No Free Transfer

Back To Business

2012-01-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

And so I unceremoniously return to the internet. Various side projects, research work, and adventures have kept me from updating this as often as I would have liked. At any rate, enough of my life story... This afternoon I was rambling around town and wound up in Dudley Square. I got a few photos of the dual-modes subbing on the 749's ("SL5") and 751's ("SL4"). To my surprise I also spotted 1018 on the road with them:

Usually during snowy and very rainy weather Neoplan AN460's (such as 1018) are taken off the road and the DMA's and C40's sub-in to meet the schedule. Why the substitutions? Well - as the below photo taken last winter shows - let's just say that the Neoplan artics don't do so well in slick conditions.

My guess is that a combination of the SL Waterfront services getting first dibs on the dual-modes and a shortage of C40's (6001 is at Everett for repairs and several others are out for other maintenance, leaving only about five of the sixteen buses in that fleet in service), 1018 was put on to avoid any impact on service. Thankfully, I spotted it again later in the day non-jackknifed.

Speaking of maintenance, during the blog's hiatus I paid a visit to the Everett Shops and got to see first-hand the NABI mid-life overhauls. About 175 of the 299 NABI's are being overhauled in-house at Everett, while the remainder are out in Michigan. A handful of buses are withdrawn from service at any given time and completed buses can be identified by their new bike racks.

While at Everett I also went out back to the RTS graveyard, which is home to some other seldom seen equipment as well:

Scrap-list RTS buses parked out back

The craptastic Orion hybrid buses which averaged

about 60 miles between failures

Type 8 shell slowly being cannibalized for spare parts

Neoplan AN460 #1000 -- used for maintenance training

Orion #5001 and the "magnetic induction" bus

An engine-less bus

Other than that I went up to the Seashore Trolley Museum's annual transit day; have taken up the "hobby" of riding the T before 5:00 AM; spent some time working on a book(let) about Boston's horsecars; and recently went to several of the MBTA fare increase/service cuts public meetings. But more on that stuff later.

Spoiler Alert!

2010-06-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

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.

New Variations & Derailments, Oh My!

2009-12-24T12:18:00.000-08:00

Goodness! My last post was back in late October? The ol' blog was starting to collect some dust. Well, I'm back from my little hiatus...and what a time to be back. Where to begin?

Let's start with the Red Line. 1521 had mechanical problems Monday morning, but thankfully I was traveling in the opposite direction. But the Red Line was not going to let me get away that easily. Tuesday afternoon I was heading to Park Street to meet a friend for coffee. She had sent me a text telling me that she was stuck at Ashmont and would be late because "of something going on at Alewife". Hmm, I thought, must be signal trouble or problems with the crossover. But no, the "something going on at Alewife" was a derailment. Despite being informed that service was delayed due to a "disabled train" and shuttle buses would be operating between Harvard and Alewife, I had a gut feeling it was derailment. As a general rule of thumb, rail service is rarely bustitued due to just a disabled train. Service would be delayed, but still running. MBTA doublespeak, don't you just love it? Seeing as the news would eventually reach the media, why not be honest from the start? By the way, my friend and I met up at Park Street 35 minutes after the appointed time.

Shuttle Route 612 (or is it 613 that covers that part of the Red Line, I can't remember) kept things running, somewhat. Watching the coverage on Channel 7 that night I spotted a few NABI's that were drafted for the shuttle; meaning that Route 01 and 66 riders lost a few of their buses during the rush hour. Ouch. I could only imagine the scenes along Mass and Harvard Avenues. Thankfully, no one was hurt on the train and service was (sorta) up and running by the AM rush Wednesday.

But on to happier things...

So what will Plans and Schedules, er, I mean Santa bring us this Christmas? The Winter 2010 Rating enters effect this coming Saturday and with it will come plenty of stocking stuffers, among them:

The holidays came a little early for the residents of John Eliot Square this year. As a partial replacement for the 28, new variations of the 44 and 45 were created to add extra service in the area. It seems the 14 and 41 alone were not working for them. The new service began operation shortly after the Cabot "B" Pick, which made possible a series of improvements to the key bus routes at that garage. Routes 44-3 and 45-3 serve John Eliot Square weeknights after 8pm and all day weekends. The change will officially be announced on the upcoming schedules.

Residents of Granada Highlands will also get a new variant, Route 430-2, which will add two new round trips weeknights when the 411 is not operating. See the schedule card or the MBTA website for details.

But of course, the first package I am going to unwrap is the 111-2.

A new year, a new sign code, a new variation.

The 111 shall see sweeping improvements all across the board. In addition to extra vehicles at crucial times of the day, a new variation has been created. Route 111-2, Haymarket Station-Cary Square, will operate during the PM peak to supplement the regular 111-5 (Woodlawn) service. Headways and trip times have been adjusted to improve coordination between the two routes, so I encourage any of you 111 riders out there to pick up a new schedule card or visit the website. Midday and weekend service will also see some headway improvements, plus runtimes being adjusted to improve reliability. Like the 111-6 (Parkway/McDonald's) supplemental trips during the AM Peak, Route 111-2 (a.k.a. "Route 111C") will focus on the busiest part of the route and better meet the demand.

Visit the T website for more info on these and other changes.

On a final note, No Free Transfer will be changing its format slightly. Don't worry, I won't start writing posts in Nahuatl. Instead I will be writing more article-like posts, sorta like a newspaper column. But I will keep the quirky anecdotes and occasional rants. With that, happy holidays and see you all next year.

Route 751 (The "SL4")

2009-10-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Because we all know that the real SL4 would have been the "stillborn" Silver Line Waterfront branch from South Station to Andrew Station via D Street, I shall hereafter refer to the new SL4 service as either the Silver Line Connector or by its route number, Route 751 .

And speaking of the 751...

For the first time since the days of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated riders once again have a one-seat ride from Dudley Station to South Station. The bus stop is even located near where the old elevated station used to be. While it may take a little longer than it used to, at least there aren't any pesky hairpin turns to worry about. (Rounding the curve from Harrison Avenue to Beach Street, one often felt you would fall right off the elevated structure.) I was able to make it out to the ribbon cutting ceremony on the 13th. Special guests included Mayor Menino, Secretary Aloisi, and several state legislators. See below for some photos I snapped.

While most Silver Line riders are still getting used to the new service, it appears to have been received well. Trunk headways along Washington Street have seen a slight improvement, albeit with bunching during the rush hours, and the four extra buses along the corridor during the peak are surely welcomed. With the buzz still in the air, many riders are asking where does it go, how often does it operate, and what's the transfer policy for passengers going to/from the Connector and Waterfront services. All of your questions can be answered by talking to a Silver Line operator and/or picking up the new Silver Line schedule card (featuring all services).

But what about ridership? Namely, how much will develop? Most longtime Route 749 riders are content (so to speak) with their Dudley Square-Temple Place service. Will any of them be siphoned onto the 751? Some of my personal observations show midday ridership to be rather light, with only 3-10 people boarding at South Station with me during these hours. Perhaps in time a ridership base will grow. If off-peak ridership continues to be light, Southampton will hopefully switch over to the forty-footers during these times.

Well, the 751 certainly beats that $2,000,000,000+ tunnel that would have wormed its way through Chinatown. All that's left to do is lay the track, put up the catenary, and convert it all to light rail!

Comings & Goings

2009-09-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

I find it ironic that at one time Boston's transit system won the A. N. Brady Safety Medal so often that it was asked to stop competing in order to give other cities a shot at winning. Now, hardly a week seems to go by without something going wrong.

The Brady Medal was awarded for "the best work done during the year by an electric street railway [subway trains counted too!] in America in accident prevention and industrial hygiene." The way things have been going lately, it looks like the T is out of the running.

