Starting July 1, Brandeis students and other Boston-area residents will see the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's proposed service cuts and an average fare increase of 23 percent go into effect.

The MBTA Board of Directors approved its final proposal by a vote of four to one on Wednesday, in the latest effort to make up a $160 million budget gap for fiscal 2013, according to an April 4 Waltham News Tribune article.

The Board heard protests from the public for about an hour and a half before voting on the proposal, but ultimately, Director Ferdinand Alvaro was the lone dissenting vote, according to an April 4 Boston Globe article.

The plan relies in part on close to $60 million in funding from the state, which has yet to be approved by the legislature. This includes nonrenewable sources such as a $51 million surplus from motor vehicle inspection fees, according to the Globe.

Last Wednesday, after of weeks of town-hall debates, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced its recommended budget proposal to close the $185 million budget gap for next fiscal year. The effects of the new plan would be minimal for Brandeis students and Waltham residents.

According to a March 28 press release from the MBTA, Charlie Card prices for local bus service would rise from $1.25 to $1.50, and the subway cost would rise from $1.70 to $2.00. Commuter rail single trip and monthly passes would be increased an average of 29 percent across all zones, with a one way fare increase from $4.75 to $6.00 planned for Zone 2, which includes the Brandeis Roberts station. The weekend service of the Route 554 bus, which connects Waltham, Waverly and Newton, Mass. to downtown Boston, would be eliminated.

The MBTA estimates that 0.3 percent of current riders will be lost due to the proposed fare and service changes because the services eliminated affected services of low ridership and would keep public transit prices in Boston lower than other major cities, including New York City and Chicago.

Other changes include a modification of the E branch of the Green Line, which would run up to the Brigham Circle stop instead of Heath Street.

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The service changes would result in $15.4 million in savings, while fare increases would generate $72.9 million. $61 million would be generated through one-time revenues, including a MassDOT snow and ice surplus of $5 million and a North Station garage lease payment of $5 million.

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While cuts and price increases will take place in this plan, some additions are also included in the proposal.

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The addition of countdown signs at the Logan Airport stop of the Silver Line are included in the new budget, while off-peak hours pricing, which would create different pricing during rush-hour travel, may be explored for future changes.

According to the MBTA, this proposed budget will be presented to the MBTA Board of Directors for approval on April 4, and, if the changes are accepted, they would be effective July 1.

Brandeis students met March 1 at the Waltham town-hall meeting at the Government Center to discuss what the possible changes would mean for the Brandeis community. Many students argued that price increases and service changes, especially the elimination of weekend commuter rail service and service after 10 p.m. on weekdays, would adversely affect the attractiveness of Brandeis as a campus with easy access to Boston.

In response to the new package, Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 wrote in an email to the Justice that "Yes, there are higher fares, but at least we don't have to worry about our service being cut," although he noted that he did not have the chance to read the new proposal in detail.

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"Some people seem irked by the higher fares, but compared to the last proposals, I think we'd take this over that any day," he continued.

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The Student Union, which had drafted and sent a campuswide email of a letter of complaint to the MBTA hours before the package was released, will be reevaluating the letter and the appropriateness of sending it now that the new plan has been announced, according to Rosen.

The first draft of the letter included sentiments that the University would be "crippled" by the proposed service cuts and price increases, specifically on the commuter rail.

The letter, signed by Rosen and Student Union Vice President Gloria Park '13, included that "Should any of these proposals pertaining to Brandeis and Waltham go through, Brandeis will be challenged to fulfill its promise of creating an environment where students can truly maximize their college experience, both academically and socially. Should any of these proposals go through, the MBTA will be hindering our education."

"I am not one to settle, but the MBTA realistically is in dire financial straits," Rosen wrote in his email to the Justice. "I'd like to push more, but I'd rather have this proposal instead of the previous two."

Without an outpouring of student support, the Student Union will likely accept this proposal as an appropriate compromise on the part of the MBTA. 

This article has been updated since publication on April 3.