Over the past three weeks, I have received a lot of feedback from constituents who take the Fitchburg commuter rail line. As many people know, the MBTA had originally announced that a new commuter rail schedule would go into place on Dec. 14 of this year. However, after the proposed schedule was put online, legislators from all along the Fitchburg line, including myself, heard from our constituents with strong opinions about what they liked and disliked. It was clear that people care a lot about their train schedule.
Since then, the MBTA has agreed to postpone the schedule until May 2016, with a commitment to have a public outreach process (which remains to be seen), and meet with legislators about the future schedule. As the state senator for a district that includes four train stations, and representing constituents that use at least seven stations to commute into destinations including Waltham, Cambridge, and Boston, I believe it is critical that the MBTA get this schedule right.
I completely recognize that the proposed schedule included improved service to many stations, including South Acton, Littleton, Ayer, and Fitchburg, as well as more express trains and reverse commuting. I will continue to advocate that these improvements remain in the new schedule, while also seeking to address the concerns that I heard from my constituents. In the meantime, I encourage residents to contact me at James.Eldridge@masenate.gov to provide me with continued feedback about the Fitchburg commuter rail line.
Sen. Jamie Eldridge
Acton
