The MBTA on Tuesday launched two new programs aimed at reducing costs and helping riders.
The first allows unlimited transfers to commuters within a two-hour period, if riders pay only the highest fair.
The second involves reducing the cost of most of its express buses — which run directly between downtown Boston and certain suburbs — to $1.70 each way, down by more than half from the current cost of $4.25. (With the exception of the MBTA’s silver line.)
The changes are part of three upgrades announced in July by MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng.
The third plan, still in the works, includes offering free travel for eligible seniors across its entire public transit system. The new program will makes transit free for people who are 75 or older and don’t have a driver’s license.
At the time Eng, said the state public transit agency was launching changes to thank riders coming back to public transit after slowdowns during the pandemic.
“That’s allowing us to be here today to be able to tell our riders in so many different ways that we want to thank them for their returning back to the system,” said Eng, who is also the state’s interim transportation secretary.
The MBTA also plans to extend two summer commuter rail discounts through November.
One includes 50% off monthly passes. The other involves the commuter rail’s “$1 Weekend Companion Fare,” which allows monthly pass holders to bring an additional rider with them for $1 on the weekend.
The changes were praised by commuter advocates, including Caitlin Allen-Connelly, executive director of the Boston-based nonprofit, TransitMatters.
“The data proves that affordable fares drive ridership: MBTA summer discounts boosted Commuter Rail monthly pass sales by 200 percent while increasing connecting bus and subway trips by 10 percent,” said Allen-Connelly.
Meg Coffin, a disability advocate, also praised changes that will help elderly riders commute for free.
“The MBTA’s Fall 2026 Fare Pilots — particularly the introduction of free transit for non-driving older adults aged 75 and older — represent a meaningful step forward in removing financial barriers for seniors who have hung up their keys,” said Coffin, who runs a program called Your Access Advocates in Worcester.
“When paired with simplified transfer windows and reduced express bus fares, these initiatives provide real relief for riders living on fixed incomes,” she said.
