Nicholas Dagen Bloom, the author of The Great American Transit Disaster, takes a long view of the current problems at the MBTA. 

In a new episode of the Codcast, Bloom, a professor of urban policy and planning at Hunter College in New York City, said public transit in Boston is currently at a low point, but he said that’s nothing new.

“Episodic financial collapse and also managerial issues are part of the Boston story, going back to 1918 when you have the trusteeship created, the original MTA in the 1940s, the MBTA in the ‘60s, financial reorganization in the early ‘70s, future funding systems,” he said. “If you really look at it, it’s been a series of responses to crises. What stands out for me in Boston’s history is that in each case you see a kind of deeper engagement of state government, some kind of funding that can basically re-establish some kind of equilibrium. That’s an important difference from most American cities.”

Bloom said there are no guarantees, but he believes the MBTA will reach some kind of equilibrium again. “I would say have hope because this is something Boston has gotten through before,” he said. 

In his book, Bloom traces the rise of American transit, initially as a largely private enterprise, and its dramatic fall. “The true disaster in the longer picture is that America goes from being, if not the world’s leader, certainly one of the leaders in mass transportation in 1900 to really being just in a terrible situation where in most regions transit riding is a very small percentage of total miles traveled. To me that is just a complete and total disaster.”

Bloom also weighed in on the calls in Massachusetts and elsewhere for doing away with fares. (He also wrote a commentary on the subject.) “It plays very well in cities right now, but when we see the financial reality of city budgets and state budgets … I think it’s really a distraction,” he said.

“We’ve been charging fares of some kind for over a century and if you take that out there’s some political liability. Long term, I don’t really see cities doing it.”

“The emphasis should be on how can we build better systems,” he said.

Bloom sees room for some optimism about the MBTA if it receives financial support, if policies are implemented to increase housing density, and if more colleges and universities follow MIT’s lead and buy T passes for their employees and students.

He said the key is to improve service and keep the system operating and not get distracted by what he calls the “shiny object of transit” – the latest vehicles, expansions, electrifications, etc. 

“What saves transit is not the shiny object. Let’s save it, let’s keep it running,” he said. “Let’s be strategic about maintaining it and seeing what happens after the crisis. Because it could turn out that we really need it. Maybe we’re going to get really serious about climate change, put a gas tax on things really high. That is likely to happen.”

BRUCE MOHL

NEW STORIES FROM COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE

Distinctive donation: Peg and Gary Wendlandt gave $10 million to Holyoke Community College. The donation stands out as one of the largest ever to a community college, and bucks the trend of giving money to higher ed institutions that already boast huge endowments. “You get more bang for your buck out of the 10 million you give to Holyoke than the 10 million you give to Harvard,” said Gary Wendlandt, who retired in 2010 as chief investment officer at New York Life. Read more.

OPINION

No to free transit: Nicholas Dagen Bloom, a professor at Hunter College in New York City, says free public transit is not the solution its advocates think it is. He said discounts for lower-income riders is a better approach. Read more.

Yes to free transit: Amie Shei of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts hails Worcester for extending free fares for a third year using federal aid and calls on the state to step in with funding to make bus service free permanently. Read more.

Home health: Paul W. Shaw, a partner at Verrill, says home health care needs shoring up. Read more.

STORIES FROM ELSEWHERE AROUND THE WEB

BEACON HILL

Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, chair of the House budget-writing committee, is defending a proposed change to the 1986 tax-cap law that would rebate the same amount to all taxpayers, regardless of how much they paid in state taxes, if the law is triggered in the future. (Boston Herald)  

A lengthy Boston Globe editorial calls on the Legislature to boost funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program, which supports construction of market-rate housing in Gateway Cities. Last month CommonWealth looked at the debate over the program. 

MUNICIPAL MATTERS  

Since the “ladies” controversy erupted in Easthampton, the city has had problems keeping up with the public records requests seeking information on the search for a new school superintendent. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

HEALTH/HEALTH CARE

Massachusetts health insurers say they will stop providing free COVID test kits next month when the federal COVID emergency ends. (WBUR)

The president of Community Healthlink, Tamari Lundi, is leaving her role after more than three years. A surprise state inspection earlier this month at a Worcester treatment center operated by the UMass Memorial Health-affiliated agency led to the suspension of multiple substance abuse programs, and about 80 layoffs are anticipated at the program. (Worcester Telegram) 

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The Supreme Court preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone as an appeal of lower court ruling challenging the approval of the drug plays out. (Associated Press)

ELECTIONS

A rock and a hard place: “Democrats reluctant about Biden 2024, but they see no other choice” reads the Washington Post headline on a story a day before President Biden is expected to officially launch his reelection bid. The New York Times has a version of the story with only a slightly gentler headline: “How Democrats learned to cast aside reservations and embrace Biden 2024.” 

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

How Bed Bath & Beyond, once a retail juggernaut, went bankrupt. (NPR)

TRANSPORTATION

Amid multiple MBTA crises, a slew of the agency’s top officials have been working remotely from homes hundred or thousands of miles from the beleaguered transit system. (Boston Globe)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

Inmates at the Bristol County Jail refused to be moved to accommodate anti-suicide remodeling and caused as much as $200,000 in damage. (WBUR).

MEDIA

The nonprofit Maine Journalism Foundation is seeking to buy the Portland Press-Herald and other Maine publications. (Media Nation)

The Harvard Crimson launches a Cambridge-focused newsletter. (Nieman Journalism Lab)

PASSINGS

Northeastern University’s fifth president, John (Jack) Curry, died at 88. (Daily Item)