Riders and workers are the lifeblood of the system. We need safe, equitable and accessible public transportation.
The MBTA is in crisis. Decades of underinvestment and deferred maintenance — made worse by the COVID pandemic — have resulted in dire safety problems, understaffing, and cut service. Riders and workers alike face worrisome hazards, disruptions, and uncertainty. This crisis disproportionately burdens communities of color and low-income families already facing systemic inequity.
But the answer to the crisis is not to turn away from public transit. Massachusetts needs the MBTA to provide safe and reliable transportation for riders, as well as safe, family-sustaining jobs with a voice for workers. Re-invigorating our public transit will support good jobs and good mobility for working families, communities of color, and all of us in the MBTA region.
The Commonwealth’s leaders must prioritize riders and workers, and re-invest in the MBTA, putting safety, service, equity, affordability, and accessibility at the forefront.
Massachusetts faces high rates of poverty and inequality. While some people prosper, others struggle to get by. One in ten people in the Commonwealth live under the federal poverty line; in Boston the poverty rate is almost twice as high.
Structural racism, including exclusion from good paying jobs and lack of opportunities to accumulate wealth, means that people of color are over-represented among the lowest earning households. In Massachusetts, poverty rates are twice as high for Black and Latine people as for white people.
There are more than 460,000 people in the MBTA region living at or below the poverty level. A low-income fare will help families afford to get to work, school, appointments and more.
Public Transit Public Good is a partnership of transit workers and riders throughout Massachusetts fighting for the future of public transit. PTPG is convened by Community Labor United.
Public Transit Public Good is a partnership of transit workers and riders throughout Massachusetts. PTPG is convened by community Labor United.
Interested in joining our efforts? Reach out to us today!
“Today, we celebrate a major milestone in our fight to create an affordable, accessible MBTA. Thank you to our Representatives, Senators, and the Healey Administration
BOSTON (State House News Service) – More than two years after the last legislative push died and with multiple MBTA analyses already complete, the long
Boston – In a landmark vote, the Massachusetts legislature has allocated $5 million to fund a means-tested MBTA fare system for low-income riders in the
