Dear members and allies, 

Tomorrow, the Massachusetts House of Representatives will vote on an amendment that would create a low-income fare program at the MBTA! Take action NOW to let your representative know that Massachusetts needs a low-income fare to fight the Commonwealth’s racial wealth gap and help working families get by. 

Click here to email the House of Representatives to tell them to vote yes on Amendment #107 to H.4897, An Act relative to Massachusetts’ transportation resources and climate.

A reduced fare for low-income MBTA riders could help more than 90,000 riders, returning about $50 million per year to the pockets of the people who need it most. MIT research has found that riders with half-price fares take about 30% more trips on bus and subway. A low-income fare would increase access to the commuter rail, where high fares present barriers to using the service to low-income families in gateway cities and beyond. And it would allow disabled and elderly users to take more than 400,000 additional trips on The RIDE.

Amendment #107 is good for the entire Commonwealth. It would also empower the RTA Council to assist any RTA to implement a program offering free or discounted fares to low-income riders, including a no-fare option if cheaper to implement than a means-tested fare.

The House of Representatives votes tomorrow! Email them NOW to stand with the riders and workers of the Public Transit Public Good Coalition and raise your voice for a low-income fare!

Visit PublicTransitPublicGood.org to learn more and get involved. 

In Solidarity,

Lee Matsueda
Executive Director
Community Labor United