When your Opportuni(T) is under attack, what do you do? STAND UP. FIGHT BACK!
Join us for the March for Opportuni(T)!
March 29
| Opening Rally 3:15pm Park Street Station |
Closing Rally 5:00pm State House |
Download fliers (an English flier and Spanish flier) and get it out to the youth!
Like Youth Affordabili(T) Coalition on Facebook, follow @YouthWay on twitter, or check back here for more information.
What do we want?
- Stop the fare hikes! Stop the cuts!
- The State needs to fund the T now! We support funding changes proposed by the T Riders Union including the Fast Five.
- Improve the T. We need a Youth Pass! We need more buses!
Who are we?
Youth Way on the MBTA is a campaign partnership of Boston-area Youth Organizing Project (BYOP), Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) and T Riders Union (TRU).
YAC is BYOP, REEP, TRU, Teen Empowerment, Bikes Not Bombs, The Food Project, Groundwork Somerville Green Team, Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) / Youth on Board, Beantown Society, Project HIP-HOP, The City School, Chinese Youth Initiative (CYI), Youth Involvement Subcommittee of the Cambridge Kids’ Council (YIS), El Movimiento, Books of Hope, Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth (BAGLY), Chelsea Creak Action Group (CCAG) Youth, Chelsea Collaborative ECO, PBHA Leaders!, DSNI, YOUNG Coalition, and Fourth Presbyterian Youth Organizing Project.
Why are we fighting?
The MBTA has two proposals for fare hikes and service cuts to cover its 2012 deficit. Both proposals attack youth, students, seniors, disabled and families.
Here’s a summary:
| Proposed Fare Hikes | Proposed Service Cuts |
| Student Monthly LinkPass: $40, 100% increase Student Charlie Card, Bus: $1.10/ride, 83.3% increase Student Charlie Card, Train: $1.50/ride, 76.5% increase Regular fare, Bus: $2.25, 50% increase Regular fare, Train, $3.00, 50% increase Huge increases for Seniors & Disabled |
No Night or Weekend Service on the Commuter Rail, Green Line E Branch, or Mattapan Trolley Elimination of 101 Bus Lines |
The MBTA’s debt comes from the Big Dig and a bad funding formula. It must be fixed by the Governor and Legislature or it will only get worse. Even this year’s deficit can be reduced by implementing the Fast Five. Attacking youth and students with fare hikes and cuts is not the solution!
Want to join?
We’re calling all youth and youth groups served by the MBTA to join us for the fight against the Fare Hike and Service Cuts! We need youth and student groups from Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Quincy, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Everett, Malden, Medford, Milton, Needham, Randolph, Revere and Watertown.
The YAC commitment is from now until April, 1-3 meetings per month, raise awareness, recruit more groups, plan/mobilize/turnout for actions, and support YAC to be youth-led.
We also need support from all those who care about youth and students in the Boston area, including local governments, schools and school departments, teachers, parents, unions, service organizations and more!
Please contact youthway@ace-ej.org to join.
Want to take part? Here’s how…
- Join us at the next meeting or event! And bring your friends!
- Print copies of our flyer and pass it out at your school, your job or to your friends!
- Like “Youth Affordabili(T) Coalition” and share it on facebook!
- Follow @YouthWay on twitter! Post using hashtags #mbta #Tfarehike #Tcuts.
- Call potential supporters and ask them to speak up for youth and students! For example, your Mayor, City Council, School Department, Principal/Headmaster, Teacher Union, Parent Association, Youth Program or Health Center.
- Call the Governor and your legislators and tell them to fix the T.