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Pissed-off T riders
By adamg on Thu, 11/09/2006 - 8:27pm
Talk about putting your best foot forward. The press release at mbta.com starts:
For the first time in the history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, T customers will be able to transfer from the subway system to buses at NO EXTRA CHARGE. ...
Makes you feel good about the fare increases, no?
No. Ben Ostrander is upset with the elimination of free rides on parts of the Green Line, because it'll mean even slower trollies in the evening:
... Now we will wait as those in the back of the long subway train have to push their way to the front of the train to exit the ONE door there. I say push because the outbound trains at rush hour are so crowded that pushing is the only way we are able to get out now. And we get three doors now! Then we get to wait for passengers to board separately and those who have experienced the new fare boxes know they make boarding trains and buses slower. With only the front door to exit and enter from, commutes will increase for us all. ...
The Outraged Liberal is aghast that fares are going up while tolls are going away on most of the turnpike:
... The folks who benefit most from the Big Dig -- commuters from the north and south -- have not paid their fair fare throughout this process. The plans hatched by Mitt's minions assure that they will still get as free ride. ...
The Missus: Public transportation in this area is a major joke:
... At the prices we are paying now to ride the T ($1.25) and the bus ($0.90), the current service offerings and punctuality was "endurable." But what they want to charge us now is a bunch of B.S. ...
Spatch: Dan Graubaskas should be eaten, horribly and ironically, by a shark:
... They unanimously voted for a fare hike, eh? After all that smoke-and-mirrors regarding "We'll think about hiking prices after we hear what the ridership has to say" and after the ridership spoke up and said "NO"? ...
Jeff on Boonville Blog: The poor that use public transit because they can't afford anything else will get hurt the most:
But what the hell does a Mitt Romney appointee care about fucking poor people?
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Comments
Questions I have are:
Sounds good to me.
A couple things I don't understand.
a) What does it mean, costs $1.70 with Charlie Card, but $2.00 with Charlie Ticket? Aren't all Charlie Cards by the month?
b) How come seniors get off again with such a low fare? They take up seats, just like the rest of us. A buck a ride is fair enough. Can't they just get monthly passes, like the rest of us?
c) It's about time we charged for outgoing passengers. They ride, they pay. This will increase revenue, right?
d) Yay to standard fares, D Line, Red Line, etc.
CharlieCard isn't out yet
A CharlieCard is an RFID card that you will tap against the farebox instead of inserting. It is not yet available. What you are using now is a CharlieTicket.
CharlieCards will be able to hold either a monthly pass or stored value -- or, supposedly, both at the same time.
b) How come seniors get off
b) How come seniors get off again with such a low fare? They take up seats, just like the rest of us. A buck a ride is fair enough. Can't they just get monthly passes, like the rest of us?
I sincerely wish you the same quality of compassion and understanding you've exhibited here, when you reach your dotage, kiddo.
But to answer (at least part) of your question, I would hazard a guess that many elderly don't buy monthly passes because they don't need to take the bus or subway often enough to justify the upfront cost. Many are retired, so they're not commuting to their job every day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen Stewart
Senior fares
Yes, and most of them are on limited income.
Also, a lot of seniors are experiencing a decline in mobility and vision and wellness. A lot of them can't use the whole MBTA system, or can't use it as efficiently as younger people. Someone who doesn't move well and has trouble with heat and cold and balance and so forth can't really use the T during hours that it's crammed full. A lot of seniors also can't use the stations that aren't accessible, and it takes them a lot longer to get through stations and to get places. So they shouldn't have to pay for a service that really doesn't meet their needs.
But most of all, senior discounts honor and thank the people who've already done their duty working and raising children (their own and others) and volunteering and contributing to society and who should now get a period of well-earned respite.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Part of me was initially
Part of me was initially relieved because I live in Newton and paying $3 for an agonizingly slow, rickety Green Line ride to Boston is such a rip off (but sometimes it was better than driving!)...but now taking the commuter rail will be a rip off!! Over 4 bucks for a 15-20 minute train ride into Boston? Ugh.
...And that extra money will be going to...
...And all that extra money will be going to fund:
- The T's gargantuan debt service. Highest in the world, I believe. Not sure...but its up there.
- Obscene retirement benefits for T-employees. Do YOU get to accrue sick days and take a fabulous windfall when you retire? Do YOU get to retire in your mid-forties with full paid health coverage for the rest of your lazy days? Do you enjoy lush benefits that even the sleazeballs who run the so-called "Carmen's Union" call the "most generous" in the nation? NO? Gee, you must work in the real world with the rest of us...unlike the MBTA hacks who ride their own amazing gravy train at our expense.
----
Not much of your fare goes to improved service and better equipment.
Did you also know that the "T" already gets 2 cents out of every 5 cents on the dollar collected as part of the sales tax? That, too, goes only to the retiree benefits and debt...not to service and equipment.
Angry enough yet? It's really time to take on the parasitic culture inside the "T."
What color is the sky in your world?
Haha. My comments about old people were somewhat tongue in cheek, although my point was serious - how is the fare decided? Is it a percentage of full fare, or what? The difference between $.60 and $1.00 is nominal, to anyone in any income category. Don't even try to say that $.40 or $.80 a day to an elderly person is a lot. Zzzzz. All I'm looking for is an explanation.
Eeka, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. Similar to the pleasure I get when someone drops an anvil on my head.
The sarcasm didn't come across...
...and I just figured you were being an asshole.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com