Michael Fitzpatrick

Composition Two

Essay: Persuasion of argument

Monday  December 12 , 2005

A couple of weeks ago I received a circulated flyer on the bus from the MBTA. It said it is the time to get the federal transportation subsidies on the road again. A main point of this flyer was the T’s  request for public hearing user input for modernizing the transportation system. Modernizing the transportation system would be a great benefit for a lot of people, riders and other commuters as well. An increase in natural gas vehicles would bring an alternative fuel vehicle on the roads with a decrease of relying on dirty fossil fuels, just in time. Also, the increase of buses would bring a better connection of necessary buses for people to get to work and school. An increase in buses would make the ‘T’decrease the amount of Dedham line buses in favor of a widely traveled bus line.

An increase of the natural gas vehicles would be very good for the riders of the ‘T’ and also for the air quality of Boston skies. Also, the buses would be more fuel efficient, save a lot of money, and make everyone on the MBTA very happy. The reasons they would not do this are usually selfish and fool-hardy. The high cost of delivering such a vast amount of newer vehicles would make a case for not doing it. Another reason is potentially the eventual change of the Carmen union to allow the alternative fuel vehicles for fleet-wide daily use.

An increase in the newer buses would mean the ‘T’ would be able to supply more transportation options to area residents, and this would make more direct connections to required buses. People would not have to walk for a long  time to get their bus and would arrive at school and work on time. The people would have to get up at a very early hour just to walk to the bus stop in time to catch the bus. One reason they would not do this is the ‘T’ would not work with other area bus companies because they have a policy of paying “ the other entities yearly entitlements in the form of yearly fees to run their services in the area towns. The ‘T’ would not stop these payments to other area bus companies because they actually do not want to change their service and it would mean they would have to provide a better safer linked system, which would be a good idea.

Provide less Dedham Line buses that only go half-way along the full route and turn around and go back to the hills garage. This would provide more available seating without people standing in the aisles on the bus. This is very dangerous and most people would not even give up the disability seats for people with disability cards. The MBTA would not do this because it is so much cheaper just to keep people paying for standing room only, instead of extending all the other bus routes. People will still get on the crowded bus, because they have to get to school and/or work.

An increase in the alternative fuel vehicles would provide a safer transportation system for everyone on the bus. We all pay for the service of riding the ‘T’. In the twenty first century there should never be any person standing on the bus. This is complicated by the fact that everyone has to get to either school or work on time. It is about time to modernize the system as the federal government is forever reducing the amount of grant money available to states. I for one have decided, especially in the winter to get my local bus at the earliest time available, seven o’clock in the morning instead of getting up at two in the morning just to get ready to get the available ‘T’ to school. Modernizing the fleet in this state would be a very large expensive undertaking, but well deserved benefit for all.