Some Commuter Rail riders who get on board at the Littleton station say they’re feeling a bit helpless in the face of proposed MBTA fare increases and service cuts.
Citing “increasing operating costs and continued underperformance of the state sales tax” as the reason for an impending budget deficit of $185 million in the next fiscal year, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is proposing to undertake one of two plans, each of which calls for fare increases and significant service cuts system-wide.
—Jeff Bedell
When asked last week how they felt about the proposal and if they would continue to patronize the T, some riders at the Littleton station said they had no other alternative.
“I don’t have a car. I rely heavily on the T to bring me to and from the city for shopping and entertainment,” Littleton resident Derek Tavares said.
Both MBTA plans would eliminate weekend commuter rail service entirely. Weekend service cuts would leave many T riders without a way to get into Boston using public transportation. With no bus lines in this area that travel to and from the city, residents would have to either drive or stay home.
Gas prices have been steadily increasing this year. The national average was at $3.80 per gallon as of Monday, March 5, according to recent reports.
“Let’s put it this way, I can pay $20 a day to park in the city or pay the fare increase,” Harvard resident Jeff Bedell, a regular commuter to Boston, said of his limited choices.
Harvard resident Gabe Medjanis, also a regular commuter, said fare increases may not necessarily change his daily commute either.
“Whatever’s cheaper,” Medjanis said of his options of driving or riding the T.
If weekend service were to be terminated altogether, Boston sports fans may be affected the most. The Fitchburg line, stopping locally in Ayer, Littleton, and South Acton, takes riders directly to North Station, below the T.D. Garden, which hosts Bruins and Celtics games throughout the week and, many times, on weekends.
“I mean I’m not excited about [the termination of weekend services]. It’s going to be a lot harder to enjoy my time at the games knowing I’m going to have to drive all the way back home,” Harvard resident Myles Kennedy said as he waited to take the train to a Bruins game Saturday.
The Littleton station is in “zone 7” which has a current ticket price of $7.25 to get into Boston. The proposed 44.8 percent increase would have T-riders paying $10.50 a ticket. The South Acton station, in “zone 6,” would have T-riders who currently pay $6.75 a ticket, forking over $9.75 a ticket, a 44.4 percent increase.
The price of a monthly pass would increase, too. For Harvard commuters who take the Fitchburg line from Littleton to North Station in Boston, the price of a monthly pass would go up 40.4 percent from $235 to $330 under the first scenario. Under the second scenario, the increase would be 30.2 percent, to $306. All commuter rail service after 10 p.m. would be discontinued under both scenarios.
According to the proposal, seniors, disabled people, and middle and high school students will still be entitled to half-fare prices, and children under the age of 11 will still ride for free.
The next public meeting to discuss fare proposals will be held on March 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Brighton Senior Center, located at 20 Chestnut Hill Ave., in Boston.
