Call to Action: MBTA Low-Income Fares Must Include RIDE "Premium" Service
The MBTA is making plans to implement a low-income fares program that would cut the MBTA’s RIDE paratransit fare prices by 50%. However, RIDE Premium fares will stay the same. [i]
People will be eligible for the low-income fare program if they are already in fare discount programs with incomes that are at or less than 200% of the federal poverty line. [ii]
Currently, if a RIDE user’s trip start point and/or destination is more than ¾ miles from MBTA bus or subway service, then the RIDE user has to pay a RIDE Premium service rate of $5.60 per trip .[iii]
In the past, MBTA officials have stated they were concerned that if people with disabilities are no longer limited by fare prices, they would travel more with paratransit and this increase in users could make providing such paratransit services much more expensive for the MBTA. [iv]
Efforts are being made at the federal level to promote people with disabilities involvement in fare free public transportation.
In April, 2023, Senator Ed Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act that provides support and funding for states to create or expand fare free programs. [v]
Part of this legislation calls for entities to consult with transportation and disability advocates when applying grants funded by this legislation to establish more fare-free public transportation services. [vi]
What can YOU do to help ensure the low-income fares program is expanded further?
Email the MBTA and attend listening sessions held by the MBTA about the low income fares program to voice your opinion about how the Program should include RIDE Premium Service users. Listening sessions are scheduled from 2/1-2/15/24. More information can be found here.
Actively participate in meetings held by transportation advocacy groups. To learn more about groups that meet to improve public transportation in MA, click here.
Stay updated on transportation and other disability advocacy issues by signing up for the Disability Policy Consortium weekly newsletter and the Boston Center for Independent Living’s email list.
Contact Sen. Markey and Rep. Pressley’s offices and thank them for reintroducing the Freedom to Move Act and express your support for its passage. For advice about what to say to legislators when you call them about legislation, click here.
For more information on this topic, contact Maggie Sheets at msheets@dpcma.org.
[i] Beltrán B (2024). MBTA proposes expanding reduced fare program for low-income riders. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mbta-proposes-expanding-reduced-fare-program-for-low-income-riders/3259204/.
[ii] Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (2024). Making transit more affordable: MBTA proposes Low-Income Fare Program to benefit riders in 170+. communities, public comment now open. https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-01-25/making-transit-more-affordable-mbta-proposes-low-income-fare-program-benefit-riders.
[iii] MBTA (2022). Guide to The RIDE service. https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-09/09-22-2022-ride-guide.pdf.
[iv] Phineas Baxandall (2021). The dollars & sense of free buses. https://massbudget.org/2021/03/24/the-dollars-sense-of-free-buses/.
[v] Ed Markey (2023). Sen. Markey and Rep. Pressley announce reintroduction of Fare Free Transit Legislation, Freedom to Move Act. https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-markey-and-rep-pressley-announce-reintroduction-of-fare-free-transit-legislation-freedom-to-move-act.
[vi] US Senate (2023). A bill To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a grant program to support efforts to provide fare-free transit service, and for other purpose. https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/freedom_to_move_act_-_118th_congress_-_042423pdf.pdf.
