Adequate Transit Access to Gateway Cities Requires a Massive Overhaul

Author: Megan Brake

Today, Massachusetts’ public transit options cater almost exclusively to people who live and work in Boston. The MBTA and Commuter Rail only make sense for transportation into Boston, and otherwise require access to a car. For those who live in and around Gateway Cities, RTA’s often offer inadequate service, with networks that either don’t cover enough ground or run too infrequently to be a viable option.

I experience this reality every single weekday. I work in a suburb of Lowell, one of Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities, but I live close to Boston. Being aware of the environmental impact of driving everywhere, I would prefer to take the train or bus to work. And yet this isn’t an option for me, nor for the many others living and working in Gateway cities and their suburbs throughout Massachusetts.

The solution is at our fingertips. The state of Massachusetts needs to re-incentivize public transportation and restructure the system to cater to the movement of all citizens, not only those who live and work in Boston. It is possible, and hopefully, is coming.

The State of Public Transit and Gateway Cities Today

Last December, the Commission on the Future of Transportation released a report detailing a series of recommendations on how the state of Massachusetts can adapt its current transit system to reduce emissions and improve accessibility for all the citizens of the commonwealth. Recommendation number 14 suggestions that Massachusetts should “use land use, economic development, and transportation policies and investment to enable Gateway Cities and the regions they anchor throughout the Commonwealth to compete for the growing number of residents and jobs.”

This recommendation is of the utmost importance, especially to those citizens of the commonwealth who don’t live and work around Boston. The public transportation and 0 emission cycling infrastructure should reflect the lives of every citizen. In doing so, we would dramatically reduce the environmental impact of transportation in the state and improve access to jobs and resources for lower income families in Gateway cities and their surrounding communities.

When I first started working at a company near Lowell, I looked up Commuter Rail and Lowell RTA schedules to see if I had any public transit options. The Commuter Rail has a station in Lowell, but the cost of taking the train every day was far greater than the cost of gas for my car. Talk about backwards incentives. But let’s assume I decided to pay the exorbitant cost of taking the train, then what?

From the train station in Lowell, I would take the Lowell RTA out to my office. To do this, I’d either need to arrive to Lowell by 6:30am in order to make the 6:50 bus, or wait until the 8:15am bus, at which point, I’d be late for work.

So, I have no other option but to hop in my car and drive 45 minutes each way every day. Swallowing the bitter pill of contributing to pollution and congestion against my will.

Clearly this is an issue for many people who live and work in the areas around Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities. If the Commonwealth wants to improve accessibility to opportunities in these areas while simultaneously cutting down on emissions, it will require a seismic shift in the way we design and think about public transportation.

Rethinking Mass Transit

The re-envisioning of Mass Transit must have a broad scope and be forward thinking. The new transit system shouldn’t just cater to Boston and to Gateway Cities, it should cater to the communities in between. We would all benefit greatly from a transit system that actually serves the needs of the entire population, including those who currently use their car almost exclusively. Only then will we be able to drastically reduce emissions and improve access to jobs and resources equitably.

Lower income families and individuals currently living in Gateway Cities deserve to have the same access to opportunity as those who have cars. Currently, workers who are fully qualified to take on lucrative employment opportunities have to turn down jobs simply because they have no feasible way to travel to and from work. This may lead many people to purchase cars, increasing emissions, congestion, and further jeopardizing at-risk populations already living in the cycle of poverty.

Public transit systems, such as the commuter rail, must also be affordable for all, not just those with high paying jobs in major cities. Lowered fares would, most likely, drastically increase ridership if the commuter rail connected with other RTA options and aligned all the schedules for adequate, coordinated service during peak hours.

Electric trains and bus routes should be implemented that serve Gateway Cities and the surrounding communities. These routes must have frequent service adequate to serve the populations that live in the cities and in the moderate density suburban satellite areas. Many companies currently hold offices in these suburbs but are losing employees who are tired of long commutes.

And finally, the state should focus its energy on improving options for no-emission transportation by creating safe bike routes in and around Gateway Cities. Massachusetts is lucky to have a wide array of bike paths and rail trails already in existence. However, they are disconnected. Connecting these bike paths together (and linking them to safe bikeable roads where appropriate) would establish safe, interconnected routes between cities—making bike commuting more feasible. A commitment to increasing safe options for cyclists would see the trend of bike commuting extend out from Boston into the Gateway cities and their surrounding communities.

Reimagining Interconnectivity for Gateway Cities Poses A Massive Opportunity for Massachusetts

This recommendation by the Commission on the Future of Transportation offers Massachusetts the opportunity to become a national leader in the area of transportation. But only if we create a transit network that actually serves the movement and needs of all citizens of the commonwealth, and not just those who commute into Boston. If the state successfully adapts and creates an electric, affordable, and accessible transit system for Gateway Cities and their communities, we will reduce emissions, lower our impact on the climate, and take a huge step towards equity in access to jobs and resources for all.

Megan Brake is a longtime resident of Massachusetts and a volunteer with the Massachusetts Sierra Club