South Shore Lawmakers Rally Against Proposed Ferry Elimination

BOSTON (CBS) – Lawmakers and commuters on the South Shore rallied Monday against the MBTA's proposal to eliminate ferry service. The T announced its plan last week as it tries to make up for a budget deficit.

Officials said the planned cuts would irreparably harm the communities of Cohasset, Hingham, Hull and Scituate.

"The Town of Hull will essentially be cut off from all public transportation if these cuts go through," said Jennifer Constable, Chair of the Hull Board of Selectmen.

"There are folks that are frontline workers in our hospitals in Boston that are working on vaccines in our pharmaceutical hubs and our testing facilities, that need access to public transportation, to get into the city of Boston," said Rep. Patrick Kearney (D-Plymouth).

Lawmakers also said a lack of ferry service would increase traffic on the South Shore.

"These cuts would not only adversely impact Hingham residents and Hingham business owners, but would hurt the economic development throughout the entire South Shore," Hingham Board of Selectmen member Joseph Fisher said. "It also sends a signal -- the wrong signal -- that Massachusetts is no longer committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The proposed cuts also include no commuter rail service after 9 p.m., and no weekend commuter rail. Twenty five bus routes would also be eliminated. The T's subway lines would run less frequently and subway and bus service would stop at midnight.

The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board is scheduled to vote on the proposed service cuts December 7.