Boston University students accustomed to free rides when traveling outbound on the Green Line at street level will be in for a change after the MBTA decided last week to cancel all free outbound rides.
The decision to discontinue free outbound service has been overshadowed by the MBTA board’s ruling to hike fares across the board. All changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2007.
“We’ve been up front about this information all along. There’s nothing to hide,” MBTA spokeswoman Lydia Rivera said of the changes last night.
While CharlieCard holders will pay $1.70 to ride the subway, travelers using CharlieTickets and cash will pay $2.00 to board the T, according to the MBTA website. These fare discrepancies for CharlieTicket and Card holders will be uniform through the subway system.
CharlieTickets are magnetically encoded paper tickets that hold a stored value. CharlieTicket machines are already installed in many underground stations.
CharlieCards — which have not been introduced yet — are similar to tickets but are reusable and allow riders to increase their value at station vending machines. According to the MBTA website, users will be able to restock the value of their cards automatically from linked credit or debit accounts.
According to Rivera, the MBTA will begin publicly distributing the CharlieCards through “an aggressive effort and outreach plan” on Dec. 4.
“We have a plan to hand them out [on Dec. 4],” Rivera said. “We have relationships with convenience stores to have [the CharlieCards] and disseminate them on site to the public.”
While T tokens may be converted into stored value on CharlieCards and Tickets, their value will be $1.25, not that of one ride.
In addition to the changes, the MBTA ruled to discontinue charging riders exit fares on the Red and Green lines, according to the MBTA website.
MBTA travelers who purchase monthly passes to travel the subway will need to buy Monthly Inner Express Passes that cover all travel on the subway and buses. These passes will cost $89, up from the $44 monthly subway pass.
Prices for students purchasing discounted monthly passes through BU for the spring semester have not yet been announced on the BU Student Link.
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