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Brockton resident urges city action after elderly residents struck by buses, cites Council on Aging duties
Summary
During the FY2026 budget public hearing Richard Ripley said city investigations show dangerous ongoing threats on buses that have injured elderly residents and asked the council to warn riders and protect vulnerable transit users.
Richard Ripley, a Brockton resident who said he is elderly and disabled, told the City Council the city has identified a "dangerous and ongoing public safety threat on buses" that primarily affects low-income, elderly and disabled residents. "Women we have 2 grandmothers got hit by a bus. One ended up in the hospital, nearly lost her leg," Ripley said, urging the council to issue a public warning so riders know their rights and can take precautions.
Ripley said Janice Fitzgerald, director of the Council on Aging, is aware of city investigations relating to the incidents and cited the Council on Aging mission statement (noted on page 199 of the proposed FY2026 budget) describing the council's role to assess needs and provide programs and services for the elderly. He said those responsibilities are not being fulfilled in this case and asked for an explicit statement from the city about the threat.
No formal council action or direction was recorded during the public comment period in response to Ripley's remarks. Ripley asked the council to issue a warning and to clarify rights and protections for riders; the transcript does not show an official response or staff assignment during the hearing.
The council heard this comment during the budget public hearing; the remark links a public-safety concern to the city's budget and program responsibilities under the Council on Aging mission.
