TRANSIT ADVOCATES APPLAUD MBTA SCHEDULING CHANGES THAT PRIORITIZE EQUITY AND SAFE ACCESS
August 5, 2020 — Massachusetts transit advocates released a statement applauding important service changes announced by the MBTA to improve bus rider and operator safety, encourage ridership, and optimize scheduling and communications. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended public transportation, but the MBTA remains an essential service throughout the region.
These thoughtful scheduling changes have earned the MBTA national recognition, and incorporate some of the key provisions suggested to the MBTA in a June 24th letter from many advocacy organizations.
Most notably, the MBTA’s release of its Fall 2020 schedule indicates that it will be redeploying bus service to the key bus routes on which ridership has remained relatively high throughout the pandemic. This change will help reduce crowding and provide more service to communities and neighborhoods home to essential workers and others for whom transit is a lifeline.
This change complements a set of other changes made by the MBTA, including:
Improved communication for the MBTA Ride Safer campaign
Installation of protective shields for all bus and trolley operators
Flexible service scheduling, recognized by TransitCenter, a national transit advocacy organization
A new crowding definition that focuses on increasing ridership and prioritizing safety
Real-time crowding information as a tool for riders
“As soon as the pandemic hit Massachusetts, the T rose to the occasion — stepping up cleaning, modifying bus service in response to shifting demands and giving dispatchers the ability to deploy extra buses in order to alleviate crowding. The MBTA is the undercover success story of 2020,” said Stacy Thomson, Executive Director of the LivableStreets Alliance.
“Running the MBTA is a hard job in normal times, and even harder in the midst of a pandemic. These scheduling changes represent a thoughtful approach and are an example of how the T is getting things right under difficult circumstances. Bus riders on some of the most popular routes will be the big beneficiaries,” said Chris Dempsey, Director of the Transportation for Massachusetts advocacy coalition.
Stacy and Chris are available for additional media commentary in response to the T’s announcement. The full statement is linked to here
The organizations signing on to the statement include:
Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Alliance for Business Leadership
Alternative for Community and Environment (ACE + T Riders Union)
Conservation Law Foundation
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
Gateway Cities Innovation Institute at MassINC
Greenroots
Kendall Square Association
LivableStreets Alliance
Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Massachusetts Sierra Club
MASSPIRG
TransitMatters
Transportation for Massachusetts
Transportation Working Group of 350Mass.
WalkBoston
Contact:
Stacy Thompson, LivableStreets Alliance, 651-206-1068