MBTA Fare Hike Hits Your Local HR Department, Later Your Wallet

Bostonist has gotten countless emails from our local HR department and forwards from friends whose benefits specialists have issued missives regarding the changes in the fare structure and how it will affect your monthly pre-tax transit order. The basic fact of the matter is that those $44 T passes are on the way out. The December monthly pass will be the last time a monthly subway-only pass is issued. In January the LinkPass – which serves the same purpose a monthly combo and combo plus pass now serves, will be the only option for subway riders. The monthly purchase cost will rise $15 for those subway only purchasers, but drop $12 or $20 for the combo pass holders. If you can get it through work benefits it's likely pre-tax, the savings or increase will only be a percentage of that amount in paycheck dollars.

Sure, we live in Boston and we don't like change. It scares us most of the time. Sometimes it just makes us angry. In a way it's what we've come to know and love about the MBTA system – frustration and anger. Where would a commute be without it? Sure, we like the CharlieTicket system about as much as the next person, and find it hilariously ironic that it's named after a guy who was stuck on the Green Line because he didn't have exit fare for his stop in JP. Reportedly the first week of December will see the CharlieCard's appearance on the scene. The plastic rechargeable card (why didn't they release this in the beginning) will allow riders to simply tap that odd black square on the new automated fare collection machines on busses and subway terminals – the gates may not open any faster in subway stations but you also won't have to wait for your pass to be spit back out at you. We've got our fingers crossed that this is the step that will make the new system faster.

Of course the new fare hike will most likely baffle occasional users of the T system as the fare increase will change both the going rate of the bus and the subway. It also adds a surcharge for people paying in cash or using the CharlieTicket – but if you recharge your CharlieCard the discount applies. Hopefully the CharlieTicket litter will be reduced when the plastic cards are released. We'll tuck it into our billfold next to the CVS card and Stop and Shop card hoping for the day when the T releases the handy keychain version (like our grocery and pharmacy have). Despite the optimism we have for the release of the long promised CharlieCard, which will be free to pick up initially, has a life of only about 5 years – about the same as a turnpike transponder. That's what makes us nervous. In 5 years what is the T going to charge us to replace the CharlieCard we've faithfully been recharging with more money?

Photo from Flickr user redjar with added red circle and arrow to show you where you'll have to tap that CharlieCard - if you get one