The Boston Experiment

Maybe the trouble with the big Eastern commuter railroads is that they charge too much and provide inadequate service. At least it's a possibility that is worth exploring. Under the Housing Act of 1961, the Federal Government has put up $7,600,000, and the State of Massachusetts $2,600,000, for an extended experiment to determine whether or not the Boston commuter can be lured out of his own auto and back to public transportation by making service better and cheaper.

This week the Boston & Maine Railroad will launch a new drive to coddle com muters: the line will double its number of commuter trains, cut fares as much as 50%, and keep its cars (which are fairly clean as commuter trains go) spotless. For its efforts, the B. & M. will receive a $2,200,000 grant during the next year, and expects even so to lose $1,500,000 on passenger service in 1963.

Two other commuter roads in the Boston area--the New Haven and the New York Central--may join the experiment later. Part of the grant money will also be used to reduce parking fees at outlying bus and subway stations to encourage commuters to use public transportation for the last stage of their daily journey into the car-clogged heart of Boston. From these points, Boston-area bus fares will be reduced, and bus schedules will be coordinated with train schedules to cut down waiting time.

No one is ready to predict how the Boston commuter will respond to all this. But if he takes to it, the Administration will probably step up its efforts to apply the same remedy in other U.S. cities. Failure of the experiment would provide railroads with a justification for cutting commuter service still more. Already Boston & Maine President Daniel Benson has warned that if Boston commuters continue to cling stubbornly to their cars, "the basic needs of financial survival will leave the B. & M. no choice but to divest itself of passenger operations."

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