Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Transit Police have released numbers for their "Operation Fare Game," a crackdown on people who jump the turnstiles or otherwise avoid paying to ride the T.
A crackdown on subway freeloaders has resulted in T officials issuing more than 600 citations since July 9. The Transit Police released numbers on Thursday for "Operation Fare Game." So far, 636 citations have been handed out. There are various ways to avoid paying your fare. One tactic is "piggybacking," or walking in right behind someone who did pay. Another is holding the sensor open for people behind you, as anti-austerity activists are prone to do. The citations carry fines. A first offense is $50, a second will cost you $100 and a third will set you back $300. If you don't pay up within a month, your driver's license could be put on "nonrenewal" status — the same as happens when you don't pay parking tickets. Freeloading deprives the…
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A report recently released by the T breaks down the feedback the authority has received since unveiling its controversial plans for fare hikes and service cuts in January.
A slideshow released by the MBTA containing a preliminary analysis of public comment regarding two January proposals for service cuts and fare increases highlights rider anxieties and confirms less people are worried about paying higher fares than fear the loss of services. The proposals—authored in an attempt to close a $161 million budget gap—caused widespread uproar as they threatened to slash services and raise fares, leaving some communities with little to no public transportation while greatly reducing it in others. At stake in the South End specifically is bus route 43 and the cross-town CT3 bus that runs between the Longwood Medical Area and Andrew Square in South Boston. Almost 6,000 area residents attended the nearly 30 public …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The official public comment period on the proposed fare hikes and service cuts ended last night, but the Metropolitan Area Planning Council still has a point to make.
After months of debate over the MBTA's proposed Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 for cutting services and raising fares to meet their projected $161 million budget deficit, the period of public comment ended last night at the MBTA's final public hearing, held at a senior center in Brighton. In a Boston Globe article on the meeting, MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis explained how they were going to move forward. According to him and the Globe, "neither of the two previously released scenarios will be selected by the agency’s board," but, "Instead, the committee that drafted those two proposals will take testimony from all of the hearings’ speakers and feedback from more than 5,600 e-mails and draft new recommendations." The MBTA board's …
Friday, March 9, 2012
Today is Friday, March 9. Here are five things you need to know:
1. It should be sunny today with temperatures in the high 40s. 2. ‘How would you fix the T’s budget?’ That’s what one regional planning agency wants to know, and it’s giving you a tool to help you figure it out on your own. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has created an “MBTA Budget Calculator,” which allows you to play around with the numbers to try and solve the T’s $161 million deficit. The program then lets you compare your solution with those submitted by others. Try it out. 3. Spring may still be more than a week away, but Thursday sure felt like it – if not summer. So we want to know, how are some ways you know when spring has truly arrived in the South End? 4. If you haven’t read the transcript yet of South End Patch …
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Transportation Secretary Richard Davey discussed the pros and cons of shifting the debt, and the possibility for continued multimillion-dollar deficits.
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- On WBUR
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
House Republicans aim to restructure federal transportation budget.
While local groups argue with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority about potential reductions to bus and ferry service, a proposal in Washington could worsen conditions for T riders. A Salon.com opinion piece reported this week that House Republicans have proposed a transportation bill that would eliminate the Mass Transit Account from the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Such a change could sharply impact the MBTA. “The House transportation bill represents a giant step in the wrong direction for transit systems all over the country,” said Rep. Mike Capuano. “The dedicated funding stream for mass transit projects, which has been in place for decades, is being eliminated. This will mean less money for public transit projects everywhere. I won…
The MBTA Advisory Board proposed a plan that would raise fares by 25 percent, shift some costs to other state agencies and institute some thought-provoking fees and changes.
The MBTA Advisory Board, which provides public oversight of the MBTA, has presented a new plan—some might call it a third option—for dealing with the MBTA's $161 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2013. The plan comes amid public outcry over two proposals put forth by the MBTA that would substantially raise fares and cut service on Boston's public transportation network. In recent weeks, thousands of angry T riders have attended public hearings around the Boston area to protest those proposals. Under the advisory board's plan, there would be no service cuts, and the fare increase would be less than with the MBTA's two current proposals. Here are some highlights of the plan: Here are some of the more creative ideas The MBTA Advisory …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
More than 400 people turned out for the MBTA public hearing Monday.
The proposed MBTA fare hikes fall disproportionally on the elderly, disabled, student and low income population, many people said at a packed-to-capacity public hearing Monday night. Following an Occupy Boston rally at Copley Square hundreds of people - many of them college students - flowed into the Boston Public Library. They filled the 342-seat auditorium and 110-seat overflow room by 6:05 p.m. "Some people got here at 4:30," a library worker said. Officials began turning away at least 100 people lined up inside the foyer, and promised to add more public hearings to the already lengthy list. "If we try to raise the fare the way we are now, there won't be more money," said Back Bay resident Elliot Laffer. "There will be a failed …
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011
A list of proposals to improve traffic flow in and around Boston.
Last week, I offered suggestions on how Boston’s public transportation system could be improved. This week, I’m proposing changes that would improve automobile traffic flow into, out of, and through the city. Although we all wish that everyone would take public transportation to and from Boston, the truth is, we will always need roads, bridges, and tunnels. The problem is, our system is overburdened, even after completion of the $22 billion Central Artery and Third Harbor Tunnel projects. Many Bostonians think of our city as one continuous traffic jam. Here are some ways we can ease the commutes of many while also improving the lives of Boston residents. Congestion pricing We should charge commuters a fee when they come into the city from …
Friday, December 9, 2011
The entire T system is now at a crossroads, according to the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee.
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Friday, December 9, 2011
[Editor's note: The following letter (dated Friday, Dec. 2) was recently approved unanimously by the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee, according to committee member Reid Sprite.] Dear Riders, By now, you’ve probably heard that the MBTA has proposed to raise fares again, and you’re likely not happy about this decision. To be honest, neither are we. But just like you, the T is required to balance how much it spends with how much it earns. Since the last fare increase, the T has done its very best to supplement its income with ever-more creative one-time solutions like real estate sales, labor efficiencies and debt restructuring. We at the Rider Oversight Committee commend the T’s efforts to keep the unsustainable system afloat, but regret that…
jeff bunn
7:02 am on Tuesday, February 14, 2012
And here I thought it was just a local Boston thang....http://www.salon.com/2012/02/13/the_tea_partys_war_on_mass_transit/ more ›