2 0 2 0 G O C A R B O N N E U T R A L ! DON'T POLLUTE, RAIL COMMUTE! The 2019 Carbon Free Boston Summary Report highlights the dense freeway traffic surrounding Boston as inefficient for users & pernicious for the environment. This demands a reassessment of the current MBTA commuter rail.

OF DRIVERS, ONLY RAILS EMIT 82% 13% 76% SAY COMMUTER OF WORKERS LESS CARBON RAILS ARE USE MBTA TO THAN CARS PER INCONVENIENT(1) GET TO WORK(2) RIDER-MILE (3)

Fareless Transit would Free and Ample Parking create a strong incentive to at Commuter Stations is ridership upwards of 30% in the difficult to come by on weekdays, first year (4). According to the requiring too-early arrival to MBTA budget report, only 33.2% stations to secure a parking of revenue in 2019 was from spot (5). If parking in the city is fare, and this revenue can be difficult but parking at the made up by the proposed rush commuter rail is easy, the hour tolling initiative. Fare parking incentive is furthered. enforcement costs and ticketing Increased Rush-Hour itself are eliminated with a Tolling on Mass Pike fareless system. (I-90) and tolling expanded to Decreasing Parking other highways such as MA-2, Availability & Increasing I-95 and I-93 should exist, and a Cost Within Urban Center discount system for commuters would make Boston will become who do not live near a commuter more walkable and bikeable, rail line could be implemented. and more commuters will be The tolls could help fund fareless encouraged to take public transit. transit and other initiatives, and decreased use of roads and Smoother and Quieter freeways will also result in Track Infrastructure decreased maintenance costs. would allow riders to work, read, Buses should not be subject to or partake in other leisurely tolls and bus fares eliminated (or activities. A quieter, smoother kept the same). ride will further enable this and increase ridership. Express Lines and More Frequent Service are vital More Lines would connect for the commuter rail and would more suburbs. New lines also be beneficial on the light rail between the Lowell and Fitchburg network. This would decrease lines, between the Haverhill and wait times and help ensure that Newburyport lines, and extending commuting by rail would be the Stoughton line to Taunton faster than by road. would provide more coverage.

Sources (1) MBTA Rail Vision Non-Rider Survey Results Summary. MassDOT. 2019. (2) MassDOT Transportation Facts. Mass.gov. 2015. (3) Public Transportation’s Role in Responding to Climate Change. USDOT. 2010. (4) Banse, Tom. "'Just Get On And Go!' Olympia Transit System Goes Fareless". 2020 (5) Vaccaro, Adam. "One big barrier for MBTA ridership? Not enough space for cars." 2020