The Commuter Rail fender bender was somewhat minor. Thank goodness there were no serious injuries. The Red and Orange Line meltdowns, on the other hand, nearly paralyzed downtown transit. The Red Line was shutdown between Harvard and JFK/UMass as fire crews tackled an electrical fire. I am a bit foggy on the electrical layout, but track-wise there are crossovers at Kendall and Broadway that could have made the isolated area much smaller. Overkill? Maybe. My thanks to anyone in the Power Department for any clarification. At least Orange Line service bounced back relatively quickly.

With all this transit mayhem, who knows what will happen next? Aliens stealing all the NABI's at Arborway? I could only imagine what the T Riders Union would have to say about that.

On a personal front, I've been getting a mixed bag. Monday morning found me on car #01746. There is nothing special about the car - it is just like the other 57 1700-series Red Line cars - except for one thing: it smelled of urine and death. Well, maybe not "death" per se, but the stench could have reasonably led to it. The floors of the car also looked suspiciously wet. #01746 is now on my "Do Not Ride" list.

I was also gleefully entertained by a senile old man on the 08. As he railed against the dangers of smoking and relived his days as a former boxer (he constantly reminded us of that fact), he would take a break and begin yelling at this one woman in the back of the bus. No clear reason, he just wanted to shout obscenities at her. The rest of us found it all to be pretty funny.

Later on I spotted the elusive 275 at JFK/UMass. Here's the picture I snapped:

Now I just need that shot of the 274 at Moon Island.

Well, enough of my ramblings. I'll have more notes from the underground later...

Back On Track

2009-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

After a much needed vacation I'm back in town. Getting away for a few (very long) weekends has refreshed me. I was actually worried about taking a vacation in late August, as I would miss the MBTA fare increase workshops and hearing. Governor Patrick, however, helped to straighten out my schedule. Thanks, governor! I enjoyed being able to get up to Maine for a bit and need not worry about missing out on the fare increase public discussions. I owe you one.

Well, let's see what happens in November.

You may have read in the paper recently about the MBTA extending the hours that the Student Pass is valid. Young people who work late, have afterschool activities, etc., are now able to use their passes until 11:00pm. I want to congratulate the youth activists that worked hard to accomplish something that many naysayers said was impossible (or impractical, if not downright pointless). Great job! Keep up the fight!

Image Courtesy of Celebrate Boston

Yet not everyone is excited about the news. Many detractors have criticized the decision. Boston.com had some of the best feedback. Here was my favorite:

"Great, now there are three more hours in a day for me to get stabbed on the MBTA."

Ah, of course! Because every young person's mission is to rob, incite fear in, and terrorize their fellow commuters. Shame to see someone generalize (*cough*stereotype*cough*) like that. There are some young criminals out there, unfortunately, but not every kid wearing a hoodie is out to get you. I admit, some of those goth kids kinda creep me out. Still if you are going to criticize, let it be constructive.

Other than that, I visited the new Ashmont Station busway. Even spotted a New Flyer C40 (#6001) in regular colors. Supposedly, said the inspector, it is now doing Cabot work.

In My Travels...

2009-07-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Over the past week or two I've come across some interesting things in my travels. A recent ride on RTS #0010 revealed that not only has the axle-grinding problem (which produces a foul odor in the rear of the bus) not been fixed, but part of the steering column housing has disappeared as well! The speedometer also did not seem to work; it stated that we were traveling across the Tobin Bridge at zero miles per hour. The sooner that bus is sent to Everett to be scrapped, the better!

It seems that the Silver Line Washington Street extension to South Station is a step closer to becoming a reality. At least four of the Neoplan AN460's (i.e. the buses used on the Route 39 and SL Washington) have been repainted from the general MBTA paint scheme into Silver Line colors. I spotted 1030 broken down at Newton Street several days ago:

Sorry for the terrible photo.

Now with these four buses having been repainted (1018, 1019, and 1020 are the others), it seems only natural that bus assignments out of Southampton Garage would change. There are 44 sixty-foot buses in the MBTA fleet; all assigned to Southampton. With fewer "normal colored" buses available, all Route 32 trips have been dropped from the garage. Arborway will now provide all the equipment for this route. Southampton had formerly offered five articulated buses for rush hour service on the line.

No more 60' buses for rush hour service? Crowding will surely worsen on the high ridership Hyde Park route! To offset this, two or three Arborway buses have been added to the line for increased capacity. The improved rush hour headway is now every 3-4 mins. I plan to take a ride and see how things are going.

At least the Forest Hills inspector will no longer have to deal with this:

Occasionally, Southampton would send out one of their 40' New Flyer C40s instead of a sixty-footer. Very helpful!

The MBTA fare increase/service cuts workshops are coming up next week (August 10th-27th). I have yet to see tangible booklets detailing the particulars being distributed, but at least a few people managed to get their hands on them:

Found on the floor of an Orange Line train laid up at Oak Grove

I plan on attending several workshops and the final hearing at the State Transportation Building. Visit the MBTA website for workshop dates and locations. Ten points if you can find where to click on the homepage in five minutes or less.

As a final note, I snapped these two pics:

Notice anything unusual?

The 112 Can't Find Its Way Home

2009-07-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

The other day an elderly friend of mine related the story of her recent ride on the 112. It was her first time taking the route, so she asked the operator if the bus travels past the newly renovated Market Basket in Chelsea. He said it did and my friend boarded. The operator then dropped her off at Spruce Street and Everett Avenue, near the Market Basket, and informed her that "the next bus will take you into the mall [where Market Basket is located]." For those of you who do not know, there is an actual MBTA bus stop located at Market Basket several feet from the main entrance. Route 112 buses (along with Route 114-1 buses in the midday) serve this stop on all trips; save for a few early morning trips. Why this operator dropped her off near the market rather than at it is an interesting question. On many of the trips I've taken on the 112 recently, when we arrive at Market Basket there is a small group of people asking where the bus in the opposite direction is. "The guy just passed me," the operator states, "Didn't you see him?" Apparently, a few operators are either accidentally or intentionally skipping this stop.

Since the new supermarket opened the 112 has been having a bit of trouble adjusting. A few of the operators at Charlestown have been debating what is the "true" route of the 112 in the Admiral's Hill/Mystic Mall area. Do you serve the market first, then Admiral's Hill? Or vice versa? Some operators have their own interpretation of the new route description.

In addition, I have heard several stories about operators (as one veteran pointed out, mostly rookies) getting lost in the new expanded parking lot. How exactly this happens, I have no idea. It does not seem that difficult to navigate through.

Hopefully things will get ironed out soon.

A Rare Beastie

2009-07-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Spotted this downtown recently:

One of the more unique vehicles in the MBTA fleet.

6019 is the closest thing the MBTA has to a minibus. I have only spotted it in revenue service once; at Ashmont Station assigned to Route 798 (Mattapan Trolley Shuttle via Eliot Street). It does not have a farebox (last time I checked), so who knows how the passengers paid back then. Its primary function is to serve as a shuttle for transit officials on excursions around the system.

Wouldn't it be interesting if the T had a small fleet of these?

Ed Dana Would Be In Tears...

