The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s proposal to scrap commuter rail service on weekends could affect many University students and faculty. There could also be reduced service for people with disabilities, according to a March 13 article from the Boston Globe.

Faced with a $42 million budget gap, MBTA officials have put a range of options on the table, including privatization, restructuring, fare hikes and budget cuts. The MBTA would save $10 million from scrapping weekend commuter rail service and $7.4 million from reducing trips on a program for people with disabilities, said officials cited in the Globe article.

“We need to ask questions about what we want to run,” said Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, as quoted in the Globe article.

A break in weekend service would also make it easier for construction workers to install new safety measures. However, the proposed cuts triggered a quick backlash.

“I know it’s a tempting target, but [service] is as necessary on the weekends as it is during the day,” said Paul Regan, the MBTA Advisory Board’s executive director, as quoted in the Globe article. “There are people who rely on it.”

Though the MBTA has struggled financially, the proposal raises concerns for those who depend on public transportation.

According to an March 13 email from the Office of the Provost, Provost Lisa Lynch sent a survey last week “to various members of the Brandeis community,” to gauge the necessity of the weekend rail to the community.

The cuts could affect University faculty, staff and students, particularly those living off-campus. Losing the commuter rail could make transportation more expensive for those who need to get to campus on the weekends, also limiting the range of students’ travel on weekends.

—Peri Meyers