BOSTON — The Lowell Sun reported that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is seeking approval from its board of directors to decrease fares for its RIDE paratransit service from $4.00 to $3.00.

Transit advocates have been urging MBTA to lower fares for the paratransit service since the agency raised them from $2.00 to $4.00 in 2012. In a recent state survey measuring the impact of the 2012 hikes on seniors, a majority of RIDE users whose income is less than $2,000 per month said they cut back on food, personal grooming and transit trips.

An MBTA board chairman estimated that the annualized impact of lowering the fares may be $1.5 million in reduced revenue per year, according to the paper. For the full story, click here.