MBTA Fare, Service Hearings Continue

The MBTA recently proposed fare and service changes to help close the MBTA’s $161 million budget deficit for FY2013.  The MBTA is holding more than 20 public meetings to allow T riders to be heard about the proposed changes and thanks all those who participated in the first four meetings. 

The public discussion continues next week with the following public meetings:

Monday January 23, Boston- 1:00-3:00 PM, Transportation Building, Floor 2 Conference Rooms 2-3, 10 Park Plaza

Monday, January 23, Boston- 4:30-6:30 PM, Transportation Building, Floor 2 Conference Rooms 2-3, 10 Park Plaza

Tuesday, January 24, Attleboro- 4:30-8:00 PM, Attleboro High School, 100 Rathbun Willard Drive

Wednesday, January 25, Salem - 6:00-8:00 PM, City Hall Annex 3rd Floor Conference Room, 120 Washington Street

For a full list of future public meetings and information, please visit MBTA.com/join the discussion.

Have your voice heard by sending an email with your questions, comments, and ideas to fareproposal@mbta.com.

The MBTA’s public outreach process continues with the acceptance of public comment through March 1, 2012 electronically at mbta.com, by email at fareproposal@mbta.com, via mail to MBTA, Ten Park Plaza, Boston, Ma  02116, Attention: Fare Proposal Committee, and by phone at 617-222-3200/ TTY (617) 222-5146. 

A final fare increase and service reduction recommendation will be made to the MBTA’s Board of Directors this spring and changes will be implemented on July 1, 2012.

Comments

[rational]

In my opinion the T should receive 100% of its revenue from the fares (ie: THE SERVICE IT PROVIDES). Why should the MBTA expect to receive money from elsewhere? You get paid for the work you do. Businesses get revenue from the products and services they provide. Why is public transit different??

[Lauren Recchia]

I have been amassing a crew and doing a lot of research and here is where my group is at now...

The best thing to do is find organizations that are interested in the T issue that live in the 10th Bristol District (Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Rochester, Marion) because this is the district of the Chair of the Transportation Committee, William Straus. This guy talks to the Speaker of the House, who talks to the Governor. William Straus is our man -- http://www.repstraus.com/. If we can get 25-50 people who live in his district to let him know the MBTA proposals are unacceptable, and better yet, offer solutions - he will make it happen, because he'll be scared of not getting re-elected.

Looks like New Bedford and Fall River are not part of this district - just the 4 towns listed above. But wouldn't hurt to talk to people in NB/FR anyway. Also, the closest town to this district that is holding a public meeting with the MBTA is Brockton, and that is at Massasoit Community College, Liberal Arts Building, Lecture Hall LA 560 1 Massasoit Boulevard on March 6th 6-8 pm.

Groups we have found in the area so far:

P.O.W.E.R. (New Bedford)
People Organizing for Wealth and Ecological Restoration
http://www.facebook.com/NewBedfordPOWER?sk=info#!/NewBedfordPOWER

Coalition of Buzzards Bay (New Bedford)
http://www.facebook.com/savebuzzardsbay?sk=wall

Cadmus Group Inc
http://www.supergreentechnologies.com/environmental-services/massachusetts/rochester/location-45948824/
Phone: (508) 295-9152

Does anyone out there have any more suggestions for people/groups we can reach out to down there? Once we have a good list together, I would like to get them all involved and get a catalog of alternate ideas/suggestions together to have them present to Straus.

Thanks!

[Kim Genereux]

I just e-mailed a comment/revenue idea to "fare proposal". (Background note: The T receives more than 10% of its operating budget from "assessments" levied on cities and towns served. Meanwhile, individual fares constitute about 32% of their revenue.)
During baseball season, the Red Sox schedule has a monumental impact on the T. In many respects, Fenway Park is like a "city" unto its own, and imo could be paying directly into the T's town/city "assessment" revenues.
Major League baseball makes huge profits and should not be getting a free ride in this respect. I'm guessing that sports fans who ride the T to Fenway are a subpopulation not covered by assessment formulas.
So here's my idea:
Perhaps the T should consider adding "High Traffic Destination Assessment Fees" for Professional Sports Entities and/or big ticket events served by the T.
This might be a way to raise the 5.3 million needed to keep the commuter rail running on nights and weekends.
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Thanks for sharing the idea. All comments on the Conversations blog are being forwarded to the MBTA for consideration.

[boblothrope]

"service changes" is quite a euphemism for entirely eliminating service on 101 bus routes, and all commuter rail service on weekends.