Signal problems fixed, South Station lines back to normal

T fares should probably be doubled (and the sales tax revenue stream abandoned: the correlation between sales tax collections and T operating and capital needs is tenuous at best), and a $1/gallon state gas tax should be instituted (and tolls should probably move to variable congestion rates topping out at twice the current tolls, with minimum tolls being half what they are now).

But the state should in turn set a threshold of income which is considered reasonable for payments to the state for transportation (gas tax paid for a passenger-registered car, tolls, and transit) and allow payments up to that threshold to be deductible against income tax (thus effectively making the gas tax for personal use of Massachusetts residents $0.95/gallon, and reducing the T fare increase to 90% for Massachusetts residents), with the next $1,000 a year being a refundable tax credit. Fuel economy could be encouraged by limiting the gallons of gas you could claim to, say, 1/25th of the miles you drove (trackable by the RMV through the annual inspections: don't get your car inspected and you can't claim the gas tax). Politically, the appeal would be largely that roads and transit would be disproportionately paid for by out-of-staters.

At a 3% threshold, $30k income means you pay $855 of the first $1,900 in T fares, tolls, and state gas taxes (making the "doubling" of T fares actually a fare cut for you if you only use the T). For someone driving a 25 mpg average (thus $0.04/mile in state gas taxes), that would amount to paying $855 for the first 47,500 miles driven (or an effective gas tax of $0.45/gallon).