John Stout

John Stout, the current Transportation Advocate for MASSPIRG, is working to transform the Bay State's transportation network by increasing public transit ridership and improving walking and biking infrastructures so the easiest, cheapest and most enjoyable ways to get around are also the cleanest and healthiest. Originally from the hippie loving town of Berkeley, CA, John currently resides in Jamaica Plain in Boston, where he can be found exploring the city’s nooks, crannies and coastlines by bike.

A relic Green Line sign at Forest Hills Station, pictured in 2011. The Green Line's E Branch service to Forest Hills was suspended in the 1980s and never returned. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Pi.1415926535.

Guest Column: ‘Temporary’ Transit Cuts Will Likely Last

By John Stout | Dec 11, 2020 | No Comments

Across the U.S., transit agencies often roll out deep service cuts under the guise of “temporary” service adjustments. Sadly, these cuts are rarely reversed. Whether it’s cutting late-night bus routes, lower-ridership subway lines or historic trolley networks, these services almost never return, especially in times of a budget crisis, because it’s far easier to stop […]

An SL5 bus stops in a new dedicated bus lane on Washington Street near the Chinatown T station. Courtesy of the MTBA.

Guest Column: MBTA Cuts Would Sever Boston’s Main Artery

By John Stout | Oct 28, 2020 | No Comments

The MBTA is the Boston region’s lifeblood: we need to invest in it to help solve the current crisis and create a better future.