $1.4 billion allocated to stabilize the MBTA’s finances is part of a larger $8 billion transportation investment package. MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng reported that the funding would “allow us to focus on our infrastructure needs, our track needs, [and] on our signal needs.”
In a 2024 report, NBC10 Boston noted that the MBTA faced a $700 million operating deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. In January, however, the governor’s office announced a plan to fill the gap.
While some transportation advocates believe the governor’s plan can help in the interim, others, such as former Massachusetts transportation secretary Jim Aloisi, believe the MBTA needs much more money in the long term.
“I’ve estimated that over the next 10 years, the T needs an investment level of $75 billion that responds to our economic and regional needs,” Aloisi said.
Healey noted the state would not raise taxes to fund the plan, and Eng reported to NBC10 Boston that the MBTA would not plan to raise its fares.
According to a report by the Telegram & Gazette, financing would come from existing resources, the state’s millionaire’s tax, Chapter 90 transportation funding, and capital spending.
Healey’s proposed budget will undergo review, and it faces potential state House and Senate modifications before final approval.
