Fare evasion is costing Boston’s transit system an estimated $25 million to $30 million a year, and its crackdown has produced just three citations so far, according to GBH News.
Here’s what to know
Fare engagement representatives began working across Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train lines as part of an initiative introduced in October 2024, according to GBH News. Representatives are monitoring underground stations for passengers who slip through gates behind paying riders or jump over barriers.
Boarding through rear doors puts passengers farther from trolley drivers, making unpaid trips harder to detect. That complicates enforcement on the Green Line’s above-ground B, C, and D branches, which don’t use turnstiles.
Informal reminders gave way to formal warnings and fines in September 2025. Still, MassLive’s review of public records found 200 formal warnings but only three citations systemwide since that change…