DeLeo expresses concern over MBTA cuts plans

BOSTON – House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, expressed “concern” Tuesday about service cuts and fare increases that MBTA officials have proposed to eliminate a $161 million budget deficit for next year, saying the issue has dominated discussion in the State House.But he said any legislative solution on long-term funding issues – or comment on the specific proposals – would wait until after the hearing process.”Right now I think this comes front and center as the issue that everyone in this building ? is concerned about,” DeLeo said in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon. “Right now, I feel like a solution is really a T issue rather than a legislative issue ? I would like to see the hearing process go forward and they will present their findings and then (we) will comment on them.”The MBTA has presented two proposals for reducing what it says is a 2013 budget deficit of $161 million and long-term debt totaling $5.2 billion, according to an overview of the proposals. Both proposals include varying increases in fares for trains, buses, The Ride, and parking and possible cuts to services.Scenario 1 increases overall fares 43 percent and includes service cuts leading to $38.3 million in operating costs savings that will affect 9.6 million people. Scenario 2 increases overall fares 35 percent, but includes service cuts that will save $78.4 million in operating costs and affect 38.1 million people.DeLeo said that both proposals gave him “great concerns” for the people who depend on the T for transportation and the T’s role in the economy.He said that he and fellow lawmakers have heard concerns from many people who use public transportation to commute to work and as their sole mode of transportation – particularly seniors and disabled persons – who fear being left stranded with service cuts.But DeLeo said the issue was more than a one-year problem of “trying to stop service cuts.””In the long run, I think there is another issue of how the T is going to be funded and operated, and what savings they can find and what future funding we can find,” he said.He said that this was an issue legislators could address and that he had begun discussing long-term funding issues with Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey. DeLeo specifically suggested re-examining whether the 20 percent of statewide sales tax receipts currently dedicated to the T is sufficient.But he said a gas tax – which Boston Mayor Tom Menino recently proposed – was not currently a realistic option due to concerns from the business community that it would be “a deterrent” to growing the economy.”As we’re sitting here today, I don’t see it as a viable option,” DeLeo said. “But whether things change in the future and trying to straighten out long-term issues, I don’t want to take anything off the table.”And while he acknowledged that the T has not historically been as well run as one might hope, he expressed support for the current leadership and said the proposals were “very real.” He also noted that areas of the state not currently impacted by the T were demanding transportation services as well.”It’s a very large, complicated, involved issue that is going to require hours of study and negotiations to try and find a final or at least some type of solution,” DeLeo said.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].