Deval rips T hike, vote today
By Casey Ross
Boston Herald Reporter
Thursday, November 9, 2006 - Updated: 05:53 AM EST

With the MBTA poised to vote on an unpopular fare hike today, Gov.-elect Deval Patrick is denouncing the move as a mistake that could trigger a steep drop in ridership.
“This couldn’t come at a worse time,” Patrick said yesterday. “Ridership is low and falling, the investment in quality of service has been curtailed and it’s just when we ought to be encouraging people out of their cars.”
It is unclear whether Patrick’s comments will have any impact on the vote by the T’s board of directors, which has independent authority to make decisions about the agency’s finances.
T General Manager Daniel Grabauskas said the proposed fare increase - which would hike subway rides by 45 cents, to $1.70, and bus rides by 35 cents, to $1.25 - is necessary to balance the T’s budget. “We were faced with the choice of cutting service or raising fares . . . and the board of directors and our customers made it clear we were not to cut service,” he said.
He added the vote on fares includes positive changes for riders who must use both subway and bus services every day. Currently, passengers must pay $2.15 to use both services, while under the new system it will cost $1.70.
Still, T critics say the move will have a disproportionate impact on low-income riders. Members of the T riders union are planning a protest at the board meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. today. The board could vote to institute the fare increase on Jan. 1.
Grabauskas said he wants to work with Patrick to find ways to address the T’s chronically strained finances. He said there must be legislative changes to end the T’s reliance on state sales tax revenues, which have failed to deliver funding increases.