MBTA to receive $530M in Fair Share funding, including $450M to cover operating budget shortfalls. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors approved a $530 million funding transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on July 22, drawing from the Commonwealth's FY26 Fair Share Supplemental Budget to shore up the transit agency's operating budget, fund infrastructure improvements and support a reduced-fare program for low-income riders. The funding transfer includes $450 million for the MBTA Deficiency Fund Replenishment which funds MBTA's operating budget shortfalls, $60 million for MBTA Physical Infrastructure Improvements, and $20 million for the MBTA Income-Eligible Reduced Fare Program, officials said. "People across Massachusetts are seeing the difference in the MBTA as it becomes safer and more reliable every day," Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said. "This funding builds on the progress we've made while making it easier and more affordable for people to get where they need to go. We are committed to giving the MBTA the resources it needs to deliver the high-quality transit that riders deserve." Officials said the funding transfer would allow MBTA to maintain reliable service, improve transit infrastructure and expand access to public transportation. "Fair share funding has been instrumental to the MBTA improving in all aspects: safety, reliability, accessibility, and more," Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said. "Across the Commonwealth, people rely on transportation to connect them to opportunities like good jobs, healthcare, education, and much more." The largest portion of the funding will support MBTA's operating budget while expenses exceed revenues, while $60 will support new infrastructure projects and supplement existing capital projects to preserve and modernize the agency's core assets. The remaining $20 million will provide discounted fares across all MBTA modes for riders with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. During Fiscal Year 2026, enrollment in the Income-Eligible Reduced Fare Program reached nearly 45,000 riders.

CapeFLYER train between Boston and Cape Cod resumes for the summer. The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the T's operations and maintenance partner for Commuter Rail, announced today that the popular CapeFLYER train service between Boston and Hyannis will resume for the season on Friday, May 22. Roundtrip trains will operate Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day along with expanded holiday service. Regular service will operate on Friday, June 19, during the World Cup match at Boston Stadium. The CapeFLYER is a unique partnership between Keolis, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and the MBTA to improve access to Cape Cod for residents and visitors. CapeFLYER service begins at Boston's South Station and stops in Braintree, Brockton, Lakeville, Wareham, Buzzards Bay, and Bourne, ending in Hyannis. A round-trip ticket from South Station to Hyannis is $40, and children 11 and under ride free with a fare-paying adult. Dogs and bikes are also welcome on board. The bicycle car will again be part of the train set with racks for bicycles and a tool kit for passengers to use to give their bikes a tune up during the ride. The train will also feature a café car. Tickets are available now on the mTicket app and are also available for purchase at South Station. To view schedules and additional fares visit capeflyer.com. Upon arrival at Hyannis, the CCRTA helps connect passengers to ferries and buses for further transit solutions around the Cape. To learn more about these options, visit CapeCodRTA.org.

This Boston MBTA station is closing for 3 years. Here's why. USA TODAY NETWORK - New England May 7, 2026, 11:12 a.m. ET The MBTA's Symphony Station in Boston will close for nearly three years for a major construction project, transit officials announced. Green Line trains on the E branch will bypass the station so it can undergo safety and accessibility upgrades, according to Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. "We know that construction and temporary closures of the station affect our riders, but when finished, Symphony Station will be a bright, modernized, and fully accessible station that all can be proud of for generations to come," Eng said in a May 6 statement. The 85-year-old Symphony Station, named for its proximity to Symphony Hall, sits at the intersection of Massachusetts and Huntington avenues and is the outermost underground station on the E branch. During the remodel, the station will be outfitted with new features, including elevators, raised train platforms, and upgraded lighting, the MBTA said. When will the MBTA's Symphony Station close? The MBTA's Symphony Station will close Saturday, June 6, and remain shuttered until the summer of 2029, officials said. The construction project is expected to take 35 months to complete, according to the MBTA. All Green Line E branch service will also be suspended from May 30 to June 5, the week before Symphony Station's closure. What if Symphony Station is your regular T stop? Green Line riders who typically use Symphony Station can use the nearby Northeastern University or Prudential stops during the three-year closure, the MBTA said. Both stations are about 0.3 miles away from Symphony. Commuters can also take the Orange Line and get on and off at Massachusetts Avenue, which is 0.1 miles from Symphony, the MBTA noted. Additionally, commuters can ride the bus on Route 39, which runs parallel to the E branch in both directions along Huntington Avenue. Why is this construction project taking place? Symphony Station is undergoing a renovation because it is currently not accessible to wheelchair users, the MBTA said. There are no "step-free pathways" from the station's entrances to the train platforms. The station is slated to receive four new elevators, raised platforms for easier boarding, accessible bathrooms, more lighting, and additional safety features, the MBTA said. The design contract for the Symphony Station Accessibility Improvements Project was awarded in 2019, and the MBTA began relocating utilities in the area to prepare for station upgrades in 2023. The project has a budget of $150.8 million for station renovations and $20 million for utility relocation, with the MBTA receiving $66.6 million in federal funding.