The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) proposed fare increases and service cuts for the fourth time since 2000, at a June 4, 2009, meeting of the MBTA Board of Directors. At that same meeting, they announced a change to the public process, noting that it would be “robust” but would occur on “an expedited timeline.” The Secretary of Transportation, James Aloisi, gave no indication of what he meant by “expedited,” and transportation advocates have expressed concern that the process will not allow for a meaningful public comment period.
The fare increases and service cuts are in response to the $160 million budget shortfall the MBTA expects to face in FY10. The Senate and House budgets, currently being negotiated in conference committee, dedicate $275 million for transportation, a portion of which will go to the T. As recently as a two weeks ago, the Secretary said that if transportation was adequately funded in the FY10 budget, and the MBTA receives $160 million to address its shortfall, fare increases would not be necessary. But just seven days later, the Secretary completely changed his tune, and called fare increases and service cuts “inevitable.” Now that fare increases and service cuts are “inevitable,” then the public must be allowed an opportunity to engage in meaningful comment.
The MBTA negotiated the public process procedure in 2006, with a group of transit advocates known as the T-Riders Oversight Committee (TROC). That group painstakingly created a public process in the event of a change to MBTA fares and/or service reductions. “Secretary Aloisi and the Board of Directors cannot simply change the public process by fiat,” said Elizabeth Weyant, Staff Attorney at MASSPIRG, referring to the fact that the MBTA Board of Directors held what amounted to a kangaroo court and changed the public process without first returning to the members of TROC to negotiate a change to the process. “The public is guaranteed their right to comment, and the MBTA has the responsibility to listen to those comments and make revisions accordingly,” continued Weyant.
To date, the MBTA has not announced when public hearings will take place, or the details of the fare hikes and service cuts they are proposing. The public is being deprived of the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with EOT, even though the proposed fare hikes – potentially as high as 20% –will impose a tremendous hardship on those individuals who can least afford another fare increase.
Transportation advocates are calling on the MBTA to immediately set forth the proposals for the fare increases and service cuts, and to notify the public of the date of the public hearing at least twenty-one days before the hearings are set to occur.
“The Secretary needs to be accountable to the public,” said Weyant, “We urge him to begin the public process immediately.”
