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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
The T says an old steel cable caused last week's Blue Line snafu. Was the cable ever inspected?
At some point July 15, in the T's telling, a guy wire supporting fiber-optic cables collapsed. The guy wire and the cables it held ended up on the track. At around 2:30pm, according to the agency, a crowded eastbound train ran over them. The train stopped. What caused the cable to collapse? The MBTA's early assessments point to a familiar culprit responsible for The T said guy wires should last decades, acknowledging that cables installed in more extreme climates (like underwater tunnels) can degrade at a quicker pace. Advertisement When was the specific guy wire that failed last inspected? The T didn't provide a date. 'The guy wire is not typically an item that sees a regular inspection interval. The fiber-optic cables attached to the guy wire would be,' the MBTA wrote to the Globe. '(Inspecting the guy wire itself can be likened to doing a routine check on the electrical wiring inside house walls.)' Advertisement Asked if there were any prior reports of wear, age, or needed replacement for this specific guy wire, the agency shared a link to its Capital Needs Assessment and Inventory — a quadrennial check-up on the condition of the entire MBTA system. The latest report, The agency later added that its 'tunnels and track areas are walked and visually inspected multiple times a week.' 'During these inspections, our crews regularly make infield observations of these assets and report anomalies, such as damaged or degraded equipment like guy wires,' the agency wrote. Fiber-optic cables, they went on, 'are inspected as part of system checks, which happen every several days.' 'During that inspection,' the MBTA wrote, 'any anomalies or issues with fiber-optic cables, such as sagging, would be further investigated and addressed as necessary — this would include the guy wire supports, if necessary.' Will cables be inspected and replaced? While making 'interim repairs' to the downed cable, Eng said last week, MBTA crews found 'other areas of cable that we want to proactively address.' Maintenance workers continued to inspect wires across the Blue Line over 'We have a lot of antiquated cables in our system. We have some cables that are in there for previous uses, but no longer in use,' Eng said. 'But as we start to dig out of the hole in some of our major elements, these other things are top of mind.' The exact timeline and scope of the cable repairs wasn't clear. Advertisement 'This is not a flip of the switch, to be able to just say, 'Tomorrow, everything's running perfectly,'' Eng added. 'What we need to do is continue to invest in our workforce, continue to invest in our infrastructure.' Shouldn't the Blue Line be fixed by now? Delays and service suspensions have bedeviled Blue Line commutes for years. The MBTA On June 16, the day the MBTA expected to put trains back online, signal problems surfaced, The T plans to suspend service between The agency 'Riders deserve a system they can count on — this includes repairs, but also deep investment that makes transit safe, faster, fairer, and more reliable for everyone,' said Caitlin Allen-Connelly, the group's executive director. Jaime Moore-Carrillo can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Mass. lawmakers reach deal to seed MBTA with $535 million from ‘millionaires' surtax spending package
The bill also would set aside $248 million to help cover The bill largely spends surplus revenue that the state collected from the surtax on annual income exceeding roughly $1 million. The revenue is constitutionally mandated to go toward transportation and education initiatives, though the agreement released Monday tips more toward transportation ($716 million in funding) than education ($593.5 million), according to lawmakers. Advertisement Legislators could shuttle the bill to Governor Maura Healey's desk as early as Wednesday, when both chambers have formal sessions scheduled. In a joint statement, state Representative Aaron Michlewitz and state Senator Michael Rodrigues, the chambers' respective budget chiefs, said the agreement 'makes critically important investments in education and transportation in the face of continued uncertainty.' Advertisement The MBTA's own spending plans already lean heavily on state largesse. The agency's board of directors last week The T's approved budget calls for hiring more than 1,000 positions to increase the agency's headcount to 8,030 employees. The T is also seeking some cost-cutting measures, such as reducing overtime costs, The MBTA has faced long-standing The T has also struggled with drawing back riders. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, fare revenue covered about To address this, the Legislature offered vastly different visions. The surtax spending bill the Senate passed last month would have dedicated $370 million to the MBTA, including $200 million to replenish the agency's budget reserve. The House, on other hand, sought far more, setting aside nearly $800 million for the T, most of which — $700 million — was tabbed for the agency's reserve and deficiency funds. Advertisement The bill released Monday falls in the middle. It would dedicate $300 million for the T's spending reserve, plus offer $175 million for workforce and safety funding. Another $40 million would go toward infrastructure upgrades, and $20 million would help fund the MBTA's low-income fare program. The gap between the chamber's plans for the T was even wider when combined with their annual state budget proposals, with the House seeking about $1.4 billion for the T between the two bills and the Senate $820 million. How Monday's deal would affect what the agency receives in the annual state budget plan is unclear. The chamber's leaders are still negotiating the details of that roughly $61.5 billion bill, which is designed to cover the fiscal year that starts July 1. Both chambers also included an array of earmarks in their surtax spending bills, ranging from Legislators had yet to release the full text of the final version Monday afternoon. The surplus surtax bill is, by design, supplemental, offering lawmakers a huge windfall to fund priorities that they perhaps wouldn't have been able to otherwise through the regular budget process. Still, the Legislature is likely to find itself in a similar position next year, too. Entering May, the voter-approved surtax had already Advertisement That type of financial cushion is welcome. President Trump has withheld or cut Companies have also Matt Stout can be reached at
