Local News

Boston2024 has no budget to fix MBTA

But they say something needs to be done, Olympics or not

By Allison Manning

June 30, 2015

Expect a lot more people on your train car in 2024.

By the time the 2024 Summer Games roll around, your MBTA train car during rush hour will be 51 percent more crowded than it should be.

That’s what Boston2024 CEO and former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey said Monday during the rollout of Boston’s revamped bid to host the 2024 Olympics.

It’s not the Olympics the MBTA needs to prepare for, according to Davey. It’s the increased ridership in 2024 even without the Games.

Olympic critics have pushed for “Better Transit, No Olympic Games,’’ while Boston2024 has argued the Olympics will be a catalyst for the state to spend money on the T.

But Boston2024 pitched little more than goodwill for that better transit future in yesterday’s Bid 2.0 presentation, however. The new bid doesn’t include any money, relying instead on public and private funding for improvements to the system.

“They’re offering no dollars to help with the problems with the MBTA,’’ said Evan Falchuk, an Olympics critic. “The issues with the MBTA need to be fixed now, not 10 years from now.’’

Regardless of the Olympic dreams, Massachusetts has almost $2 billion in MBTA improvements in the works, including more Red and Orange line cars, power and signal upgrades, and more buses.

But, Davey said, there needs to be more. Specifically, $455 million in improvements to the Green and Red lines.

The Olympics won’t pay for it. Boston2024’s direct contribution is $72 million in additional improvements around venues.

Other work, like Broadway and JFK station improvements, don’t have any funding yet.

Davey said private developers will pony up about $215 million to do work like adding a new commuter rail station at Widett Circle. Whoever is chosen as the master developer for the temporary Olympic Stadium planned for the site will foot the bill for that new station.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation doesn’t have an official stance on the Olympics. But they are focused on the MBTA and its $6.7 billion backlog of necessary improvements, said Eileen McAnneny, president of the organization.

McAnneny looks at the list of transit improvements on Boston2024’s list, like the JFK and Broadway improvements, and questions if they’re included in that massive backlog — or if they’re projects that add to it.

“I don’t know whether or not what Boston2024 is proposing aligns with the MBTA’s nd the communting public’s prorities,’’ she said.

Even if all those improvements proposed by Boston2024 were funded and completed, riders can still expect crowded trains on the busiest day of the Olympics. Your new and improved transit system in 2024 will be just 16 percent over capacity.