In December 2020, the MBTA approved widespread cuts to bus and commuter rail service despite objections from officials and transit advocates. Starting in January, twenty bus lines will be shut down, and weekend commuter rail service will end for communities along the Fitchburg, Franklin, Greenbush, Haverhill, Kingston/Plymouth, Lowell and Needham lines. What impacts will the cuts have on the Commonwealth’s pandemic recovery? Many lawmakers, transportation advocates and Gateway City business owners say public transit is essential for equitable and enduring pandemic navigation - both in terms of public health and the economy. But with the grim realities of budget shortfalls from the pandemic, transit agencies across the country face similar cuts. Join GBH transit reporter Bob Seay, MassINC’s transit-oriented development fellow Dr. Tracy Corley, Steven Higashide of TransitCenter, State Representative Andy Vargas for the 3rd Essex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and Will Dickerson, the executive director of Brockton Interfaith Community, as they discuss the immediate and long-term impacts of service cuts and how they will impact communities across the state and nation differently.
Forum Network
Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas