New T fare hike proposal for 01/07

I can't believe

That nobody has posted on the fare hike.
Isn't anyone the least upset about it?
Anyone in here work for the T?
Here's a solution to your budget woes:

BUST THE UNIONS UP

Really, 30 unions, a 54% percent increase in fares in the last 5 years, and virtually no improvements in service?

Come on....

yea i read about this in the globe, but i didn't have an article to post, so i didnt do it, but i don't think anyone is goin to be happy with it because of the service, people are goin to want better service first, before the fare hike

I'm hesitent to say this because I'm sure someone will bring up the whole issue of transfers and the Sierra Club report from a while ago.

But for a basic subway ride, even after the fare hike, we will still have one of the cheapest Subway systems in the country. NYC is $2 as of a few years ago, so who knows they may go up soon. Washington charges by how far you go, which can wind up close to $4.

When the CharlieTicket system is installed at more stations there are going to be some easier transfer options (like the elimination of paper transfers since inserting your ticket into a qualified transfer point within 2 hours of the first use will let you on free, or the elimination of the South Shore Warrant b/c the system will recognize you got on at a 'local' stop.

At risk of being totally off topic, I'll stop there...

sabourinj wrote:I'm hesitent to say this because I'm sure someone will bring up the whole issue of transfers and the Sierra Club report from a while ago.

But for a basic subway ride, even after the fare hike, we will still have one of the cheapest Subway systems in the country. NYC is $2 as of a few years ago, so who knows they may go up soon. Washington charges by how far you go, which can wind up close to $4.

When the CharlieTicket system is installed at more stations there are going to be some easier transfer options (like the elimination of paper transfers since inserting your ticket into a qualified transfer point within 2 hours of the first use will let you on free, or the elimination of the South Shore Warrant b/c the system will recognize you got on at a 'local' stop.

At risk of being totally off topic, I'll stop there...

A lot of new ideas are possible with AFC equipment. One report that is posted publically (in draft form):

http://ctps.org/bostonmpo/involved/mpo_ ... 120105.pdf

A lot of the quirks of the MBTA's fare system grew up from just not having the equipment that's capable of doing more than one thing. That won't be the case soon...

"But for a basic subway ride, even after the fare hike, we will still have one of the cheapest Subway systems in the country. NYC is $2"


That fact is irrelevant. It's comparing apples to oranges. NYC is a 24 hour system, goes way further than the T could ever hope to, can actually run service around a disabled train, unlike this past Monday's red line debacle, and doesn't surcharge you for going over a certain distance like the green and south end of the red lines do.
When people make that argument, all they are doing is reinforcing the point that Boston is WAY overpriced for what it is. So next year it wil be .45 less than NYC, yet for much less service?
It's stupid.
I'd love to see the raises Grabauskus and the rest are getting next year.

Speaking of the T and customer service..
has anyone seen the new slogan at the top of the MBTA web page? I think it used to say "America's First Subway"... well now it says "Driven by Customer Service"..

I'm not a big MBTA basher but it seems bizzare to put this on their website given their customer service track record..

On the topic of the fare increase.. didn't the T make all these promises to improve service when they raised fares in 2004. They haven't done much to keep these promises yet. Improve service, then maybe
consider raising fares!

I can see both sides of this argument. One side says that the T isn't providing passengers' moneys-worth as the fares are now, but the other side says this fare increase is needed because the T has run into many expenses. The AFC system, for example, costs a lot of money to install.

Now what personally disgusts me is another reason why they must raise the fares. There are ****heads who bypass the system in unconverted stations (I saw one of them at Malden Center last Saturday). If the police were to actively enforce the fare laws, and if the government would toughen the laws, it would work. The current "see something, say something" system does not work when the cops aren't around in this case.

I remember reading a while ago about a bill that would allow police to ticket fare jumpers. According to the article, the current law requires arrest, a trial, a 3 year jail sentance, the whole jazz, so it is never enforced because its so difficult, not to mention excessive. Under the bill, offenders would get a ticket, and could not renew their drivers license unless they paid the fine, like a parking ticket. Did this ever go anywhere?

helium wrote:"But for a basic subway ride, even after the fare hike, we will still have one of the cheapest Subway systems in the country. NYC is $2"


That fact is irrelevant. It's comparing apples to oranges. NYC is a 24 hour system, goes way further than the T could ever hope to, can actually run service around a disabled train, unlike this past Monday's red line debacle, and doesn't surcharge you for going over a certain distance like the green and south end of the red lines do.
When people make that argument, all they are doing is reinforcing the point that Boston is WAY overpriced for what it is. So next year it wil be .45 less than NYC, yet for much less service?
It's stupid.
I'd love to see the raises Grabauskus and the rest are getting next year.

Ok so I'll take the point that the system is much different than NYC. However, what value does it add to me paying my fare at 1pm to know that the NY Metro is open at 3am? It's nice that the system is open that often but I don't pay more during the day because it's open at night, that's just stupid.

Either way, I would challenge you to tell me how I can get to work in Boston or NY for $2 or less that doesn't involve walking the whole way.

sabourinj wrote:

helium wrote:"But for a basic subway ride, even after the fare hike, we will still have one of the cheapest Subway systems in the country. NYC is $2"


That fact is irrelevant. It's comparing apples to oranges. NYC is a 24 hour system, goes way further than the T could ever hope to, can actually run service around a disabled train, unlike this past Monday's red line debacle, and doesn't surcharge you for going over a certain distance like the green and south end of the red lines do.
When people make that argument, all they are doing is reinforcing the point that Boston is WAY overpriced for what it is. So next year it wil be .45 less than NYC, yet for much less service?
It's stupid.
I'd love to see the raises Grabauskus and the rest are getting next year.

Ok so I'll take the point that the system is much different than NYC. However, what value does it add to me paying my fare at 1pm to know that the NY Metro is open at 3am? It's nice that the system is open that often but I don't pay more during the day because it's open at night, that's just stupid.

Either way, I would challenge you to tell me how I can get to work in Boston or NY for $2 or less that doesn't involve walking the whole way.

Well you could take it the other way. What value does it add to someone paying their fare at 3am to know that the system is open at 1pm? Prehaps someone should have the ability to get around at anytime of the night, even if it does cost everyone a little bit more. I'd like it if for no other reason, then to get the drunks off the road.

Now what personally disgusts me is another reason why they must raise the fares. There are ****heads who bypass the system in unconverted stations (I saw one of them at Malden Center last Saturday).

Yeah, and Quincy Adams is in the middle of conversion as we speak. however, they have an officer there and T collectours making sure nobody is trying to circumvent the fares.

If the police were to actively enforce the fare laws, and if the government would toughen the laws, it would work. The current "see something, say something" system does not work when the cops aren't around in this case.

Well, they have in the South Shore Red Line especially, where you have to pay to exit too, at the aforementioned Quincy Adams Stations and now the already-converted Braintree Station, although the AFC there has worked well for me. I've seen TPD patrol, and they have been effective as to getting farebeaters to pay up.

I really don't understand why the fares will be hiking, but maybie the cost of fuel? I don't even want to know how much it costs for Diesel for all their opperations..I can't even guess

GP40MC 1116 wrote:I really don't understand why the fares will be hiking...

Inflation?

inflation?
i'm pretty sure that inflation isn't in the double digits.

Why is it being uped so much? Two words: Forward funding. Theres no doubt that the T gets much less of a subsidy from the state then it used to, and that difference needs to be made up either by raising fares, cutting service, or finding other non-revenue sources of income (ie advertising). Raising the fares is probably the simplest and most brain-dead way of making more money, hence, MBTA managment has done it. Again.