MBTA Budget Targets Maintenance Backlog, Deficits

The MBTA is proposing a more than $2 billion annual operating budget that officials say will begin to eliminate chronic deficits and speed up replacement of aging equipment on the Boston-area transit system.

The preliminary spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 is scheduled to be presented Wednesday to the control board overseeing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The budget includes a $43 million fare hike that was approved by the board last week. It also assumes legislative approval of $187 million in state subsidies for the T, the same amount the system is receiving from the state this year.

MBTA chief administrator Brian Shortsleeve says the proposed budget would allow for an additional $100 million to address maintenance needs, including century-old signal relays on the Green Line.