“It’s telling,” she said. “Steve walked into a really tough situation. Are there some deficits? Yes. But do I think he’s done a reasonably good job with the hand he’s been dealt? Yes, I do.”

Thompson said based on her organization’s analysis of a 2019 report, the T needs 200 to 500 additional buses to meet the demands of the system. MBTA officials say they’re committed to working with available resources for the expanded bus network, despite financial challenges.

Stacy Thompson, executive director of the Livable Streets Alliance, said she loved the redesign and said it’s up to Beacon Hill to make sure the T is able to afford this expansion.

Former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson, the executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, joined Talking Politics host Adam Reilly to talk about what the federal oversight of the MBTA could mean for the agency's future and what it says about Gov. Charlie Baker's stewardship of the T up to now.

“I do think that if the FTA comes in and says, here are 100 things you have to do on this timeline, and the T has to shift capacity to deal with those issues that are urgent, it could impact things like bus network redesign and fare equity work,” said Thompson. 

Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson shared their thoughts on the Federal Transit Administration inspecting the MBTA after numerous safety incidents, and the potential for an East-West rail system. 

“I think there is a lot to learn from this moment,” Thompson said via e-mail. “It illustrates the real, and in this case, incredibly tragic consequences of chronically under investing in the T.”

It’s a move that is also being supported by transportation advocacy groups like LivableStreets Alliance. Executive Director Stacy Thompson argued these improvements will help avoid some hiccups down the ‘track’

“We need a systemwide approach, and we need to do it this session,” said LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson.

"We believe that a pilot to kick this off could be less than $10 million, and we're looking at less than $100 million annually to pay for a system wide fare that would also include the commuter rail," Stacy Thompson, the executive director of LivableStreets Alliance said.