City Council urges MBTA to take action

Bostonians, especially those belonging to low-income and communities of color, depend on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to provide safe, reliable mobility and access to jobs, education, and critical services.



Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Edward J. Markey created the Freedom to Move Act, which promotes public transportation as a public good for all by establishing a $5 billion competitive grant program known as Freedom to Move Grants.



Such grants are to be invested in efforts that improve the safety and quality of public transportation, such as covering operational costs, investing in public health emergency response efforts, improving the safety and accessibility of bus stops, and redesigning bus routes to improve service.



During this week’s Council meeting, the Council voted to adopt a resolution supporting the passage of this act. In the midst of the global pandemic, providing safer, faster, and more reliable transit service is essential to lowering the congestion of buses and subsequently, the rate of transmission.



During that same meeting, the Council adopted a resolution requesting the MBTA to extend fare-free service to all essential workers, including healthcare, grocery, sanitation and transportation workers, while the pandemic continues.



On Monday July 20th, the MBTA resumed standard fare collection after four months of entirely fare-free bus service for all MBTA riders during the COVID-19 pandemic.



The MBTA’s policies requiring face coverings at all times, regular cleanings of vehicles and property, and temperature checks of all workers are critical to decreasing community spread of the virus and continuing to protect our essential workers.



Currently, the MBTA allows emergency responders, specifically military personnel, police officers, and firefighters to ride all MBTA services fare-free.