Town Officials Vow to Fight Loss of Transit Services
Cuts Would Eliminate Hingham-Hull Ferry Service as Early as March 2021
SOUTH SHORE — The Towns of Cohasset, Hingham, Hull and Scituate oppose the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s (MBTA) series of proposed changes to its transit service that were announced today, Nov. 9, which would result in numerous cuts and service reductions impacting the Greenbush Commuter Rail Line and Hingham-Hull Ferry.
The proposed changes are part of the MBTA’s Forging Ahead effort, which it claims will protect “core essential transit services.”
Included in the proposed cuts is a plan to eliminate all service of the Hingham-Hull Ferry as early as March 2021, and eliminating all service after 9 p.m. and all weekend service to Commuter Rail lines as early as January 2021.
The Towns of Cohasset, Hingham, Hull and Scituate oppose the proposed closing of the Ferry and the service cutbacks to the Greenbush Line. These changes would cause severe hardships to those who rely on these services to get to and from work, to access important medical appointments and to reach the City of Boston for a variety of other reasons. The proposed cuts would also result in an increase in traffic congestion throughout the region.
“Working and visiting Boston would become immensely more difficult if these proposed cuts become a reality,” Hull Town Manager Philip E. Lemnios said. “Not only would riders of the ferry and Greenbush Line be impacted, but so too would motorists, business owners, residents and visitors throughout the South Shore region.”
“The closing of the Hingham-Hull Ferry would not only have a severe negative impact on those who use the boat on a daily basis, but the extra riders being diverted to the Greenbush Line would put a tremendous amount of stress on the rail service, the station parking lots and the neighborhoods where the stations are located as well,” Cohasset Town Manager Christopher Senior said. “The MBTA’s current plan does not address the issue of how they would make up for the elimination of late night and weekend Commuter Rail service, especially for essential workers. Nor have they confirmed that additional cuts would not be made in the future, which is why it is important that residents make their voices heard about the preservation of these services.”
A comprehensive public engagement process has begun and will run through Dec. 4. Officials from Cohasset, Hingham, Hull and Scituate encourage residents to reach out to the MBTA to voice concerns over the proposed cuts and reductions. Click here to view a list of virtual public hearings and to access a feedback form to leave specific commentary.
The MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board is scheduled to vote on the changes on Dec. 7.
Learn More
The Towns of Cohasset, Hingham, Hull and Scituate have launched a Save the Greenbush-Save the Boat campaign in response to the proposed cuts. Click here to view the campaign website, and here to view the campaign Facebook page.
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[…] as community advocates who have been voicing their opposition to the proposed cuts since they were announced last month as part of the T’s Forging Ahead […]