Transportation officials may make a decision Wednesday on whether to offer refunds to riders for poor service in February at a 1 p.m. meeting of the MassDOT board of directors.
The MBTA doesn't usually offer refunds because of service problems — but February wasn't a usual month. Cancellations and delays mounted as snowstorms pounded the city. For weeks, passengers endured bitter cold while waiting for service that arrived late or not at all.
After all that, some lawmakers said riders deserve a goodwill gesture in the form of refunds. And Gov. Charlie Baker said that might be a good idea. But refunds would drain resources from a financially-troubled MBTA that needs billions of dollars in repairs and upgrades. It's estimated that a free fare week would cost $6 million in lost revenue. Some officials and MBTA riders say that money would be better spent on improving the system.
