Support For A Better City

Greetings Members of the Board and Associates,

As many of you may know, the MBTA is proposing a significant increase in fares to raise $69 million that will help offset potential budget deficits. The proposed $69 million is in addition to the $160 million that was designated for the MBTA in the recently passed Sales Tax increase. This fare increase is a result of the MBTA shouldering a $5.2 billion debt and experiencing reductions in revenue from the state Sales Tax.

Access to affordable, timely and reliable public transportation is an issues central to A Better City’s mission. Your employees and tenants rely on transit to travel to work or conduct business during the day. Transit is also how consumers access the services your company or business provides. In addition, reliable public transportation serves as a magnet for new growth and development; access to dynamic transit options is a selling point for attracting new hires or businesses to the greater Boston area. Lastly, transit benefits the environment and provides opportunities for creating engaging urban design. If public transit is designed and funded to be a more convenient and attractive option than travel in a personal vehicle, the State can reduce traffic congestion on roads and bridges, create opportunities for local economic growth and improve regional air quality. Public transit benefits everyone, and our elected officials and the MBTA need to hear this from you.

A Better City strongly encourages the membership to get involved; share your thoughts on the proposed fare hikes and service cuts with the MBTA and your elected officials. In addition, we ask that you also share this information with your workplace community, tenants and colleagues.

The MBTA will be holding 13 public meetings (12 workshops and 1 hearing) throughout its service area in August. If you are not able to attend in person, written comments may be submitted directly to the MBTA through September 4, 2009. Written comments should be addressed as follows:

Attention: Fare Proposal Committee
MBTA
Ten Park Plaza
Boston, MA 02116

Lastly, your elected officials needs to know that public transit is important to you. For your convenience, I have included the following link where you can look up your elected official’s contact information: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php

Please be in touch if you have further questions or comments. A Better City and associated organizations (A Better City TMA and TransitWorks) will continue to post updated information on our websites. We look forward to seeing you at the MBTA public meetings.



Best wishes,
Dorothy Fennell
Commuter Programs Manager
A Better City Transportation Management Association
www.abctma.com
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ABCTMA

33 Broad Street, Suite 300
Boston MA 02109
Work phone: 617-502-6251
Fax: 617-502-6236
dfennell@abettercity.org