BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — At the Massachusetts Legislature’s Transportation Committee hearing on Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Wu testified in favor of a bill that would make MBTA Commuter Rail stops in Boston equitably priced.
Currently, the fare structure varies depending what station you are at and what MBTA zone they are categorized in. At some stops, it only costs $2.40, while a short distance away it could cost up to $7.
“Existing fare policies are frustrating and complicated and can feel very arbitrary. Your monthly pass shouldn’t cost twice as much if you walk five minutes in one direction versus another,” said Wu.
Wu pushed the Transportation Committee to make the fare prices more equal by explaining the price variations that affect the same neighborhood.
“Take the neighborhood of Hyde Park, for example. There are three different commuter rail stations within two miles of each other, each in a different fare zone with different pricing. Two of the stations are just six blocks apart, but the difference in cost for a monthly pass is more than $100," said Wu.
Summarizing what she argued to be the unfairness of the current system, Wu stated, “That means it’s more expensive to ride from Hyde Park Station to downtown Boston than it can be from Hyde Park to Providence, Rhode Island.”
Wu argued for all stops in Boston to be the lower fare price of $2.40 to rectify the unequal prices.
The Mayor also emphasized the demographic context of the neighborhoods affected by expensive fare prices. “Within a half mile of the six stations that fares are disproportionally expensive at, [there are] over 2,500 households without a car, nearly 7,000 residents within 200% of the federal poverty level, and over 18,000 residents of color.”
The MBTA released a statement to WBZ NewsRadio on Wednesday about the proposed fare changes. "Commuter Rail zone fares are generally structured around principles of fairness and competitiveness, based on distance from downtown terminals and competition with driving to and parking in the urban core," the statement reported.
The MBTA said that the proposed fare changes Wu is advocating for would set a "bad precedent."
"While we could consider moving certain stations from Zones 1 and 2 to Zone 1A, Place-Based equity enhancements, like moving stations from Zone 1 or 2 to Zone 1A, only help riders in a specific area. It does nothing to address affordability across the system, creates a bad precedent for other areas, and struggles to keep up with any changes in geographic distribution of low-income riders," they said.
MBTA General Manager Phil Eng explained that they are planning to establish a different reduced fare program that would affect riders across the commuter rail system.
"The MBTA is committed to making service more affordable and accessible for riders from all communities who take all different modes of transit – buses, subways, commuter rail, ferries, or paratransit. Thanks to support and leadership from Governor Healey, we will establish a permanent system-wide reduced fare program for tens of thousands of low-income riders, saving them up to hundreds of dollars per year. This program is a step in the right direction - a monumental moment for communities across the entire state: the first expansion of an income-based safety-net program in Massachusetts since the passage of health care reform," said Eng.
Chief Communications Officer Gabrielle Mondestin added that "the MBTA will review any legislation that reaches the Governor’s desk."
WBZ’s Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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