MBTA Looks to the Obvious to Shore up Savings


MBTA Looks to the Obvious to Shore up Savings. Specifically, it’s putting a stop to the unofficial freebies on the commuter rail that it’s been so blithely allowing for its 12-ride pass riders. You know, the kind that it gives out every time the conductor doesn’t get around to punching your pass card (or more annoyingly, your neighbor’s) — the kind that’s apparently costing it $3 million dollars in completely wasted cash. And sure, that’s just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the MBTA’s debt issues, but hey: 1) every little bit counts when you’re hemorrhaging cash as badly as our public transit system and b) just imagine how much they’d save if they also cracked down on the crowds of riders who cheerfully climb on the back of the green line cars with their CharlieCards entirely unscathed? (Not that we’ve witnessed that after paying our own fare and been bitter about it, or anything.) [Boston Globe]