Letter: Voting against commuter rail service wont halt housing costs, will halt benefits

After years of residents asking for the train to return to Fall River, I’m confused by recent efforts against accepting the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to the city on Election Day, Nov. 8.

One of the main arguments I’ve heard from those opposed to commuter rail service revolves around feared increases in local housing costs. It’s true that one cannot look anywhere in the country without seeing an affordable housing crisis and Fall River is no different. But every community in the country seeing rising rents is not expecting a new commuter rail. This speaks to a larger issue impacting the nation, not a result of the MBTA directly.

What evidence is there that shows rejecting the train would halt rising housing costs? Are those opposed to the train hoping for affordable or subsidized housing to freely appear if the MBTA ballot question fails? This issue needs to be addressed with affordable housing zoning bylaws, particularly at the future acres of developable land as part of the Route 79 project, to achieve lasting results, regardless of the commuter rail. That is something the City can control, not the rent prices of private properties.

Rejecting the MBTA on Nov. 8 would remove all benefits passenger rail service can give Fall River residents, eliminating potential economic paths of upward mobility and restricting access to the rest of the state. Please join me in getting Fall River back on tracks and voting to accept commuter rail service to Fall River this Election Day.

Alexander Silva