Spoiler Alert!

Damn, has it really been nearly two ratings since my last post!? Don't worry, the blog hasn't been discontinued yet (though the same can't be said for a certain Cabot bus route). Between searching for a condo, going to a friend's wedding in Vermont, and various side projects; I just haven't been able to give the old blog as much attention as I would like. I wonder how the guy at Universal Hub does it. Robots? Interns? Anyway, I have still been checking up on the goings on at the T. In addition, I have been reading and researching quite a bit about Boston's horse railroads and the early days of local public transit in the area. More on all that stuff later. Right now, I am off to Logan to catch a flight to the midwest, but before I go, I wanted to share some news.

The Summer 2010 Rating will enter effect this coming Saturday (June 26) and will end on Friday, September 3. Keep your eyes out for the blue schedule cards, which have a new look to them (you'll never guess what's on the covers). Here is a sneak preview of some of the changes:

All Routes - As is the case every summer, all supplemental school-day only trips will be put on hiatus until the fall. For the most part, this only covers the morning rush hour and early afternoon parts of the schedule; refer to individual schedule cards for details.

Ride Supplemental Route 9702 while you still can!

Route 08 - The 1:00a ("last train") weekday trips from Kenmore & UMass Boston have been discontinued due to low ridership.

Route 25 - Shall join Routes 06, 173, 246, 437, 743, and all the rest in Discontinued Routes Land. I made several attempts to ride and photograph the route, but the trips I picked were no-shows. Now where will Cabot get its extra buses during the morning rush hour?

Route 28 - Before you all start blaming the 04 or 191, it is because of the 28 that the 25 (created to supplement Warren Street bus service in the mornings) is being discontinued. All Route 28 service (except the 3:20a, 3:59a, and 4:20a trips from Mattapan) has been moved from Cabot to Southampton. And you know what that means... 60' buses providing all service! And they'll be hybrids too! The same number of trips shall be provided, but with the larger buses running, there will be more capacity. It is because of these extra seats that the 25 met its untimely end.

This sight will become a thing of the past.

And on the north side...

Route 73 - Due to roadwork in Belmont, the 73 will briefly switch over to diesel bus operation. Somerville will provide the buses. Things should be back to normal by the fall. Routes 71 and 77-4 will be slightly affected by this as well; check with the pullouts supervisor for details.

Route 114 - Route 114-0 (Maverick - Bellingham Square) will be changing its name (who's it trying to hide from?) to Route 116-7. The sign code has been changed accordingly, so look before boarding. It would be a shame to be heading to Revere and end up on a short turn. The Route 114-1 (Maverick - Mystic Mall), however, will keep on being the 114-1. With this change, the 114 will essentially become a midday only route. See the 114/116/117 schedule card for details.

And on the rails...

Route 903 - Better known to the riding public as the Orange Line, all service will switch over to Single Person Train Operation (SPTO). After 109 years, the Orange Line will no longer have door guards/conductors. Thank you all for your many years of hard work! Also, headways have been improved early mornings and late nights to every 10 minutes. If detailed Orange Line schedule cards were still printed, I'd advise you to refer to it for details. Sadly, this isn't the 1980s.

There are, of course, many more changes as part of the summer schedule changes. Visit the T website in the coming week for more details.

Farewell for now.