LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.

• Author: Campbell, Bradley
• Position: CONSERVATION MATTERS

Just over 30 years ago, Boston's Big Dig promised to overhaul the city's highway infrastructure and alleviate its notorious traffic congestion.

But easing gridlock by making room for more cars and trucks on the road was a dubious trade-off given the continued air and noise pollution that would be endured by those living in the new construction's shadows.

That's why CLF sued the Commonwealth over Big Dig air pollution--and won. Our settlement focused on improving public transit and set off a decades-long commitment to new rail service, better MBTA parking options, modernized stations, and new rail cars, among other measures. While some of those projects have yet to come to fruition (the long-awaited Green Line extension should finally open late this year), that lawsuit was just the start of CLF's push for clean transportation options and more equitable access to public transit for all.

In the past year alone, we successfully forced the State of Massachusetts not only to reinstate a high-occupancy vehicle lane on I-93, but also to pilot dedicated bus lanes on that major artery. We also pushed back on MBTA service cuts amid the pandemic and advocated for more funding for public transit outside of the Boston region. And, we cut smog and soot in already overburdened neighborhoods by stopping excessive idling of dirty diesel buses.

Now, we find ourselves on the cusp of a sea change in how we transport people and goods as we urgently work to cut the climate-damaging emissions that spew from New Englanders' tailpipes.

Just like 30 years ago, we cannot solve this problem by focusing on vehicles alone. Yes, we need to trade our gas guzzlers for electric models--from school buses to tractor trailers to the family car--and create incentives and infrastructure to make that transition affordable, practical, and equitable.

We also must work to make public transit affordable, practical, and equitable for anyone who wants or needs access to it.

We don't have three decades to meet these challenges, however. Together we can, we must, push...