2009-07-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Pick your poison: 19.5% fare increase or draconian service cuts. As the MBTA booklet I received yesterday points out, it's "your service, your choice". The MBTA is proposing an overall fare increase to generate added revenue ($69,000,000) to "maintain the same level of service to its customers for the next two years." So what does a 19.5% fare increase look like exactly? Below is a sampling of some of the proposed new fares and pass prices:

Local Bus $1.50 (w/CharlieCard) - $2.00 (cash or CharlieTicket)
Monthly Local Bus Pass $47.00
Monthly Inner Express Bus Pass $102.00
Monthly Outer Express Bus Pass $150.00

Rapid Transit $2.00 (w/CharlieCard) - $2.50 (cash or CharlieTicket)

Monthly Link Pass $69.00

Commuter Rail Zone 1 - $5.00

Commuter Rail Zone 2 - $5.50

Commuter Rail Zone 3 - $6.00

Commuter Rail Zone 4 - $6.75

Commuter Rail Zone 5 - $7.25

Commuter Rail Zone 6 - $7.75

Commuter Rail Zone 7 - $8.25

Commuter Rail Zone 8 - $8.75

Monthly Commuter Rail passes would range from $69.00 (Zone 1A) to $280.00 (Zone 8)

For those of you who want fares to stay exactly as they are now, the MBTA would have to make drastic cutbacks in service to compensate. Even then, it would only save $55,000,000 and (in the eyes of the MBTA) be a bigger blow to commuters.

The following bus routes would be discontinued entirely:

Route 04 North Station - Boston Marine Industrial Park
Route 05 City Point - McCormack Housing Development
Route 08 Kenmore Station - Harbor Point
Route 17 Andrew Station - Fields Corner Station
Route 18 Andrew Station - Ashmont Station
Route 25 Ruggles Station - Franklin Park via Warren Street
Route 29 Mattapan Station - Jackson Square Station
Route 33 Mattapan Station - River & Milton Streets
Route 34E Forest Hills Station - Walpole
Route 48 Jamaica Plain Loop
Route 52 Watertown Yard - Charles River Loop OR Dedham Mall
Route 55 Park Street Station - Queensbury
Route 59 Watertown Square - Needham Junction
Route 60 Kenmore Station - Chestnut Hill
Route 62 Alewife Station - Bedford VA Hospital
Route 72 Harvard Subway - Huron Avenue
Route 76 Alewife Station - Hanscom Air Base/Lincoln Labs
Route 78 Harvard Station - Arlmont
Route 79 Alewife Station - Arlington Heights
Route 83 Central Square, Cambridge - Rindge Avenue
Route 85 Kendall Station - Spring Hill
Route 90 Wellington Station - Davis Station
Route 121 Maverick Station - Eagle Square OR Wood Island Station
Route 136 Malden Center Station - Reading
Route 137 Malden Center Station - Reading
Route 170 Dudley Station - Waltham Industrial Parks
Route 201 Fields Corner Station - Neponset Belt Line
Route 202 Fields Corner Station - Neponest Belt Line

Route 217 Ashmont Station - Quincy Center Station via Wollaston
Route 230 Quincy Center Station - Montello
Route 236 Quincy Center Station - South Shore Plaza
Route 238 Quincy Center Station - Crawford Square
Route 240 Ashmont Station - Crawford Square OR Avon Square
Route 245 Quincy Center Station - Mattapan Station
Route 274 Long Island - Moon Island
Route 275 Long Island - Downtown Boston OR Albany Street Garage
Route 276 Long Island - Boston Medical Center
Route 277 Shattuck Shelter - Park Street Station
Route 325 Haymarket Station - Elm Street via I-93
Route 350 Alewife Station - North Burlington
Route 351 Alewife Station - Oak Park
Route 352 Haymarket Station - Burlington via I-93
Route 354 Haymarket Station - Woburn via I-93
Route 355 Haymarket Station - Mishawum via I-93
Route 431 Central Square, Lynn - Neptune Towers
Route 434 Haymarket Station - Peabody Square
Route 435 Central Square, Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall OR Danvers Square
Route 436 Central Square, Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall
Route 439 Central Square, Lynn - Nahant
Route 448 Marblehead - Downtown Crossing via Paradise Road
Route 449 Marblehead - Downtown Crossing via Humphrey Street
Route 451 Salem Depot - North Beverly
Route 459 Salem Depot - Downtown Crossing
Route 465 Salem Depot - Danvers Square
Route 468 Salem Depot - Danvers Square via Margin Street
Route 500 Downtown Boston - Riverside Station via MassPike
Route 501 Downtown Boston - Brighton Center via MassPike
Route 502 Copley Square - Watertown Yard via MassPike
Route 503 Copley Square - Brighton Center via MassPike
Route 504 Downtown Boston - Watertown Yard via MassPike
Route 505 Downtown Boston - Waltham via MassPike
Route 555 Downtown Boston - Riverside Station via Copley Square
Route 558 Riverside Station - Newton Corner OR Downtown Boston
Route 701 Central Square, Cambridge - Boston Medical Center (Route CT1)

The following MBTA bus routes would lose all weekend service:

Route 132 Malden Center Station - Stoneham
Route 553 Newton Corner - Roberts
Route 554 Newton Corner - Waverly

The following MBTA bus routes would have their schedules "altered":

Route 07 Downtown - City Point via Summer Street
Route 09 City Point - Copley Square via Broadway
Route 14 Roslindale Square - Heath Street
Route 16 Andrew Station - Forest Hills Station
Route 31 Mattapan Station - Forest Hills Station via Morton Street
Route 64 Central Square, Cambridge - Oak Square
Route 68 Harvard Square - Kendall Station
Route 71 Harvard Subway - Watertown Square
Route 73 Harvard Subway - Waverly Square
Route 74 Harvard Station - Belmont Center
Route 92 Sullivan Station - Downtown via Main Street
Route 93 Sullivan Station - Downtown via Bunker Hill
Route 95 Sullivan Station - West Medford
Route 99 Wellington Station - Boston Regional Medical Center
Route 112 Wellington Station - Wood Island Station
Route 114 Maverick Station - Bellingham Square OR Mystic Mall
Route 120 Maverick Station - Orient Heights
Route 214 Quincy Center Station - Germantown
Route 215 Quincy Center Station - Ashmont Station via East Milton Square
Route 216 Quincy Center Station - Hough's Neck
Route 220 Quincy Center Station - Hingham
Route 326 Haymarket Station - West Medford via I-93
Route 441 Marblehead - Haymarket via Paradise Road
Route 442 Marblehead - Haymarket via Humphrey Street
Route 450 Salem Depot - Haymarket via Western Avenue
Route 455 Salem Depot - Haymarket via Loring Avenue

The MBTA supplemental bus service (i.e. the "Supplementals" and "school trips") would be scaled back; if not reduced entirely.

All remaining bus service would have service evenings and weekends cut in half.

Quincy & Lynn Garages would be closed nights and weekends.
All other routes at these garages would lose service at these times.

The following Green Line stations would close:

BU East (B Branch)
BU West (B Branch)
Pleasant Street (B Branch)
Brandon Hall (C Branch)
Saint Paul Street (C Branch)
Hawes Street (C Branch)

The E Branch of the Green Line would be cutback from Heath Street to Brigham Circle.

E Line service would also be eliminated on weekends.

Subway service overall would be reduced by 50% during the midday, nights, and on weekends.

The following Commuter Rail stations would close:

Hastings, Silver Hill, Waverly, Plimptonville, Readville (Franklin Line only), Wyoming Hill, Ballardvale, Greenwood, Plymouth, Mishawum, Rowley, West Gloucester,
Beverly Farms, and Prides Crossing

ALL Commuter Rail service would be eliminated after 7PM weeknights, and all day weekends

ALL Ferry service would be eliminated, along with the Suburban Transportation Program subsidies and the Private Carrier Program subsidies.

The RIDE service area would be extensively redefined.

Again, these things would only happen if there is NO FARE INCREASE.

Whew. So how many cities and towns would lose local MBTA service? I lost count at ten.

Pay more? Or lose service? After all, it's "your choice"!

A Ray of Sunshine

2009-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today I opened the Metro and found on page two an article about the T. To my surprise is was neither about the impending fare hikes and service cuts, nor about the T's financial woes. It was a piece about the A Line! It was good to see something, frankly, positive about the T. Perhaps someone will do a write up about the City Point Line (now Route 09) or the Egleston/Lenox Street Line (now Routes 22 and 43).

