T riders: Don’t hike fares

Feb. 28-- Feb. 28--A large crowd railed against proposed MBTA fare hikes, with one state representative calling it "class warfare" and pols and members of the public saying the current state of the ride isn't worth the price.

The T is proposing to raise fares by an average of 6.3 percent. The transit agency projects the hike would raise $32 million -- and cut ridership by 1.3 percent.

"The notion of a fare hike to public transit is tantamount to class warfare," State Rep. Mike Connolly said, speaking in front of a crowded room Wednesday night. "We should be asking large businesses, we should be asking wealthy individuals to relieve that burden."

T General Manager Steve Poftak addressed the big crowd with a short presentation, touting the investments the agency has made and is planning.

"It is industry best practice to have modest increases at regular intervals," Poftak said.

Egan Millard of Weymouth called for the state to raise fees on ride-sharing services and income taxes on wealthy people.

"It may just seem like a couple of bucks to you, but it's adding insult to injury for us," Millard said. "I have lost -- at this point -- days of my life on the T that I can't get back."

Maija McManus of Boston asked the T not to raise rates, saying, "I still utilize the MBTA in spite of my lifelong experiences with it."

She wrapped up her comments with, "I have to go -- I take the T, so it's going to take me an hour to get home."

Frank Emanuele of Salem said, "When are we going to get a world-class transit system and not just something that feels like children playing with trains."

Boston transportation head Gina Fiandaca and chief of streets Chris Osgood sent a letter to Poftak that reads, "The net effect of any investment in the MBTA must be better service, not fewer riders."

This comes as Boston city councilors weigh yanking the $85 million the city contributes annually for the T, per a proposal from At-Large City Councilor Althea Garrison. Speaking to the Herald before the meeting, Councilor Michelle Wu defended the idea of threatening to cut that money while seeking better service.

"We don't have a say in the way the money is spent," Wu told the Herald before the meeting. "This is about making sure there's accountability."

Wu, who presented Poftak with a petition featuring 2,700 signatures, said the state should take other approaches to raise T funds, including congestion pricing and raising the gas tax.

She continued to advocate for the T instead to simply be free to ride, saying, "Imagine a world in which the 28 Bus were free to residents."

The fare increase was not popular with the members of the about 50 members of the public who showed up to speak.

Leo Edwards of Boston said of the proposed hike, "No, sir. It's unfair. The minority community are the ones who are really going to suffer from this."

Reginald Clark of Boston said, "If you raise the fares on poor people who can't afford it, that's not going to do any good -- that's going to make it worse."

State Rep. Tommy Vitolo of Brookline compared this to a different T -- Arizona Iced Tea, which he said has remained the same price for decades.

"If you don't improve the quality of the tea, you don't raise the price of the tea," Vitolo quipped.

T oversight board vice chair Monica Tibbits-Nutt attended the meeting, sitting next to Poftak, and told the Herald afterward that she, one of the five people who ultimately will vote on the hike, hasn't made up her mind.

"These are valid concerns," Tibbits-Nutt said.

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