MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom

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MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by Gold_12TH on Thu Mar 29 14:28:04 2012 edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Municipal leaders Wednesday expressed relief that most MBTA bus lines will survive this year's budget process, in which transportation planners must fill a $160 million budget gap. Although service cuts are off the table for now in most cities and towns, T riders can expect a roughly 23 percent fare hike come July 1, when the cost of a bus ride increases a quarter to $1.50, and for subway riders jumps to $2, up from $1.70. Still, news of the T management's plan was welcome in Malden, where four key bus lines could have faced elimination. "We've cleared a big hurdle today," said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. "I think we're out of the woods here." However, one bus route that touches Malden that will be eliminated -- the 710 -- is operated by private contractor Joseph's Transportation, and runs mostly in Medford, serving customers between Wellington Station, the Meadow Glen Mall, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, and north Medford. The other local line set to get the ax is the 355, which runs between Woburn, Medford Square, and Downtown Boston. The MBTA said riders should look to use commuter rail service to replace the bus. A call seeking comment from Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn was not immediately returned. Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said he was pleased that middle- lower-income families in the city will not have to suffer the service cuts, lauding MBTA CEO Richard Davey's work under difficult circumstances. But the plan is only a temporary fix, Curtatone said. "We have to have a greater and much larger discussion in this Commonwealth about the future of our entire transportation system," Curtatone said. "We're not going to get there by kicking this issue down the road year by year." The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which helps communities around Boston with transportation and land-use issues, applauded the T for limiting service cuts, but lamented the "very steep" fare increases that will drive commuters to other forms of transit. "The 23 percent fare increase proposed today is still a significant increase," said MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen, in a statement. "It will cut daily ridership by over 5 percent at a time when we should be encouraging more people to use public transit." Draisen also was critical of the decision to double the fare for users of The Ride, which provides door-to-door service for disabled and senior residents. One trip will now cost $4, up from $2. "Now is the time that the MBTA should be trying to grow ridership, but this level of fare increase will permanently force people off the system," said Kristina Egan, Executive Director of Transportation For Massachusetts, in a statement. "Once fares go up, they never come down. People who use the T shouldn’t be forced to shoulder the burden of such steep fare increases. Today’s deficit is not of their making." ---http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-28/yourtown/31250675_1_fare-increases-service-cuts-bus-lines
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RailBus63* on Thu Mar 29 20:24:33 2012, in response to MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by Gold_12TH on Thu Mar 29 14:28:04 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The 48 is the last vestige of the MBTA's Minibus program of the 1970's and is within walking distance of the Orange Line and various bus routes. The 355 is duplicated along most of its route by the 354 and route 500 riders can take the Green Line. The 710 is operated by a private firm and subsidized by the MBTA - it must be a real dog if it's the only one of the private bus program routes being cut.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by Train2104* on Thu Mar 29 21:53:48 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Thu Mar 29 20:24:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Eliminated times/routes and alternatives 710 only has 2 passengers/trip.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by JAzumah* on Fri Mar 30 01:03:30 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Thu Mar 29 20:24:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Was the 500 a formerly private route?
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by Q46 LTD Glen Oaks* on Fri Mar 30 06:17:20 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by JAzumah on Fri Mar 30 01:03:30 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d No, just a regular MBTA express route, Its basically a super-express variant of the 555 stopping only at Riverside and Downtown. They could easily just replace the 500 runs with the 555. The 37/38 cut is a bad move, it leaves Faulkner Hospital without a route, even if it's just on Sundays.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel* on Fri Mar 30 08:35:56 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Thu Mar 29 20:24:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The 355 is duplicated along most of its route by the 354 And by commuter rail. I'm happy that Mishawum is getting more service to replace the 355.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RailBus63* on Fri Mar 30 09:00:09 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Mar 30 08:35:56 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Terminating the 355 at Mishawum never made any sense to me, with the commuter rail having a stop there. The route would seem to have been more useful for reverse-commuting purposes if it had continued up Commerce Way to the Anderson RTC instead.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel* on Fri Mar 30 09:35:10 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Fri Mar 30 09:00:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Terminating the 355 at Mishawum never made any sense to me, with the commuter rail having a stop there. The route would seem to have been more useful for reverse-commuting purposes if it had continued up Commerce Way to the Anderson RTC instead. Or extending it to the TradeCenter at Route 38. It's a 50 minute ride from the Winchester station on the 134. It would be nice if something served Anderson besides Logan Express.
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(258027)	view threaded
Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RailBus63* on Fri Mar 30 12:49:36 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Mar 30 09:35:10 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I wonder what local transit in Boston's suburbs would look like if the Eastern Mass. system had survived another six or eight years and not been bought by the MBTA. I could see North Shore and South Shore RTA's being formed - maybe they would have shown much more interest in expanding transit service in those areas than the MBTA traditionally has, similar to the way that the various operators in Washington DC's suburbs have grown.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by Scrabbleship* on Fri Mar 30 18:32:40 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by Train2104 on Thu Mar 29 21:53:48 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d If bus routes could have incriminating pictures of people, the 468 between Salem Depot and Danvers would probably have tons. Least-ridden MBTA bus route (14 passengers/day) and it gets spared). From personal experience, most 436 passengers are going from Lynn to the malls and I've seen 245 buses on extended layovers at Mattapan start their route empty.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RailBus63* on Fri Mar 30 19:40:19 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by JAzumah on Fri Mar 30 01:03:30 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d No, it's always been an MBTA route (it was numbered 300 until 1996). I believe the original purpose was to give patrons of the Riverside park & ride who were heading to Boston's financial district a faster and more direct ride. It was a far heavier route at one time - I checked some of my old T schedules in 1990, route 300 had 18 inbound trips leaving Riverside each weekday between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and 13 outbound trips departing Federal and Franklin Streets in downtown Boston between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. (compare this to a total of 3 inbound a.m. trips and 4 outbound p.m. trips in the current schedule).
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by RailBus63* on Fri Mar 30 19:45:04 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by Scrabbleship on Fri Mar 30 18:32:40 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Route 468 is just run as a variation of route 465, and both are interlined with route 451.
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(258056)	view threaded
Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by Scrabbleship* on Fri Mar 30 20:39:46 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Fri Mar 30 12:49:36 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Had Doomsday gone through, I wouldn't have been shocked to see such things form at this point.
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Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom
Posted by JAzumah* on Sat Mar 31 00:12:17 2012, in response to Re: MBTA plan staves off cuts to service, but fare hikes loom, posted by RailBus63 on Fri Mar 30 19:40:19 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I guess the T moved the customers to the Green Line because it is cheaper.
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