I also took the Blue Line shuttle over the weekend (the line was closed for work at Maverick). It was a real family affair: Cabot, Charlestown, and Lynn all had equipment running on the shuttle, creating a nice mix of NABIs (2219, 2223, et alia), New Flyers, and even the occasional RTS (0240, 0322). Blue Line service was back up by Sunday night, slightly ahead of schedule. I'm sure Ed Dana would be proud.

"Left In The Dark"

2009-06-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

This fall we shall be paying up to 20% more to ride the T. Service across the system would also be scaled back to an extent not seen in decades. More for less; a cheery prospect.

I read an article in the Metro about commuters being "left in the dark" about the proposed service cuts and fare increases coming this fall. To be honest, I am rather disappointed that the MBTA has been so quiet and seemingly reluctant to release any real details. True, any proposals put forward by the T would depend on actions taken by the legislature (really, more inaction by them), but the information made public thus far is quite vague and general. It is no surprise that people are upset. Saying that 30 "high net-cost" bus routes will be eliminated is one thing. To say that the North Shore is at risk of loosing a chunk of its local bus service is another. With so little information available to them, commuters are left in an atmosphere of suspense, wondering: "Will my route be eliminated? Is my bus one of these 'high net-cost' routes?" The typical rider has no idea how much their route costs to operate, much less what the net-cost actually means in terms of their bus being there or not. People need facts that are more concrete, not nebulous. At the very least, the T should give an actual worse-case scenario. That is, something that takes the abstract and relates it to people's lives on a more intimate level. Otherwise, to some you may as well be talking about PCC gear aspect ratios. The lack of true transparency could end up hurting the T more in the long run. If the T expects rich feedback from its "accelerated public hearings process", it must give people the information in a time frame that allows them to thoroughly digest it and to have more informed opinions. Thrusting the details at or just before the hearings will result in more public outcry than meaningful discussion.

Combing through an appendix to the 2008 Service Plan (publicly available on the MBTA website), I have compiled a list of the 25 highest net-cost bus routes that would likely be eliminated as part of the service cuts. They are listed in order from most expensive to least expensive in terms of cost per rider:

1. Route 355 Downtown Boston - Woburn Industrial Parks
2. Route 170 Dudley Station - Waltham Industrial Parks
3. Route 439 Central Square, Lynn - Nahant
4. Route 468 Salem Depot - Danvers Square
5. Route 351 Alewife Station - Oak Park Industrial Park
6. Route 48 Jamaica Plain Loop
7. Route 465 Salem Depot - Danvers Square via Malls
8. Route 76 Alewife Station - Lincoln Labs/Hanscom Field
9. Route 500 Downtown Boston - Riverside
10. Route 217 Ashmont Station - Quincy Center via Wollaston
11. Route 325 Elm Street, Medford - Haymarket Station

12. Route 435 Central Square, Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall via Peabody Square
13. Route 245 Quincy Center - Mattapan Station
14. Route 52 Watertown Yard - Charles River Loop/Dedham Mall
15. Route 436 Central Square, Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall via Happy Valley
16. Route 558 Riverside - Newton Corner/Downtown Boston
17. Route 448 Downtown Crossing - Marblehead
18. Route 78 Harvard Station - Arlmont
19. Route 451 Salem Depot - North Beverly
20. Route 431 Central Square, Lynn - Neptune Towers
21. Route 25 Ruggles Station - Franklin Park via Warren Street
22. Route 350 Alewife Station - North Burlington
23. Route 60 Kenmore Station - Chestnut Hill
24. Route 04 North Station - Boston Marine Industrial Park
25. Route 449 Downtown Crossing - Marblehead

As you can see, the North Shore and the Route 128 business corridor would be among the hardest hit areas. Perhaps the MBTA has a different list of routes marked for death, who knows? I guess we will find out in the next few weeks...

Needs More Trolley Bell

2009-05-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Wishful thinking? A "green" Silver Line map installed at Mattapan Station

Tonight a community meeting will be held at the Mattapan Branch Library to discuss improvements for the Route 28 corridor. The conversion of the heavily traveled route into an extension of the Silver Line will be on the table for public review. Nice to let the public get involved.

Route 28 riders in the not-to-distant future will see their service upgraded to Bus Rapid Transit standards, certainly a step up from the current service provided. The boost promises to bring a better and faster commute to Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury residents. It shall feature priority signaling, HOV lanes, improved bus stop amenities, sixty-foot vehicles, among other delightful BRT elements. It even has a cool name: The "28X"! What more could a transit-dependent community ask for!?

Perhaps real rapid transit, you know, the kind with tracks and a grade separated right-of-way?

For a community that has not seen a trolley since the days of the Type 5's (that would be circa 1955), would replacing a bus with a shinier and larger bus actually provide adequate transit? South End and Roxbury residents still have the sour tastes in their mouths from the Route 49 conversion to the Silver Line. Or as they call it, the "Silver Lie". Will the "28X" really be immune to the problems that the Silver Line Washington Street faces almost daily? Like the Route 49 and ex-Washington Street Elevated riders, are these residents going to be given the short end of the straw when it comes to "real" rapid transit?

It is great to see the MBTA and the Executive Office of Transportation investing so much money in public transit (take that, automobile lobby!). Any improvement to the Route 28 corridor is a great one, but I still have my doubts and some questions. Namely, what happened to that proposed Orange Line branch to Mattapan?

More to come later...

2009-05-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the opening of the Southwest Corridor on the Orange Line! 22 years ago last Thursday (April 30th), the Washington Street Elevated ceased service after 86 years. With its demise, Boston lost its last major el (save for the short bit in front of the Boston Garden on the Green Line). Many bus routes that terminated at Dudley Station were extended to the new Ruggles Station. Route 43 was also cutback from Egleston Square to Ruggles, while Route 22 was rerouted from Warren Street to Seaver Street and Columbus Avenue. Route 28 entered service at about this time as well. Oddly enough, Route 29 would still provide the bulk of service in the Blue Hill Avenue corridor for a few more years. Very different from the service patterns operated today! The 49 also stepped into the spotlight, no longer a back and forth line from the South End to Chinatown, but now the service from Dudley to Downtown.

Thank goodness the rapid transit extension was built instead of the highway.

The Muses Ride The T

2009-04-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Being a writer and a poet, I often find inspiration in a variety of places. I was riding the bus recently when this came to me:

Ode to a TransitMaster

TransitMaster! TransitMaster!

How late are we today?

Five minutes? Fifteen minutes?

Who can really say?

TransitMaster! TransitMaster!

Tracking me on their screen

Crossing timepoint crossings

And the places in between

TransitMaster! TransitMaster!

Ticking away the hours

There's not enough recovery time

To even smell the flowers

Wake Me When It's Over

2009-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

So the word is out: the Globe has published a list of proposed service cuts that the MBTA is mulling over to close its $160,000,000 budget gap. I had hoped that the cuts would not be as bad as the 1981 service reductions (which seem to have faded from our collective memory), but in fact, they would be much worse. The good thing is that nothing is official...yet. To add insult to injury, many riders feel that the MBTA is just bluffing. Some people said the same thing back in 1981, then they woke up one Sunday to find that the Blue Line did not go to Wonderland anymore.

Let us take a look at some of the 2009 proposals "under consideration" and compare them with the cutbacks made in 1981; just to get an idea what we're in for.

2009 Proposal: "Eliminate service at Quincy & Lynn bus garages after 9 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends"

1981 Equivalent: Eagle Street Garage (nee Carhouse) was closed on April 4, 1981. Its routes (110-121) were divided up between Charlestown Garage (110-112) and Lynn Garage (116-117, 119-121). Having been active since the days of streetcars, the garage was closed to cut costs. The site is now a (somewhat rundown) parking lot near Eagle Square in East Boston.

