I AM writing in response to the editorial "Pursue creative funding for Green Line extension" (Dec. 28). It is true that tax-increment financing was a crucial tool in helping New York City build the 7-line subway extension. The finance plan, however did nothing to solve the fundamental problem plaguing many transit agencies, including the MBTA: delays and cost overruns that force American taxpayers to pay more for less than in any other industrialized nation.
Indeed, while the station at Hudson Yards in Manhattan is now open, a desperately needed station at 41st Street and 10th Avenue was eliminated from the project because of overruns. We can't afford to see the same fate befall would-be stations in Somerville and Medford.
Advertisement
Continuing to fund inefficient capital construction will only undermine public support for these projects over the long run, at a time when cities need mass transit investment more than ever before. As a result, governments must pair new sources of revenue with serious cost-cutting initiatives that make every dollar count. The future of America's infrastructure depends on it.