BOSTON (WHDH) - After a month that saw a Red Line derailment, a Green Line derailment, and an electrical fire on the tracks of the Blue Line, the MBTA is now poised to raise fares.
Come Monday, Charlie Card subway fares will be hiked from $2.25 per ride to $2.40. Monthly link passes are going from $84.50 to $90. Seven-day link passes are going from $21.25 to $22.50. Bus passes will remain at $1.70.
With the increases coming on the heels of a problematic June, some commuters say the MBTA is just not worth the frustration and headache.
“I was literally sitting at Broadway for 20 minutes,” Avery Cherrie, of Dorchester, told 7NEWS. “It takes too long. There’s always something going on with the T. It’s not worth it.”
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu says the ongoing string of woes that plague the MBTA is having an effect on the already congested highways that run in and out of the city.
“More and more people are feeling fed up, frustrated, jumping into cars, and then making traffic even worse,” she said.
Wu, who has called for the MBTA to be free, is organizing a protest of the fare hikes. She says it’s time for sweeping changes and a new conversation around public transportation.
“We have to talk about electrifying trains and moving to regional rail, where we can serve people faster, not just on a strict nine-to-five schedule because that’s not working for people anymore,” she said.
Monday’s price hike will mark the fourth since 2012.
Gov. Charlie Baker has filed a bill that would infuse $50 million into the MBTA to speed up construction projects by bringing in additional workers.
Baker said other steps include scheduling more aggressive evening and weekend closures to help speed improvements and increasing the frequency of inspections to help catch and fix problems before they slow down service.
Some commuters are wondering if Baker’s bill will be enough.
“Honestly, I’m better off walking with my kids,” commuter Abriana Grullon said.
The MBTA is currently in the middle of a five-year, $8 billion capital investment program.
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