BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The anticipated MBTA fare hike kicked in on Monday. Fares on the subway and commuter rail lines saw an average of a 6 percent increase.
Many riders and officials are unhappy with the increase.
“It makes no sense that we’re getting charged a f***ing fare increase and they’re not doing s**t about it,” one rider said.
However, some riders said that the fare increase was necessary.
“Need more transportation to get in and out, so I think that they need to do it,” another rider said.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has been against the hike. He tweeted Monday that “Boston needs a seat on the [MBTA] Board to fight for Boston residents to finally have public transit that gets them where they need to go, when they need to get there — a service that they are already paying for and that they deserve.”
Walsh told WBZ NewsRadio's Nichole Davis on Monday that the MBTA fare hikes are "unacceptable."
"Boston pays roughly $80 million a year to the MBTA for service. We’re the largest individual costumer, if you will. We have about a million people coming to Boston every day, going to work. Tourists from all over the world come to our city," Walsh said. "We can't have a first-class city and the worst transportation system in the country."
Boston City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu has been leading the charge against the fare hiked with the #UnfairHikes Action. Wu and other officials went to MBTA stations Monday to talk to riders about the increase.
Among the officials participating in the #UnfairHikes Action was Boston City Councilors Lydia Edwards and Ed Flynn.
A protest — the Boston T Party rally — was held at the Park Street on Sunday. Wu and Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone were in attendance.
On top of the hikes, some riders reported long lines at a couple MBTA stations due to problems with ticketing machines.
One rider said they had to wait at least 10 minutes at the Davis Square station due to broken kiosks.
(Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio)
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WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports