The MBTA’s new low-income fare program is now live. Here’s how to sign up

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We’ve got all your key Massachusetts primary results below. But first, a long-awaited MBTA program takes flight:

It’s live: After years of advocacy, study and planning, the MBTA’s new low-income fare program is now open to the public. Beginning today, eligible riders can sign up to get a 50% discount on trips on the T’s subway, bus, commuter rail, ferry and The Ride — whether they’re paying as they go or using a weekly or monthly pass. As WBUR’s Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports, the program expands half-off fares to an estimated 60,000 riders who weren’t previously eligible for some sort of discount. Want in? Here’s what to know:

• Am I eligible? The income limit for the program is 200% of the federal poverty level — in other words, $30,120 a year for a single person or $62,400 for a family of four.
• What’s the easiest way to apply? Probably online, which T officials say can be as quick as 90 seconds. First, you need to be already enrolled in an income-based state assistance program, like MassHealth or SNAP. (The full list of qualifying programs is here.) Then, you need to log into or create a MyCharlie account, go to the “Reduced Fares” program and enter some basic information. If you have an RMV-issued ID, the system should be able to automatically verify your info and enroll you in the program. MBTA officials say they’ll mail your card within a few days. (If you don’t have a state ID you can also manually upload your info, which will take a couple additional days to review.)
• Option B? Apply in person. The nonprofit Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) will help you apply at its offices in downtown Boston, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan and Malden. This is a good option if you meet the income criteria, but aren’t already signed up for another state program. “We can actually get them onto SNAP; we can actually help them access MassHealth,” Sharon Scott-Chandler, ABCD’s CEO, told Andrea. “And so thereby making them eligible for the T pass as well.”

The results are in: Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially has her November challenger. Marine Corps veteran and cryptocurrency lawyer John Deaton, who moved to Massachusetts from Rhode Island last winter, was declared the winner last night of the three-way Republican primary to take on Warren. WBUR’s Anthony Brooks has more on Deaton’s background and platform here. (Warren’s campaign has agreed to at least two debates in October, though Deaton wants five.) Now, let’s get to some down-ballot results.

• In the State House: At least three incumbents members of the Legislature are on the verge of losing their seats. (Click here to scroll through all the contested State House primary race results.)
• With 99% of votes counted, longtime Cambridge state Rep. Marjorie Decker trails democratic socialist challenger and Harvard graduate student Evan MacKay by just 40 votes in the Democratic primary for the 25th Middlesex district.
• Meanwhile, in the Democratic primary for the 18th Middlesex district seat, 24-year-old challenger Tara Hong defeated Lowell state Rep. Rady Mom. (Mom became the country’s first Cambodian-American state lawmaker in 2014.)
• And in the 2nd Plymouth primary, Carver Republican John Gaskey beat longtime GOP state Rep. Susan Williams-Gifford.
• Governor’s Council: Mara Dolan ousted longtime member Marilyn Petito Devaney in a Democratic primary rematch from 2022. According to the Associated Press, Dolan won 52% of votes, to Devaney’s 48%, with 99% of the ballots counted. Click here for more Governor’s Council and county race results.
• SJC clerk: Public defender Allison Cartwright has declared victory over Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy in the Democratic primary for a somewhat obscure clerkship in Suffolk County. The closely-watched contest had morphed into a larger proxy battle.

Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: State lawmakers reached a deal on another item they weren’t able to finish before formal sessions ended: more alcohol licenses for Boston. The compromise bill grants Boston an additional 225 licenses — including 195 equally divided between 13 of the city’s zip codes (five each distributed a year, over three years).

• Why it matters: The limited supply and stunningly high price of alcohol licenses has had a stunting effect on the city’s restaurant scene — especially for aspiring restaurateurs of color. “It’s bigger than just a liquor license,” state Sen. Liz Miranda told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow. “It’s about dreams. It’s about possibilities and opportunities and making our communities more whole.”
• What’s next: Lawmakers are hoping to get the bill to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk by the end of the week. (For her part, Healey wants to go even further to give municipalities — rather than the State House — control over the liquor licenses they can distribute.)

P.S.— This episode of The Common has a quick-and-easy breakdown of why our liquor license laws are the way they are — and why they create a particularly challenging situation for the city of Boston.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.