The MBTA collected more than a half-billion dollars in fare revenue during the last fiscal year, a record haul for the agency, officials said.
In a statement, the T said that fare revenue totaled $564,560,142 during fiscal 2013, nearly $100 million more than the previous year.
“As we close the books on the first fiscal year since last year’s fare increase, the numbers show that the MBTA continues to be the preferred alternative for thousands of commuters,†said Beverly Scott, the agency’s general manager.
The tally from fiscal 2013 was a 21 percent bump from the previous year and beat budget writers’ projections by nearly $28 million. The fiscal year ended on June 30.
At the same time, ridership decreased by 2 percent, according to the statement. But the dip in ridership was lower than the 5.5 percent drop that planners had forecast ahead of the fare increase, officials said.
The T attributed the decline in ridership to the fare increase, an unusually harsh winter, superstorm Sandy, and the Boston Marathon bombings.
The results for 2013 look even better, if you consider that fiscal 2012 included an extra “leap day,†the statement said.
Revenue totals came to $465,755,373 in fiscal 2012; $448,813,678 in fiscal 2011; $439,322,437 in fiscal 2010; $448,751,949 in fiscal 2009; and $440,964,147 in fiscal 2008, the T said.
Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.
