The MBTA – Greater Boston’s Public Transportation System – is facing a $161 million gap in its budget for fiscal year 2013. To address this gap, MBTA officials have proposed two different packages of fare increases and service cuts. At public hearings across the region in recent weeks, both proposals have met with stiff opposition. Now, a new, interactive budget calculator developed by two Barr grantees (The Metropolitan Area Planning Council and The Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy) lets people come up with better ways to close the financing gap – by choosing whatever they consider the best options for cutting costs, raising revenue, and finding help from other state agencies.

The MBTA Budget Calculator allows users to mix and match different elements from the MBTA’s own proposals combined with additional revenue and savings options proposed by the MBTA Advisory Board and others.

Visit www.fixthet.mapc.org/budgetcalculator/ to share your ideas, then share the link!

- Posted by Stefan Lanfer, Knowledge Officer -