Boston’s Broke and Broken Transit System Hurts Downtown Recovery
- Transit woes contribute to exodus of younger residents
- Cash-strapped MBTA weighs cost cuts in hunt for funds
Briah Cooley typically takes public transit to her job at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston — if the train actually shows up.
Ahead of her commute on a sweltering July morning, a maintenance vehicle derailed, damaging tracks and triggering a temporary shutdown of the subway route that connects Boston’s south side. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority offered free shuttle buses but Cooley, faced with more than an hour in peak traffic, opted to work from home instead.