Send a letter to State Senator Cindy Friedman today!
Hello, friend of RLX!
Today’s fun fact is: you can help extend the red line, right now.
Believe it or not, there is a state law on the books that prohibits the construction of MBTA facilities near the Arlington Catholic High School. This law was passed in the 1970s, specifically to prevent the Red Line from being extended.
But now, we are on the verge of undoing this mistake. A bill to repeal that law (H4236) has passed in the House of Representatives already. It now needs to pass the Senate. Our State Senator, Cindy Friedman, is a sponsor.
But the clock is ticking: we only have another few weeks before the new legislative session begins and the whole process would have to start over. Our hope is that Senator Friedman can get this inoffensive, small, and cost-free bill through the Senate before time runs out.
Hearing from just ten or fifteen constituents can make a big difference on issues like this, so this is a great chance to make a difference.
Here’s what you can do right now:
- Call Senator Friedman’s office (617.722.1432) and let her team know that you support the State Senate passing H4236 during this session, as soon as possible.
- Email cindy.friedman@masenate.gov – we’ve included a template below, or you can draft your own.
- Forward this email to your friends, family – anyone who would be willing to help.
- Tell us what you did! Fill out the Action Tracker so we can keep track of how much outreach we’re generating.
Thanks so much for being an RLX activist!
Example H4236 Letter
Dear Senator Friedman,
I am writing to you about H4236, An Act Repealing the Prohibition of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority from Locating a Facility within a Certain Distance of the Arlington Catholic High School. As you know, this bill would repeal the old and misguided prohibition against locating an MBTA stop in Arlington Center.
The 2023/2024 legislative session is ending soon and I am writing to encourage you to try to pass H4236 before time runs out. H4236 has already passed the House and is currently with the Senate Rules Committee. It is not technically a home rule petition, but it has no fiscal cost and only impacts Arlington. It seems like something that might be possible to do informally without objection. Passing the bill now would save the significant legislative effort of starting from square one in both the House and the Senate.
Repealing the prohibition of an MBTA stop in Arlington Center is one of many steps that would have to be taken in order for a Red Line extension to be possible. Removing this hurdle now would make this project a more realistic consideration for Arlington and surrounding communities should a time come when funding becomes available.
I hope you will work to try to pass this bill now so that we do not have to start again from scratch.
Sincerely,
NAME
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
Photo by Flickr user Brent Danley – license CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0
