Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Boston-based group, A Better City, released a detailed position paper on the MBTA's proposals for fare hikes and service cuts on Monday and warned they could have dire economic consequences.
A group backed by Boston’s largest businesses and universities said in a report Monday that lawmakers and the Patrick administration should withdraw $50 million from the state’s $1 billion reserve account to help close the MBTA’s budget gap and avoid the heavier impacts of proposed fare hikes and service cuts that threaten to eliminate both of Reading’s two bus lines. A Better City, a non-profit group whose board includes Bank of America, Harvard University, MIT, Fidelity and John Hancock, also called for the T to limit fare hikes to no more than 25 percent in a report released Monday, according to the State House News Service. The group is also urging the MBTA to find a solution that features smaller, recurring fare hikes combined with …
Friday, February 24, 2012
Should the money the state hasn't had to spend on snow removal this year go to the MBTA as the Governor proposes, or do you have other ideas for it?
With a winter of record high temperatures at least partially behind us, the state government has only used about $10 million of the $50 million set aside for snow and ice removal, according to a Fox News article. Governor Deval Patrick has stated on record he'd like to give that money to the MBTA. As he says in this Patriot-Ledger article, "We’ve had a good and calm and relatively snow-free winter so far. If the winter continues as it has been, there will be unspent snow and ice budget. That may be part of the one-year fix." The fix he is referring to is the MBTA's estimated $161 million projected budget deficit for fiscal year 2013, but we at Patch are wondering if you see other things that need fixing. Education? Local aid? Small …
Monday, February 20, 2012
The republican legislator from North Reading admonishes officials for making it seem like the two plans floated by the MBTA are the only solutions to the authority's budget crisis.
I wish to address the justifiable concerns of many residents of the 20th Middlesex district relative to the possible changes to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter service and fare increases. As you know there is an ongoing series of hearings being held throughout the MBTA service area to discuss options for dealing with the serious budgetary shortfalls at the MBTA. The administration has provided two proposed options to potentially address the problem. The first includes a 43 percent fare hike, while the second includes a mix of a smaller 35 percent fare increases coupled with far-reaching service cuts. First, let me say I am disappointed that the administration would lead the public and MBTA riders to believe …
Friday, February 17, 2012
Seniors, students and commuters all came out to make their voices heard.
Editor's note: Check out video highlights of speakers from Thursday night's meeting. No protesters interrupted the MBTA's 20th public meeting on proposed cuts for next year's budget, though transportation officials still got an earful from angry commuters Thursday night. During the meeting, 137 speakers took to the podium on behalf of students, seniors, the handicapped, the ill and more, with a common message to MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis: these proposals are unacceptable. Officials say a mixture of service cuts and fare hikes are necessary to close a $161 million deficit in next year's operating budget, with one proposed scenario eliminating all bus routes in Reading. “I don't know what the answer is to the MBTA deficit, but I …
Monday, February 6, 2012
Rep. Jim Dwyer (D-Woburn) touches on proposed MBTA cuts and fuel assistance, among other things.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, February 6, 2012
I hope this edition of our legislative update finds you and your family well. Over the course of the next five months, the Legislature will be working hard to address many issues including health care cost containment, public safety legislation that includes a strong habitual offender sentencing law, and the Fiscal Year 2013 budget. While the first year of the 2011-2012 Legislative Session was productive in many ways, we are faced with remaining challenges that need to be addressed. MBTA proposed fare increases and service cuts As many of you know, the MBTA recently released two proposals that involved fare increases and service cuts that would greatly impact Woburn, Reading, and Stoneham. I find these proposals to be unacceptable and it …
Nadine Houston Dalo
1:54 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
@Reading girl............I understand that excessive over-population can diminish a town's appeal and desirability, but having so many gas stations on one street (Main St.)can be just as hazardous to the environment. I don't think that all the green space is utilized to the fullest in the town, sadly.(I personally love as much open space as I can get). I think if the problem is money (revenue) … more ›