Massachusetts State Senator and Transportation Committee Chairman Tom McGee and Boston State Representative Nick Collins joined Local 589’s Executive Board and transit advocates at a Transit Tuesday event this morning. The elected officials and Local 589 members leafleted riders at South Station from 7 – 9 AM encouraging passengers to call their Congresspeople and local legislators in support of funding and maintaining train, trolley, and bus services.

Throughout the month of May, elected officials, area transit workers and transit advocates will mobilize to engage Greater Boston riders to join in support of more, better, and safer public transit for National Transit Action Month. Riders will be encouraged to contact elected officials and demand increased funding for public transit.

Dozens of Massachusetts State Senators and State Representatives, along with Boston City Council members, responded to Local 589’s invitation to support National Transit Action Month. Among them were State Representatives Gloria Fox and Byron Rushing who are regulars on the MBTA – taking buses to their State House offices every day.

“State Representatives Gloria Fox and Byron Rushing use public transportation every day to get to their Beacon Hill offices. They are among the hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts workers who rely on MBTA buses, trollys and commuter trains to get to work”  

National Transit Action Month is all a part of an unprecedented campaign to build a international coalition that will demand that legislators address the growing crisis in public transit. Across the United States and Canada transit workers, and local transit advocates will hold rallies and events to leaflet and educate riders at bus depots and train stations, and coordinate “ride-alongs” with Elected Officials.

“During Transit Action Month, workers and transit advocates are standing up in Greater Boston and cities across the Commonwealth, not just defending what we have in transit – but fighting to expand it,” explains Boston Carmen’s Union President Jim O’Brien.  “Americans living in areas served by public transportation save 865 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel annually”.

Sierra Club, one of the international organizations supporting Transit Action Month will partner with ATU locals throughout May to urge people to make public transit part of their everyday commitment to protecting the environment and fighting pollution.

Public transit provides reliable mobility for everyone and benefits communities in many ways. It creates good jobs and delivers customers to businesses. For every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 in economic returns is generated. It helps fight pollution and traffic. More people riding buses mean fewer cars on the road and less emissions.

Click here to see photos from the day.