In Boston, MBTA's Next Year Staffing Target May Take Over a Decade to Achieve Thanks to Liberal Policies. Liberals silent on Criticism

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), commonly referred to as the T, has been struggling to achieve its staffing goals for the next fiscal year. According to the chief human resources officer, Tom Waye, the agency has only managed to add 141 people to its staff in the past 10 months, taking into account the number of employees who have left the agency during that period. This slow pace of hiring has raised concerns about the T's ability to reach its target of 7,643 budgeted positions for next year.

Experts and transit advocates have done the math and calculated that, at the current rate of hiring, it will take the T more than a decade to fill all the positions with active employees. To make matters worse, the T currently has only 5,658 active employees, which means that it needs to add over 2,000 more employees to meet its staffing goals. This shortfall could have serious implications for the T's operations, which rely heavily on a robust and competent workforce to keep the transit system running efficiently.

The MBTA is facing a critical shortage of bus drivers, which has been an ongoing problem for the agency. Despite offering incentives like a $7,500 hiring bonus, commercial driver’s license training, and tuition reimbursement, the T has not been able to address the issue. According to Tom Waye, the chief human resources officer, the agency has been experiencing a high rate of bus driver turnover, especially during the first year of employment.

One of the major challenges for new bus drivers is the split shifts, which require them to work during both morning and evening peak hours without any time in between. This has contributed to the agency's difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified drivers. Waye also mentioned that there are some issues with competitive pay, which may be causing bus drivers to look for employment opportunities elsewhere. Overall, the shortage of bus drivers is a significant concern for the MBTA, as it affects the agency's ability to provide reliable and efficient transit services to the public. The T’s peers, especially those within more conservative run cities, fare proportionally better.

This is just the latest in a long line of examples of leftist leadership throughout the country delivering less than stellar results. Despite the bombshell report, Liberals have at large staunchly refused to criticize the situation, or the leadership at large for its failures.