T fare increases and the price of gas

Jason plans to call his legislators to request they look at ways to increase T ridership rather than simply letting the T hike fares because it has no choice:

... It seems appropriate policy would be to keep prices high to cut gasoline consumption while at the same time putting policy into place to increase MBTA ridership. Healey's idea to suspend the state's gasoline tax is bad policy and obvious pandering. It's also frustrating that the MBTA would cave on increased fares without leading the ridership to the legislature for a fix. ...

Roberto Scalese joins the online protest, but predicts:

... If I had to make a guess, the T will offer transfer to CharlieTicket riders and keep the increase at $1.70, instead of retreating on the final increase amount itself. Then they'll say everybody wins, although the evidence shows this is the solution that should have been in place in 2000. Grrr.

Chris Cagle gets behind the idea of a free T, but wonders how the already creaky system would handle increased ridership at rush hour.

Oh, just remember, with the new fare structure, the following could happen (except for the part about the trolley to Jamaican Plain, given that the trolley doesn't go there anymore, and, of course, the amounts involved):

Charlie handed in his dime
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there the conductor told him,
"One more nickel."
Charlie could not get off that train.

Charlie on the MTA, which, when you think of it, could be updated pretty easily to be a 2006 fare-increase protest anthemn.