Performance-based Planning and Programming—Transit Asset Management (TAM) Targets

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The Boston Region MPO envisions an equitable, pollution-free, and modern regional transportation system that gets people to their destinations safely, easily, and reliably, and that supports an inclusive, resilient, healthy, and economically vibrant Boston region.

-Destination 2050 Vision 
 

On March 7, 2024, the MPO board voted to establish an updated set of TAM performance targets. Transit agencies and MPOs are required to set targets related to the state of good repair of passenger and service vehicles, facilities, and fixed-guideway infrastructure. The MPO’s TAM performance targets draw directly from targets set by the MBTA, CATA, and MWRTA and apply to State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 (July 2023 through June 2024). For more information about TAM activities, performance measures, and targets, please refer to the memorandum titled SFY 2024 Transit Asset Management Targets (PDF) (HTML).

SFY 2023 Performance and SFY 2024 Targets for Rolling Stock, by Agency
    SFY 2023 Performance 
(as of 6/30/2023)		 SFY 2024 Targets 
(as of 6/30/2024)
Agency Asset Type Number of
 Vehicles		 Number of
 Vehicles
≥ ULB		 Percent of
 Vehicles
 ≥ ULB		 Target Percent of
 Vehicles
≥ ULB

MBTA

Articulated Buses

118

25

21%

24%

MBTA

Buses

879

259

29%

26%

MBTA

Light Rail Vehiclesa

200

81

41%

41%

MBTA

Vintage Trolleysb

6

6

100%

100%

MBTA

Heavy Rail Vehiclesc

392

118

30%

29%

MBTA

Commuter Rail Locomotives

83

19

23%

23%

MBTA

Commuter Rail Coaches

399

30

8%

7%

MBTA

Ferry Boats

4

0

0%

0%

MBTA

Paratransit Automobiles

304

0

0%

0%

MBTA

Paratransit Vansd

399

0

0%

25%

CATA

Buses and Trolleys

12

5

42%

39%

CATA

Cutaway Vehiclese

22

9

41%

44%

MWRTA

Automobiles

2

2

100%

100%

MWRTA

Cutaway Vehiclesf

106

          22

21%

21%

MWRTA

Vansg

6

0

0%

0%

a MBTA Light Rail targets for SFY 2024 are more relaxed than those of SFY 2023 to account for an error made in 2023 
when calculating the ULB for Type 7 Green Line cars. 

b MBTA vintage trolleys are used on the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line. 

c The targets account for Red and Orange Line vehicle delivery.

d The target accounts for approximately one-quarter of the paratransit vans reaching their useful life during FY24. 
Due to lower ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and vehicle mileage, the expected useful life of these vehicles 
is longer than the FTA-defined ULB.

e The NTD defines a cutaway vehicle as a vehicle in which a bus body is mounted on a van or light-duty truck chassis, 
which may be reinforced or extended. CATA uses these vehicles to provide fixed route and demand response service.

f MWRTA uses cutaway vehicles to provide fixed route and demand response service.

g MWRTA’s vans are used to provide demand response service.

CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 
MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. NTD = National Transit Database. SFY = State Fiscal Year. 
ULB = Useful Life Benchmark.

Source: CATA, MBTA, MWRTA, and Boston Region MPO Staff. 

SFY 2023 Performance and SFY 2024 Targets
for Equipment (Nonrevenue Vehicles), by Agency

 

 

SFY 2023 Performance
(as of 6/30/2023)

SFY 2024 Targets
(as of 6/30/2024)
Agency Asset Type Number of 
Vehicles		 Number of
 Vehicles
≥ ULB		 Percent of
 Vehicles
≥ ULB		 Target Percent
 of Vehicles
≥ ULB

MBTA

All Equipment

1,443

707

49%

51%

CATA

All Equipment

3

3

100%

100%

MWRTA

All Equipment

10

5

50%

50%

CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MWRTA =  
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. SFY = state fiscal year. ULB = Useful Life Benchmark.      
Source: CATA, MBTA, MWRTA, and Boston Region MPO Staff.  

SFY 2023 Performance and SFY 2024 Targets for Facilities, by Agency

 

 

SFY 2023 Performance
(as of 6/30/2023)

SFY 2024 Performance
(as of 6/30/2024)
Agency Asset Type Number of 
Facilities		 Number of
 Facilities < 3.0		 Percent of
 Facilities < 3.0		 Target Percent of
 Facilities < 3.0

MBTA

Passenger/Parking Facilitiesa

392

10

3%

3%

MBTA

Administrative/Maintenance Facilitiesb

330

75

23%

23%

CATA

Administrative/Maintenance Facilities

1

0

0%

0%

MWRTA

Administrative/Maintenance Facilities

1

0

0%

0%

a The MBTA reports performance targets for facilities with a baseline consistent assessment and continues to undertake physical condition assessments 
for all facilities. 

b The FY23 inventory shows a decrease in overall number of administrative/maintenance facilities from previous years due to the removal of assets that 
have no building/structure, have been demolished, or are redundant to other inventories (e.g., signal housing is included in the MBTA signal asset inventory). 

CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority.
SFY = State Fiscal Year.
Source: CATA, MBTA, MWRTA, and Boston Region MPO staff. 

SFY 2023 Performance and SFY 2024 Targets for Infrastructure (Fixed Guideway), MBTA

 

SFY 2023 Performance
(as of 6/30/2023)

SFY 2024 Targets
(as of 6/30/2024)
Asset Type Number of 
Miles		 Number of 
Miles with 
Performance 
Restrictions		 Percent of 
Miles with 
Performance 
Restrictions		 Target Percent of Miles 
with Performance Restrictions

MBTA Light Rail Fixed Guidewaya

60

4

7%

16%

MBTA Heavy Rail Fixed Guidewaya

77

10

13%

17%

MBTA Commuter Rail Fixed Guideway

641

21

3%

4%

Note: For this performance measure, the term “miles” refers to “directional route miles,” which represents the miles managed and maintained 
by the MBTA with respect to each direction of travel (for example, northbound and southbound), and excludes nonrevenue tracks such as yards, 
turnarounds, and storage tracks. The baseline and target percentages represent the percentage of annual average revenue track miles with 
performance restrictions from the total revenue miles.

a The MBTA is pursuing an aggressive program to improve track condition and reduce performance restrictions across the transit system, 
much of which will not be complete until after FY 2024.

MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. SFY = State Fiscal Year.

Source: MBTA and Boston Region MPO staff.