MBTA Seeks Rider Input on Service Priorities, Schedules Forging Ahead Public Meetings

Planning underway to preserve access and quality of service available to customers who are using the system now and rely most on transit for travel.

The MBTA today announced a series of public engagement efforts to inform riders and stakeholders, and receive their feedback on Forging Ahead, the Authority’s plan to preserve transit access and quality of service available to transit-critical customers. The public engagement effort, now underway and running through December, includes a series of virtual public meetings, a public hearing, a team of Community Liaisons to gather feedback directly from riders, and an online comment form for customers to engage with the T. The T wants to hear from transit customers about the service people are using now, how often, and what their transit priorities are in order to shape the T’s upcoming decision about which transit-critical services to prioritize and protect, and which may need to be cut back until ridership and revenues return.

“Equity demands that the MBTA focus its available resources on those who depend on us most for frequent and reliable service,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “It’s critical we hear from our customers and stakeholders on the services that they need now or will need soon. This input will inform our efforts to identify core essential services – the buses, trains, vans, and boats that serve transit-critical populations and communities that rely on transit – and to realign service by prioritizing and preserving those services. This means we will need to reduce services where we have very few passengers, or are operating near-empty trains, and invest those savings into protecting the core essential services.”

The MBTA initiated Forging Ahead public engagement as part of its response to low ridership on some modes, increased ridership on several routes, potentially long-term changes in service demand, and a projected budget gap resulting from the pandemic. On November 9, the MBTA will announce which services will be prioritized and protected and which will have proposed changes in service, after which the public meetings and public hearing will take place. These service changes will generally not take effect until spring or summer of 2021.

“Given the continuing pandemic and economic dislocation, T ridership on some routes and services may not return to pre-COVID levels for a long time,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “MassDOT and the MBTA are actively searching for other ways to replace lost fare revenue, such as using flexible federal dollars to minimize the operating budget impacts. But using limited resources to operate underutilized trains, ferries, and buses is not a responsible use of the money provided to the MBTA by riders, communities, and taxpayers.”

Customers are encouraged to go online and provide feedback here, and/or to participate in any of 11 virtual public meetings, including an Official Public Hearing, where they can provide input and ask questions of MBTA officials. Each meeting will focus on a specific community region within the MBTA’s service area. Meeting details are available at mbta.com/ForgingAhead.

Additionally, the MBTA has established a team of Community Liaisons that will be reaching out to communities directly impacted by proposed service changes for input and feedback. MBTA community liaisons will schedule in-person, phone, or online meetings with individuals, local municipalities, or neighborhood organizations to provide information and seek community feedback. Liaisons will also interact directly with customers at stations, platforms, and bus stops.

Following this period of individual comments from MBTA customers, public engagement, and ongoing discussions with the Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB), final decisions on protecting essential services and making changes to underutilized services will be made in December and implemented largely in the spring and summer of 2021. Service changes made in response to substantial recent ridership losses will not be permanent and changes to modes or routes taking place in 2021 will be reconsidered based on the status of the State of Emergency, commuting and travel trends, and ridership and fare revenue recovery in 2021 and beyond.

Accommodations

All meetings are accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. Accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge, upon request, as available. Such services include documents in alternate formats, translated documents, and interpreters (including American Sign Language). For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation and/or language services, please contact the MBTA Community Liaisons at publicengagement@mbta.com.