Boston Mayor Janey, transportation advocates demand full resumption of service ahead of MBTA meeting

BOSTON — Boston’s new mayor Kim Janey joined transportation advocates for a rally Monday morning demanding the MBTA restore service to pre-pandemic levels.

The Transit is Essential Coalition is sponsoring a rally outside the Massachusetts Transportation Building. Mayor Janey joined the group in support.

The MBTA is set to receive about $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money, and the group argues that money should be spent on reversing cuts and fully restoring service to subways, buses, the commuter rail and ferries.

Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation has put pressure on the MBTA to spend that federal money wisely.

“These are frontline workers every single day and now, they get a billion dollars and they’re going to take the billion dollars and then lay people off? I don’t think so,” said Congressman Stephen Lynch.

An MBTA spokesperson told Boston 25 News they will likely meet the group’s demands to fully restore service, though they have not released a timeline as to when that will happen.

More information is expected to be released Monday at a joint meeting of the MassDOT Board of Directors and the MBTA’s Fiscal Management and Control Board at noon.

An MBTA spokesperson has said ridership is down to a third of pre-pandemic levels.

Cox Media Group