Keller @ Large: Richard Davey On Fare Hike, Greenway Conservancy

BOSTON (CBS) - Transportation Secretary Richard Davey says there will be a fare increase on the MBTA this year, but it's still not clear yet how much.

"It would be almost impossible to close this ($161 million budget) gap without some fare increase," Davey told WBZ's Jon Keller on Sunday's Keller @ Large.

MBTA officials have been listening to customers at a series of public hearings before settling on amounts.

"We do have a budget deficit we have to close by statute by April 15. We're going to continue to have theses hearings and hear from folks," Davey said.

He told Keller that projections of $4 a gallon gas this summer could also help the T, even if fares go up.

"The last time the T raised fares five-and-a-half years ago, ridership actually ticked up a bit," Davey said.

Watch Keller @ Large part 1:

As for the controversy regarding the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (which gets almost half of its total operating budget from the state) and the fight to get them to release their financial statements, Davey was blunt.

"There's a lack of appreciation that when you receive such significant government funding that we should be subject to open meeting laws, records requests and just have a little bit more of an air of openness, as opposed to, I think, arguing that they're a non-profit, as opposed to a government entity."

Davey has suggested the Conservancy wean themselves off state government and public funding by switching to a private funding model.

Watch Keller @ Large part 2: