BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch gave some hope to frustrated commuters Saturday at a hearing on the MBTA's proposed service cuts.
Christine was the first from the public to speak at the hearing on Saturday. She said the cuts would hit those on the frontlines the hardest, especially when more and more workers are being forced to live outside the City.
"People that are cleaning up in hospitals and in restaurants are the ones that are working on the weekend, second and third shift," she said. "Because of all the luxurious lovely developments that keep coming into the city, people have to move further away, and they have no other alternative that to take the Commuter Rail ... or sit on two ... or even three buses to get to where they're going."
Rep. Stephen Lynch also spoke at the hearing, and offered commuters like Christine, and the T, some assurances.
"The money is coming," Lynch told MTBA Board members. "I'm hoping that I can blow up this whole plan that you have by simply injecting a lot of cash into the system and allowing you to restore all this service."
The T's proposed several cuts earlier this week in response to a drop in ridership rates amid the pandemic. The changes would include ending all ferry service, stopping all commuter rail service on weekends after 9 p.m., reducing the frequency of all subway trains by 20 percent, and ending service on the Green Line's E-Branch past Brigham Circle.
The MBTA board is expected to vote on the proposed changes December 7th.
WBZ NewsRadio's Suzanne Sausville reports:
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(Photo: Mario Jarjour/WBZ NewsRadio)