This proposal is terribly vague. Will service on the routes based at these garages be eliminated nights and weekends, or will they (like Fellsway and Albany) be covered by other garages? Lynn Garage is home to Routes 116 and 117, and I have a feeling chaos would ensue if service did not operate weeknights or over the weekend. I'm sure South Shore residents would be equally unhappy not have any service during these periods as well. And if another garage does cover them, you would have to train and familiarize the drivers with routes from another division. I know a few seasoned veterans at Charlestown who started out at Lynn...but that was fifteen to twenty years ago. Some might think that the 433 or 458 are still running.

2009 Proposal: "Eliminate customer service agents [CSA's] in subway stations"

1981 Equivalent: Some unstaffed token booths, a few station closings.

Several friends and I joked about personally staffing major downtown stations during our lunch breaks to give tourists and other riders directions, and to help with any CharlieCard issues. A volunteer CSA corps, if you will. But, alas! We could only do some much in an hour. So if you need help adding money to your card, or purchasing a ticket, I suppose you'll just have to watch someone else do it. Or visit youtube. Commuters will also lose touch with the "human side" of the T. Sure, you can call the information line or visit the website, but to have someone you can actually talk to in person; that can brighten up someone's day.

This photo happens to be from the final Route 195 trip.
TransitMaster had changed the sign before
I could get a photo of the bus displaying "195 DOWNTOWN".

2009 Proposals: "Eliminate highest net-cost-per-passenger bus routes" and "Eliminate routes due to network redundancy"

1981 Equivalent: Over 20 routes were eliminated and several pairs of routes combined (i.e. Routes 25 and 26 were merged to become the current Route 26).

Highest net-cost-per-passenger bus routes? What is "net-cost-per-passenger"? Basically, you take the total amount of money needed to operate the service, then subtract the revenue from fares ("farebox recovery"), then divide that by the total number of riders. The final value is the per-passenger subsidy the MBTA pays to keep service running. I went to mbta.com and pulled up a copy of the Final 2008 Service Plan. At the very end of the document is a table summarizing ridership, total cost of service, net-cost-per-passenger, service hours, etc.; all sorted by bus route. Doing a bit of digging I found some possible "high net-cost" candidates:

Route 48 Jamaica Plain Loop
Route 78 Harvard Station - Arlmont Village
Route 170 Dudley Station - Waltham Industrial Parks
Route 355 Haymarket - Woburn Industrial Parks
Route 435 Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall/Danvers Square
Route 436 Lynn - Liberty Tree Mall via Happy Valley
Route 465 Salem Depot - Danvers Square

Just to name a few...

The system wide average for a bus subsidy is about $1.50. These routes average over three times that amount! The "exotic routes" (i.e. Route 170 and 355) we may be able to live without. But what about the others? As for "network redundancies" (jargon, anyone?), please do away with Route 25 (Ruggles - Franklin Park via Dudley)! This route operates only during the AM Peak, with a fifteen minute headway, and carries about 203 people per day. Often when extra equipment is needed, the 25 is first to "donate" its buses. We could press on without the 25; Cabot would love to have the extra three buses available during the AM rush hour. Perhaps, however, some of the other "redundancies" would be more greatly missed.

2009 Proposal: "Eliminate E Branch on weekends, extend C Line to Lechmere; eliminate E Line service beyond Brigham Circle; eliminate Mattapan trolley after 8PM weekdays and all day weekends"; cut several Green Line surface stops.

In 1981: On Sundays shuttle buses replaced train service to Ashmont, Shawmut, Fields Corner, Savin Hill, Malden Center, Oak Grove, Suffolk Downs, Beachmont, Revere Beach, and Wonderland. The span of subway service was also reduced on Sundays; last trains were scheduled around 10PM or 10:30. Two stations were also closed completely.

What did the Mattapan High Speed Line do to deserve such a fate? After carrying passengers (daily!) since 1929, must it now become no more than a rush hour and midday only shuttle? The night and weekend alternative is Route 24.3 (a.k.a "Route 24/27"). Service on this route operates every 60 minutes weeknights and Sundays, and every 40-60 minutes Saturdays. If this proposal becomes reality, I strongly encourage Arborway to borrow some 60-footers from Southampton, otherwise you are going to have some packed (Routes 28 and 111 packed) NABIs traveling along River Street. As for the Green Line cutbacks, no more E service on weekends? Do we really want all of those extra riders on the 39? And will cutting back service from Heath Street to Brigham Circle really save any money? The cantenary to Heath Street would still have electricity flowing through it (so no energy cost savings), the stops eliminated, save for Heath, are just segments of sidewalk with a "Green Line Stop" sign above them. Well, Fenwood Road does have a tall "T" sign, but you get the idea. Frankly, B Line stops are too close together, so cutting a few may not be the end of the world. The announcements sometimes stumble over each other, the stops are so close together: "Next stop Boston University West. Entering Boston University West." And doesn't BU have its own shuttle bus system? Well, enough of my ranting about Boston University.

More to come later...

Hidden Treasure

2009-03-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this relic in East Boston:

There are only a few of these old bus stop signs still standing. Route 121 evening and Saturday service last operated in 1981, so this sign probably dates back to the late 1970s. Also note the stop number (5907) in the lower left corner; a very useful piece of information not found on modern bus stop signs!

Travels About Town

2009-03-20T11:51:00.001-07:00

Having recovered from a rather severe bout of pneumonia, I ventured out onto the system.

This past Sunday, I accidentally boarded a Bowdoin train (along with four French tourists and two other people) at Government Center. The train had been signed up "WONDERLAND", and being in a hurry, I ran on board. As we pulled into Bowdoin (although closed for the weekend, the lights were all on) I realized that I grabbed the wrong train. I did get to ride, however, around the loop and see the old tail tracks leading to the long abandoned West End Portal.

When the East Boston Tunnel opened in 1904, there was a portal at South Russell Street in the West End that allowed trolleys from Cambridge to enter the tunnel and travel to East Boston. After the rapid transit conversion in 1924, subway cars in need of repairs were towed to the Eliot Shops (formerly near Harvard Square). After the the Revere Extension opened in 1952, the Blue Line got its very own yard and shops, and the West End portal was sealed and abandoned.

But I digress.

I've also spotted several more NABIs at Cabot that now have security cameras installed. 2285 is the lowest numbered bus that I have seen with them so far. The usual suspects, 2298, 2295, et alia, I seen around town as well.

Spring Is In The Air!

2009-03-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air! And with springtime that means new schedules are on the way. The spring schedule changes enter effect tomorrow, so keep an eye out for the magenta colored schedule cards.

Now I'm Getting Scared

2009-02-13T10:47:00.001-08:00

Last week it was announced that MBTA riders may face a "hefty" fare increase and substantial service cuts if the T's troubled finances are not dealt with soon. With about $444,000,000 of the FY2008 budget being spent on debt payments, one must ask: Debt relief, anyone?

This news is eerily similar to the MBTA 1981 budget crisis. A subsequent reduction in service (plus a fare increase) went into effect, with Sunday service being hit especially hard. Several subway stations were closed entirely on Sundays (with shuttle bus replacement) and the span of service was cut back (Subway service ended at 10PM, buses at 7). Things now are not looking that bad...yet. Hopefully, the state will take a new approach to financing transportation in Massachusetts.

The MBTA is only the latest incarnation of a perennial problem affecting Boston's transit systems. Every transit system in the Greater Boston area has been through a similar cycle of increasing financial woes and debt; the West End Street Railway in the 1880s and 1890s, the Boston Elevated Railway Company in the late 1940s (ridership and revenues were also down before the war), the MTA picking up the tab on the BERy Co. debt, and now the T. Each time, the subsequent agency rose from the ashes of the previous one. If MassTrans is ever created, will it only collapse after 40 or 50 years?

