MBTA fares could rise as much as 43 percent; ferry, bus, commuter rail cuts also eyed

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Ready to shell out more for that MBTA ride?

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation today unveiled two scenarios for fare increases and service cuts on the MBTA public transit system, saying they were needed to close a yawning budget gap.

Under one scenario, fares overall would increase by 43 percent, while under the other, they would increase by 35 percent.

Under both scenarios, MBTA ferries would be eliminated, commuter rail weekend service would be eliminated and nighttime service would end at 10 p.m., and weekend service on the Mattapan Line as well as the E branch of the Green Line would be eliminated.

But in the second scenario, a larger number of bus routes would be cut, generating savings that would enable the smaller fare increase.

“While the MBTA continues to identify and adopt strict measures to close the budget gap, less costly ways of doing business and additional revenue-generating measures are necessary,” Transportation Secretary Richard A. Davey said in a statement.

Officials said they would host more than 20 public hearings over the next several months to get users engaged in the process.

Under the first scenario, the cost of bus CharlieCards would rise from $1.25 to $1.75, while rapid transit CharlieCards would rise from $1.70 to $2.40. Parking fees would increase 28 percent.

Under the second scenario, bus Charlie Cards would rise from $1.25 to $1.50, while rapid transit CharlieCards would rise from $1.70 to $2.25. Parking fees would increase 20 percent.

Both scenarios also call for increases in commuter rail fares, with prices rising 43 percent in the first scenario and 35 percent in the second, according to materials released by the state.

The news that the ferry service might be eliminated was a disappointment to some commuter boat riders today.

Ryan Zdanis of Hingham, who takes the ferry to work every day, said he would be impacted “big-time. I’m not sure what I would do, because I’d have to drive in. Where I live, it’s much easier to walk a mile to get to the ferry than anything else. I live right there.”

“I look foward to an open and transparent public process that will lead to recommendations on how we can continue to satisfy demand while addressing the T’s financial crisis,” Acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis said in a statement.

Globe correspondent Jessica Bartlett contributed to this report.