Transportation & Mobility Justice
Issue Area Focus Group
Group Vision
We envision a Boston where all residents and visitors have equitable access to a transportation network of public transit, as well as walkable, bikeable, and rollable infrastructure that is affordable, safe, equitable, reliable, and convenient. This transportation network is fossil-fuel free — reducing pollution in communities and in our climate system — and is accessible to individuals of all abilities. Such a transportation network incentivizes people to shift away from driving, provides affordable and accessible electric vehicle charging to encourage those driving private vehicles to use non-emitting ones, and provides ample transportation and mobility options for those who do not own a car. Finally, we envision a transportation network where the institutions managing it are accountable and responsible to the public.
Transit & Mobility Justice Working Group Members
Our Policy Priorities
Our working group nominated, collected, discussed, and voted on the issues — from the State House, to the MBTA, to the City of Boston — which are our top priorities in 2025-2026. The working group endorses the below items and advocates for each of their passage, creation, completion, and/or implementation.
State Policy Priorities (Massachusetts Legislature):
An Act relative to fare equity (Consalvo/Rush/Wu)
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall designate all commuter rail stations in the city of Boston as Zone 1A ($2.40 fare) to promote fare equity for commuters in the city of Boston. Stations impacted would be: Readville (Fairmount Line), Hyde Park (Providence Line), Roslindale Village, Bellevue, Highland, and West Roxbury (Needham Line)
Engaged coalitions: Fairmount Indigo Transit Coalition
An Act relative to setting deadlines to electrify the MBTA commuter rail (Owens & Armini/Crighton)
The commitment to electrify the Fairmount Line has been made by the MBTA!
Calls for a fully electric MBTA commuter rail system by 2035, with the Fairmount Line being phase #1 and lines serving other environmental justice populations being the next to follow.
An Act setting deadlines to electrify school buses and public fleets and establishing programs to encourage private fleet electrification (Barber & Meschino/Crighton)
Directs the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to together develop a transition for school buses, public vehicles, and vehicles serving a public purpose, issuing regulations to reach 50% of fleet electric by 2025, 75% by 2030, 100% by 2035. It calls for the prioritization of fleets serving environmental justice populations and also directs DOER to create a program to incentivize the electrification of private fleets.
Engaged coalitions: Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Coalition
Polluters Pay (Owens/Eldridge)
Would require superfund-like payments from major polluters as measured by emissions from 2000-2019, raising over $75 billion over 25 years.
Possible MBTA funding source. Just passed in New York; previously passed in Vermont.
Engaged organizations/coalitions: 350 Mass, Mass Power Forward
MBTA Priorities:
Electrify the entire MBTA fleet, including the Commuter Rail
Significantly increase the bus and train frequency, and have lower fares across the network, especially in the City of Boston
Electrify paratransit vehicles
Influence the T’s long-range transportation plan (LRTP)
MBTA raising revenue & using it equitably
Mode shift — incentivizing people to get out of cars and into mass transit
City of Boston priorities:
Full school bus fleet electrification
Support and expand the training program at Madison Park HS for maintenance of electric vehicles
Install additional electric infrastructure to facilitate electric school bus charging
Use IRA funding to expedite electrifying the entire school bus fleet
Micro-Mobility Access & Safety
Disconnected bike paths should be connected, and at an expedited rate, to connect the network and increase safety
Strengthen bike/bus lane enforcement
Expand the low-income Blue Bikes fare to a fare-free Blue Bikes program
Electric bike programs should be created for LMI/EJ/BIPOC communities and those who can't ride regular bicycles (begun)
Increase intersections with either No Right on Red or with pedestrians-first crossing
Workforce Equity
Engage, train, and pay City residents for electrification infrastructure installation
Engage, train and pay City residents and current MBTA bus drivers to operate a fully electric bus fleet; assess housing for bus operators
Engage, train and pay City residents to become skilled in maintenance of electric vehicles (cars, buses, bikes, etc.)
Track major roadway renewals, particularly in EJ communities, and advocate for anti-displacement measures along with the priorities above, where applicable, such as:
Successes on our 2023-2024 priorities!
✅ Implemented Low-Income Fares on the MBTA
✅ MBTA committed to electrify the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line by 2028
✅ The City continued funding for free fares on the 23, 28, & 29 bus lines
✅ The City put 20 electric school buses on the road and applied for grants for more, receiving one additional grant already
✅ The City implemented numerous reduced-rate Blue Bikes pass options for qualifying riders