Many people new to Mission Hill may not know about the Mission Hill LINK – a community bus that has been run and coordinated by a dedicated group of volunteers since the late 1970s. The LINK has provided a much-needed service to local residents, especially older residents and others who are less able to walk the neighborhood. It has made it possible for people recovering from an illness or operation to make it to the Brigham for a doctor’s appointment or to Stop and Shop for groceries. It has allowed many others to travel around the neighborhood during icy weather, at a price far more affordable than a taxi.
I serve on the revitalized LINK Board; our goal is to keep the bus operating on the current route through the winter while we survey MH residents to make sure we have the best route and can find a way to meet the monthly costs.
The LINK was developed to address the need for transit justice: it makes it possible for many people who have lived here for years—or who have arrived more recently—to continue to make their homes in the neighborhood. We have been fortunate to have the support of the MBTA and New England Baptist Hospital. We are now trying to expand the number of institutions who help support the LINK, and to build a base of community support as well.
The LINK needs and deserves support from all of us! We are setting up a Go Fund Me site (gofundme.com/save-the-link), and collecting stories about riding the LINK—recently or in the past—for the Facebook page “I Grew Up in Mission Hill Boston.” Please send stories to [email protected].
The LINK is a community bus run by community volunteers—your neighbors—for all community residents. I encourage all my neighbors to take advantage of this unique community service and ride the LINK!
Maggie Cohn
Mission Hill Link Board and Advisory Committee