By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff
Medford legislators want to hear from city residents about service cuts and fare hikes proposed by the MBTA to close a $161 million budget gap at the state transit agency.
A public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Medford City Hall. MBTA officials have said a combination of service hikes and fare hikes are necessary to close the multimillion dollar deficit for fiscal 2013, which starts July 1.
Changes proposed for Medford include eliminating bus routes, including the 100 and 325, and increasing parking fees at the Wellington Orange Line station, either to $7 or $7.50 per day, from the current $5.50 per day, according to an outline of proposals from the MBTA.
The cost to ride the Orange Line would increase $3 per trip, compared to the current cost of $2. Commuter rail service from West Medford to North Station would increase either to $2.25 or $2.40 per ride, from the current price of $1.70, according to the outline.
State Representatives Paul J. Donato and Carl M. Sciortino Jr., both Democrats from Medford, Sean Garballey, an Arlington Democrat and state Senator Patricia D. Jehlen, a Democrat from Somerville, have planned the informational meeting.
"We want the input of citizens as regards to these cuts," Donato said in an interview "They're proposing major cuts to certain buses that would have a major impact on people's access to hospitals and other areas, particularly in north Medford. If they eliminate [bus route] 100 or 325, that would have a significant impact on that area."
The meeting has been planned in advance of a meeting on Feb. 9 of the Legislature's MBTA caucus, a 30-member group that includes Medford legislators. Top MBTA officials, including Acting General Manager Jonathan R. Davis of Medford, will be present at the caucus meeting, Donato said.
"We're attempting to get the input of the ridership, so that we can bring their concerns to T leadership," Donato said. "We want to be well-informed, so that we know what these service cuts mean to the ridership."
Separately, the MBTA has scheduled a public meeting for Feb. 16, from 6 p.m to 8 p.m., at Malden Government Center for people around the region to weigh in on the proposed fare and service changes. For more information, visit www.mbta.com.
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe.
