November 9, 2020
BOSTON – In anticipation of MBTA service cuts being announced today, a diverse coalition of business, labor, transportation, and environmental justice organizations is calling on the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board to pause on making any permanent service decisions this year, and is urging the legislature to act to fully fund the T, which is facing a budget shortfall caused by COVID-19.
Speakers at a morning press conference organized by Transportation for Massachusetts and LivableStreets led a “reverse ribbon cutting” – cutting a large cardboard bus in half – to demonstrate the long-term damage of any permanent service cuts on rider and employee safety, air quality, equity, and economic recovery in local communities.
The press conference kicked off a campaign, “Transit is Essential,” that will underscore the importance of keeping the T accessible and affordable to all. After the event, organizers will visiting key MBTA stations to distribute flyers and ask riders to share their stories about why the MBTA is essential to their lives.
The campaign website went live today at www.transitisessential.org.
“The MBTA has proven itself as an essential service through the pandemic, and it will be essential to the Commonwealth’s economic recovery. We need the State Legislature to step up to prevent drastic cuts that will leave people stranded”, said Angela Johnson-Rodriguez, Statewide Organizing Director for Transportation for Massachusetts.
The MBTA is facing a $300-$600 million shortfall in the fiscal year that begins July 1st, 2021. Fare revenue, the MBTA’s second-largest source of funding, has declined as ridership has dropped during the pandemic. But the agency is still serving essential workers such as doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals, as well as people making essential trips to grocery stores and medical appointments.
The coalition is urging the legislature to support the MBTA and transit statewide before the conclusion of the legislative session, by addressing the MBTA’s budget gap and backing that up by passing a package this session that includes dedicated revenue. The Massachusetts House of Representatives is expected to debate the Fiscal Year 2021 state budget this week. An amendment filed by Representative Jonathan Hecht (Amendment #700) would allow the MBTA to avoid service cuts.
“A reliable public transportation system is essential to keeping businesses operating safely, efficiently, and profitably during and after the pandemic,” said Chenelle Brown of the Alliance for Business Leadership’s Board of Directors and CMBG3 Law. “We cannot allow public transportation, the lifeline of Greater Boston, to become a casualty of COVID-19. Pulling the rug out from under the MBTA now will put us further behind in meeting the long-term infrastructure and service improvement goals that are key to making Massachusetts a desirable and affordable place to do business.”
MBTA service will be essential to the region’s economic recovery. When those currently working remotely are ready to return to the office, the MBTA needs to be there for them — or we can expect the gridlock and pollution that comes with more cars on the road.
“Making permanent service reductions in response to the pandemic will hinder the Commonwealth’s path to economic recovery,” said Jason Palitsch, Executive Director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership. “Before COVID, commuter rail use in the 495/MetroWest region was climbing rapidly. If even a portion of these workers begin to return to commuting and find rail is no longer a convenient option, we’ll send vehicles back onto roadways and create gridlock. And as employers look toward hiring during recovery, they will want to know their workers have commuting options.”Follow the campaign at www.transitisessential.org and on social media using the hashtag #TransitIsEssentialMA.
Recent Comments