NEW: MBTA Raises Rates by 23 Percent

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Public transit is about to get a lot more expensive in the Bay State. The MBTA plans on raising the average fair by 23% starting this summer.

The state agency is trying to close a $185 million budget gap for the next fiscal year.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey and Acting Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager Jonathan released a statement saying:

Under the proposal, the MBTA will use a combination of administrative efficiencies, fare increases, service changes and one-time revenues to close the gap. The MBTA is moving forward on a number of fronts to make riding the T more convenient for its 1.3 million daily riders. Building on the T’s open data efforts, the MBTA will be working in the coming weeks to make real time data available by text at bus stops. Also, the MBTA is working to bring “countdown clocks” to key MBTA stations as has been recently tested at Logan Airport’s Terminal C.

This comes after public meetings held around the state where thousands of customers weighed in on the proposals submitted to the board by MBTA staff in January.

This would be the first MBTA fare increase in five years.

“The proposal we put forth today reflects our current fiscal reality and the feedback we heard from customers,” said Secretary Davey. “We have put forth a solution that limits the impact on riders for one year but I encourage everyone to remain engaged in helping us find a long-term fix for the T’s budget challenges.”

MBTA staff will present the solution to the MBTA Board for its approval April 4th. If approved, the changes would be effective July 1.