Framingham Lawmakers Blast MBTA Over Proposed Cuts

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Like almost everyone who's heard about them, Framingham's legislative delegation does not like the MBTA's proposed service cuts.

In a letter this week, state Reps. Maria Robinson, Jack Lewis and Carmine Gentile blasted the MBTA's plans for commuter rail cuts, which include ending weekend service, stopping weekday service at 9 p.m. and reducing peak and midday service.

The MBTA unveiled the cuts in early November. The transit agency says ridership has fallen drastically during the coronavirus pandemic — commuter rail use is only at about 13 percent of normal — and budget shortfalls will soon follow.

"We appreciate the difficult financial position the MBTA is in, but public transit is not a business — is a public good and service necessary for achieving the kind of robust, equitable economy we all desire," the lawmakers wrote.

The MBTA has not made a final decision on the cuts, and is hosting a series of regional meetings with commuters about the changes.

Gentile, Robinson and Lewis said the cuts will especially hurt Framingham-area healthcare workers who commute to Boston hospitals — and whose commutes don't follow the typical 9-to-5 pattern.

The cuts will also hit in the middle of 2021, right when Massachusetts will be trying to recover from the pandemic, and as vaccines start to be distributed.

"If the governor's intent is to pursue a strong economic recovery in the next year, it seems illogical to cut access to one of our key economic drivers in the moment when workers are beginning to return to work and more regular ridership resumes," the letter says.

The lawmakers also criticized the MBTA for not using the possible service cuts to make upgrades to commuter rail infrastructure.

The MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board will meet on Dec. 7 to vote on the cuts. If approved, commuter rail weekend service could go away as soon as January.