Boston's New Bus-Riding Mayor Could Make a Real Impact on Climate Change Goals

Alissa Walker posits that Boston's newly elected mayor Michelle Wu, as a bus-riding, transit-friendly leader who wants to eliminate public transit fares, could be "America's first actual climate mayor." 

Wu's version of the 'Green New Deal' for the city, writes Walker, "is effectively a localized, citywide pilot for the federal proposal: doubling the number of street trees, electrifying school buses, and incentivizing building retrofits, all led by a jobs program aimed at providing a just and equitable transition to a zero-emission economy that champions the city’s lowest-income workers." If Wu can meet her goals, Walker says, the city could see some transformative changes, including fare-free transit. 

She’s already brought about two successful real-world examples of how this might work: a center-running dedicated lane to move buses faster than cars and a pilot project making congested routes free as a way to provide economic relief to transit-dependent Bostonians. She also wants to accelerate the rollout of Go Boston 2030, an ambitious plan meant to lay down networks of accessible sidewalks and safer bike infrastructure.

Walker is hopeful that, as an actual transit user, Wu will follow through on her bold promises and implement policies that will improve Boston's public transit and accelerate the city's progress toward its climate change goals.