Residents of Clarendon Hill Towers
1374, 1370, 1366 Broadway
Somerville MA 02144
July 26, 2022
MBTA
Re: MBTA REDESIGN – BUS ROUTES PROPOSAL
The tenants of Clarendon Hill Towers, a 501 Unit, multi-family, low-income apartment community, as well as thousands of Somerville residents, strongly oppose the pending MBTA bus route eliminations and redesign proposal.
Clarendon Hill Towers is located adjacent to a thriving bus terminal. This terminal has been the main source of transportation for the multitude of Clarendon Hill Towers tenants. The diverse population of Somerville residents as well as the multitudes of people in surrounding neighborhoods and communities wholeheartedly support this terminal and its tried-and-true bus routes.
Collectively, we are absolutely dependent upon the consistent proven reliability and high frequency of the DIRECT Routes for the # 87, 88, 89, and 80 bus. These IDEAL bus schedules and DIRECT Routes have been in effect for at least twenty-five years or more.
Any removal or changes among these schedules and DIRECT Routes will certainly adversely affect the entire population and will only serve to effectively decimate the already existing IDEAL transportation model.
Please try to empathize that we absolutely depend upon these DIRECT, efficient and swift routes to travel to schools, work, medical appointments, daily shopping and errands, visiting friends and family and vice-versa, awaiting visits from homemakers, housekeepers, caregivers, social services, clergy and many more people who require these DIRECT Routes.
The proposed unnecessary and ill-conceived changes to these particular bus routes will drastically alter quality of life, and will only serve to heap needless amounts of anxiety and suffering upon a major swarth of the population. The MBTA proposal in relation to Somerville routes will impede the health, happiness, productivity and independence of its citizens.
The frequency of the #89 bus has already been reduced. Its regular schedule is severely missed and needs to be immediately reinstated. Actually, the weekend schedule for these bus run on a decreased service schedule.
We recommend the weekend bus schedules be increased to match the weekly schedules. Any portions of the MBTA pending proposal to ADD bus routes, if desired, would be logical and sensible solutions, instead of SUBTRACTING Routes.
We are fearful of the potential consequences to ourselves, our children, our elderly and the night shift workers being vulnerable to the escalating rise of citywide violence. During undetermined wait times for connections, unknown stretches of extra walking etc.., the population cannot help but experience undue stress and fearful thoughts.
The following is a list of but a few of the countless destinations that will pose a hardship to access, if the DIRECT Routes by the # 87,88,89, and 80 buses are eliminated/rerouted:
● After School Activities
● The Amory Center for the Arts
● Connections to Red/Orange/Green Lines
● Council of the Aging
● Dollar Store
● Market Basket
● Medical Facilities
● Places of Worship
● Ralph & Jenny Senior Center
● Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services
● Somerville High School
● Somerville Main Library
● Somerville Middle School
● Target
● Tufts University
● Twin City Plaza
● UPS
● YMCA
In conclusion, the tenants of Clarendon Hill Towers and the citizens of the surrounding communities strongly encourage the MBTA to reject the above-stated elements of the redesign proposal which will only serve to adversely impact and add complications to our lives.
Sincerely,
Karen Glover-Tenant
Tenants of Clarendon Hill Towers
and citizens of surrounding communities
To sign petition contact Karen Glover at (857) 251-5639
: kg
enc: PETITION
