The following is a guest post from Charlie Ticotsky, the Policy Director at Transportation for Massachusetts, a diverse coalition of more than 50 organizations – including CLF – working together to create safe, convenient, climate-friendly and affordable transportation for everyone. This blog was originally posted on the Transportation for Massachusetts blog, which you can view…
Jul 28
2016
2016
Jul 27
2016
2016
Cap on T Fare Hikes is Lowered
… Advocates for more public transportation cheered the governor’s approval of the Legislature’s language. “There’s been a lot of confusion over many years about how fares can go up, and this will give us clarity,” said Rafael Mares, a vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation. “This is such an important change that it would…
Jul 27
2016
2016
Federal Complaint Filed Over Eliminated MBTA Late-Night Service
… The complaint filed Tuesday by the vice president at the Conservation Law Foundation claims the MBTA didn’t properly measure the impact on low-income and minority riders before ending its service in March. The T’s fiscal control board voted in February to end late-night service, saying it wasn’t “cost-effective.” Rafael Mares, an attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation,…
Jul 27
2016
2016
MBTA Fails Its Low-Income and Riders of Color
When the MBTA cut its late-night service in March, it left many riders who relied on the service stranded. The cut means that those of us with third-shift jobs – in the healthcare, service, and entertainment industries, for example – can no longer get to work on the bus or train. That almost 60% of MBTA…
Jul 26
2016
2016
Local Coalition Challenges MBTA Over Civil Rights Violation
“For thousands of people across Boston working double shifts at low-wage jobs, a late-night train or bus is the difference between earning a paycheck and coming up short,” said Rafael Mares, Vice President and Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program. “When the MBTA eliminated this service, it did so without regard for the letter of the law or the livelihood of those who need it most. Now we have an opportunity to compel the MBTA to do what it should have done months ago – own up to its rash and reckless decision and consider sufficient and equitable alternatives.”
Jul 25
2016
2016
Kicking the Fossil Fuel Habit
Bad or unhealthy habits are tough to break. And they are even harder to break when options to replace them seem beyond our reach, or just plain impractical. This is as true with fossil fuels as it is with sugar or cigarettes, or too much screen time. And, unfortunately, there are those who benefit from…
Jul 19
2016
2016
A Long Way To Go For MBTA Board
… “While a lot is happening, it’s a mixed bag in terms of accomplishment,” said Rafael Mares, a vice president at the Conservation Law Foundation. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.” Still, Mares and other transit watchers say the board deserves more time to prove it can bring change to the 6,500-worker…
Jul 13
2016
2016
Governor, Lawmakers In Dispute Over T Fare Increases
… But Rafael Mares, a senior vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation, said the governor’s change would take away the predictability that legislators want for riders. Under the Legislature’s language, riders would know to expect a hike no higher than 7 percent every two years. With the governor’s language, some commuters could see an…
Jul 6
2016
2016
Consultant Stays On For End-To-End Review Of MBTA’s ‘Money Room’
… Although Rafael Mares, a transit advocate from the Conservation Law Foundation, said the audit “clearly identified some problems,” he said he hopes officials provide a more complete analysis before the T’s Fiscal Management and Control Board votes on whether to seek a private contractor. “I’ve just seen an analysis of the problem, but not…
Jun 30
2016
2016
Dig Deeper into Your Wallet to Ride the T Tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, MBTA users will be reaching deeper into their pockets to shell out for their daily rides. The greater expense may mean that some users choose to drive, while others will miss important appointments, school, or even work, because they are unable to afford the trip. CLF has opposed the steep fare hikes since…