Tech Execs Call for More Public Transit Funding in the Boston Region

A Red Line train recently derailed on the T in Boston, providing the latest example of the need for drastic measures to course correct public transit in the region.

1 minute read

June 28, 2019, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Boston T

f11photo / Shutterstock

Powerful business interests in Kendall Square, the corner of Cambridge where the region's tech industry focuses around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has had enough of the dilapidated condition of public transit.

According to an article by Jon Chesto, "a group of CEOs and other managers from three dozen or so employers who sent a letter to state officials on Monday complaining about an increasing source of frustration: the daily commute."

The letter focuses on the state's public transportation, which they describe as in a "state of emergency."

"And they want more money to fix it," writes Chesto. "The Kendall Square Association’s letter to Governor Charlie Baker, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Karen Spilka declares, without any ambiguity, that it 'is time to raise revenue for transportation and end this crisis.'"

A June 11 derailment of a Red Line train on the T subway provides the most alarming context for the letter, but the letter is also "referring to the snafus and snarls, big and small, that hamper commutes around Greater Boston on a daily basis," according to Chesto.

Monday, June 24, 2019 in The Boston Globe

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A swamp in South Carolina with tall pale trees and Spanish moss in the water.

Satanic place names

From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.

October 31 - The Daily Yonder

A rendering of a high speed rain station in California, with wide platforms and a sleep train with yellow highlights.

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal

Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.

October 30 - Cal Matters

 A bridge stretches across the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states

Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.

October 30 - South Dakota Searchlight