City councillors want hearing on withholding payments to MBTA

As debate continues over the MBTA's proposed fare hikes, Boston city councillors want to hold a hearing about withholding the $85 million the city pays to the agency each year to protest the state of service.

Councillor Althea Garrison filed the measure at Wednesday's meeting calling for a hearing. No action is imminent, but Garrison said she wanted to "put pressure on the MBTA to fix service and buses" before costs increase this summer.

"The service is lousy and it's worse now than it's ever been," Garrison said in an interview. "They constantly want money, but they don't give good service."

Eight of the 13 council members signed on to Garrison's proposal, and the measure was referred to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation. Despite that support, though, no hearing date was set.

City Councillor Michelle Wu, who in recent weeks has been collecting signatures on a petition opposing the proposed fare increases, filed a similar piece of legislation last year. That measure was also referred to the council's transportation committee, but did not come up for a vote.

The logistics of Garrison's proposal to withhold funding are unclear. Cities and towns that are required to support the MBTA do not send money to the agency directly — rather, the amount they owe is subtracted from local aid paid by the state.

But Garrison said she wants to send a message that service has been insufficient, particularly for lower-income areas of the city.

"The only response is you withhold the money," she said. "They will respond if the city of Boston withholds the money, or if even half of that is withheld, they'll respond. They're not even accountable to anyone. They should be accountable to people who ride the T, but they're not."

Transit leaders argue the proposed fare hikes, the first in three years, are necessary to help improve service. The agency had been in dire financial straits, posting deficits for a decade until achieving a balanced budget in 2018.

"Before the 2016 fare increase, money from fare hikes went only to cover uncontrolled increases in expenses, not to improve service," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in a statement. "Now, because of progress to transform the MBTA, additional revenue from riders — as well as from taxpayers — can be invested in both assets and service improvements."

According to Wu, who is gathering signatures on an anti-fare hike petition, the fare hike, if approved, would boost fares 41 percent above 2012 levels.


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