Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

06/11/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2021 12:17

5-day Flex Pass Pilot, Brockton Commuter Rail Fare Initiative Ending September 15; Unused Commuter Rail Tickets Purchased Shortly Before Pandemic Valid Until September 15

These fare initiatives will end three months after the end of the state of emergency on June 15.

Pandemic-related Commuter Rail fare pilots, including the 5-day Flex Pass and the Brockton Commuter Rail Fare Initiative, will end on September 15, which is three months after the end of the Commonwealth's state of emergency on Tuesday, June 15. Unused Commuter Rail tickets purchased shortly before the state of emergency will also be valid until September 15.

5-day Flex Pass

The 5-day Flex Pass is a pandemic pilot product on the mTicket app that provided five days of Commuter Rail travel within a thirty-day period at a 10% discount compared to five round-trip tickets. This pandemic pilot provided an additional option for riders with in-person work schedules limited by the pandemic. With the Commonwealth's state of emergency ending on June 15, the 5-day Flex Pass Pilot will end three months later on September 15. The Flex Pass will no longer be available for purchase on mTicket after September 15, though Flex Passes purchased before that date will continue to be valid until they are used or expire.

Brockton Commuter Rail Fare Initiative

Following the leadership of the Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) and in partnership with MassDOT, the Brockton Commuter Rail Fare Initiative began December 1, 2020, and has temporarily allowed eligible Brockton residents to take the Middleborough/Lakeville Line from Brockton (Campello, Brockton, and Montello) to Boston for $2.40 per trip, the same price as the Zone 1A or subway fare, in an effort to reduce crowding and improve safety on BAT bus service to Ashmont during the pandemic by providing an alternate travel option. With the Commonwealth's state of emergency ending on June 15, the Brockton Commuter Rail Fare Initiative will end three months later on September 15 and Brockton Commuter Rail stations will return to their original fare zones for those participating in the initiative (Campello is a Zone 5 station, and Brockton and Montello are Zone 4 stations).

Commuter Rail Fare Expiration Extension

Today the MBTA also announced a final extension of its Commuter Rail ticket expiration policy. Understanding that many Commuter Rail customers have been unable to use tickets purchased shortly before the pandemic, Commuter Rail customers may travel with unused, expired, paper One-Way, Round-Trip, and 10-Ride tickets that were valid on March 10, 2020, onboard between June 15, 2021, and September 15, 2021.

Unused mTickets that were valid on March 10, 2020, will also be reissued a final time on Sunday, June 20, 2021, with an expiration of September 15. Customers do not need to take any action - the MBTA will automatically push new mTickets to customers' apps for use until September 15.