Let's hope history does not repeat itself.

I Spy

2009-02-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

It appears Big Brother rides the Orange Line:

Camera On Car 1246.

I have heard that 1214 also has them installed. In addition, several more NABI's also now have cameras.

Heat Wave

2009-01-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Heat lamps!

Lately, I have noticed that a few Wall USA shelters have had these installed. Well done, MBTA! Also, my rides on the Silver Line have been much more comfortable thanks to bus 1017 (now my most favorite bus at Southampton). I have gotten this bus twice this week and the heat is perfect.

Car 1296, however, was an icebox. On one of the coldest days of the year the AC was on. The passengers could actually see their breath!

Oh No You Didn't

2009-01-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

Double parking along the Silver Line is one thing, but to do so on the wrong side of the street...

Of course, passengers had to board the bus in the street. Any idea where the Transit Police were?

Route 111.6

2009-01-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Route 111.6 Haymarket Station - Washington Avenue @ Revere Beach Parkway

This route variation only operates inbound trips to Haymarket during the morning rush hour. Outbound trips are rarely (if ever) operated. To keep two buses from bunching near Woodlawn, the official had this bus turn back at Revere Beach Parkway.

The Final Ride

2009-01-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

On December 26, I rode the final trip of Route 195. The route certainly went out in style, with record high ridership. The driver was a bit "camera shy", so I was only able to take one photo at the very end. But I'll make it up to you all with some Route 277 action shots.

I have decided to present my account as an "annotated load profile"...

Lemuel Shattuck Shelter: + 11 Passengers

I had arrived at the Shattuck Shelter at about 7:50AM. The clocks at Forest Hills were running ten minutes fast, and worried that I would miss the bus, I ran as fast I could to the Shattuck. Outside the shelter were a few people waiting for the 195. One man told me that when the first bus arrived (the Route 277 trip), the shelter staff told everyone that this would be the only bus today. Naturally, everyone grabbed their belongings and rushed out to catch it. A few minutes after I arrived, NABI #2069 pulled up to the stop and signed up "195 DOWNTOWN EXPRESS".
I informed the driver, much to his surprise, that he would be the last driver to ever operate the 195. Then we were off!

Blue Hill Avenue @ Ellington Street: + 1 Passenger

We actually stopped to pick up someone! And she used her LinkPass in the farebox! Often the farebox is shut off on the 195, as the only riders (aside from an occasional railfan) are homeless and would not have the money to pay the fare. The 195 also does not usually stop to pick up people on the street, as it runs express (via local streets) to Park Street Station.

Roxbury Crossing: - 1 Passenger

The passenger we picked up at Ellington Street went on her way.

Tremont Street @ Massachusetts Avenue: - 3 Passengers, + 2 Passengers

Several of the shelter patrons had appointments at the Boston Medical Center and changed here for the 1. We also picked up two people who found the 43 to be a little slow that morning.

Tremont Street @ West Concord Street: + 1 Passenger
Tremont Street @ West Brookline Street: + 1 Passenger
Tremont Street @ West Dedham Street: + 1 Passenger, - 1 Passenger

More Route 43 riders...

Tremont Street @ Arlington Street: + 1 Passenger, - 1 Passenger
Eliot Norton Park: - 1 Passenger
Park Plaza: + 1 Passenger, - 1 Passenger
State House: - 3 Passengers

Same as above...

Park Street Station: - 7 Passengers

The final stop, quite literally. We pulled up by the Park Street headhouses and everyone got off the bus. Citing the historical significance of this trip, I convinced the driver to let me take one picture. After this, he was off to Ashmont for some mid-morning 26's. And, alas, the 195 joined the other discontinued routes of ages past...

That last part was a bit dramatic, I know.

Total Passengers (Myself not included): 19 Passengers - An all time high!

One Year Later...

2009-01-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

No Free Transfer is now a year old! Here's for another year of exciting transit news!

The 195 Says Goodbye

2008-12-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

After over twenty years, Route 195 is being discontinued. Chances are you have never heard of the 195. Many operators (including ones from its own garage!) have not either. The route makes one inbound trip from the Shattuck Shelter (on the edge of Franklin Park) to Park Street Station each day at 8:05AM. I plan to ride the final trip this week and will have some photos.

The Winter 2009 Rating

2008-12-23T14:48:00.001-08:00

The MBTA will issue new schedules this coming Saturday (December 27). Be sure to pick up the green ones from the station or your driver. See the MBTA website for details.

Failure, Thy Name Is Route 111

2008-12-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

Snow & Ice: 100 Points
Route 111: -50 Points

After the series of storms that hit the region this past weekend, I would expect surface transit to be a little slow. Maybe even some moderate delays (10-15 minutes). But the 111 seems to have had some trouble bouncing back.

It all began Monday morning. The AM Peak had just ended and I had a few errands to do. During the AM Base, there are about five buses on the line. Whenever I catch the 111 at this time, I can count on having ample seating to choose from. Today was a little different...

0732 arrived at my stop, packed to the gills. I managed to squeeze on and find a spot near the driver. He informed me that some buses had been pulled off the line and/or broke down. He was really feeling the crunch. En route to Boston, we were drop-off only. Well, we tried to be at least. At Fourth Street, the driver announced that he had room for only one more person.

Naturally, seven people attempted to board.

We made it into Haymarket at last. The TransitMaster was running so late that it reset itself. They tend to do that, it seems, when they are running over 35 minutes late.

0732 was forced to deadhead back to Woodlawn. The driver wanted to make sure that there was at least one bus in Chelsea.

The PM Peak, frankly, was not much better:

The Lynn operators had to exit the station carefully,
lest they strike someone waiting for the 111 in the busway.

The berth at Haymarket was overflowing with people. Perhaps 50-75 cold souls waited for the 111. The bus on the right was a 111, but was pulling back to Charlestown Garage. Several more followed suit, much to the dismay of the waiting passengers. Fed up, they "surrounded" a bus (0686 I believe) about to pullback, with hopes of forcing the driver to do another trip. Two more buses were roped in as well.

The Angry Masses. Oh the humanity!

The bus in the above photograph held off on opening its doors. A second bus pulled in behind it and felt the brunt of the crowd. That driver had to kick several people off, just so passengers were not pressed against the windshield. I boarded 0686 (Central made the operator do some overtime), which was not too crowded (about twenty passengers). When I reached my stop, the TransitMaster proudly proclaimed that the bus was 22 minutes behind schedule. A mere 22 minutes!

I believe I will be taking the Commuter Rail into town from now on. Those locomotives seem able to power through just about anything.

Lights Out!

2008-11-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

It appears that the MBTA forgot to pay the electric bill! For at least part of the morning commute, the lights were out at Arlington and Copley (I also heard rumors of Hynes and Boylston going dark as well). A series of underground fires in Downtown Boston forced the power to be shut off for a few hours. Inspectors, CSA's, and other MBTA personnel stood guard with flashlights. Waiting passengers were told to board whatever train came into the station and change at another stop.

Here are some photos I snapped:

Copley Station

Arlington Station

Arlington Station

*Note: Photographs taken with normal settings. It actually was that dark!

Lost RTS

2008-11-24T11:28:00.001-08:00

UPDATE 11/25: It appears that this RTS along with many others from Albany Street now reside at Charlestown/Bennett Garage. Albany Street is now all Neoplan AN440's.

I spotted this gem this morning at Haymarket Station today:

Any idea why an Albany Garage bus would be doing trips on the 111?

Transit Photography

2008-11-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have now created a Flickr account. All of my transit photos will be displayed here:

Flickr.com/photos/eddana

Home Movies: The Boeing-Vertol LRV Trip

2008-11-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Going Around The Loop At Government Center

Coming Out The Other Side

Tunnel Between Government Center and Park Street

Sorry that they are a bit short and have no sound.

