New Proposal Would Avoid Service Cuts on MBTA

Reading commuters fearing the potential impacts of two proposals put forth by the MBTA that would substantially raise fares and dramatically cut service, may have some new reason for optimism.

The MBTA Advisory Board, which provides public oversight of the transit authority, has presented another solution—a third plan—for dealing with the MBTA’s $161 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2013.

The new proposal comes as public outcry regarding the MBTA’s two original proposals reaches a deafening crescendo, with thousands of alarmed T riders descending on the authority’s public hearings around the Boston area to voice their anger and protest the potential gutting of the transportation network that thousands depend upon to get to and from work each day.

Under the more severe of the MBTA’s original proposals, known as Plan Two, Reading would effectively lose all its public transportation, save for the commuter rail, which, however, would no longer run on weekends and would cease operation around 10 p.m. during the week.

Adding to the furor, was a report earlier in the week by the Boston Herald showing that the MBTA hired nearly 900 new employees over the past two years, while 631 T staffers raked in more than $100,000 in salary and overtime. That’s a 20 percent increase over the number of employees who broke the $100k mark in 2010. 

Many local legislators have already expressed concern and alarm regarding the proposals, with Rep. Jim Dwyer (D-Woburn) calling them “unacceptable.”

The plan being advanced by the advisory board contains no service cuts, and the fare increase would be less than either of the MBTA’s ignominious proposals.

Here are some of highlights of the MBTA Advisory Board proposal:

• 25 percent fare hike—this represents a much less severe hit to the wallets of commuters, as the MBTA’s plans call for hikes of 35, or 43 percent
• Shift the cost of security to the State Department of Public Safety, meaning state police would handle security on the MBTA
• Shift the cost of running ferry service to MassPort
• Sell ferry and waterfront assets to MassPort
• No MBTA pay raises for fiscal year 2013 

Here are some of the more interesting ideas from the plan:

• $10 charge per year on college students in the area
• $0.50 surcharge on tickets for big events, like sporting events, concerts and theater performances
• Reinstate alcohol advertising
• Charge institutions that have a station named after them—for example, charge Harvard University for Harvard Station and the Museum of Science for Museum of Science Station. The proposal lists 18 institutions that have stations named after them and suggests it would raise $2 million from this initiative

The MBTA Advisory Board estimates that, taken together, it's proposal would find $170.6 million in savings and revenue in fiscal year 2013.

The Board also emphasized it's proposal was a short-term solution, meant to buy time while state officials craft long-term solutions to the MBTA's financial woes.