The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1945-08-25
High Operating
Costs Bring End To
Scent Fares On
Boston Fl

The five-cent fare will be a
thing Of the past by early Sep.
TENDER according to an an
nouncement made by the public
trustees Of the Boston Elevated
Railway. With an increase Of
two and one-half cents in local
bus and surface car fares has
come revision of the zone sys-
tenn which will mean savings for
Back Bav residents. increased
expense for others. All zone rides
will soon cost seven and one-half
cents instead of five, but many
of the old zone divisions will be
abolished so that, for instance,
a person wishing to go from
Brigham Circle to Park SQUARE
would use a ticket costing seven
and-o1e-half cents instead Of
putting a dime in the fare box.
The tickets will be sold in units
oil two for IS cents.
The purpose of this proposed
change, according to the trust
oes, is TO reduce, or, if possible,
prevent a deficit assessment up
on the taxpayers in the cities
and towns served by the railway.
The new system will bring a
humber Of changes in lines serv-
ing thu Back Bay. Now mary
lines are divided into two zones,
With a ten-cent fare for the
whole length of the ride, and .
flve-cent fare within a zone e =
tablished at about the halfway
point ir the route. When the
new system goes into effecv,
there will be no halfway zone
here, and each ride, whether
from Massachusetts station to
Bowdon, for example, or from
Copley square to Park square on
the same line, will cost the same
fare Of seven and cne-half cents
When the new system Is pl I
into effect the following lines
entering or serving the Back Bay
will operate on a one-zone basis
at a seven and one-half cent
fare: Chestnut Hill to Kenmole
square, Cypress street to Ken
more square, Queersberry street
to Massachusetts station, Lake
street to Rlandford street, the
Reservoir to st Mary's street,
Brigham Circle to Park square,
and Massachusetts station to
Bowdoin street.
After the proposed change the
average length Of the zone ride
limits will be one mile Longer
than at present.
The public trustees cited rising
costs of operation as as the cause
Of the necessity for the proposed
fare increase. In making their
reasons for the move known 10
the public, the trustees sCateo:
THE Board of Trustees is re-
quired by the Public Control Act
Special Acts Of 1918, Chapter
l59, Section 81 to fix such rates
Of fare as will reasonably insure
sufficient income to meet the
cost of service. The railways
cost of service has increased to
a greater extent than has me
revenue. This has been due prin-
cipally to increases in Federal
and local taxes, in the costs cf
fuel, coal and gasoline and otn-
er materials used, in increased
wage costs because Of a larger
number of Employees and high""
wage rates and because of pay
ments for overtime due to the
extended work week resulting
from the war manpower require
ments."
The trustees stated that dur
ing the first seven months OF
l945 the railways cost Of service
has exceeded receipts by $493,-
211.95. They also said that not
yet included in the railways cost
of service Is an amount OF
$602, 500 for a portion Of retro
active back pay as provided in
t. e labor agreement for the year
ended July /, 1945, which has
been paid during this month.
This will increase the current
operating deficit for the frs
seven months Of 1945 to
81, 100000.
In practically all cases where
there are at present two separ-
ate zone rides on the same sur
face lines, these two zone rides
would be combined into a single
zone ride. A longer zone ride
would thus be provided on about
one-half Of the total number OF
zone rides which would prevail
after the proposed change. Thus,
after the change, for a consider
able number of rides the fare
would be seven and one-half
cents instead Of 10 cents as at
and for the remainde-