MBTA fares

Massachusetts residents with an income below 200% of the federal poverty level can now apply for reduced MBTA fares under a new program launching this week.

We need a low-income transit fare in Boston. However, new proposed changes to fare collection would lead us in the opposite direction — away from greater equity and towards a less accessible transportation system, harming the very riders that need it most.

In her first full day in office, newly elected Mayor Michelle Wu requested the City Council appropriate $8 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to eliminate fares on three bus lines for a two-year period.

A new poll shows at-large City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George leading in the mayoral race with support from 22% of likely voters, inching ahead of at-large Councilor Michelle Wu, who had support from 18% and acting Mayor Kim Janey, who had support from 16%.

Regional rail has changed drastically over the last year, but its fares have not. Transit Matters, a Boston-based public transit advocacy group, introduced a Regional Rail Transformation Vision in 2019 that creates an opportunity for lower fares.