LYNN — Train rates will be cut again in Lynn on July 1.
Commuters will be able to take the train from Lynn to Boston at subway rates through Aug. 31, as Zone 1A fares will be accepted at the Lynn Commuter Rail Station during that time period.
The change, announced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on Wednesday, reduces the cost of a one-way ticket to Boston from $7 to $2.40, the same price as a Charlie Card subway fare.
The temporary rates are an extension of the pilot program offered for a brief period last month by the MBTA, which aimed to reduce overcrowding on buses during the Blue Line shutdown.
The extension, lobbied for by Mayor Thomas M. McGee and the Lynn legislative delegation, is being offered to provide additional travel options for North Shore customers, ease crowding on nearby bus routes, and allow the MBTA to collect ridership data related to the effects of temporary fare changes on relieving crowding.
“We’re excited to again offer this option to riders traveling between Lynn Station and downtown Boston for the same price as a subway fare,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak in a statement. “We’re continuing with this temporary zone change pilot for two months starting July 1 with the goal of reducing crowding and promoting social distance on buses, and we encourage our North Shore riders to consider this commuter rail option.”
Following the MBTA’s announcement last month that subway fares would be offered to Lynn Commuter rail riders from May 22-31, McGee and the Lynn legislative delegation sent a letter to the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board urging them to extend the pilot for an additional month.
The purpose of their request was to lobby for additional time to demonstrate that more people would ride the T with more affordable fares, with an underlying goal of pushing for the reduced rates to become permanent, according to state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn).
“(We) wanted the sample size to be a little larger than the first pilot’s duration would allow for,” said Crighton. “Two months is pretty significant. It gives us an opportunity to get the word out and make everybody aware we have essentially subway fares into (and out of) the city of Lynn.
“Fare reduction has been a goal of the delegation and the mayor for many years. We still believe it should be a permanent fix, but for the time being this is a step in the right direction especially with the public health concern of traveling on crowded (buses).”
It appears the MBTA took that request into consideration, as a statement from the public agency noted that the data on the commuter rail and relevant bus route ridership was inconclusive due to the short length of the May offering.
“The MBTA hopes a longer two-month pilot will allow customers to learn about the commuter rail option so that additional data can be collected,” the MBTA statement said.
Crighton said he anticipates more people would ride the T during the new pilot period, as more people are getting back to work during the phased reopening of the economy.
“Traffic is obviously down considerably but as the reopening has occurred, you’re noticing more and more congestion,” said Crighton. “Our goal is to get as many cars off the road moving forward in a safe way.”
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, McGee encouraged Lynn residents to take advantage of the lower fares “as we continue to fight for reduced rates for Lynn commuters traveling to and from Boston.”
A fare reduction in Lynn gained more traction last November, when the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board voted to commit to electrifying the state’s commuter rail system. That transformation would include implementing near-rapid transit at subway rates from Lynn to Boston.
The MBTA board determined that a section of the Newburyport/Rockport line, which connects Lynn, Revere, Chelsea and Everett to Boston, the Fairmount line in Boston, and the Providence/Stoughton line had the most urgent need for near-rapid transit and were most equipped to handle a switch to electrification first.
Since that vote, Crighton said the Lynn delegation has been in regular contact with the MBTA in terms of trying to move things along, but the pandemic has resulted in adjustments to their advocacy for the changes and an altered timeline for when they would occur.
“We need a better transportation system now that is affordable, safe and frequent for our riders, many of which are low-income, many of which are frontline workers,” said Crighton. “We needed that before the virus began and we need it as we start to move forward and rebuild our economy.”
