Charlie on the M(B)TA
One of the most interesting unanswered questions of Massachusetts politics is why did the most popular governor in the country give up his job. A tough primary fight? A lucrative job offer?
Or maybe he saw the train wreck ahead.
The Green Line has been relatively unscathed in the Slow Zone saga. Perhaps because there have been many times where I have been able to walk faster than a train stopping at every traffic light and intersection on Commonwealth Avenue. When it was running at all.
Besides, there was the shining miracle of the Green Line Extension, of which Baker claims fulsome credit for rescuing from a typical late and over budget fate (well, not so much).
But now we have the Saga of the Narrow Tracks.
My one ride on the extension to Union Square a month or so ago seemed excruciating slow after the train pulled out of the new Lechmere Station. Now I know why.
Officials are now scratching their heads over how a relatively new track bed shrinks. An engineering expert had the answer for The Boston Globe:
“You should not see those kinds of problems if everything was designed and built properly. This sounds like something happened systematically when it was built that created this issue.”
This latest fisaco was enough to prompt Governor Maura Healey and new T general manager Phil Eng to finally take the gloves off and point fingers at “the previous administration.”
Mr. Baker’s Transit Authority.
Baker was notoriously averse to using public transit, even though a commuter rail stop was in easy walking distance of his home. It was well into his second term before he used the system. Sparingly.
He certainly didn’t emulate the habits of former Governor Michael Dukakis, a regular Green Line rider. And, to be fair, Healey doesn’t ride it much either.
The state’s greatest manager is quick to take credit for what he did behind the scenes A Baker spokesman did his best to spin things:
“The Baker-Polito administration is proud of their accomplishments at the MBTA which includes record investment in deferred maintenance, record investment in new track, signals and cars, and saving the long-promised Green Line Extension that was in danger of being cancelled.”
You know there’s always a but:
“As it pertains to the fine points of track construction, the Baker-Polito administration defers to engineers and experts at the MBTA.”
Claiming credit for investing in new track seems a stretch right now and those engineers and experts? The vast majority worked under the six general managers appointed by Baker.
If the Kingston Trio were around today poor old Charlie wouldn’t be stuck trying to find a nickle to get off at Scollay Square Station. He’d be looking for a Lyft to get him anywhere.
And our Charlie will be the man who never returns to public service.