Municipalities and real estate leaders across the commonwealth understand that improving the MBTA is one of our greatest opportunities to lower housing costs and unlock economic growth.
But in an uncertain economy with little federal support, we need to build on our existing strengths.
The MBTA’s commuter rail network, in particular, is an asset we can maximize in the short and long term.
In fact, the COVID pandemic gave us a blueprint.
Ridership Surge Shows Demand Is Real
The MBTA used the disruption of the pandemic to redesign schedules and lower fares.
Riders responded by traveling more throughout the day. Reverse commuting increased during peak periods, and more passengers began using the system for shorter, local trips, boarding and disembarking at stations before reaching downtown Boston. More recent fare changes saw monthly-pass sales surge by 200 percent.
This surge in ridership proves that latent demand for train travel is real.
With relatively minor schedule adjustments and fare changes, the MBTA has grown commuter rail ridership faster than any other system in the country since the pandemic.
This experiment demonstrates the enormous latent demand for train travel that already exists in our region. It also makes the case for the transit-oriented development opportunities that await if the MBTA transforms the system into a true regional rail network, delivering much faster, more frequent, and more reliable service to communities across the state.
What We Should Prioritize
Achieving dramatically higher service and ridership levels does not require waiting decades for a mega-project.
“Harnessing the Full Potential of Regional Rail with a No-Regrets Capital Investment Strategy,” a joint report by MassINC Policy Center and TransitMatters, identified 10 targeted, moderately priced physical upgrades that unlock higher service frequencies while building towards the long-term vision of regional rail.
Regardless of what train technology is deployed down the line, these foundational physical improvements will always be necessary for better service.
These strategic “no regrets” investments fall into three primary categories.
First, station improvements that increase access. Adding a new station in places like South Salem or renovating an existing station in regional centers like Lowell can attract thousands of new riders while spurring transit-oriented development.
Second, strategic double-tracking eliminates bottlenecks, especially along the congested Old Colony lines serving the South Shore and South Coast. By adding additional sections of track in key areas, the MBTA can pass trains safely and provide faster and more frequent service across entire lines.
Finally, incorporating turn tracks at stations like Kendal Green on the Fitchburg Line or Anderson/Woburn on the Lowell Line will enable the MBTA to run higher-frequency service through densely populated inner suburbs without obstructing express trains coming from further down the line.
Meaningful, Fast Upgrades
Together, these relatively minor upgrades will make our entire rail network faster, more dependable and fully capable of supporting true all-day service. And they are relatively quick fixes.
From start to finish, projects like these can be completed in just a few short years, not the decades plus wait that has come to define most transportation projects in the US today.
Completing these 10, key no-regrets projects identified in our report over a five-year period would require roughly $100 million more annually than the MBTA currently spends on commuter rail infrastructure.
The state does not have a financial plan for this investment, but this may soon change. The fiscal year 2027 budget includes $1 million for a comprehensive regional rail implementation study.
An Opportunity for Industry
This study, once published, will represent a major opportunity for the region’s real estate industry.
By identifying and estimating the cost of projects that will deliver meaningful service improvements, the MBTA can provide a clear roadmap for building a future regional rail system. Transit advocates and business leaders can then unite behind these investments and hold policymakers accountable for delivering them.
Business leaders and transit advocates have a long history of working together to advance transformative transportation investments in Massachusetts. In recent years, however, that partnership has weakened amid economic uncertainty and debates over taxation. Now is the time to renew it.
The MBTA has a strong capital delivery team and leadership committed to commuter rail transformation. Soon, they will complete the re-procurement of the long-term operating contract, giving them a strong and stable partner to execute these projects.
By uniting behind them now, transit advocates and business leaders can help ensure the success of a project that is core to our region’s future growth and competitiveness.
Ben Foreman is director of the MassINC Policy Center and Caitlin Allen-Connelly is executive director of TransitMatters. The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Eliza Kollet (Forest Foundation TransitMatters summer intern and rising junior at Haverford College) and Elijah Helsinger (TransitMatters summer intern and rising junior at Vassar College) for their contributions to the report on which this op-ed is based.
This article was originally published in Banker & Tradesman.