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Mayor Brodeur Opposes MBTA Cuts

Posted on: November 9, 2020 - 5:35pm

 

                                                                                                November 9, 2020

 

VIA FIRST-CLASS MAIL and E-MAIL

 

Steve Poftak, General Manager

Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority

10 Park Plaza

Boston, MA  02116

 

RE:          Proposed MBTA service cuts

 

Dear General Manager Poftak:

 

I write to express my strong opposition to the proposed cutbacks to MBTA service.

 

As I understand it, the cuts will impact Melrose in the following ways:

•             Elimination of 131 and 136 buses;

•             Elimination of all service at the Cedar Park commuter rail station;

•             Elimination of all weekend commuter rail service; and

•             Elimination of remaining commuter rail service after 9 pm.

 

The impact on our commuters, our neighborhoods, and our small businesses will be considerable and will slow an economic recovery should a vaccine become available in the next several months. Furthermore, the elimination of two bus lines is going to be devastating to our lower income residents, essential workers, and anyone who depends on bus transportation.

 

The City of Melrose has done an enormous amount of planning work and zoning reform to encourage transit-oriented development and is a Housing Choice community. The MBTA service cuts threaten that planning and are at odds with the goals of Governor Baker’s Housing Choice legislation. In addition, these cuts will lead to additional car trips as a recovery takes hold, creating additional challenges to meeting our goals of becoming NetZero by 2050. Thus, these proposed cuts are bad housing policy and bad environmental policy.

 

Transit access is the number one reason people move to Melrose, based on resident feedback during our Master Plan update.  Our housing production goals are primarily focused around transit.  These cuts will be a tremendous blow to our efforts and to the Commonwealth’s objectives.  They represent a huge step backwards. While I recognize MBTA faces a significant fiscal challenge, these “temporary” measures create unacceptable obstacles to the economic and environmental future of our city.

 

I strongly urge you to reconsider these cuts and continue to work with our state and federal delegation to find the resources to support these critical transportation services.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Paul Brodeur

 

cc:           Melrose City Council

                Senator Jason Lewis

                Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian

                Lauren Grymek, Melrose Chamber of Commerce