Fulton Heights to take brunt of the cuts. Green Line expansion project still moving forward.
On March 28, the MBTA announced that the the only Medford Bus Route to be eliminated is the Private Carrier Route 710.
The current proposal to help fund the MBTA’s Fiscal Year 2013 estimated $185 million budget shortfall proposes the elimination of 4 weekday bus routes, elimination of Private Carrier bus service in Medford and other cities and to raise fares.
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Public Meetings were held all over the Greater Boston area and the public comment period ended on March 13, 2012. There were 5,783 E-Mails submitted, along with approximately 400 letters. The meeting attendance was 5,924 individuals with 1,808 comments submitted.
This proposal eliminates the 710 Bus Route which services North Medford/Fulton Heights with principal stops at Highland & Doonan, the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Meadow Glen Mall and Wellington Station.
An employee of Joseph’s Transportation reported, “We received a call last week informing us of the proposed cut.”
This past Wednesday a Green Line Extension meeting was held at Medford City Hall. The project is now in the Design Stage and current estimates for the entire project are in the neighborhood of $1 billion.
With the MBTA reporting, “This structural deficit will continue to grow through Fiscal Year 2016 and beyond under current conditions,” one outstanding question persists.
How can we build a $1 Billion dollar expansion with all the additional salaries and expenses involved when we are cutting services and raising fares just to cover one year’s deficit for the 1.3 million riders who use the MBTA today and with deficits predicted to grow?
It makes no sense.
Jimmy Morse 