T fares going up July 1

By adamg on Mon, 03/07/2016 - 4:37pm

An average of 9.3%, WBUR reports.

Topics:

The T

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fare hikes

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Comments

For now, perhaps

By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 9:18am

If memory serves, the last commuter rail fare hike a couple of years ago was matched by 20-40% increases in the cost of parking near South Station, effective the same day.

It's not only the T. DC Metro

By anon
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 9:13am

It's not only the T. DC Metro needs a 6% revenue increase ( thru some combo of fare and/or subsidy increases) annually for the next 10 years to improve service.

"But the Baker administration

By J
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 10:24am

"But the Baker administration is interpreting it as a 10 percent cap, and argues that it doesn’t apply to passes since they aren’t technically “fares.”"

How is this a thing

Baker treats T riders like we

By Kinopio
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 11:09am

Baker treats T riders like we are morons while also taking more money out of our pockets. Screw him. He will remain popular among suburban SUV drivers who love to see him screw over urban people.

>$1,000 for MBTA local annually now

By JameofFame
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 10:43am

$1,014 for MBTA local LinkPass for Subway & Bus. 12.7% increase for monthly pass holders...

I really wish I was getting something more for my money.

There hasn't been any expansion. They've done a few things on the south side of the city for stations though I think? Govt Center is about it that I can think of that has seen a major renovation lately.

Late night service is about the only thing I've been happy they've started. Of course, they want to (or probably are?) get rid of it again.

It's not super useful because of 2 problems - communication & frequency. At night, the countdown clocks should reverse & say what time the next train will leave the station more like the commuter rail. I would like it if they would stop holding the trains at the stations and get the trains moving faster.

MBTA real world question though - can they actually run trains faster with the quality of the track/switches? Is that what my increase is really going to rather than what seems to be nothing? That'd be great.

Sad that real estate has

By anon
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 10:44am

Sad that real estate has doubled in some places in the last 5 years, the tax base with it, but public transit keeps getting worse and more expensive.

A solution?

By GoSoxGo
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 11:47am

Without doing the research (I'm not sure how Proposition 2½ or other laws affects it), why can't Boston (and/or other cities) submit a ballot question that would provide a % tax increase that would go solely to capital projects on the MBTA?

Although nobody wants to see their taxes increase, I would imagine that residents are smart enough to vote for an increase that would actually go to new trains, new signals, Green Line extension, Red/Blue connector, Orange Line extension to Needham, Blue Line to Lynn, etc.

If we can't do that, can we allocate all tax monies that come from the legalization of marijuana to public transportation? I mean our lottery/gambling proceeds are supposed to go to education, right? (Ha!)

As long as that ballot question

By roadman
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 11:54am

also put serious limits on the amount of "study" and "community input" and "givebacks - er - mitigation" associated with designing those capital projects. And also puts serious deadlines between start of design and start of construction.

Replacing track and signals and so forth shouldn't require a gaggle of public meetings and environmental justifications and the like. The work NEEDS to be done, so just do it!

Would that be like a debt

By Patricia
Tue, 03/08/2016 - 12:59pm

Would that be like a debt exclusion?

I get what you're saying and I agree. I think many of us would chip in for a determined period of time if that money was going solely to the T maintenance and infrastructure. But, most of us know the money never goes where it should.