ACTION ALERT: Public Transit Is Critical to the Commonwealth’s Economic Recovery
December 3, 2020
WRITTEN BY RICK DIMINO, President & CEO
The MBTA is facing a looming budget deficit for next fiscal year (FY22) and an uncertain future as result of anemic ridership during COVID-19. To respond to this crisis, the T launched the Forging Ahead planning process to find solutions that close the budget gap, including internal cost savings goals, reallocation of capital dollars, and service level changes.
A Better City has urged the MBTA to wait before taking votes that cut transit service next year. These service reductions and cuts to our vital public transit system will hinder the region’s economic recovery, reduce mobility, and derail the Commonwealth’s progress to reduce greenhouse emissions from the transportation sector.
The MBTA is accepting feedback on the Forging Ahead proposals prior to the vote by the MBTA’s Fiscal Management Control Board (FMCB) on December 14, 2020. The business community voice is critical and must be part of the conversation on service cuts and on transit demand post-pandemic.
We encourage you to submit comments to publicengagement@mbta.com by no later than December 4th and we are providing a possible template below.
Dear General Manager Poftak:
I am writing to urge you to delay the decision on the MBTA’s Forging Ahead proposals currently scheduled for the December 14, 2020, meeting of the MBTA’s Fiscal Management Control Board.
The MBTA’s Forging Ahead plan proposes significant cuts to transit service that would be enacted in the coming months—which is when we expect to see a widespread vaccination effort underway and a related return to the workplace and spike in ridership. Some of the proposed service cuts would take up to two years to restore, hindering mobility long after the pandemic is over. Additionally, the cuts would achieve meager short-term cost savings, derail the Commonwealth’s progress to reduce greenhouse emissions from the transportation sector, and cost the agency ridership, revenue, and viability in the long-term.
The MBTA system is the backbone of our regional economy—and the Commonwealth’s economic recovery hinges upon safe, reliable public transit for commuters and visitors alike. The MBTA must find a better way forward that does not compromise the region’s transit system and economy, including waiting on federal funding and finding alternative revenue sources. Transit is essential—and there is no better way to affirm that Greater Boston is open for business than by ensuring equitable access to public transportation.
Please delay the vote on the Forging Ahead proposals or take service cuts off the table.
Sincerely,
[Insert name]
