One of the essential yet dreaded parts of any college student’s life is planning their budget. Budget becomes everything as the school year progresses. If you want to have enough to eat for the year, it’s important to budget early.
Unfortunately, after books, food, clothing, dorm supplies, and other necessities, transportation costs are usually at the back of your mind. If you are running triathlons and can run wherever you need to go, you might not have to deal with this cost, but for the rest of us, public transportation is essential. However, for returning students, this year is slightly different than the last. The MBTA has raised fares an average of 5% beginning July 1, 2014, bringing Charliecard Rapid Transit (T) fares to $2.10 and local bus fares to $1.60.
A 5% increase might seem like a small sacrifice in the short-term, but if you are a frequent T rider, it’s important to take this small bump into consideration. For example, if you are on co-op and taking the T both ways 5 times a week, the increased fare is going to cost you $1 extra per week. By the end of your 6-month coop, the increase is going to cost you an extra $24. That’s a whole lot of ramen that you’re missing out on.
According to the MBTA, the fare increase will result in less than a 1% reduction in ridership. However, even for the perpetually broke college student, avoiding a long walk through the city might just be worth that extra $2.10.