The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently released its first-ever systemwide Resilience Roadmap, a comprehensive plan to strengthen transit infrastructure and prepare operations against the impacts of climate change and severe weather, including flooding, extreme heat, and cold.

Developed as a next step following the MBTA’s release of the 2024 Climate Assessment, the roadmap outlines both near- and long-term strategies to proactively reduce climate risks and improve reliability across the transit system. The plan spans all modes of transit and prioritizes investments that protect critical assets, support safe operations, and minimize service disruptions. 

The MBTA’s Resilience Roadmap directly supports goals laid out in the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s program, ResilientMass, which is “strategically designed to help communities across the state mitigate the negative impacts of severe weather,” like heatwaves and flooding.  

“The MBTA is always looking for ways to proactively address climate resilience,” said Interim Secretary and General Manager Phillip Eng. “Our riders deserve safe, reliable, and robust service now and in the future, which is why this Resilience Roadmap is impactful.”

"Building climate resilience is essential to keeping our transportation system safe and reliable. Much of our infrastructure wasn’t built for heavier rainfall, more frequent storms, and heat waves — conditions that can cause flooding, damage, and service disruptions,” said Energy and Environmental Secretary Rebecca Tepper.

Inside the MBTA’s Climate Resilience Strategy

According to an agency release, the plan was developed from expertise across MBTA, more than two dozen climate vulnerability studies, site assessments across the system, and best practices from peer transit agencies nationwide.

The roadmap focuses on nine priority areas, including but not limited to:  

• Investing in the resilience and reliability of the power system.
• Protecting tunnels and stations from flooding.
• Reducing heat exposure for riders and employees.
• Improving the resilience of signal and communications systems.
• Addressing flooding at stations and support facilities.
• Upgrading tracks and facilities to withstand extreme temperatures.

The plan focuses on improving transit system resilience to extreme weather by adding flood protections, expanding shade, upgrading equipment for heat, and enhancing worker safety measures. It also highlights the need for ongoing investment, knowledge sharing, and regional collaboration to support these efforts.

The agency wrote in the release that it will continue working closely with municipal, regional, and state partners to implement the strategies identified in the roadmap and adapt to evolving climate conditions over time.  

Recent investments towards a decarbonized and more resilient system include:  

• $10 million towards upgrading pump rooms along the Blue Line to increase resiliency to flooding.
• $15 million for the construction of new bus amenities and shelters across the system to provide relief to riders during extreme heat or heavy rain events.
• $1 million ResilientMass grant for the design of flood protection for the Blue Line Airport tunnel portal.