Last modified: Thursday, July 9, 2009 2:47 AM EDT Train arrives at Attleboro station from Boston. (Staff file photo by Tom Maguire) MBTA calls for fare boost BY MATT KAKLEY SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Less than a month after being given millions by the state Legislature, the MBTA is again considering an across-the-board fare hike that could raise monthly commuter rail passes by $31 for Attleboro, South Attleboro and Mansfield commuters. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has proposed a 19.5 percent fare increase as the agency grapples with a high debt load, falling sales tax revenue and environmental settlements stemming from the Big Dig. Public hearings on the proposal are scheduled next month, including one in Attleboro on Aug. 20. Under the 19.5 percent increase, a commuter rail ticket from the Attleboro or South Attleboro stations would jump from $7.25 to $8.25, and the cost of a monthly pass would increase $31 to $266. Mansfield commuters would see a single trip ticket jump from $6.75 to $7.75. A monthly pass would climb from $223 to $254. Those who use the MBTA once they reach Boston would be hit twice as hard because subway rides would jump 30 cents with a CharlieCard and 50 cents with a CharlieTicket. Bus fares would increase from $1.25 to $1.50. The proposal rankled some area lawmakers, especially since the Legislature earmarked $160 million from a sale tax increase to be used to prevent fare hikes and service cuts at the agency. State Rep. Bill Bowles, D-Attleboro, said lawmakers were told the earmarked revenue would forestall any fare hikes and called the proposal "totally ludicrous." "We hear every day that people are living on the edge, and the $30 for these commuters is a huge hit," Bowles said. State Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, agreed, saying the working class repeatedly is targeted at a time when it can least afford it. "They're scraping the bottom now, and we're asking them to scrape more," she said of wage earners. "Pretty soon it's not going to be worth it to work in Boston." The MBTA is saddled with $5.2 billion in debt, which is the most of any transit agency in the country, according to agency records. Almost 30 percent of the authority's operating budget is spent on debt payments. The agency said the Legislature's $160 million was a big help, but is not enough to keep up with mounting debt payments. The toll increases are expected to raise an additional $69 million per year. If the proposed increases go through, the authority says it will not raise fees again for at least two years. State Rep. Steve D'Amico, D-Seekonk, said the authority is stuck in the tough position of having a lot of debt and few options for fixing the problem. "They've got some pretty difficult decisions to make," D'Amico said. "They can either raise fares or cut services." The authority has brought up the possibility of cutting service across the agency, but is not suggesting that at this time. Officials said the money saved would not be enough to solve the deficit, due to a loss in ridership. Beginning Aug. 10 at the Statehouse, the MBTA will hold a series of public hearings on the fare hike proposal, including a stop in Attleboro city hall 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20. Bowles said the area's state delegation will do whatever it can to prevent the fare hikes and will be at the Attleboro hearing. "We will certainly be looking to fight this any way we can," Bowles said. "We'll certainly be at the public hearing, having our say." MATT KAKLEY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at mkakley@thesunchronicle.com.