What would you do to get the T out of its financial mess?

[armpitsOFmight]

Just curious to read some of your ideas. Both short term and long term plans.

[czsz]

One of the T's biggest problems financially is its union employees and their massive benefits. Finding creative ways to reduce the number of these would help substantially.

But is there a point? The T will never be run at a profit, and the state will just roll up the savings and allocate them to other agencies, use them to balance its budget, or cut taxes.

[unterbau]

Build stations with more integrated retail/food space. Maybe expand foot tunnels a la Montreal Undergound.

[kennedy]

Introduce legislation barring collective bargaining, so that jobs and pay are based on merit. Stop discretionary spending for a few years. Invest in automated stations and cut jobs which are served by automatic systems.

Either that, or privatize the entire system much in the way utilities are privatized. Require the owner to receive government approval for rate hikes, etc.

[ablarc]

The system should be a tax-supported utility, like the Fire Department or Police.

[jass]

Find a way to get a $1billion "gift" in the next military spending bill. Nobody will notice.

[Beton Brut]

^ That's a start, ablarc.

An independent audit of all positions should be conducted. I wonder how many no-show wage-earners would be uncovered...

[unterbau]

Originally Posted by jass

Find a way to get a $1billion "gift" in the next military spending bill. Nobody will notice.

Research funding for 'Subterranean Combat Zone Vehicle'

[ant8904]

Union Busting is a good start in my opinion.

[mass88]

I think the MBTA is a prime example of how a Union can weigh a business, or entity down.

What percentage of MBTA employees belong to a union?

Until we see a major shift on Beacon Hill, I think the MBTA will stay the way it is, its main purpose is to employ people.

[palindrome]

What would you do to get the T out of its financial mess?

You don't want to know. Truly unspeakable things.

[palindrome]

Seriously though, how about a controlled bankruptcy a la GM? Rip up the union contracts and start from scratch. End the 23 and done policy. Remove the driver from the second car on the green line and move to a true POP system. Integrate the MBTA police into a division of the state police. No more expansion without clear cut plans on how to pay AND maintain it.

[kennedy]

I like palindrome's ideas.

[armpitsOFmight]

Originally Posted by czsz

But is there a point? The T will never be run at a profit, and the state will just roll up the savings and allocate them to other agencies, use them to balance its budget, or cut taxes.

The point is that if the T became profitable for the state, they could pump even more money into repairs/maintancence and expansion projects because they would be able to give the excess money to other agencies or give some money back to taxpayers.

[czsz]

Transit is never going to be profitable if you want to keep it as available as it is now.

[bbfen]

Originally Posted by czsz

Transit is never going to be profitable if you want to keep it as available as it is now.

But should it be profitable? Why not make all highways toll roads. That'd be profitable!

[armpitsOFmight]

Originally Posted by bbfen

But should it be profitable? Why not make all highways toll roads. That'd be profitable!

All highways in Japan have tolls.

[kennedy]

All forums on the internet have trolls.

Um, transit should absolutely be profitable if the state can find a way to make it so. Create a product that people want will go a long way to attracting new customers who want to use transit as a choice, not because it is a necessity.

[czsz]

Um, the only time transit was ever profitable was when it was a necessity.

[kennedy]

Make transit preferable to the car. Then it will be profitable because people will choose it over personal transportation.