WHEREAS, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) within the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) operates essential services that allow citizens to participate in all aspects of community life; and
WHEREAS, On June 30, 2020 MTA announced RESTORATION OF SERVICE IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Stage-2 Recovery Guidelines effective July 12, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of Maryland announced that Stage 3 Recovery would begin on September 1, allowing more travel and openings, but MTA proposed service cuts that would not support such openings and would create hardships for those who must use its services; and
WHEREAS, on September 1 2020, MTA gave public notice of deep budget cuts effective January 2021 that allowed for public hearings and comments, about service reductions to MARC train, commuter bus, and City Link and Local Link bus routes, that would have the effect of making disabled riders prisoners in their own home because of this reduction of public transportation; and
WHEREAS, in a press release dated September 30, 2020, MTA acknowledged receiving “significant public feedback” against these changes; and
WHEREAS, in response, MTA cancelled cuts to bus services in Baltimore, City Link and Local Link routes that it designated as “Core Bus service” necessary for “transit-dependent riders,” but reduced services on MARC trains and commuter bus services despite the public outcry against this plan; and
WHEREAS, MTA shifted the entire burden of transit cuts to MARC train and Commuter bus lines, riders that it calls “choice riders” without public hearings, effectively denying people with disabilities who cannot drive a voice in the process; and
WHEREAS, MTA claims that it works collaboratively and listens to all perspectives openly, but by cancelling all hearings and disregarding public comments regarding MARC trains and commuter bus reductions of service, MTA shows its true discriminatory attitudes and actions; and
WHEREAS, MTA failed to consider that working from home is not an option for many workers who rely on all forms of public transit including MARC train or commuter bus, especially those who by law are required to support the military at Ft. Meade and other installations: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Convention assembled this day of November 2020, that this organization condemn and deplore MTA’s discriminatory, immoral, and unfair proposals of budgetary cuts because of their effect on the lives of persons with disabilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge MTA to conduct future budget planning proposals in a transparent manner taking into consideration the views of all stakeholders including the blind.
References
Governors recovery guidelines
https://governor.maryland.gov/recovery/
Here are the direct links to the press releases—older releases are buried in the archives.
June 30 press release
https://www.mta.maryland.gov/articles/286
September 1 press release
https://www.mta.maryland.gov/articles/288
September 30 press release
https://www.mta.maryland.gov/articles/290