The MBTA is rolling out 3 new fare discounts — and extending half-off commuter rail passes — this fall - WBUR

What the report says

WBUR reported that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office announced Tuesday that the MBTA will extend two commuter rail fare breaks from the summer through November, including half-price monthly passes. The agency will also keep its $1 Weekend Companion Fare, which lets monthly pass holders bring another rider on weekend trips for $1 each way. A separate free Friday commuter rail promotion will continue only through August, with officials citing heavier fall ridership.

The administration is also launching three fare pilots elsewhere in the MBTA system. Beginning Sept. 1, riders on buses and subways will be allowed unlimited transfers within a two-hour period, rather than being limited to two transfers, as long as they use the same payment method. The fare charged will remain tied to the highest-priced service used during that window.

Also starting Sept. 1, express bus fares will be reduced to the local bus price of $1.70, down from fares that can currently reach $4.25. WBUR noted that the change applies to express bus routes serving downtown Boston and some suburbs, but not to the Silver Line. A third pilot, without a start date yet, would make MBTA bus, subway, ferry and commuter rail service free for Massachusetts residents age 75 and older who no longer drive and instead hold a Massachusetts ID.

The changes matter because they could lower commuting costs and influence ridership across Greater Boston’s transit network. The pilots also give state and MBTA officials a way to test whether cheaper and more flexible fares change travel behavior before deciding on longer-term fare policy.