So with the new Charlie Card comes a huge fare increase.
We heard about this awhile back, and it's a good notice this time, with the increase to start in January 2007.
It's still a giant increase though, especially considering that they are elminating the subway and bus passes to make a combo pass called the OnePass.
There are combo passes now, and that's great if you happen to take the bus and subway on a regular basis.
I don't, and now my pass will go from $44 to $62 a month since I can take the bus if I want to - and I don't.
This means that now the T will cost more than the NYC subway for a monthly rider.
Nice one!
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6 comments:
Consider yourself fortunate. A 30-day pass is $75 here in Chicago.
A 30-day Metrocard in NYC is $76. The Boston monthly pass will still be significantly cheaper.
OK people, as usual, you are missing the point.
You cannot compare transit systems like this. It is not apples and apples.
NYC goes 24/7, and is huge compared to Boston.
I've only been on Chicago's system once, but I can tell you from that one trip, it is a far better system.
The point is that the MBTA is increasing the rates far above the rate of inflation, and giving almost nothing in return. Since 2000, a single ride token has increased by 32%.
The current subway pass is $44/month, good on the subway lines, but not all of them. If you live far south on the Red line, you pay to EXIT the train. IF you live far west on the Green line, you pay more to go into the city.
If you get on the Green line west after Kemore station (where Fenway Park is) it's FREE.
How does that make any sense?
The south and north end points on the Red line are equidistant from the city center, yet only people on the south end pay more.
You can also get a combo pass, giving you travel on the subway (not all) and on most bus lines.
A bus pass costs $31.
A combo is $71.
So now what they want to do is:
1) raise the one-ride subway fare from $1.25 to $1.70, a 26% increase
2) raise the one-ride bus fare from .90 to $1.25, a 28% increase.
3) eliminate the bus pass
4) eliminate the subway pass
5) create a 'onepass' for bus and subway travel, for $62 a month.
They are trying to spin it by saying that the new OnePass is going to be LESS than the current bus/subway combo, and that is true, as the current combo is $71.
What they aren't saying is what a scam that is.
Something like 60% of T riders that buy monthly passes only buy a subway pass, 30% buy a bus pass, and 10% buy a combo.
So to save 10% of riders 9 bucks a month, subway only riders are going to have to pay 29% more, and bus only riders are going to have to pay 35% more per month. It's a total racket.
Just to clear things up a bit...
There will still be a monthly bus pass. It's only the Subway and Combo that are being combined into the OnePass. (this will screw a lot of people)
Also, the exit fares on the red line are being eliminated and the free rides on outbound, above ground green line trains are also being eliminated.
Another point, it that if you don't pay with the Charlie Card, it's even more expensive. $0.55 for a subway ride and $0.40 for a bus and you also don't get transfers for free. This really sucks because many times I'll just grab a handfull of change and jump on the bus. Now I'll need $1.65 in change.
To the other people from NYC and Chicago: Come to Boston and commute for a month and then you'll realize what kind of bargain you're getting.
To those in chicago and New York--does it help you in any way for Boston's T fares to go up? Wouldn't it actually help you to argue against future increases if Boston's afres remained low, thus providing a better example to reference in argument?
It often seems that when one city (or one workplace, or one person) is trying to keep the cost of public transit (or rent, etc.) from going up, others argue that they should be greateful that it isn't as bad as in _______. And so instead of working together to keep fares down across the board, they keep going up, and we keep urging people not to complain because it's worse somewhere else.
Not much of a strategy.
Splitting my office time between Boston and Toronto. In Toronto, it's $99.75 for a MetroPass, so all things considered, Boston's still got it pretty good.
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