We, on behalf of people with disabilities, want to express our strong support for PVTA’s fare-free Try Transit program, and ask that Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno keep it alive in the city of Springfield.
Try Transit is a crucial program that allows people to use PVTA’s transportation services free of charge. It has removed financial barriers for the most vulnerable of riders, allowing low-income families, those without personal vehicles, and people with disabilities, to get to their jobs, educational classes, healthcare appointments, and the supermarket.
More than half of PVTA riders live at or below the federal poverty line. This free program helps students, the elderly, and most importantly, people with disabilities, reach the services they need without transportation barriers.
If the free bus program is discontinued, some of the transportation services for Springfield’s most vulnerable residents will be eliminated, and people will be unable to reach their doctors’ appointments and places of employment. Furthermore, replacing the fare free program with a voucher system would be an unnecessary and complicated hurdle, leading to privacy concerns and administrative obstacles.
Everyone who rides the PVTA is concerned with public safety. We welcome conversations that strike a balance between those safety concerns and free, accessible transportation. We strongly urge Mayor Sarno’s commitment to the continuation of this program, and to Springfield’s most vulnerable residents.
Angelina Ramirez, CEO, Stavros Center for Independent Living, Inc.
Amherst