A fresh start?

Or just a fresh coat of paint?

That’s the nagging question this week, now that the state’s transportation needs are being officially overseen by a new, five-member board appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick and featuring a few folks who happen to symbolize the old way of doing business.

If anything proves the state needed a fresh set of eyes examining all areas of state transportation policy, it’s the independent evaluation of the MBTA, its finances and its “bleak outlook” that was released this week.

And yet three of the governor’s five appointees to the new MassDOT board - who will have unprecedented say over every aspect of said transportation policy - previously served on boards that were wiped out when the new reform law was enacted.

That would include Janice Loux, who served for 12 years on the MBTA board of directors. Head of a hotel workers’ union in her day job, Loux’s service on the T board was almost exclusively focused on protecting the interests of the transit agency’s many unions - usually at the expense of even the most modest reforms.

And while the T’s employment policies wouldn’t have made its half-billion dollar budget deficit go “poof” altogether, Loux’s efforts were certainly not about getting tougher on contracts.

Critics have rightly taken aim at the appointments.

“What we didn’t need was more of the past,” said Sen. Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen), Senate chair of the transportation committee.

But that’s what we got.

Meanwhile despite promises of legitimate cost savings, already the transportation leadership is downplaying expectations. Frankly there won’t be any savings realized without significant workforce reductions, which look increasingly unlikely.

With these appointments Patrick had an opportunity to prove that he is interested in a total do-over for one of the most expensive areas of state government. It’s an opportunity he missed.