'We Had Trains On Fire': Gov. Healey Touts MBTA Repairs, Extends Some Summer Discounts

Gov. Maura Healey cited the ignominious, four-year anniversary of near-weekly system disruptions and derailments — including "trains on fire" — as she touted improved travel conditions and increased ridership on the MBTA and Commuter Rail during a news conference in Belmont on Tuesday.

Healey also announced fall discounts, which extended programs from the summer in some cases, that she said are designed to decrease congestion on the roads and make the MBTA more cost-effective for those who choose to rely on it.

One very popular program from the summer that is not continuing is the Free Fridays on the Commuter Rail that she said contributed to a 50 percent increase in Friday ridership in June. She said Free Summer Fridays will conclude as scheduled at the end of August "due to anticipated high seasonal ridership during the fall."

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"We had trains on fire, three-and-a-half years ago, four years ago," she said. "So that was the first thing, to stabilize the system. After that, it was: How do we improve access?"

She said opening new routes, getting rid of slow zones, eliminating disruptions and finding ways to get more people to use the system were the priorities following the long-deferred repairs.

"One way you do that is to make it more affordable," she said. "That's why we instituted the programs this summer. They coincided with some awesome events in Massachusetts."

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Among the summer programs that will continue are the 50 percent discount on monthly passes and the $1 companion fee on the weekends.

In addition, she said express bus service from stops including Waltham, Watertown, Brighton, Salem, Lynn, Swampscott and Burlington will be reduced to $1.70 from the current surcharge of $4.25.

That pilot will begin on Sept. 1 and continue for six months. It does not apply to the SL 1, 2, 3, and W routes.

The MBTA will also extend the window for free "transfers" to two hours — meaning those who travel on the MBTA and Commuter Rail for errands will be able to do so without having to pay a return fee as long as bus, train, or ferry entry takes place within a two-hour window.

MBTA GM Phil Eng noted that the discount will occur automatically as long as the rider uses the same form of payment — the same pay app, credit or debit card — for the re-entry.

That six-month pilot program will begin on Sept. 1.

Eng and Healey both said extended hours of operation that were in effect during World Cup games this summer are being explored on a more permanent basis. But, they noted, the logistics still need to be worked out to ensure that overnight maintenance can still be done on the tracks and that the staff can adequately fill the new required hours.

Another program planned for this fall includes free ridership for those 75 years old who no longer drive and rely on the MBTA for most transportation needs. The start of the program is to be determined and will apply to Massachusetts residents who no longer have a valid state driver's license.

Eng said that June ridership on the MBTA and Commuter Rail was 980,000 — the highest level recorded in any single month since the onset of the COVID-19 health crisis in March 2020.

He said ridership levels before that averaged between 1.1 and 1.2 million per month.