MBTA Board Approves FY25-29 Capital Investment Plan
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
The FY25-29 CIP was approved by the MBTA Board of Directors on June 11, 2024. It goes into effect on July 1, 2024. (MBTA photo)
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Board of Directors on June 11 unanimously approved the Fiscal Years 2025-2029 Capital Investment Plan (FY25-29 MBTA CIP), which includes more than 650 unique capital projects to “modernize, expand and increase the safety and reliability” of the MBTA transit network with a programmed spend of $9.6 billion over the next five fiscal years, including $843 million in new funding.
The FY25-29 MBTA CIP (download below) includes an overview of the agency’s capital planning process, summaries of investment programs, and the full list of capital projects in the approved five-year CIP. The presentation provided to the MBTA Board also includes examples of projects and initiatives for which funding was requested but were not included given limited financial resources.
Major investments as part of the FY25-29 CIP include full funding for the North Station Draw 1 Bridge Replacement project, which, MBTA says, “is critical for Commuter Rail service” and handles the Haverhill, Lowell, Newburyport/Rockport, and Fitchburg Commuter Rail lines. Additional investment highlights include a 20-minute decarbonized service along the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line.
The CIP is the five-year financial plan that funds all the MBTA’s capital projects, which are investments or activities related to “acquiring, renewing, constructing, improving, or maintaining capital assets,” including project planning and design. The CIP is updated annually to ensure that the MBTA continues to:
- “Focus on the MBTA’s key investment objectives, including safety, reliability, modernization, accessibility, sustainability, resilience, and equity.
- “Address our most critical asset needs as we strive to bring the system to a State of Good Repair, and
- “Prioritize projects that keep the agency on a path to better safety, service, and sustainability.”
The MBTA’s mission, affirmed by its 2023 Strategic Plan, “is to serve the public by providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation,” according to the agency.
As part of the funding for the FY25-29 CIP, the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is funding a total of $26.6 million in the CIP for six projects, including rail modernization early action items and improvements at Nubian Square station in Boston. The MPO programs transportation investments using a mix of federal and state funding sources.
“As a framework that steers how the T makes critical investments in the system, the MBTA’s five-year CIP establishes a foundation for improving service today while also guiding how we build toward the future of the system,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “The CIP continues to be vital in directing how we renew, improve, and maintain our capital assets. I am grateful to the Board for approving the CIP, and I thank the public for being part of the conversation and providing their feedback on capital investments they’d like to see the MBTA prioritize. As a fiscally constrained plan, the CIP only includes projects for which we have available funding.”
The FY25-29 MBTA CIP will go into effect on July 1, 2024.
