'This Isn't A Hopeless Fight': Melrose Urged To Push Back On Cuts

MELROSE, MA — The MBTA stands to benefit from what appears to be only minimal savings in closing the Cedar Park commuter rail station, a decision that continues to confound commuters and unite elected officials in pushing back against proposals they say unfairly target Melrose.

The MBTA has proposed closing Cedar Park and the 131 and 136 bus routes as part of sweeping cuts across the system. The beleaguered transit agency is facing a budget shortfall of $579 million and has said closing six commuter rail stations will save $8 million this fiscal year and $45 million in the next.

But even the MBTA has trouble putting a number on exactly how much shutting down Cedar Park contributes to those savings.

An MBTA spokesperson was unable to provide Patch with a dollar amount of potential savings, pointing instead to eliminating station services like maintenance and snow removal. The spokesperson said the MBTA doesn't track individual costs for stations so close together. (Melrose has three.)

"While no final decisions have been made, the closure of a station that is used by a very small number of people would help reduce the costs associated with maintenance of the station, as well as snow and ice removal during winter months," MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said. "There is another station [Wyoming Hill] about a half a mile away from Cedar Park."

Pesaturo also noted other costs like weekly trash removal, periodic repainting of safety lines, as-needed light, sign and schedule replacements and graffiti removal.

"Eliminating a little used stop also benefits riders along the entire line by shortening trip times," he said.

Melrose Residents, Businesses Lament Proposed MBTA Cuts

The MBTA's proposal has been met with intense local backlash. State Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian joined the City Council Monday night to rally public opposition.

"This isn't a hopeless fight," Lewis said. "Nothing is set in stone."

Residents can provide feedback during public hearings. A hearing specific to Melrose's region is scheduled for Dec. 1, while two more for systemwide cuts are set for Nov. 19 and Dec. 2.

Residents can also fill out a feedback form or email publicengagement@mbta.com.

"Taken in whole, a remarkable 10% of the commuter rail and bus routes identified for closure across the entire MBTA region (comprising 78 communities) target Melrose," Lewis and Lipper-Garabedian said in a letter to the MBTA. "While we understand that the global pandemic has caused a significant drop in public transit ridership and thus fare revenue for the MBTA, we firmly believe that these proposed cuts go entirely too far, are premature, and will inflict major, disproportionate harm on Melrose. We call on you to immediately shelve this plan or, at the very least, to significantly scale back these cuts."

Looming over the proposed Cedar Park closure is the possibility it becomes permanent. Cedar Park isn't ADA compliant, and as the MBTA points out, there are already two other stations here.

"No one really understands these cuts and why the decisions are being made," City Council President Jen Grigoraitis told Patch. "I think there's a general lack of confidence that something labeled temporary in this current climate is not likely to be that."

The Council voted Monday in favor a resolution calling on state action to restore the proposed cuts.

The MBTA's Financial Management and Control Board is expected to vote on the proposals Dec. 9.

You can reach Mike Carraggi at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news alerts and newsletters