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So, how much and how soon for another round of MBTA fare hikes?
By adamg on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 8:07am
Mike Mennonno sees the sudden honesty about operating expenses at the T as mere groundwork laying for new fare hikes next year, now that Gov. Patrick and the legislature have made it clear they won't do anything about the T's crippling debt:
... The only question is whether it'll be thirty-five or forty percent. How does $2.30 for a single subway trip with a charlie card sound? $2.80 with a paper ticket? And bus fare of $1.75 with a card, $2.10 with cash? $79 for a monthly pass.
I'm starting a pool. Get your guesstimates in now.
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Comments
At that rate it starts to
At that rate it starts to become comparable to driving a small car into the city.
Right now, you can park in S.B. over the four point channel bridge for about $200 a month, and with the commuter train at $250...
Kinda, Sorta
At least for me, it still comes out more costly when you start factoring in gas, wear and tear on the car, and mental health. There is a certain warm fuzzy feeling when you can nap on the whole ride into Boston instead of dealing with the Southeast Expressway.
Still, the price hikes are getting out of control.
They don't even collect fares now
(In many cases) so how could a fare increase help?
The Green Line on the surface = usually a free ride for most passengers.
Subway stations = free ride for anyone who loiters around the gate to follow in a paying passenger, or follows their six other friends in the gate when one of them pays.
Or the comedy "Shove paying customer aside and force their way into the fare control area while MBTA customer service agent watches and does nothing" option. Gotta love that one. Really makes my night. Oh, the Orange Line....
Get off their fat asses
I don't know about you but I'm getting sick and tired of the "gate watchers" just watching fare jumpers and not doing a damn thing. Like you say, if they collected the fares they're missing, they'd be surprised at how much more they would take in.
Enforcement, yes, but...
Yeah, it's a problem that fare-jumping isn't enforced. But asking the station employees to do it isn't appropriate. It's not safe to ask one civilian working alone in a station to go confront someone (or a group of someones) who've already demonstrated that they don't have a lot of regard for others. That's just not appropriate or safe for them to ask their employees to do. There's laws against asking employees to endanger themselves like that.
I'm sure there are ways they *could* enforce it though. Like a proof-of-payment system such as many cities use. Or something lower tech like setting up cameras to watch fare evaders, who'd then be met by the group of T cops who were monitoring said cameras on the platform.
Try Collecting Fares on the MBTA/MBCR Commuter Rail
Seriously - the MBTA needs to take a page out of the Mass Pike's handbook. The Pike ALWAYS manages to collect fares - even on peak traffic days like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (when traffic gets backed up from Boston to Stockbridge).
I ride on the Worcester-Framingham line of the commuter rail and there are many trips that they do not collect fares. For an agency in such dire need of revenue, you would think that making sure people pay for their trips would be a priority.
I've even had visitors to my blog comment that they are writing into the MBCR to document the days that fares aren't collected.
The lack of fare collection is a huge issue. I really start questioning if I should be forking over $250 a month for a commuter rail pass or just wing it and buy a 12-trip pass.
No joke
I'd estimate I've saved about $60 on the Haverhill line, since the last increase -- simply because they just don't bother to collect my fare. Even when I wave money at them and make 'yes, I'm ready to pay' eye contact with 'em.
And I only ride the commuter rail once a week, at most. From the closest zone.
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Jen Stewart