Without additional funding, the agency is ‘barely treading water’ and could be forced to make service cuts in 2026.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) board says the agency could be forced to make “massive service cuts” in fiscal year 2026, reports Gintautas Dumcius in Route Fifty.
“Sales tax revenue ‘grossly underperformed expectations’ over the last two decades, hitting an average annual growth rate of 2.29 percent rather than the 6.46 to 8.50 percent, according to a presentation from T staff. That amounts to between $8.9 to $15.5 billion in lost revenue, and as Brian Kane, executive director of MBTA’s advisory board, put it, the agency has been left ‘holding the bag.’”
Meanwhile, the agency’s fare revenue is at 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and parts of the system are now fare-free. The 2025 budget does not include funding for multiple major projects and maintenance needed to bring the system into good repair. “The unfunded projects include an overhaul of the JFK Red Line Station, accessibility improvements to the Orange Line’s Chinatown Station, a bus maintenance facility, and expansions such as the Red-Blue connector and a Silver Line extension.”
FULL STORY: MBTA is ‘barely treading water'

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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