New project by BINJ distributes trading cards examining deteriorating MBTA and culture of wasteful spending at Greater Boston’s public transit agency
Over the past several years, we have done a lot of hard reporting on the MBTA, identifying tens of millions of dollars in questionable spending and imprudent financial decisions. Examples range from costly marketing campaigns that attempt to whitewash clear and pressing transit concerns, to coverage of the agency’s insanely complicated public-private partnerships which seem to benefit the latter far more than the rider. Some standouts include:
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Amid Multiple Crises, MBTA Fields Pitches For New Agency Marketing Campaign
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With the MBTA still very broken, agency lacks clarity in communications with contractors, commuters
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This marketing company with political ties is getting paid millions to “humanize” the MBTA brand
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Company hired to run Transit Police dispatch service under-delivered, charged extra, and kept inadequate records, according to inspector general’s report
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As trains broke down, the MBTA’s million-dollar marketing campaign kept running
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The MBTA’s Revolving Door
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BINJ receives critical MBTA safety documents after successfully appealing agency’s public records request denial
In response to those reports, people have suggested that your average Charlie Card holder or Bay State taxpayer is unlikely to read or discover all of our reports. They’re probably right, and since we understand the limitations of longform and digital media, we thought up the Garbage Rail Kids concept as a way to connect with a new group of T riders and others.
Put simply, GRKs are novelty collectible media based on reporting done by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism—as well as other media and transit advocacy groups—on the MBTA and its infinite problems. Since many of the causes of so much ongoing consternation are forgotten if they’re ever adequately amplified in the first place, this project is intended to educate stakeholders and keep relevant investigative reports within reach of the public in a time of paywalls and diminishing enterprise journalism.
More than 500 packs of prototype Garbage Rail Kids have already been passed out at T stations. This month, BINJ will distribute another 1,000 free packs, and also offer a limited number of exclusive packs for sale online. The proceeds from those sales will go to creating and printing additional cards.
For more info, checklists, data, reporting, or to make a tax-deductible donation, subscribe to our newsletter at binjonline.org. Join the Garbage Rail Kids Collectors Facebook group here.
