Stacy Thompson, Executive Director of LivableStreets, joins WBUR's Radio Boston to discuss a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year released by the Massachusetts House Wednesday which calls for nearly $200 million more in direct assistance to the MBTA than in the proposal put forth by Gov. Maura Healey last year.

“I think this is a really good conversation to be had,” Thompson said. “Having said that, we also know that when you don’t change the roadway design, people will still speed.”

First, Uber and Lyft are threatening to leave Minneapolis in May, saying it's because of new local rules imposed on the companies. Evan Horowitz of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University, Axios reporter Kyle Stokes and Stacy Thompson of the transportation advocacy group Livable Streets join the show to discuss.

"Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism," LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson said in a statement provided by Wu's office. "But the last few years, and thousands of happy bus riders, have proven that fare free buses are a straightforward way to increase transit ridership, ease financial burden for many, and bring a little joy back to the T. The success of Boston's fare free bus program is undeniable and we're thrilled that Boston is extending this program."

"Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism," LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson said in a statement provided by Wu's office. "But the last few years, and thousands of happy bus riders, have proven that fare free buses are a straightforward way to increase transit ridership, ease financial burden for many, and bring a little joy back to the T. The success of Boston's fare free bus program is undeniable and we're thrilled that Boston is extending this program."

“Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism,” Stacy Thompson, executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, said in a statement. “The success of Boston’s fare-free program is undeniable and we’re thrilled that Boston is extending this program.”

“Based on the governor’s public commitments, I thought that after municipalities used their own funds to prove this was viable, we would see this kind of leadership from the governor,” said Stacy Thompson, executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, a transportation advocacy organization.

“At the local level, cities and towns have been doing their part to reduce emissions and make our streets safer, greener, and more livable. However, without standard at the federal level, progress has been uneven. These bills fill that critical gap. We are so grateful for Senator Markey’s leadership and partnership and look forward to working with him to advance these important bills,” said Stacy Thompson, Executive Director at LivableStreets Alliance. 

In a March 2021 report, the left-leaning Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center said transit advocates working with the Livable Streets Alliance concluded that eliminating fares on local buses would cost the MBTA $33.7 million in annual fare revenue. Another $6 million to $7 million would be lost if making buses free meant parallel-running paratransit had to be free, the report said.

“It’s why implementing protected bike lanes is so good for traffic safety, even if you never bike,” Thompson says. “If you have a road where people speed, putting in a bike lane — and, by default, narrowing the travel lane — makes cars move more slowly.”