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State should seize the moment to move boldly on transportation
Gutting the T is no way to chart a visionary path
Re “Massachusetts needs a strong transportation vision — and a leader who can carry it out” (Editorial, Feb. 7): The stars are indeed aligning, providing a unique opportunity to leverage both state and federal resources to address the state’s longstanding transportation challenges. But how can we take advantage of this opportunity if the Baker administration and MBTA leadership are dedicated to gutting the T’s budget and services?
Read the full article at The Boston Globe
Put an end to cuts at the MBTA
LAST FALL, when the MBTA announced it was planning deep cuts to bus, train, ferry ,and commuter rail service, the opposition was swift and virtually unanimous. Riders, workers, elected officials, and employers raised the alarm that T cuts would make it harder for essential workers to get to their jobs, worsen unemployment, disproportionately impact low-income people and communities of color, and take a deep and unnecessary toll on our region’s economic future. Unlikely allies joined in the insistence that T service is simply too important to cut. But the calls to stop cuts and make the T more affordable have not moved the Baker/Polito administration and the T executives under their authority.
Read the full article in CommonWealth Magazine
Labor, Community Groups To Baker-Polito Administration: Stop Damaging MBTA System
Public Transit Public Good Coalition Issues Statement on the Appointment of Jamey L. Tesler as the Acting Department of Transportation Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 22, 2021
For information, contact on behalf of the Public Transit Public Good coalition:
Orianna Tate, orianna@617mediagroup.com, 617-895-6783
Public Transit Public Good Coalition Issues Statement on the Appointment of Jamey L. Tesler as the Acting Department of Transportation Secretary
Boston — Public Transit Public Good, a coalition of transit workers and riders throughout Massachusetts, recognizes the departure of Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack for her new role as Deputy Administrator Federal Highway Administration, and the temporary appointment of Jamey L. Tesler as Acting Secretary. We look forward to working with Acting Secretary Tesler and hope we can come together on the urgent issues affecting transit workers and riders.
As they begin the process of identifying a new permanent Secretary of Transportation, the Baker-Polito administration has the opportunity to choose a new direction for transportation policy in Massachusetts. We urge the Baker-Polito administration to choose a leader who prioritizes the needs of working people, low-income communities and communities of color, and our threatened environment.
The new Secretary of Transportation should prioritize restoring and strengthening our public transit systems, including preventing and rolling back cuts at the MBTA; ensuring public transit is affordable for all in the Commonwealth; and ensuring transit workers and riders are adequately represented in transportation governance. Now more than ever, it is crucial to invest in services to help our state recover from the coronavirus pandemic’s impact. Riders and workers deserve a safe, affordable, and accessible public transit system.
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About Public Transit Public Good Coalition:
Public Transit Public Good is a partnership of transit workers and riders throughout Massachusetts fighting for the future of public transit. Community Labor United convenes PTPG. Visit publictransitpublicgood.org to learn more.
MA; Officials pressure MBTA to lay off service cuts as board plans vote
Dec. 14—Transit advocates aren’t backing down from the fight against a series of sweeping cuts to bus, subway and commuter rail services subject to a Monday vote that MBTA officials say are necessary to make up for lost revues amid the pandemic.
“It’s clear that millions of Greater Boston residents oppose these MBTA cuts,” said Lee Matsueda, executive director of Community Labor United, the lead convener of the Public Transit Public Good coalition. “Our research shows that more than 70% of residents are concerned about the impact the cuts will have on safety for riders and workers.”
Read the full article in Mass Transit Magazine
Junta de la MBTA decidirá si se realizan recortes el lunes
Se espera que la junta de la MBTA votara sobre los recortes de servicios propuestos que limitarían severamente algunas de sus ofertas de transporte público en medio de la pandemia, el lunes, a medida que crecen los pedidos de que la agencia cambie sus planes.
Se esperaba que la Junta de Control Fiscal y de Gestión de MBTA votara sobre los recortes durante una reunión a las 12 p.m.
Read the full article in Telemundo
Officials pressure MBTA to lay off service cuts as board plans vote
Transit advocates aren’t backing down from the fight against a series of sweeping cuts to bus, subway and commuter rail services subject to a Monday vote that MBTA officials say are necessary to make up for lost revues amid the pandemic.
“It’s clear that millions of Greater Boston residents oppose these MBTA cuts,” said Lee Matsueda, executive director of Community Labor United, the lead convener of the Public Transit Public Good coalition. “Our research shows that more than 70
Read the full article in The Boston Herald
MBTA service will be cut significantly in early 2021
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will curtail service next year after the agency’s oversight board finalized a plan Monday to reduce subway frequencies and eliminate weekend commuter rail trains on several lines in response to low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The package, approved 3-2 by the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board, is more limited in scope than a plan the agency had presented in November that frustrated advocates and political leaders, but still represents a considerable reduction in service.
Read the full article in The Boston Globe
MBTA Board OKs Cuts to Bus Routes, Weekend Commuter Rail and More
Significant MBTA service cuts will hit early next year after the agency’s oversight board voted 3-2 in favor of the amended plan Monday afternoon, capping off months of planning and public outcry.
The Fiscal and Management Control Board approved virtually all of the changes that T staff proposed, making only a handful of tweaks aimed at keeping some commuter rail service after 9 p.m. possible, setting a target date for determining if the agency needs to increase service, and ensuring that fare hikes will not factor into upcoming T budget deliberations.
Read the full article in NBC Boston