“This is binding set of recommendations. If the T doesn’t follow through then we lose federal funding that over time could be hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Stacy Thompson, executive director of LivableStreets Alliance.

The T says the switch to a Saturday schedule during the work week will help alleviate a dispatcher shortage. Stacy Thompson, executive director of the transportation advocacy group LivableStreets, tells WBUR's Weekend Edition host Sharon Brody the move isn't surprising.

“This is a really big deal especially as we’re trying to bring back our downtowns, get folks back into our spaces in the metro Boston region as we’re coming out of the pandemic, this is a huge blow,” Thompson added.

“For those who have been paying attention, we’ve seen this coming for a long time. We’ve been screaming into the void that you must invest to operations in order for the system to run,” she said.

“This is really a make or break moment for the T,” she said. “If we don’t get it right, that’s how you end up with service cuts.”

NBC10 Investigator Ryan Kath was the first to report that speed was a major factor in last week’s crash.

Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson weighed in on Boston’s plan to open more streets this summer, and the poetry of the MBTA. 

“We’d love to see the legislature give them more resources so they can catch up faster,” said Thompson.

“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.