<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Good afternoon all. I am copying the petition wording and link in hopes many of you will sign in support! Please share with your networks to get as many signatures of not just disabled folks but allies! This was started by Cory Cadlik.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Issue<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Petition Title: Massachusetts: Don't Leave Disabled Residents Behind in the "Innovation State"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Addressed To: Governor Maura Healey, Interim MassDOT Secretary Phillip Eng, and Undersecretary of Transportation Policy Samantha Silverberg.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Problem: A 40-Minute Trip Shouldn’t Take Up to 3 Hours<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Massachusetts is currently investing $100 Million in a new "Applied AI Hub" and providing statewide Google AI training. We are told our state is the "First in the Nation" for innovation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>But for disabled folks living outside the MBTA service area, that innovation is a myth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>While urban riders can access flexible, on-demand Uber and Lyft trips through "RIDE Flex," thousands of us in Regional Transit Authority (RTA) areas outside of the MBTA coverage area are physically barred from these modern tools. We are forced into a system of:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Late Arrivals: Because we are forced to rely on traditional vans with rigid "pick-up windows," a direct trip that takes 40 minutes for others often takes us up to 3 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Scheduling Trap: We must book our lives 24 to 48 hours in advance, making it impossible to be spontaneous or respond to last-minute job opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Geographic Exclusion: The state's "innovation" stops at the Boston border. If you live in an RTA area, you face unequal access to the community and the economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It is a slap in the face to offer us "Google certificates" for jobs we cannot physically reach.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Request: A Seat at the Table for a Statewide Solution<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I have reached out to the Governor’s office with my research, "Modernizing Paratransit in Massachusetts." Instead of a dialogue, I was passed off to an MBTA manager who lacks the authority to fix a statewide policy failure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I am not asking for a favor; I am asking for a seat at the table. We are calling on Governor Healey and Undersecretary Samantha Silverberg to meet with disability advocates to discuss a Statewide On-Demand Mobility Strategy. We believe the solution can be found by:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Using Fair Share Funds: Utilizing a portion of the $2.4 Billion in "Fair Share" transportation revenue to bridge the gap between the MBTA and the RTAs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Exploring Sustainable Funding: Considering a small, dedicated fee on all TNC (Uber/Lyft) rides statewide to support accessible transit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Prioritizing Subsidy Parity: Ensuring that the high cost the state already pays for traditional vans (averaging $64 per trip) can instead follow the rider to more efficient, on-demand options.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Why it matters:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Independence isn't a "Boston-only" right. Whether you live in Framingham, Worcester, or the Berkshires, your ability to work and live shouldn't be dictated by an arbitrary transit border.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sign this petition to invite Governor Healey to use our state's "Innovation Energy" to move people, not just software.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="https://c.org/bWW7dx4FnF">https://c.org/bWW7dx4FnF</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>