I have purchased a new camera, so stay tuned for some better quality videos!

Triple Threat

2008-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

This caught my interest yesterday afternoon during the PM rush.

My guess, the next Route 01 bus to Harvard came along about 20 minutes later.

An Accident

2008-10-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

So on my way home last night, my bus got into a little accident with a van. We had left Haymarket Station and were traveling down North Washington Street when a van started to
drift towards us. You see, the fellow driving the van was attempting to change lanes and did not bother to acknowledge the existence of the bus quickly approaching him on the right side. Our driver sensed what was probably going to happen next and hit the brakes. But it was too late.

The end result:

I have edited out the operator for the sake of their privacy.

None of the passengers were hurt, just a little shaken up. The accident happened in the middle of the street and thus we were unable to alight from the bus. The van was pinned against the bus and unable to move. I spotted its driver flipping through some papers. He hardly seemed phased by it. The operator notified Central Dispatch and the authorities soon came.

Had this been, say a Neoplan AN440, I might have blamed the accident on the power steering going out, but this was a New Flyer. Plus, I was riding up front and saw the jerk in the van cut in front of us. Damn him! RTS 213 came along and took our passengers (I stayed behind to give a witness statement). I grabbed a Neoplan heading my way and related my story the driver and a few curious passengers.

Morals of the story kids:

- Never cut off a bus

- Always wear you seatbelt

- Don't expect the same brake performance out of a NABI

The Silver Line Has Lost Its Luster

2008-10-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Silver Line has been getting me down lately.

Last week, dual-mode 1131 (used on the Silver Line Waterfront services) broke down in the Ted Williams Tunnel resulting in a horrendous traffic jam. The delays were so bad that it took about 47 minutes to get from the toll plazas at Logan Airport to South Station. Of course, this unfortunate delay caused me to be late to a meeting. I now add 1131 to the list of buses I vow never ride on again (this list includes 1026, 0216, 0264, and many more).

Adding to my BRT frustrations, it appears that the MBTA will move ahead with the Silver Line Phase III project. Why not? It is only projected to cost around $1,000,000,000 (don't be surprised if the price tag starts to skyrocket). The T could easily pull together that cash. Yeah, with a debt of about $8,000,000,000 it might not be the best idea to pursue a major (and largely unwanted and unpopular) capital project like this. People are already noting the parallels Phase III has with the Big Dig. Sadly, the MBTA has a legal mandate to do it as part of the Big Dig remediation.

Hopefully, if this thing starts to become a reality, the MBTA does not pick Betchel/Parsons Brinckerhoff as the contractor.

School Trips On Route 171!?

2008-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was looking at a CT3/171 schedule card from Winter Rating 2003. I have a pretty extensive archive of throwback schedules going back decades by the way. Anyway, so up in the corner I spot the 171 schedule information and get this! There are two school trips (i.e. trips added for the convenience of student riders) listed at 6:45AM from Dudley Station and 2:40PM from Airport Station.

Wait a minute, school trips on the 171? What's going on here?

The 171 operates two very early morning trips from Dudley Station to Logan Airport. Departing at 3:50AM and 4:20AM, few people know about its existence. The 171 provides transportation to and from Logan for employees whose shifts start/end before regular MBTA service hours. So what use would this route be for kids going to school?

I was stumped, so I consulted the wise Jonathan Belcher...

As it turns out, there was actually a group of students who took the CT3 (when it operated between Andrew Station and Logan Airport) from South Boston to a school in East Boston near Airport Station. Once that segment of the line was discontinued and replaced by the 171, the T figured that there might still be a demand. Thus, they created the school trips. As it turns out, not a single kid used the trips. They decided to take the Blue Line instead. These trips lasted only one rating (about three months). Oh well, it was worth a shot.

Also, I have finally taken a ride on the six-car Blue Line trains! The ride is much more comfortable, no more being stuffed into the cars during rush hour. Good job, Dan! Much appreciated!

Finally, it appears that I can upload videos to this blog. So expect some Boeing-Vertol LRV home movies soon!

Back From Vacation!

2008-09-12T10:33:00.001-07:00

Hello, Chaps!

I am back from my summer holiday and am now getting back into the swing of things.

The MBTA has now released its 2008 Service Plan, which analyzes bus, subway, (and for the first time ever!) ferry service. Using existing resources, the Plan seeks to improve service and cut out waste. Sounds like a good idea to me! I have had a copy for at least two months prior to it being released to the public, but like a good novel, I didn't want to spoil the plot for you all. If you would like to download a copy for your reading pleasure, head here:

http://mbta.com/uploadedFiles/About_the_T/T_Projects/T_Projects_List/ServicePlan08.pdf

And be sure to attend some of the public workshops for the Service Plan in your area!

If you happen to be on the Blue Line next week, say around 5PM, you might see one of three six-car Blue Line trains that will be rolling out this coming Monday (September 15th). To accommodate increased capacity, the T has added these trains during the so called "peak of the peak", then the strain is particularly great. For anyone who was hoping to see a six-car consist of Hawker-Siddeley's, sorry, only the 700's will be trainlined this way. Don't worry, the six car trains will still serve Bowdoin Station, but you might have to change cars. It is impossible to extend the platform there without destroying the station and that section of tunnel. Now why didn't Ed Dana plan ahead for this?

About twenty buses equipped with Automated Passenger Counters (APC's) have been transferred from Charlestown/Bennett Garage to Cabot. These buses are equipped with sensors near the front and rear doors that count how many people board and alight. This data can be broken down by route, trip, and even bus stop. This is certainly a great piece of technology for the T, as now they are able to obtain more timely and accurate ridership counts. The buses (0735, 0737-0740, 0742-0745, and 0747-0753) are New Flyer D40's just like the buses they swapped with Charlestown. These buses, like the others, also feature security cameras. It seems that because of this, they are only being pulled out on the Route 23 (there is a bit of a backstory here, I'll explain later). However, I have seen them on other Cabot routes: 0752 and 0753 on the 16, 0745 on the 09, etc. Hopefully, when I ask for some ridership summary reports (yes, I plan to read some of them), I'll get a little variety. Maybe some 04's or possibly some data from the Route 9701? I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Stay tuned for more,

The Lone Rider

Out And About

2008-08-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Carrie Dubose, the longtime superintendent at Cabot Garage, has moved on to Charlestown. The new guy, to the best of my knowledge, is a fellow by the name of John Houghton. Hope he knows what he's gotten into. Cabot can be a difficult garage to manage. I'll have to stop by and introduce myself.

So yesterday I decided to do my bit to help out the economy. Taking advantage of the tax holiday, I went to several booksellers (I picked up an 1869 translation of the odes of Horace...for only $9.50!), and spotted some interesting things in my travels. On the Blue Line I discovered that the new cars display "GOVERNMENT C" for Government Center. Why not program them to say "GOV'T CENTER". That's fewer letters and is easier for the riders to understand. Oh well, the electronic PA still insisted that trains were operating to Bowdoin even though it was the weekend. On the Wonderland side, I had the warm company of about 100 people waiting for the train. Soon a train pulled into the station, showing off the impressive horns the 700's have, then stopped. We eagerly went up to the doors to board...and the train left. You know, if you're heading back to the yard, displaying "out of service" (and maybe turning out your lights too) would've been nice. Oh yes, and on its way out, I spotted a poor woman and her baby on board. She must have boarded the train on its way to Bowdoin and had gotten stuck on board. Thankfully, I notified the motorman of the next train to call ahead and make sure the mother and child were taken care of.

