Low-income MBTA riders will be able to apply for reduced fares starting Sept. 4, and in the two days since the agency introduced the program to a select group, dozens have already signed up.
T is preparing to introduce a long-awaited fare option and is initially inviting several thousand passengers of the existing Youth Pass to apply online for the newer version.
Since the first wave of invitations was sent out on Tuesday, 150 riders have signed up for the new income-based discount program, Steven Povich, MBTA director of fare policy and analysis, said Thursday.
The fare policy approved in March would charge half the price of the T-Bahn for riders earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is about $30,120 a year for a single person and $62,400 for a family of four in 2024.
To qualify, drivers must be Massachusetts residents with government-issued identification between the ages of 18 and 64. They must also be enrolled in a government assistance program, such as health insurance, food assistance, or cash assistance programs such as MassHealth Standard, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC).
Applicants can opt for “automatic verification,” which confirms their eligibility based on their identity, or they can manually upload an ID and proof of participation in an eligible government assistance program. Once verified, the T will mail participants a CharlieCard with reduced fare.
The T currently offers discounts to select groups, including seniors and young people. But before the new program was introduced, there were few options for low-income people between the ages of 18 and 64.
After the Sept. 4 launch, the T will operate five local locations that offer assistance to riders who don’t want to apply for discounted fares online, Povich said. As the program grows, officials will expand the offering to three dozen locations in eastern Massachusetts.
“We are particularly excited about the S-Bahn network because we know that this is where fares are the highest and that half fares will have a particularly positive impact on low-income passengers,” said Povich.
MBTA officials estimate that more than 60,000 train, bus and ferry passengers will use the new fare option once it is fully implemented, as well as 28,000 more using the RIDE paramedical service. They expect the program to cost about $25 million in fiscal year 2025, rising to $52 million to $62 million annually once fully implemented.
The 2025 state budget, which Governor Maura Healey signed last month, allocates $20 million to the T to cover some of those costs.
(Copyright (c) 2024 State House News Service.
