The MBTA announced that it is expanding access to reduced fares for income-eligible riders beginning Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
The online application is can be completed in English, Spanish, Portuguese, simplified Chinese, Haitian-Creole, or Vietnamese. The launch will also include the availability of in-person support at five locations around the MBTA service area in partnership with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) and the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) network. An additional 31 locations will become available for service over fall 2024. Following input from critical stakeholder groups, a pool of “early adopters” of the program will be able to apply online beginning Tuesday, August 20, 2024. More information is available at mbta.com/income-eligible.
Riders with low income will be able to apply in multiple languages online at mbta.com/income-eligible and at five in-person locations provided by ABCD and MASSCAP around the MBTA service area. Program participants can demonstrate eligibility via existing enrollment in programs with a cutoff of 200% of the federal poverty level (or lower), including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Transitional Assistance for Families and Dependent Children (TAFDC), Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled & Children (EAEDC), MassHealth CarePlus, MassHealth Family Assistance, MassHealth Limited, MassHealth Standard, and MASSGrant.
As part of the program launch on September 4, RIDE customers enrolled in the Senior or income-eligible reduced fare programs will also be able to use an online form to link their reduced fare eligibility to their RIDE accounts and receive a discounted rate on Standard or Premium RIDE trips. Additionally, young people with low income already enrolled in the Youth Pass will be guided to enroll in the new program beginning on September 4 with the Youth Pass program discontinued on October 31.
According to prior research, riders with low income are expected to take 30% more trips with a reduced fare, significantly increasing mobility while saving on transportation costs. More than 60,000 riders are expected to qualify for and enroll in the program, which is expected to result in up to 8 million more trips per year.
The initiative is thanks to the collaboration of multiple partners across the Commonwealth with the MBTA, including the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) in allowing riders to demonstrate eligibility through existing EOHHS programs; the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in allowing riders to offer proof of identity through an RMV ID; ABCD and the MASSCAP Network in providing in-person support; and Omicron Technology Solutions in providing additional application reviews.