Trying to determine how much stored value to add to Charlie card for January

Submitted by ftran998 t3_zv9l71 in boston

I usually add a monthly link pass to my Charlie card for $90. However, next month I'll be on PTO for nearly two weeks so I don't think it would be worth it to spend $90 for nearly a half month. I was thinking of adding funds, but not sure how much to add for an estimated 14 or 15 days of planning to use the T. I use both bus and subway.

I remember the last time I did this was a few fare changes ago. If I recall, you would be charged the full fare for the bus, then upon transferring to the subway it would cost you something like 40c. On the return trip, you would pay the full fare for the subway and the bus was free.

I not sure how it works now cost wise, so what would be a good amount to put on my card?

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wandererarkhamknight t1_j1nwt81 wrote

See if buying two weekly passes make sense for you $22.50). Otherwise you'll be paying $24 (Mon-Fri).

I'm the idiot who bought a monthly pass for December in November and then realized I'll be off half the month.

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majrBuzzkill t1_j1nx329 wrote

Depends on how much you intend to travel for the duration.

The usual charlie card charges are

Bus: $1.70

T Line: $2.40

If you transfer from Bus to T you get charged the difference.

T to Bus you don't get charged at all if it's not an Express bus.

When I lived in Boston I did not go for the monthly pass because I did not take public transport often and would walk or take a Blue bike instead. I used to put $24 on it, which would mean 10 rides on the T.

In order to recoup the $90 a month- you'd need to use it 38 times- that is 19 days of travel back and forth.

As u/wandererArkhamknight said- if it's more than 10 trips per week, look into weekly pass which will save you a couple of bucks.

The calculation is yours to make.

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chrisvee0521 t1_j1oavet wrote

My schedule fluctuates so I tend to add on a weekly basis instead of buying passes. I do save a ton of money. I think one month I saved like $50. Pass was $90 and I spent half in travel. For me it also depends on timing. Getting to work I do train and bus but coming home I could do two buses if I time it right so I don’t have a long wait in between. That way it’s cheaper.

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riski_click t1_j1ofdba wrote

info you listed + mbta.com + calculator = your answer.

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mrkro3434 t1_j1q8d6d wrote

Honestly, if taking a bus is part of your commute, just add what seems right and keep a few $10 bills on you just in case. In the times where I didn't purchase a monthly pass, I just kept cash on me and would add value as needed.

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weco308 t1_j1qq3dm wrote

Two notable points:

MBTA made the "2 bus plus rapid transit" transfer within 2 hours available about a year ago. So, at most, you only pay the "subway" fare portion for a 3-vehicle ride.

As you swipe in/tap in, keep an eye on the LCD display on the farebox/turnstile it DOES display your remaining balance as you enter.

When in doubt, a Fare Vending Machine is your friend. Just press the "More Info" softkey to read your balance.

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Mphel833 t1_j1ragl7 wrote

Dude just add a $20 to the card and keep another $20 in your wallet. If you get close to $0, add the other $20…

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