Last September, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng received a letter from the U.S. Department of Transportation, inquiring about the T’s public safety concerns and demanding an immediate recovery action plan. The scarlet letter demands a response within two weeks — or the MBTA risks losing all federal funding.
Rather than fostering a constructive feedback loop through peaceful cooperation, the federal administration, yet again, reveals an appetite for consolidating power over public institutions. A prime example emerged in this year’s early fall, when the government eyed a potential federal takeover of South Station — much like Union Station in Washington D.C. For context, Union Station under federal control now hosts National Guard members and military vehicles outside its perimeter, with troops and ICE agents patrolling at least ten local Metro stops throughout the city.
However, South Station is owned by the MBTA, a state agency, not by the federal government. Exerting control over it would directly conflict with constitutional principles that grant states sovereignty…