MBTA Fare Changes Provide Opportunities for Students

BOSTON - March 15, 2016 - The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board's recent fare change vote means expanded opportunities for students to take advantage of the region's transit system for commutes to school, summer jobs and internships. The fare changes take effect July 1.

During a series of public hearings held by the MBTA, input was gathered from schools, parents and students about potential fare changes for commutes to school and extracurricular opportunities such as after-school jobs and internships. The FMCB acted to make it easier for students to get a monthly pass and expanding opportunities for their use.

The Changes Include:

Bulk discount for schools purchasing more than 1,000 passes a month.
Pilot allowing students to purchase the monthly pass on fare vending machines for the 2016-17 school year
Student Pass at $30 (12 months)

Under the current program, a student pass is only available through participating schools, not on fare vending machines, and only valid for 10 months out of the year.

Under the pilot program, schools would continue to verify eligibility and would agree to control distribution to prevent inappropriate use. The program would ensure that schools and the T can work together to reduce the risk of fraud or other misuse of the student cards.

Malden Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David DeRuosi said it would be of great help for his students, who rely on the T.

"I do believe that it's a good thing for our students on a number of fronts. We have a very healthy dual- enrollment program with Bunker Hill (College), which would help us get students on campus to really help further the college experience," said DeRuosi. "Also, many of our students rely on public transit for employment purposes."

Scenarios Showing How Students Would Benefit:

Grace attends Boston Public Schools. Because she lives more than two miles from her school, she gets a Student Pass from her school, but only during the school year.She can now buy the pass during the summer, saving her significant money as she uses the T to go to her summer job and activities.
Joaquin attends Boston Public Schools but lives just under 2 miles from his school, meaning he does not have access to a Student Pass.
Rather than paying per trip -which can cost more than $40 per month just for school trips -he can now buy the pass to take the MBTA to school, summer jobs, and extracurricular activities for $30 per month of roughly $1 per day.
Yu attends Malden High School. Her school doesn't offer the Student Pass.
She can now buy the pass through a fare vending machine to take the MBTA to school, summer jobs, and extracurricular activities.