BOSTON — The MBTA is implementing three new fare pilot programs in 2026, two of which begin on Tuesday.
Upcoming policies are intended to make transit more affordable, easier to use and flexible for riders.
The first of the two programs beginning on Sept. 1 is called “Expanded 2-hour ‘Unlimited’ Transfer Window.”
Currently, subway and bus riders are only able to transfer two times within two hours and pay the cost of the highest-priced service. In addition, riders can only transfer for free when traveling between modes, such as subway to bus, or different numbered bus routes.
Beginning on Tuesday, the pilot program will allow riders to only pay the highest fare acquired during a two-hour window when traveling. Travelers can make a practically unlimited number of transfers during this period, but they have to use the same form of payment between modes.
The second program is labeled “Elimination of Higher Express Bus Fares.”
Right now, seven routes out of the MBTA’s 150 charge higher rates for express bus service. This pilot initiative will remove these higher premium rates from the express bus routes, instead charging only local-bus fare. The pilot does not apply to the Silver Line routes.
The third pilot program’s start date is yet to be announced, but the name of the initiative is “Car-Free Seniors.”
As part of a partnership with the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), the MBTA is looking to give more transportation choices to older adults as they opt to go car-free.
This pilot allows any Massachusetts resident above the age of 75 who holds a state ID card and not a driver’s license to gain a free-fare credential that applies across all of the MBTA’s bus, subway, ferry and Commuter Rail services.
The program differs from a Senior CharlieCard and The RIDE, which is a paratransit service for any rider, regardless of age, who is unable to use the MBTA’s fixed route system.
Pilot initiatives will all be implemented in the fall of 2026. The MBTA will then evaluate them in the winter.
All pilot programs can last a maximum of six months. To extend them or implement permanent fare changes, the MBTA must undergo a thorough FTA-regulated Fare Change process.
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