Seeing Red? MBTA To Hike T Fares

Student volunteer groups who rely on the Red Line to reach their service sites are worried about red ink early next year. The agency that runs the T is hiking its fares, and that could leave a dent in service organizations’ budgets.

The Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA) said Friday it will go ahead with the subway, bus, and commuter rail fare hikes it first proposed this spring.

Rapid transit rates will increase to $1.70 from $1.25 and bus fares will jump to $1.25 from 90 cents. The hikes are expected to raise the MBTA’s fare revenue by 25 percent.

T riders who pay in cash or use CharlieTickets, instead of the new CharlieCards, will also have to pay a surcharge under the new system. However, because of complaints, riders will only have to pay an extra 25 cents for buses and 30 cents for rapid transit, instead of the 40 cents for buses and 55 cents for subways and trolleys originally proposed.

The new plan will also reduce the price of unlimited combination bus and subway passes from $62 a month to $59 a month and weekly passes from $18 to $15. Children under the age of 11 will also be able to ride free with an adult.

According to the MBTA website, the hikes come as a result of increased energy and fuel prices and lagging sales tax revenue, which partly funds the MBTA.

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas told The Associated Press that fare hikes are the only way to eliminate the MBTA’s $35 million budget deficit.

“We’re not raising fares out of anything but necessity,” Grabauskas said. “We have a budget shortfall and we have a legal requirement to balance our budget.”

Harvard student organizations, such as Partners for Empowering Neighborhoods (PEN), will suffer from the fare hikes, PEN Site Director Daniel Payan ’08 said.

“The price changes are going to put us in a lot of trouble,” Payan said. “Our biggest expense right now is transportation. On T rides alone we pay over a $1,000. With the increase in prices, we’re going to need a lot of financial support from grants and the UC. It’s going to be very difficult for our program to maintain its current status.”

Although the changes will be an inconvenience for many Harvard students, Natalie D. Evans ’08 said she is more concerned for lower income Boston residents.

“I would say that raising the price doesn’t affect many Harvard students, but it will probably be a big deal for people who work minimum wage and take the T everyday,” she said.