BOSTON, January 8, 2024 — Following decades of public transit advocacy, the Association for Public Transportation (APT) and TransitMatters are pleased to announce that APT has merged into TransitMatters effective December 28, 2023. The merger was approved by the APT and TransitMatters boards after months of negotiation. Under the terms of the merger agreement, APT's assets have been transferred to TransitMatters, whose governance, staff and mission remain unchanged.
The Association for Public Transportation was founded in 1973, growing out of the historic effort to block construction of mega-highways in the greater Boston inner core, and instead improve public transportation. The organization shepherded the guidebook Car-Free in Boston through ten editions. Throughout, APT worked with MBTA management to bring improvements to all aspects of its operations. It sought to educate the public about the benefits of public transportation, and its meetings featured speakers who were regional and national leaders in the transportation field.
The merger is the result of discussions by both organizations’ boards geared toward partnering more effectively. APT President Brad Bellows observed, “We have been impressed by the example TransitMatters has set for effective public outreach, careful policy analysis, and constructive engagement with our public agencies. After extensive discussions we have determined that pooling our organizations’ efforts and resources is the best way to advance our shared mission. We are delighted to join forces with TransitMatters and thereby support the important work that still remains to be done.”
TransitMatters has championed transit advocacy for the past decade, following the example of others including APT. “We are excited to build upon APT’s public transit advocacy in greater Boston,” said TransitMatters Interim Board President Tim Lawrence. “APT’s commitment to enabling people to live car-free in Boston is deeply shared by all of us at TransitMatters. We look forward to continuing our work as we seek to address transportation justice, regional decarbonization and sustainable economic growth in Metro Boston. All three go hand in hand and depend on a high functioning public transportation network.”
The merger of APT into TransitMatters is a transition that underscores the importance of public transportation to the Metro Boston region as a constant through the past half century. The work of APT, and now of TransitMatters, will have lasting impacts on everyone in the region. Metro Boston cannot grow or meet its decarbonization goals equitably without a high-functioning public transportation network. TransitMatters president Lawrence said “Our work will continue, and we will always benefit by standing on the shoulders of those who, in past years, led the way, including APT.”
For media inquiries, please e-mail media@transitmatters.org.
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Photo credit: Brooke Winter