Railroad Forums 

  • 2016 Fare Increase discussion

  • Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.

Moderators: sery2831, CRail

 #1376708  by dbperry
 
BandA wrote:Fares should increase at the rate that the MBTA's costs increase, which is at least 5% a year.
http://commonwealthmagazine.org/transpo ... -expenses/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
TOP MBTA OFFICIALS are forecasting that operating expenses at the transit authority will grow by less than 1 percent this fiscal year, the lowest rate of increase in at least 15 years.
Operating expenses at the T have been increasing 5 percent a year on average over the last 15 years, but officials say they expect to hold the line this fiscal year, with either no increase or only a minor increase.
A lot depends on how you define 'costs.' Are 'costs' operating expenses? Debt service? Pension costs?
 #1377669  by BandA
 
Personnel costs, including pensions and medical insurance would be their highest costs. Medical insurance has been increasing >5% annually most years. MBTA pension plan is apparently undercapitalized and supposedly underperforming and is putting roadblocks on public disclosure. Anyone know what pay raises are in the union contracts?
 #1388215  by ohalloranchris
 
With the new fares, the MBTA is doing away with the paper based Commuter Rail ten ride tickets July 1st.

I purchase those through Wageworks (employer benefit, pretax deduction from payroll), and they are mailed to me every month. Wageworks now says that will end. Anyone have any idea if the T has a plan to address this? As of now, I can only purchase a full monthly pass through Wageworks. However, that doesn't work for me, I only ride 3-4 days per week, and it's a one seat ride each way.
 #1388290  by dm1120
 
ohalloranchris wrote:With the new fares, the MBTA is doing away with the paper based Commuter Rail ten ride tickets July 1st.

I purchase those through Wageworks (employer benefit, pretax deduction from payroll), and they are mailed to me every month. Wageworks now says that will end. Anyone have any idea if the T has a plan to address this? As of now, I can only purchase a full monthly pass through Wageworks. However, that doesn't work for me, I only ride 3-4 days per week, and it's a one seat ride each way.
Does your employer offer a subsidy on the pass? If so the pass is still a better deal than the 10 ride rickets.

If not I'd see if wage works offers a reimbursement system where you buy the 10 ride ticket and submit a receipt.
 #1388312  by deathtopumpkins
 
Wage Works should have the option to mail you a prepaid debit card that you could then use to buy them. I did that for a while.
 #1388956  by Disney Guy
 
"The state saddled the MBTA with this debt and has forced it to devote an increasingly larger percentage of the authority's operating revenue to pay it off."

" MBTA pension plan is apparently undercapitalized and supposedly underperforming."

Is there an intrinsic difference between paying more towards the Big Dig debt and less towards funding pensions versus not paying towards Big Dig debt and putting more into the pension fund?

When the chickens come home to roost regarding pensions, I kind of think that the state as a whole will be bailing that out rather than riders making up all of the difference via extra large fare increases. This is particularly given increased needs for transit in areas such as the Seaport area just south of downtown.

Hmmmm. Was the expanded upper busway now being built at Forest Hills originally in the master plan back in the 1980's and only now being built because additional state funds to rebuild the Casey Overpass were being allocated to "finish Forest Hills" with under the guise of "replace the #39 bus platform to be taken for road improvements"?