Capital Needs Assessment and Inventory
What It Is
The Capital Needs Assessment and Inventory (CNAI) is a routine analysis the MBTA performs every three to four years to help the agency understand the overall condition of the transit system.
A key output of the CNAI is the State of Good Repair (SGR) Index, which documents the magnitude of the agency’s capital maintenance needs. It reflects a baseline cost necessary to bring the MBTA’s existing assets into a State of Good Repair. The SGR Index represents a single moment in time and can be used to inform investment priorities as the agency allocates resources to areas of the system with the most need.
Why It's Important
The MBTA relies on a large portfolio of tens of thousands of physical assets to deliver transportation services across the Greater Boston area. Given the age of the system, many assets are past their useful life and require significant maintenance costs – some are over a century old. Understanding our State of Good Repair needs and the level of investment needed to address these needs is an important step toward fixing the transit system, reestablishing public trust, and advancing our modernization goals.
The CNAI is an important tool to help the MBTA understand the magnitude of the agency’s capital asset needs. It is a routine analysis used to document the condition of the MBTA’s diverse assets and support effective capital program planning.
Current CNAI Report
View the November 2023 Board presentation
Past Reports
