possible MBTA fare/service changes

[psocoptera.livejournal.com]

Per this MBTA page, it looks like some significant fare and service changes may be under consideration, including no more commuter rail service after 10 pm, or on weekends, and, in one of the two scenarios, the elimination of some local bus routes including the 80 and 96. (The proposed changes are extensive and beyond my ability to quickly summarize here - maybe someone can try in the comments?) There will be a public meeting in Somerville on Tuesday, February 28, 6-8 PM in the High School Auditorium, and there's an address for public commentary on the proposals.

Comments

[cos]

Thanks for the (indirect) reminder to call my state rep and state senator and ask them to raise the state income tax, and complain about my frustration with how underfunded our state government is even though we have more than enough resources to fund it effectively, if only we raised the state income tax by less than one percent. I'll make sure to remember to mention that the T is particularly underfunded.

[avjudge]

You might also remind them that the gas tax hasn't gone up since 1991.

[cos]

Although I favor raising the gas tax, it's a thornier issue, because the people it would hit most would be low income people in rural or far-from-the-city suburban places, who typically do not live near jobs (because they don't have money to afford living near where most jobs are) and have to commute long distances by car. The income tax is fundamentally fairer. And increasing funding for the T to make service better (and head off fare increases) would also do a lot to reduce car use.

[smammy]

Good summary from the Somerville Patch: Your Thoughts: Fare Hikes, Maybe Bus Eliminations Coming to Somerville.

And a decent summary of how the T got into this mess, from Boston Magazine: PART III: Why the MBTA is Broke. (Spoiler: it's the legislature's fault.)

[psocoptera.livejournal.com]

Ooh, good summary, thanks.

[oonh.livejournal.com]

my eyes are not what they once were. I misread this as "possible MBTA fanservice changes".

[cos]

Discuss *that* at the MBTA panel at Arisia the weekend after this one :)

[ursamajor]

... there is an MBTA panel at Arisia? *is suddenly intrigued*

[cos]

Not that I know of, but that's probably only because nobody proposed one.

[jadelennox]

Park Street station/Bowdoin OTP?

[ursamajor]

Only because the Charles-MGH/Bowdoin connection will never happen, BA-DUM-TISH!

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

THEIR LOVE IS SO RAT-INFESTED...waitaminit.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I don't know if anyone's written that, but this China Mountain Zhang story was remarkably in its use of the T. http://archiveofourown.org/works/142188

[psocoptera.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha. That would be... different.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

The next CharlieCard will feature Charlie posing in a Speedo, showing off his 8-pack abs.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

D:

DO NOT WANT.

Freakish Charlie is horrible enough to look at already!!

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

My work here is done. :-)

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

The summary: there's a budget shortfall that cannot be bridged solely by fare raises or by service cuts — it's got to be both. Plan A is a large increase that preserves many routes; Plan B is a small increase that basically redefines the MBTA bus system as urban center transit.

[zdenka]

Whichever way they do it, it's gonna hurt.

[whowehavetofear.livejournal.com]

You can also email your concerns to fareproposal@mbta.com. That's what I did, as I won't be able to get to the meeting.

[cos]

However, the MBTA really cannot solve this problem on their own, only the legislature can. So in addition to emailing your concerns, call your state rep and state senator and get your housemates and friends to do so. Only a lot of calls to state reps and senators can prevent this.

[whowehavetofear.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've now sent messages to my senator and representative.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Augh! That's all of my favorite bus routes that serve our house without going to Davis Square, except the 89 and the 94. And the 94 can take me to Davis if I'm in a hurry and a happen to catch it just right, or to West Medford, which I admit I have never ever used.

The 80 to Arlington Center or to Lechmere (which runs it right by the back of city hall, too) is pretty good option for me and one I would severely miss! So much for using commuting my kid to school by bus as a stepping stone for going to the library, the winter farmers' market, the high school, city hall, etc. [hmm... I got to the public hearing at Somerville High on a bus you're considering eliminating... that someday my kid would need to get to school every day... not a bad argument.]

The 96, meh - I'd personally miss it a little less because it's infrequent enough to be too slow to get to harvard square compared to walking to the Red Line, unless I happen to luck out, and I use it interchangeably with the 94 for getting home from Davis in bad weather.

And the commuter rail service after 10pm got my spouse home from work a decade ago on a pretty regular basis (bike to Lowell Line from suburban office in Wilmington, then inbound to West Medford, then bike home).

I do notice a pattern though - the routes they are considering eliminating have crappy, infrequent schedules - and thus fewer people can depend on using them.. and then they decide to eliminate them because fewer people are using them. Ick.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Services will be cut until ridership improves.

Austerity!

[charolastra00.livejournal.com]

The 96 comes every 20 minutes or so during key parts of the day - hardly infrequent. I just signed a lease for a place in Medford a block away from the 96 and am mildly disabled. While I drive to the suburbs for work, I am looking for a new job in the city. I would need that bus in order to get to work. Both of my roommates need that bus to get to their respective workplaces - the 94 is a longer walk (one that I would not be able to make) and twice as long of a ride to Davis Square (30 minutes compared to around 15).

The service changes would be devastating for my entire household.

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

Where does it mention specific routes being eliminated/cut back? I can't find that part on the T site.

[zaarwin-devolve.livejournal.com]

Here. (http://mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Fare_Proposals_2012/2012%20MBTA%20Fare%20and%20Service%20Public%20Information%20Booklet.pdf)

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

No Commuter Rail ANYWHERE on weekend? How in Hell is THAT going to work!?

[ifotismeni]

i hear ya, but any time i've actually done a to-from suburban trip that wasn't in rush hour, the trains were nearly empty. one has to wonder how that's sustainable. (not that i want them to cut the service - my family uses the lowell train pretty frequently.)

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

I take the Providence line all the time to visit home :( I have no other way to get there unless my family comes to pick me up.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

fuuuuuck. i like the 80. it stops right by my house and is the best option for getting to lechmere or arlington.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

I wonder what amazon.com sales to Massachusetts residents are? 1% of online sales could close part of that gap.

[enveri.livejournal.com]

I know my household shops almost exclusively from Amazon.

[molyflogs.livejournal.com]

Same here. Probably 80% of stuff that isn't groceries is bought on Amazon.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

From my house, it's a 5 minute walk to a 100 stop (which would be eliminated), the next closer route is the 101 which would make it a 20-25 minute walk, on a nice day. It takes approximately 40-45 minutes to walk to the Malden T on a nice day; when it snows you can't walk there because Malden doesn't plow (I'm not talking sidewalks, they don't even plow the streets!). It takes about 30 minutes to walk to Medford Center, where one of the 2 buses to Davis would be discontinued. Sometimes, even now, after 10 am both the 94 and 96 come at the same time, then you have to wait almost an hour for the next 2 to come together again.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thanks for letting us know. The 96 is the backbone of my commute, and I rely upon the commuter rail on occasional weekends for shopping trips to the North Shore.

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

The 90 is the only way to get to Assembly Square from Davis, short of driving/taking your life in your hands to walk from Broadway. Ugh.