Now for the interesting thing the RTA discovered:

(These numbers are from memory and probably not exact, but generally the gist of it.)

The #Worcester RTA was collecting about $7M in fares pre-COVID. So it was assumed we'd need to come up with an annual $7M budget increase to keep the system free.

But.

#WorcPoli #MAPoli #Transit #Bus #UrbanTransit #PublicTransit #MBTA

Turns out,

-Maintaining fareboxes and farecard machines (owned by a notoriously unreliable and uncooperative third party, natch)
-Validating and issuing reduced fare cards for elderly, disabled, and low income riders
-Collecting, depositing, and accounting for cash fares
-Customer service and refunds for farecard failures

*COST* the RTA about $4M a year.

So really, to make the system free only cost $3M a year, not $7M.

#Worcester #MAPoli #Transit #MBTA #Bus #UrbanTransit

So now when I see the #MBTA talking about their "ring of steel" plan and their "next generation #CharlieCard" plan, I have to ask... why are they bothering?

#MAPoli #Boston #Worcester #Transit #UrbanTransit

It seems at least possible that it would be cheaper to just make the #MBTA free than to invest hundreds of millions into a new generation of turnstiles, fareboxes, vending machines, and cash collection... not to mention transit cops to pursue "fare evasion".

Has anyone done this analysis? If not, why not?

#Boston #Worcester #MAPoli #Transit #Subway #Bus #UrbanTransit #Equity

@andthisismrspeacock

Page 7 of this: https://mbtaadvisoryboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FY25MBTAOpsBud-FINAL06-06-24.pdf

has the graph.

TLDR: MBTA used to recover 42% of costs as fees. It dipped to 10% and is now back up to 15%.

Or, if you prefer: dropping all costs to riders would add $376MM to the tax subsidy needed (but less than that, because the fare infrastructure costs would drop to zero).

However, however: all of this assumes that the MBTA is a service which ought to pay for itself, rather than a major contributor to the economy of the state. Which is what it is.

@dashdsrdash THANK YOU! I knew it must be out there somewhere but I was looking at the state not at the advisory board.

And I have sooooooo much to say about the argument about farebox recovery of costs, most of which starts with me explaining the ECON 104 concept of a "public good" like I'm John Maynard Keynes on a whole lot of coke.