Control board seeks 2 more years for transit turnaround

BOSTON (AP) — Word that the board that has overseen the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority since July 2015 plans to extend its role for two more years is being viewed as both a sign of progress and a realization that problems plaguing the nation’s fifth-largest transit system are far from fixed.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and the Democratic-led Legislature created the five-member management control board after the transportation system became crippled during a severe winter, leading to a review that exposed severe financial constraints and a “pervasive structural failure.”

The board is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2018, but can seek a two-year extension. Baker has already signaled he will accept the recommendation.

MBTA officials say the system’s reliability has improved and its operating deficit reduced since the board took over.