AS THE MBTA tries to resolve its budget crisis, it’s critical to remember that public transit’s role goes beyond moving people. It is vital in meeting the Commonwealth’s key goals: economic development, environmental sustainability, access to jobs, services, and schools, as well as reducing strain on roads.
Employers in the Longwood medical and academic area — where more than 40,000 people work — strongly support public transit. Employees here purchase $19 million in MBTA passes annually; more than half are subsidized by hospitals and colleges to encourage ridership.
