MBTA Expands Pay-Per-Use Limited Fare Program

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced a partnership with the City of Somerville to provide municipal employees, including Somerville Public Schools employees, with local bus and subway passes through the Pay-Per-Use limited fare program.

Launching late September, nearly 2,000 Somerville municipal employees will have unlimited access to subway and local bus services with their trips fully funded by the City of Somerville for the duration of the Pay-Per-Use limited fare program initiative.

MBTA's Fare Program

Since 2016, the MBTA has partnered with MIT to operationalize a post-paid institutional fare program that charges the institution based on usage of their employees’ transit passes.

In October 2022, the MBTA expanded the program to include Kendall Square Association (KSA) members Google and Sanofi, the City of Boston, and retailers in Assembly Row. 

The Pay-Per-Use limited fare program initiative is expected to run for 12 months, whereupon the MBTA will evaluate expanding it further as we transition to the new fare collection system.

“We’re pleased to partner with Somerville on this excellent benefit that offers their employees unlimited subway and bus trips,” said MBTA GM/CEI Phillip Eng. “This kind of partnership is a win-win for both the T and Somerville. The benefits employers offer employees play a pivotal role in their hiring and retention initiatives, and this offering, in particular, supports their employees’ use of transit, helping us to continue to boost our ridership numbers. Thank you to the T’s Fare Programs team for their creative work on these kinds of programs, the City of Somerville for their continued partnership, and the current and new Somerville riders we’re welcoming to the MBTA system.”