MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak on a 3-minute video showcasing the system's repair work.

AS PART OF A BROADER EFFORT to explain what the MBTA is doing to improve service, the transit authority ran full-page ads in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Metro on Monday.

The ads, entitled “A progress report for October,” detail improvements being made on the subway, bus, and commuter rail systems. The ads, which are scheduled to run on a monthly basis, coincide with updates being provided on the MBTA’s 618 in-station digital displays, and a new, 3-minute video shot with General Manager Steve Poftak explaining the work that is going on.

“I want to especially thank our customers for their patience during this,” Poftak says inside a station, holding a hard hat and wearing a safety vest. “I know these diversions are tough. I know it takes extra time. But we really appreciate them hanging in there with us as we build a better T.”

Poftak outlines the work going on and the T’s plan to spend $8.2 billion over the next five years deploying new trains, adding new track, and refreshing stations. “We’re making a better MBTA for our customers,” Poftak said.

The public relations offensive by Poftak is an attempt to keep MBTA customers informed about ongoing repair work while also making clear that the inconvenience of weekend shutdowns will help the transit authority improve overall service at a much faster pace. The PR blitz comes at a time when the T is under fire for failing to turn around the system faster and the Legislature is debating whether the agency needs additional funding.

MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the three ads on Monday cost a total of $31,398 – $27,270 for the Globe ad, $4,128 for the Herald ad, and nothing for the Metro ad. Pesaturo said the Metro doesn’t charge the T anything for periodic ads in return for being allowed to put small newspaper racks in stations.

Pesaturo said the T has traditionally spent very little on media. According to data from 2018, the T spent $156,240 on media, while the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City spent $880,364 and the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority spent $1,459,516.

Bruce Mohl oversees the production of content and edits reports, along with carrying out his own reporting with a particular focus on transportation, energy, and climate issues. He previously worked...