Dear ,

A recent Globe article shows that Black and Latinx riders on the subway account for almost two-thirds of fare-evasion citations from police -- despite being just one-third of subway riders.¹

The MBTA police have a history of targeting Black and Brown riders, even as they’ve improved in some areas. It’s time for transit justice, and that means the T needs to make some important changes:

• Fully decriminalize fare evasion: reduce fines and stop arresting folks for lacking ID
• Implement the discounted-fare system we’ve been asking for, or remove fees altogether

Tell the T: stop targeting Black and Brown riders. It’s time to decriminalize fare evasion and offer discounted low-income fares.

Currently, the T will fine you $100 to $600 for fare evasions. Those amounts are preposterous and draconian, and promote a culture of policing and punishment.

In June, we saw a stark reminder of what “enforcement” can look like, as an MBTA police officer confronted a Black man at Forest Hills, put his knee on his back, pushed his head into the pavement, dragged him -- and then filed a misleading police report, saying the man had fallen over.²

And that comes after a 2014 incident where MBTA police beat and pepper-sprayed a Black woman at Dudley Square as she called 911 to report the police mistreating another Black woman.

While the MBTA police has made some progress, things would be much better if enforcing fare violations just wasn’t their job.

Join us in speaking out today, and we’ll deliver your message to the MBTA and Transit Police leaders: overpolicing Black and Brown folks needs to stop, and policies need to change.

We envision a world where public transit is convenient, safe, affordable, and easily accessible for everyone, particularly in lower-income communities and communities of color, where car ownership is less common and environmental injustice is already severe. That’s what the T Riders Union is fighting for.

1. "People of color cited more often for skipping fares on MBTA" The Boston Globe, August 2, 2020.
2. ”Suffolk DA Investigating Former MBTA Officer For Alleged Excessive Force On Black Man,” Zeninjor Enwemeka, WBUR, June 22, 2020.

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