19-cent gas tax hike proposal too low, transit advocates say

Bob Terrell, Marvin Martin, and other transit advocates take issue with the proposed 19-cent increase to the state's gasoline tax - but only because they think it might not be high enough.

Martin and other members of On the Move met last Wednesday in the Cooper Community Center in Roxbury to educate each other about the ins and outs of the governor's proposed transportation bill and plan ways to protect MBTA users' rights.

"Nobody likes an extra financial burden," acknowledged Martin, adding that the 19-cent proposed increase would devote 6 cents to the MBTA to help bridge a looming $160 million deficit. But Martin and other advocates believe the MBTA needs up to 13 cents from the tax hike to address overdue maintenance issues and deficit gaps without cutting service or raising fares.

Martin said, "We think the tax is a great idea, but we have reservations about supporting something that won't solve the problem."

If the MBTA does not get a bailout from the state, it plans to deal with the deficit by cutting weekend and evening service and eliminating its least traveled bus routes, said Eric Bourassa, Masspirg's representative at the meeting.

Plans to make the case for the most effective gas hike took a creative twist when Michelle McGruder and Taisha O'Bryant, representatives from the T Riders Union, presented their plan to goad state legislators into action by raising funds to help alleviate the budget crisis - with a bake sale.

"If we don't do a gas tax to help the T, we might as well have a bake sale once a week to raise funds," she said. "This will also help draw attention to how bad services are going to get."

ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH