Dukakis: Baker Has No 'Serious Plan For Dealing With Congestion'

Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis on Boston Public Radio on Dec. 18, 2018.

Arjun Singh is a producer for Boston Public Radio. A California native, Arjun moved to Boston to study international relations at Boston University. Prior to working at WGBH, Arjun worked at a tech company and for a political campaign.

August 16, 2019

Updated August 20, 2019

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis thinks that when it comes to managing transportation in the state, Gov. Charlie Baker has been doing “not so hot.” To Dukakis, who was famous for being spotted on the MBTA, the governor has no vision when it comes to the potential of public transportation throughout Massachusetts.

“You’ve got to have a plan,” Dukakis said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Friday. “What’s the vision? What’re you trying to do here?”

Dukakis has long advocated for the North-South Rail Link, a proposal to add a rail line that connects North and South station. Advocates of the system say it will open up public land for sale or development, make commute times shorter, and most importantly reduce the congestion that has been plaguing Boston.

Baker has been firm in his opposition to the project. In September, the Baker administration released an assessment of the potential costs of the North-South Rail Link that said it could cost anywhere from $12 billion to $21.5 billion. Advocates, however, criticized the report for not taking into account potential costs savings. In a 2015 op-ed, Dukakis and former Gov. Bill Weld claimed that the connection could save $2 billion that will be needed to create layover facilities in Allston and South Boston to grapple with the increasing congestion both stations are experiencing.

Dukakis also criticized Baker’s narrow focus on fixing the MBTA’s core system and called for an investment in the creation of a regional rail network that can connect Boston to other gateway cities and other existing transit lines in other states.

“This is not complicated stuff,” Dukakis said. “You know, the rail network exists out there. It’s just a question of fixing it up and putting management and good equipment on it.”

Dukakis also said that Baker has not proposed a “serious plan for dealing with congestion yet.” For Dukakis, the key to solving Boston’s transportation crisis is expanding the MBTA’s rail network to other cities. Once that is done, Dukakis believes, it will reduce the high demand for housing in Boston and improve economic productivity throughout the state.