This summer, ten people were injured in a Green Line derailment, 200 riders got an exclusive tour of the Blue Line’s tunnels after being stranded in a black-out, the Red Line suffered from such a severe derailment that a full recovery will take months, and a bus literally burst into flames. And those are just the headlines.
In the 12th Suffolk District, the Mattapan Trolley line has cars that are 70 years old and are not ADA-compliant. The trolley stations are falling apart including one station whose stairwell is closed off for the foreseeable future. Some time this year, the MBTA’s (Republican appointed) Fiscal Management and Control Board will vote on how to replace the Mattapan Trolley Line trains. However, while other lines get brand new cars, our current State Representative is pushing for us to accept 10-year old hand-me-down trains from the Green Line – instead of brand new state of the art trolley cars – to “save money for station repairs”. This is a false choice that only continues the second class treatment of constiuents in the district.
The 12th Suffolk District is a majority-minority disitrict that has been historically neglected. Once again our elected officials and bureaucrats are tellings us that we are not a priority. They are telling us that we are not worthy of brand new equipment that will deliver us the services we deserve. I reject that.
We live in the 5th richest state in the nation, have a $43 Billion budget, and a regressive tax structure that if fixed could bring in more revenue. We have the resources necessary to fix the MBTA – and truly invest in the Mattapan Trolley Line – but a lack of courage from our elected officials prevents them making for making the tough calls that will undoubtedly make our lives better. After all, budgets and policies reflect our values. And the values our elected officials have been promoting are clear: the 12th Suffolk is not worthy of investment. But we are, and we need elected leaders who will not ask communities of color to accept less. Our district is not meek, or insignificant, or lesser than any other in the Commonwealth. We are worthy of more than just hand-me-downs. It’s time we reject leadership that refuses to lead the conversation on public transportation.
Donovan Birch Jr.
Donovan Birch Jr. is a progressive entrepreneur and advocate living in the 12th Suffolk District (Mattapan, Dorchester, and Milton) of Massachusetts. He started the “Live from the 12th Suffolk District” monthly blog and email newsletter to share a different political perspective from the community he loves. He hopes to empower more young, queer, Black, and Latino folks from the district to lend their voices to politics and help redefine what is possible for all of us in the Commonwealth.