June 5, 2008

This week, young people from the Boston area Youth Organizing Project (BYOP), with support from REEP and TRU, have been firing up the campaign for MBTA youth passes. In an attention-grabbing action on Monday, youth boarded buses and trains with poster-size youth passes at Dudley, Forest Hills, Ruggles and Back Bay stations.

Yesterday, youth rallied at the State House and marched to the Transportation Building to hold a press conference. Young people spoke to the press, using stories of personal hardships caused by the current system to demonstrate the need for change.

The campaign is demanding a youth pass that is valid Monday through Saturday, from the beginning of service until 11 p.m. This pass should cost $10 a month during the school year, $12.50 a month in the summer and be available for purchase at Charlie Card machines and MBTA tellers. Increasing service on the most overcrowded bus routes is another concern, as better riding conditions and less time waiting on the street can help to reduce the occurrence of violence.

The proposal is a vast improvement from the current student pass that is only available at participating schools, and is not given to students who live within a two mile radius of school. Additionally, the pass can only be used before 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, penalizing youth who need to travel later or on weekends due to jobs, extracurricular activities and sports. A pass that meets the needs of youth will promote ridership; right now only around 15 percent of eligible youth actually use the student pass.

Today, youth presented this campaign at the MBTA Board of Directors meeting. Stay tuned to see what comes next!