Medford legislators lead opposition to MBTA fare hikes, service cuts
Medford Transcript
8/12/09
Rep. Carl Sciortino, Sen. Patricia Jehlen and Rep. Sean Garballey, joined by other area legislators, held a press conference and testified at the MBTA fare hike public meeting Monday, leading a delegation of state legislators to stand against the fare hikes and service cuts proposed by the T.
Sciortino argued the proposed fare hikes and service cuts were fiscally unjustified. "The Legislature gave the MBTA the $160 million they requested," he said. "It was a difficult decision to raise the sales tax, but we did it with the expectation that we would not place a bigger financial burden on T riders."
That sentiment was echoed by the other legislators at the press conference. Holding up his own CharlieCard, Sciortino indicated that he understands the MBTA's fiscal crisis but does not think discouraging ridership is the responsible choice.
Jehlen advocated strongly for the riders in her district, emphasizing the fact that constituents in her district rely on the T every day to stay connected to the city and neighboring towns.
"People in my district understand the importance of the MBTA," she said. "Even those who do own and drive cars benefit from T ridership. If we raise fares and make riding the T less affordable, traffic congestion will increase along with commuting times."
Garballey, joining the press conference, argued that "constituents depend on public transportation. The bus routes that run through my district that have been proposed to be eliminated include 62/76, 79, 95, 326 and 350. The elimination of these routes would have a detrimental impact on my district and on the lives of my constituents. This proposal is unacceptable."
The legislators acknowledge the importance of affordable public transit in communities like Medford, where many rely on buses, rail and the Ride every day.
Responding to questions about the recent firing of General Manager Daniel Grabauskas, Sciortino made it clear that the legislators present were "not here to finger-point, since we have a collective responsibility to fix this mess," arguing that the media spotlight has been diverted from the issue of fare hikes and service cuts to internal politics.
The press conference along with the opinions voiced by the public at what was to be the first of many public workshops on the topic did not fall on deaf ears. Tuesday afternoon the governor's office called for a stop to the workshops until the top-down review of the MBTA can be completed this fall.