I can't believe I agree with Mayah Mumbles on something, on anything!
Time to get out the heavy winter coat because clearly hell hath frozen over!
Today the MBTA decide that they are going to raise the fares on the public transportation system. Extra! Extra! Read all about it here.
A trip on the subway was $1.25, but will be $1.75
A trip on the bus was $.90, but will be $1.25
Now that is a really f*cking BAD IDEA.
It is estimated that 1.1 million people use the T each weekday.
The population of Boston is estimated to be 560,000 which would be like everyone in Boston using the T every week day twice a day.
The MBTA claims that the fare hikes will drive away about 16.5 million riders a year, about 1,375,000 people per month, or 68,750 people a day.
Seems like a droplet in the bucket.
But the part where I agree with Mumbles Menino is the part where he claims such a dramatic increase would impact those who can least afford it.
Face it, the people who can afford a car can and mostly do drive to work.
Just try driving in or out of Boston around rush-hour where it feels like the volume of cars has doubled in the past ten years.
But most of those 1.1 million are people who can't afford to own a car. The insurance alone is pricey - the Flapjack (a 13 year old beater) has the most minimal insurance available and that runs about $1200 a year.
It just doesn't make sense in the real world. Perhaps if they got rid of all the cushy middle management/patronage jobs, they wouldn't have to put the squeeze on the last of the T faithful.
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