OPINION
EXTENDING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE GREEN LINE
By Bronwyn Legg
W
hen I was younger, I loved pressing the long, thin yellow strip at Traill street, the bus stop outside my house, which prompted the familiar overhead voice to belt out “stop requested.” The 73 bus route rides along Trapelo road, continues along Belmont Street and Mount Auburn Street before finally arriving at Harvard Station. When I was in high school, I would take the bus home when it was too cold to walk or bike. Nestled between elderly women with grocery bags in hand, high school and college students like me on the way to class, and middle-aged adults on the way to work, the 73 bus was a small part of each rider’s life. I remember the light bathing the stainless steel poles in 28 TUFTS OBSERVER FEBRUARY 28, 2022
golden warmth. More recent experiences with the Red Line have not been as fond, however. My friend recently attempted to take the Red Line into Boston from Tufts. The Red Line stopped between Davis and Porter, and he was stuck on the train between the two stops for over an hour. As most Tufts students know, the Red Line is often unreliable, which is a major issue especially for those who rely on the MBTA daily. Unreliability is just one of many issues with the MBTA that impact transportation equity and must be changed. The anticipated Green Line extension on Tufts Medford campus means that Tufts is on the cusp of being able to play a role in riders’ relationship with their commute.
Public transportation in a city as populated and well-resourced as Boston is a critical pillar of the community as well as a factor in fostering it. When transportation is inequitable due to high fees or out of date technology, it further exacerbates the societal cleavages that fail those who rely on the MBTA for their daily commute. The extension provides an opportunity for Tufts students to promote equity, social justice, and strengthen relations with both surrounding towns and the greater Boston area. Tufts can set an example for the MBTA by creating a station that is designed for accessibility, efficiency, and the future of our community.
