The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board has approved several fare changes that will take effect July 1, including decreasing by ten cents the price paid by those who pay with cash for a single bus ride, expanding the free transfer program so that the MBTA transfer policy will allow transfer from bus to rail to bus, setting a student pass rate of $30-per-month and allowing use of the pass by students 12 months out of the year, and postponing consideration of any future fare increases for two-and-a-half years. The overall system-wide average increase is approximately 9.3 percent.
The board also established a "lock-box" to guarantee that any revenue from the increase can only be used to improve service.
The board took into consideration public comments gathered during a series of community meetings held throughout the state, emails and phone messages. Members acted to address concerns expressed during that process.
The measure includes:
- A single cash price to ride a bus decreases by ten cents
- Expands free transfers for MBTA riders, allowing free transfers from bus to rail to bus
- Student Pass at $30 (12 months), senior pass at $30
- Bus Pass at $55
- Outer Express Bus at existing prices
- Bus fares: Cash/Ticket $2.00, Charliecard $1.70
- The RIDE at 5 percent, instead of 10 percent increase
- Bulk discount for schools purchasing more than 1,000 passes a month
- Pilot student pass on fare vending machines
- Review of Commuter Rail zones
- Steps to address fare evasion and enforcement
- Free transfer extended to bus-rail-bus trips
