STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
WITH A VOTE ON FARE HIKES expected Monday, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Wednesday gave general support to the idea of charging riders more for MBTA service.
“Fare hikes are never positive. They’re never popular, but the MBTA needs money. And that’s the bottom line,” Walsh told reporters before heading into an event in Charlestown.
With two proposals on the table before them that would hike fares an average of 6.7 percent or 9.7 percent, the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board plans to vote on fare changes Monday.
There are 176 cities and towns in the MBTA service district, which has its base of subway and major bus lines in Boston.
Walsh said there are limited options for raising revenue at the MBTA – where management has also focused on cost controls and boosted non-fare revenue.
“There’s really two ways of revenue: One is by raising taxes; the other one’s by raising fares,” Walsh said.
The MBTA Control Board is unlikely to keep fares flat, though it could protect some of those more vulnerable to rising costs, such as students and seniors, according to MBTA Advisory Board Executive Director Paul Regan.
Transit advocates have argued a law passed in 2013 was intended to limit fare hikes to no more than 5 percent every two years, though the Baker administration and a key House lawmaker say the cap is 10 percent every two years.
“The prospect of no fare increase, I think, is off the table. The question is will they do just 5 percent or will they do more,” Regan told the News Service last week. He said, “I don’t get a lot of complaints that the fares are too high. What I do hear – almost constantly – is that the service is unreliable.”
Regan, whose organization represents the municipalities served by the T, anticipated the control board might limit the impact on certain populations whose fare dollars don’t account for a significant share of the T’s roughly $2 billion budget.
“I think that this board might be open to holding certain populations harmless just because it doesn’t have the kind of revenue impact that is going to make a huge difference next year,” Regan said. “They need every dime, but they can be flexible.”
And this is the best idea he can get to increase MBTA income? To put it on the back of low incomers who can barely afford it? Oh, Marty…
I support the fare hikes, but they ALSO need to review their zone designation in proportion to reduction in service. As an example, Swampscott is receiving a reduction in service (will receive the same level of service as Chelsea and Lynn) but will be forced to pay the same fares as Salem, which has nearly double the amount of trains. Swampscott should be in the same service zone as Lynn. Not Salem! Zone 2 for Swamscott! Or make a Zone 2A. Salem and Beverly are the large stops receiving full train service, have them be the zone diving lines. There’s no way it’s fair to have Swamscott riders pay for Salem-level service with half the amount of trains.