That prompted the MBTA to propose raising the price of fares and passes an average of 35 percent to 43 percent while cutting numerous bus routes, scrapping ferry and weekend and late-night commuter rail service, and substantially raising discounted fares for students, seniors, and the disabled.
“I understand the difficult decisions facing the MBTA. Many administrations have simply passed the buck,’’ Menino wrote to state Secretary of Transportation Richard A. Davey, copying in the governor, Senate president, House speaker, and Boston lawmakers. “However, riders should not be forced to shoulder the entire weight of this debt.’’
Davey said he appreciated Menino’s letter and expected it, having spoken with him last week. But he said he has no expectation of receiving more money from the state.
“At this point, [we] are trying to offer solutions that are in our toolbox. Revenues from the state side do not seem to be forthcoming, in large part because there are significant budget pressures on the state as well,’’ Davey said. But Menino, he said, “knows the neighborhoods better than anyone in this city, and his perspective on how the cuts will affect our riders, our customers, and his constituents is extraordinarily valuable.’’
Menino acknowledged that riders might accept “modest fare increases’’ - the T last raised fares Jan. 1, 2007. But the mayor said he considers the proposals drastic, particularly hikes of 100 percent or more on fares for students and the elderly, and substantial changes to door-to-door service for the disabled, many of whom live on fixed incomes and rely on the MBTA to get around.
Faced with a choice between fare increases or service cuts, Menino said cuts should be avoided, given the lifeline that service represents. As an example, he cited threatened bus routes that carry hundreds daily to and from drug-treatment programs, homeless shelters, and other services on Long Island.
Meanwhile, ferries should be expanded, not cut, to encourage continued development along the waterfront from South Boston to East Boston, he wrote.
