The litany of woes is as long, and as old, as the MBTA itself: An $8 billion debt. Aging trains and buses. Maintenance backlogs. Fare increases. And now, the admission from MBTA general manager Daniel Grabauskas that the T has been secretly cutting tripsfrom its published schedules.

The hope, Grabauskas says, was that cutting trips would cut costs.

That hasn’t happened. The MBTA is still saddled with a debt load among the largest in the nation for a public transit system. Riders say service has been declining for years. And this is one of the few issues where everyone on Beacon Hill seems to be in agreement: the T is in trouble.

But what to do about it?

Get on board as we search for the answer to that question. And another, one of Boston’s most famous: "Should we walk, or do we have time to take the T?"

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Plus, web specials: From the Kingston Trio to Radio Boston, the T in music - popular and platform…

Senator Barack Obama is gaining momentum across the country, running on a platform of hope and change. Sound familiar? Here in Massachusetts voters responded to those same campaign slogans and promises when they elected Governor Deval Patrick.

They both have political ties in Chicago, are alumni of the same law school and both are breaking race barriers in America.

We’ll look into how similar their campaigns and backgrounds really are. What do you think? Did you vote for Patrick? Will you also vote for Obama? Or will you need more than a message of hope to cast your vote?

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Plus, a web special: Listen to a song about Barack Obama by Black Eyed Peas artist will.i.am.

This week we explore the various accents of Eastern Massachusetts. Do you have an accent? Tell us about it and your experience outside of your hometown. Send us a comment or email about what you hear on the streets of Boston and other towns.

Check out the International Dialect of English Archive’s compilation of Massachusetts dialects.

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Mayor Lisa Wong inherited a big job when she won Fitchburg’s mayoral election last year. An old mill town with closed factories, a crime problem and a record number of foreclosures are just some of her worries.

The 28-year old Wong has a plan and Radio Boston heads to Fitchburg to find out what it is.

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Plus, in our web specials:Read studies about revitalizing old mill cities, see videos from Fitchburg and Lowell.

Some patients who have been harmed during medical procedures are opting not to sue, but to talk with the medical team responsible for the harm. Health care professionals are being trained to apologize when things go wrong. Who benefits from a doctor’s mea culpa?

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Plus, in our web specials:Sit in on "disclosure training"for doctors, learn more about MITTS,and the three questions you should ask your doctorto help her avoid mistakes…

The standoff continues over random drug and alcohol testing of Boston firefighters. The Department has been under scrutiny since two firefighters were killed in a blaze last year and were later found to have been under the influence. The city’s firefighters union wants the testing to be part of stalled contract talks. Critics say the testing will improve public safety.  Should there be random drug testing of all firefighters?

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Plus, in our web specials:A new report calls for random drug and alcohol testing in all Massachusetts fire departments

Home foreclosures continue to be a problem in most Massachusetts communities in 2008 and many economists expect that it’s only going to get worse. We visit one city where foreclosures are blamed for destabilizing neighborhoods and harming the local economy.  Is it (as one analyst says)  a "perfect storm" situation where the housing market slump, the credit crunch and predatory lending have combined to create a wave of debt and abandoned buildings?

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What is the purpose of public architecture and does Boston’s City Hall fit the bill? This Friday we’ll explore the affordability and practicality of plans to move City Hall.

Call it brutalist architecture or just plain brutal - we want to know what you think about Government Center Plaza, add a comment here.

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Plus, in our web specials:the original sketch of City Hall, and images past and present of Boston’s brutalist masterpiece…

As the poster says, Boston Rocks. But how hard?

Radio Boston goes on location at the Flophouse,and takes you inside the modern Boston music scene. We profile three bands: Township, The Mmoss, and The Jody Grind. We hear from a Boston superstar, Greg Hawkes of the Cars. And, we talk with music critic Brett Milano on how the scene has changed and if a band like the Cars could make it in Boston today.

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Plus, check out our box set of web specials,including videos and mp3s of a one-time only live performance by Greg Hawkes strumming a Cars classic on his ukulele…