MBTA street teams ask riders what's on their transit wish list

By Kristin Toussaint, Boston Metro

Adela Gonzalez and Eduardo Barrientos recently spent six hours over the course of a week at the Maverick MBTA bus station in Chelsea.

They weren’t waiting all that time for a bus — though riders say that wouldn't be so unusual in a neighborhood that has no accessible T stations.

The teenagers were interviewing riders about the future of public transportation in Boston. And as expected, riders had a lot to say.

Gonzalez, 18, and Barrientos, 17, are part of a street team effort for the MBTA’s "Focus40" initiative, a 25-year plan to improve and overhaul the system by 2040.

Focus40 kicked off in 2015, when the harsh reality of the MBTA's aging system and equipment was exposed during a winter season that dropped more than 100 inches of snow on the Boston area. The MBTA's above-ground rail sections were all-but snowed under in places, causing extensive delays and angering riders.

Improvements have already been made, officials say. The city budgeted $22.5 million for snow removal this winter and the MBTA said it would install new third rails and affix train plows along the Red Line.

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