MBTA takes a new track with latest policies
- Olivia McKenley
- 59 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Green Line’s new rules.
By Olivia McKenley
A rite of passage for every BU student is taking a step on the T. The Green Line norm involves a train packed to the brim with bodies, passengers prodding and shoving, or having to watch from the platform as your mocking train goes express.
Even so, there’s one thing BU students can always guarantee from the T: accessibility.
The train runs through the heart of BU, delivering students to every major campus hub. Not to mention, cost has never been a worry. The unspoken ritual of slinking on through the back doors has eased the cost burden facing college students in a major city.
New Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) policies, however, seek to enforce new rituals on the Green Line and other lines alike.
The MBTA has recently implemented a new fare check policy, making the way students take the T a whole lot different.
The policy—ensuring passengers pay the $2.40 fare before traveling—went into effect on Sept 8.
The underlying issue calling for the change concerns revenue loss.
Inspector General Robert Shapiro of the Office of the Inspector General of Massachusetts wrote in an email to MBTA CEO Philip Eng that fare checks are an “obligation.”
“Fare collection is part of the MBTA’s fiduciary obligation to its funders and the public whom it serves,” he states. “I firmly believe the MBTA has an obligation to collect fares and treat every public dollar as you would treat $1 million.”
The MBTA’s fare check plan was designed specifically to target above-ground stations—many of which are situated up and down BU’s campus on Branch B of the Green Line.
According to the MBTA’s website, staff dressed in “blue polo shirts with the yellow Fare Engagement logo” will be responsible for surveying stations.
If a passenger is observed not paying, staff will ask for ID and either issue a warning or citation, depending on circumstances.
As of yet, the new fare check policy seems to be at a standstill. MBTA fare check staff have not been seen at BU’s above-ground stations—despite the policy being operational for over two months.
This circumstance gives rise to questions about the policy’s leniency and when it will go into effect at BU.
While the recent fare checks are not entirely unexpected, the policies will certainly cause a change in pace for students.
The T, despite its dramas, has become a constant in the daily routines of BU students and faculty. It will now be up to each individual of the BU community to decide if the mandatory $2.40 fare is worth the ride.