Blue Line will be free between July 5 and Aug. 31

The Blue Line will be free as part of the Sumner Tunnel shut down . Additionally the T adds that it's reducing the cost of a commuter-rail trip between Salem, Swampscott and Boston to $2.40.

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/summe ... -blue-line

Lynn riders should get the $2.40. Swampscott riders should get it, since that’s where the Lynn riders are now boarding.

They can’t at least charge Salem riders the equivalent of the express bus fare?

I know fare revenue is a drop in the bucket, but extending the discount to Salem seems silly. You might as well give the discount to all Newburyport/Rockport riders.

Agree with your point on Lynn. I assume the Salem discount it to encourage more to take the commuter rail since some of those 400 buses have to go through the tunnel to Haymarket? The T already announced that the 450 is being rerouted to Wood Island.

If the blue line is free due to the tunnel closure, then MassDOT should be reimbursing the T for 100% of the blue line fare

The MBTA is a division of MassDOT. the Department of Transportation can't reimburse itself.

But internal funds can be moved from department to department.

At the end of the day it’s all coming out of the state coffers (aka our tax dollars). Who cares which spreadsheet it’s on.

It's important; In this case the MBTA is presumably adding to their pile of operating debt ("born broke") to subsidize a toll road tunnel.

I'm sure the T is being reimbursed for their trouble, much like the City of Boston pays the T in lieu of fare revenue on routes 23, 28, and 29. The T isn't taking a bath on this.

rethcir wrote: At the end of the day it’s all coming out of the state coffers (aka our tax dollars). Who cares which spreadsheet it’s on.

Getting money from the capital budget to the operating budget matters because the capital budget is spread out over years by using bonds or savings to pay for one-time projects. In this case, the free and reduced fares are part of the cost of a one-time project and should be paid for in the same way as the other costs of the one-time project. In a just and sensible world, the capital cost of the tunnel project would include a payment to the T for the fares regular riders didn't pay, for the cost of any extra service the T added to accommodate the hordes of extra riders that the free fares are supposed to attract, and maybe even for part or all of the fares those extra riders would have had to pay if they weren't free or reduced.

Should. Don't know if they will be, but that is or will be public information somewhere.

wicked wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 7:00 pm Lynn riders should get the $2.40. Swampscott riders should get it, since that’s where the Lynn riders are now boarding.

They can’t at least charge Salem riders the equivalent of the express bus fare?

I know fare revenue is a drop in the buckectt, but extending the discount to Salem seems silly. You might as well give the discount to all Newburyport/Rockport riders.

They are. The whole line is $2.40 during the project. The T website has more details (although not about who's paying): https://www.mbta.com/diversions/alterna ... _term=null

It doesn't explain how the Blue Line being free works. Does that mean it's free to board at any Blue Line station? Will they set up temporary fare gates at Gov't Ctr and State to make people who transfer to other lines pay? Or will anyone who boards at a Blue Line station get free access to the whole system, while someone who takes the Blue Line and another line to work gets the free deal in only one direction? Curious to hear how that works out.

To answer Arborwayfan's question, the fare gates are simply open at all Blue Line stations, including Government and State, so it is also free to board the Green and Orange lines at those locations, respectively. Since fare gates are still in effect at other stations (aside from a few in Cambridge and Somerville that I could name), you are correct that transfers to/from the Blue Line will only get a free trip in one direction.

So they are really leaving fare gates open at Blue Line stations west of Maverick?

Where persons not impacted by the closed Sumner Tunnel also get free rides even if not riding the Blue Line?

In a few cases I would walk out of my way to get to one of those stations to go to other places.

What would be the effect if the T accounting department did not make (downward) adjustments in T services elsewhere in response to the lack of revenue collected in East Boston? Would checks including paychecks bounce before the end of the year because funds ran out? Or would someone scare up the needed funds without having to convene the legislature to vote?

The entire Newburyport \ Rockport Line is in 1A fare zone as Sumner Tunnel commuters come from as far north as Maine and they're trying to get as many drivers on the Commuter Rail as possible. I can't say off the top of my head where the majority of drivers who use the Sumner come from but it's up and down the North Shore and a free Blue Line or 1A fares to Salem only don't cover everyone afftected. I know a lot of people personally who work Downtown and live as far north as Plum Island, Newbury, Amesbury, etc.

Been a while! Miss you guys. Been out of the country a few years...

Well look what the goddamn cat dragged in! For folks who don't know, CS was SERy2831's predecessor here and he ran our forum when it was the busiest. He went on to head a more locally focused discussion group after being involved here. He was instrumental to our forum and we're ecstatic to have him back.

As for the 1A fare structure, I do have to say I think it's foolish. If you were to, say, eliminate parking fees at all North Shore stations I would say that makes sense. If you made the entire Rockburyport division free for the two months, I would say that makes sense... But a blanket $2.40 I think is a typical lack of analytics that T brass is known for.