Forward funding was not at all successful, but neither was the requirement that the state fund whatever costs were incurred by the MBTA that existed previous to the reform. Presently, the MBTA can't generate enough funds to be self-sufficient. Previously, the MBTA had no incentive to limit its costs because they weren't expected to be self-sufficient.

They're faced with the requirements of maintaining an aging system while juggling rising staffing and materials costs as well as existing debts (including some questionable deferments) all on the tail end of 30 years of bad decisions on all levels. While I agree that the revenue stream needs to be significantly bolstered, I don't believe that simply throwing money at the problem will solve the issues.