A letter to the man

January 29, 2008

Sen. Therese Murray
President
Massachusetts State Senate
State House, Room 332
Boston, MA 02133

Dear Senator Murray:

I am writing to you with regard to the recent news of the Cape Cod Regional Transport Authority’s (CCRTA) budget. As you know, the CCRTA fell short of meeting operating costs last year by $968,000. RTA’s are funded retroactively by the State of Massachusetts paying into the State Contract Assistance program, paying back the shortfall in local RTAs. During the fiscal years of 2006 and 2007, the State has failed to sufficiently fund this program.
Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed budget for this coming fiscal year will allow for $56,638,391 to go towards RTA’s around Massachusetts. This is promising, as it is roughly $4,400,000 more then last year’s allotted budget. However, even with the increase, it fails to cover the deficit of last year’s operating cost at every RTA, including the CCRTA. Mr. Patrick only controls roughly a quarter of the MRTA’s operating budget, relying on a further $170 million dollars from fare revenues, federal taxes, and local government contributions. Gov. Patrick does not have the power to appropriate the $3.8 million dollars it would take to eliminate the CCRTA’s deficit and allow the CCRTA to continue operating at 100%.
As a student on Cape Cod, I have ridden the Breeze and the Flex (the names of CCRTA busing lines), and though I don’t personally rely on them for transportation, I know many people who do. The affordable fares allow low income workers on the Cape to travel beyond walking distance. This is especially important to some low-income persons because of the rising prices of gas, particularly on Cape Cod. If something is not done to provide more funds for the CCRTA, the results will hurt low income Cape Cod residents, including workers and students like myself
Anticipated cuts in the CCRTA’s services would include ending the Flex route, doubling all fares, and reducing hours of service, and ending service on weekends and holidays. For people who live on the lower Cape who cannot afford a car, these cuts will end their only reliable mode of transportation. The Flex, so named because it will diverge up to ¾ of a mile from its route to pick up passenger, is a crucial to public transportation on Cape Cod.
These proposed cut are not just unfair to the people of Cape Cod, they are also impractical. Ridership on CCRTA buses is up 17% from last year. The annual Massachusetts Transport Report in 2004 found that for every dollar put into an RTA system has a return equal to $3 put into economic development plans around the state. Public transportation allows access to schools, shopping centers, hospitals, airports, the community college, and places of business all located on the current busing routes of the CCRTA.
I think that as a civic leader of Cape Cod, it is your responsibility to shepherd the CCRTA through these troubling budget issues. I understand that the CCRTA is not under you direct jurisdiction, I would ask you to join Senator Robert O’Leary’s caucus to examine this issue if you haven’t already done so.
Public transportation is necessary to build a sustainable future. Cape Cod is home to some of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in the world, and global climate change is affecting them. Public transportation produces significantly less CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
The buses of the CCRTA are cheaper, cleaner, and more sustainable then the legion of automobiles on the Cape. If anything, its routes should be made larger, its fleet size increased. If the buses can make it through this budget crisis, I know it will be one small part of leading to a better future.
Thank you for your consideration of this issue.

Sincerely,
Bagger Boy