Remember the good old days when paying for a ride on the T was as simple as dropping whatever change was in your pocket into the turnstile as you walked through? Or when a busy Friday meant a free trip on the Red Line? But after a recommendation last month by the city's Transportation Finance Commission (TFC), the days of cheap T rides may be over - and then some.
If the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) follows the advice of the state panel, T fares could continue increasing by about 10 percent every three years to accommodate proposed service expansions in Somerville and parts of Boston, according to BostonNow.com. The proposal comes after a recent fare hike earlier this year when the CharlieCard system was implemented to replace tokens.
According to Economics Lecturer Anna Hardman, the MBTA has been "trying to have a pricing system closer to what they value the ride at."
Before the January 2007 increase, a one-way subway ride on the T cost $1.25. With the new plan, a one-way ride costs $2.00 per ticket, or $1.70 with a CharlieCard.
According to the Boston Globe, the TFC was appointed by the state to examine the state's transportation budget needs. The panel estimated that the state will need between $15 billion and $19 billion over the next 20 years to repair its current transportation system.
The panel's recommendations, which also included toll fare increases and cost-cutting measures for T and highway maintenance, would reportedly raise revenue by $20 billion in that time period, if enacted.
Hardman said that while she would be surprised to see another fare hike in the near future considering the last increase was so recent, she would not rule it out. According to Hardman, such a move would be more feasible than ever with the new CharlieCard system. While previously the MBTA would have had to reissue new tokens and reimburse customers for the tokens they had already given out, she said, a fare increase is now as simple as entering a number into a computer.
"With the CharlieCard, it is now much easier to change prices," she said.
James A Aloisi Jr., a member of the commission that proposed the fare increase, rationalized the raise in prices by explaining that, today, cost increases reach beyond public transportation. He told BostonNow.com that "there isn't any other commodity - a gallon of milk, a six-pack of beer, a carton of cigarettes - that hasn't gone up."
This increase in price may affect Tufts students who rely on the T to get around the Boston area, especially those without cars or bikes who have the T as their only option.
Students said they rely heavily on the T for transportation, since Tufts is just outside of walking distance from Boston, and reserved residential spots make parking nearby difficult.
"Usually, I don't have much of a choice about riding the T because I don't own a car," sophomore Whitnee Walker-Giles said.
But Walker-Giles said if future fares became prohibitively high, he would consider other options for transportation - even if they are more inconvenient.
"Sometimes I think about walking to Porter, and I might do that if the cost of the T did increase," he said. "But I think my reaction really would be, 'Oh well, what can I do?'"
Other Tufts students are not worried about the cost increase, in spite of their reliance on the T to get around.
"It would depend how much the increase was, but I think I could afford it," sophomore Alex Hidalgo said. "I own a bike, but taking the T is so much easier than trying to find my way into Boston."
Even students with cars find taking the T can be easier than driving. Despite the increase in fares, sophomore Andrea Shadick said she would continue using the T rather than her car whenever possible.
"The cost of parking in Boston far exceeds the cost of the T, so I would continue to use the T [if fares were raised] despite the cost increase," Shadick said.
Even if prices do continue to increase at the panel's recommended rate of 10 percent every three years, Boston's subway fares would remain comparable to those in other cities for some time. A 10 percent increase on the current rate would put a one-way ride at $1.87 for CharlieCard holders and $2.20 for a disposable ticket.
A one-way ride costs $2.00 in New York City and Chicago when paid with cash. Chicago riders with a transit card similar to Boston's CharlieCard can ride for $1.75. Los Angeles riders pay $1.25 per ride, while Washington D.C. riders pay between $1.35 and $3.90 based on how far they travel.
Junior Jesse Sloman said that, in comparison, Boston's T fares are far from oppressive.
"The T is still cheaper than the subway in New York, so I really don't think about the cost that much," Sloman said.
But sophomore and New Yorker Brandon Sultan said New York's subway system comes with added benefits; it runs all night, while the T stops running relatively early.
"I'm from New York City, where we have a far superior subway system," Sultan said. "If the price increases, I at least expect the T to run later."
Sultan also suggested that Tufts provide better service by helping students get into Boston.
"The onus is now on Tufts. If they use Boston as an admissions appeal, they need to make it accessible," he said. "I know there is a shuttle that goes to somewhere in Boston, but I have no idea how to use it ... I feel like I'm missing out on part of the college experience because I can't go into Boston at night."
