The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) recently received a draft of Focus40, MBTA’s plan to meet the needs of the region in 2040.
Twelve investment programs are included in the plan. Current programs have commitments through 2023, while planned programs anticipate the future using a scenario planning model. Longer term projects will depend on how economic development and mobility trends develop.
Of the 12 programs, eight address existing MBTA services, three involve customer experience, resiliency, and accessibility/paratransit, and one covers future expansion projects.
Projects in the planning stage include moving toward a zero-emissions bus fleet, improving safety, achieving at least 50 percent capacity expansion on the Green Line, and reducing delays.
The plan also includes new or improved place-based services and takes into consideration booming areas just beyond the MBTA’s core, communities that lack rapid transit, and areas with dense populations and employment centers beyond the MBTA’s rapid transit network.
The plan was developed using public input, data analysis, and engagement with the FMCB.
MBTA will post the draft on its website soon for public comment through the summer. The feedback will be used to make revisions, and the final plan will be released this fall.