To the editor:

When I parked my car and began riding the T seven years ago, it was all about convenience, the environment and maybe a little about saving gas money. It turned out that saving money was the most significant byproduct of using public transportation. The obvious immediate savings came from not buying gas or paying for parking. With no need for auto repairs, tires and maintenance, now you are starting to talk big numbers. I saved even more by not needing to replace the spare car, despite my raising two teens during those seven years.

So in these tough economic times it is essential that we preserve and improve our city system so that more citizens can benefit from its cost savings. The T is for everybody. Anyone with the small price of the fare can use it to move about the city – to work, to school, to shop. The T insulates the riders, especially those on fixed incomes, from fluctuations in transportation costs due to the price of gas or interest rates on auto loans.

The cost of this sales tax to the consumer is very small. In comparison, replacing the cost of a trip to the doctor from $1 on the bus to $20 for a taxi; now that would be a real burden on our neighbors with fixed incomes.

If the T doesn’t serve your needs in its present form, make your voice heard. Vote “yes” on Questions 2 and 3, and get involved to improve it.

Marian Hukle,
Lawrence