Editor’s note: Wellesley Middle School Social Studies students as part of a Civics Action Project have this week taken over The Swellesley Report‘s letters-to-the-editor page. The students are well-versed in their topics, have carefully researched all angles, and are ready to present their opinions to the community. Thank you to the WMS Social Studies teachers for organizing this community-based project.
To the editor:
The MBTA faces challenges of funding the overhaul of an entire system of outdated diesel locomotives. Focus and funding is already directed to buses and the T servicing Boston. The costs and time it takes for construction of a new system is not convenient for commuters or the climate.
While the Fairmount Line will be fully electrified by around 2028, that doesn’t align with the pace at which the climate is changing. The commuter rail is an older, outdated diesel system, and while the MBTA has made promises to transition to an electrified system, it will be a slow process. However, there are things that the MBTA can do now if they want to keep up with the changing climate. For example:
The MBTA has already begun to use solar canopies in parking lots at some stations. These solar canopies reduce the cost of snow removal and generate electricity.
Because Boston has many historic and older stations, in order to preserve them, the MBTA has to build around the existing architecture. Revitalizing older stations instead of building new ones may be more cost-effective and better for the environment.
When revitalizing, things like cooling roofs don’t impact the overall look of historic buildings and will help reduce urban heat islands, which heavily impact Boston.
Though the MBTA can’t change the systems they operate as fast as the climate is changing, they can still take smaller steps. Investing in coverage from precipitation is a way that also has benefits when it comes to decreasing carbon emissions and providing clean power for the stations is a wise idea.
Nicole Warasta
