To the editor:

Voters in Lawrence have the opportunity to save the T by voting “yes” on Questions 2 and 3 on Nov. 4. Public transportation is a service that progressive cities provide their citizens; some changes in the future will enable the T to operate more efficiently, but if service is dropped, we will miss that chance.

My husband and I own a car so we could manage without the buses, but the T is often a helpful option for us. On the two routes I take, I see a variety of riders: workers going to their jobs, students going to and from school, teenagers going to the movie theater, shoppers and a number of international students who live off campus and do not own cars. The T is a pleasant and often necessary means of transportation.

Every Monday, a group of volunteers gathers at the library to sort and price books for future library sales. Several of us ride the T; some no longer drive, some like to avoid the search for parking and some just enjoy the convenience of the T. Volunteers for various agencies and churches are often retirees for whom the bus is essential.

If the T is dropped, Lawrence will lose much more than a bus system. It will lose the services of citizens who do not drive. It will fail to attract businesses that want to know transportation is available for workers, and it will lose its reputation as an inclusive, forward-looking city. In essence, it will lose its spirit of community, that spirit in which we rightly take pride.

Janet Mody,
Lawrence