Now get this, on weekends the Silver Line Washington Street supposedly only runs 40' buses (the 6000's). This helps with fuel economy and better meets ridership demand (correct me if I'm wrong). So what was 1013 (a 60' bus) doing out on the street yesterday?

Some Updates...

2008-08-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, the T finally lifted its 10 mph speed restriction on the Longfellow Bridge. Guess that means I can't challenge Red Line drivers to race across the bridge anymore. Service on the Mattapan Line was suspended for a few hours yesterday morning. The "grease" they smear on the rails to cut down on screeching (particularly at Ashmont) was apparently on a little too thick. Talk about a slippery slope. Or I guess, "slippery viaduct". Passengers were told to take Route 27 to/from Mattapan and Ashmont. Oh wait, that bus runs only every 35 minutes! Thankfully, Arborway sent over a few extra buses to help out. Service was back up and running before long. 3234 has been chugging along for about a week or so. No major problems reported so far. The second AC PCC to enter service (3230 was the first), it is planned to have all the Mattapan cars retrofitted by October. 3265 is up next for installation.

Note the AC unit on the roof.

PCC 3260 is slated to be moved over to Riverside after an encounter with a stray tree branch left it with some major damage to its frame:

Nothing major on the Orange Line. I've noticed a few more repainted cars lately. Lookin' spiffy!

Word has it that starting this fall, six-car trains will start operating on the Blue Line during rush hours. While it will not be every train (3 or 4 out of thirteen), it should certainly help with crowding. And of course, move to the first four cars to get off at Bowdoin! Unlike the other stations, Bowdoin cannot have its platforms extended. So two cars will be out in the tunnel.

Fifty of the 600-Series cars planned to be scrapped over the next several months. 20 cars will be kept to supplement the growing 700-Series fleet). Hopefully, Seashore (Trolley Museum) up in Maine will get a pair for their collection.

New Flyer D40s have made their debut on the North Shore! Up in Central Square, Lynn, Dan Grabauskas and company had a little debut ceremony. Lynn Garage will receive 70 new buses, Quincy Garage gets 65, and Cabot Garage 20. Any Neoplans from Lynn and Quincy will be shifted back to Fellsway, Charlestown, and Albany.

Oh, and one last thing...

I was watching Channel 7 tonight and there was a story about the cameras on MBTA buses. I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that they showed mostly NABI's (only four out of 299 NABI buses have cameras) and even a few RTS buses on the CT1! Chances are, you'll never see a security camera system on an RTS as they are slowly being phased out (only a handful are expected to remain in service until 2012). At least they had a clip of a New Flyer D40 on the 74...

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today the MBTA turns 44! In honor of this momentous event, I have put together a timeline of some of the major events in the MBTA's history. For a more detailed history of the MBTA, check out Jonathan Belcher's Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district 1964-2008

August 3, 1964 - The MBTA succeeds the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Unlike the MTA, which only served 14 cities and towns, the new MBTA has an expanded service area of 78 cities and towns. However, many would not receive direct MBTA service for several years.

August 26, 1965 - The MBTA gives the rapid transit lines their colors:

The Cambridge-Dorchester Tunnel Line becomes the Red Line after the school color (crimson) of Harvard University. At the time, the Red Line only operated between Harvard and Ashmont.

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

However, the cars being used at the time (the 1400's Series) had been purchased with state money, and as a token of thanks, were painted in the state colors. Clearly this could lead to some confusion...

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

The Main Line Elevated becomes the Orange Line. Washington Street in the South End and Roxbury, over which the el ran for most of its route, was once called Orange Street.

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

The several streetcar lines that fed into the Central Subway and Park Street were called the Green Line, as many of them ran parallel to some portion of Boston's Emerald Necklace park system. However, many of the PCC streetcars would remain in their MTA orange paint schemes for years, with a few even being retired in that color.

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

And finally, the East Boston Tunnel Line became the Blue Line, as it ran under Boston Harbor and along the ocean.

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collect
Note: The trains in this photo (dated 1972) first entered service in 1924
when the East Boston Tunnel was converted from streetcar to subway operation.
The original 1924 fleet would remain in service until 1979/1980 when they were
replaced by the current 0600-Series Hawker -Siddley fleet. With the exception of
the Mattapan PCC's, no other MBTA vehicle would surpass their 56 year service life.

1966 - The MBTA begins to renumber its bus routes. By 1969, the current numbering system would be in place. Some examples were:

Route 31A became Route 24 (Mattapan - Wakefield Avenue)

Route 47 became Route 01 (Dudley - Harvard)

Route 77 became Route 69 (Harvard - Lechmere)

1966 - The MBTA purchases its first buses. All of the buses in the MBTA fleet up to that time had been inherited from the MTA (with a few leftover from BERy days!). These buses, 1966/1967 GMC "New Looks" or "Fishbowls" as they were sometimes called, would remain in service for decades. In fact, in the early 1990's there were still a few in service.

March 30, 1968 - The MBTA absorbs the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The merger resulted in the MBTA taking over and operating bus routes on the South Shore (now the 200-series routes), North Shore (now the 400-series routes), Route 616 (now known as Route 34E), Melrose area routes (now the 130-series routes), as well as buses in Lowell (until 1975), Lawrence (only for several months), and Brockton (until 1969).

June 21, 1969 - The MBTA discontinues service on the "A" branch of the Green Line to Watertown via Allston, Brighton, and Newton Corner. Service was only "temporarily suspended" due to a streetcar shortage, however it has never resumed. Route 57 replaced streetcar service along the line.

September 1, 1971 - The South Shore Extension of the Red Line opens. Service is extended to Quincy Center via North Quincy Station and Wollaston Station. Ashmont and Quincy trains would diverge at Andrew Station. It would not be until 1988, when an additional platform was built, that South Shore trains would serve JFK/UMass Station.

July 5, 1972 - The MBTA absorbs the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. New routes added into the MBTA system included bus routes in Newton, Waltham, Needham, Arlington, Lexington, Belmont, Bedford, and for a brief time Framingham, Wayland, and Wellesley. Several routes were discontinued over years (i.e. the Framingham/Wayland/Wellesley routes), however many of the former M & B routes remain as today's Routes 52, 59, 62, 67, 70A, 76, and 553-558.

April 4, 1975 - Service on the Charlestown Elevated is discontinued. The Charlestown El is replaced with increased Route 92 service, and the Orange Line is relocated to the Haymarket North Extension. Stations closed on the Charlestown El were: Everett, Sullivan Square (old station), Thompson Square, City Square, and North Station (old El stop).

Photographs Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

December 27, 1976 - The MBTA takes over the commuter rail system. Formerly, the Boston & Maine Railroad and Penn Central provided commuter rail service in the Greater Boston area. Purple had been chosen to represent the commuter rail system in 1974.

December 30, 1976 - First first LRV's (or Light Rail Vehicles) enter service on the Green Line. Built by Boeing-Vertol (yes, the airplane company), they were the first brand new cars purchased for the Green Line since the Picture Window PCC's in 1951.

March 22, 1980 - Red Line service is extended to Braintree Station. Quincy Adams Station would open in 1983 due to construction delays.

December 1980 - The MBTA closed for one day due to lack of funds. As part of the fallout from this event, many services (largely bus) are cutback or discontinued completely wholesale.

January 31, 1981 - The original Harvard Station (remnants still visible today) was closed in preparation for the Northwest Extension to Alewife. Several temporary stations (Harvard/Holyoke, Harvard/Brattle) would serve the area until the new station was completed.

1983 Through 1985 - The Northwest Extension of the Red Line opened. First the new Harvard Station in 1983, Porter and Davis in 1984, and finally Alewife in 1985.

1985 - The RTS makes its debut in Boston. The first MBTA bus to use electronic destination signs (instead of hand-cranked rollsigns), they would eventually become the only type of bus in the MBTA's fleet until 1999, when the first New Flyer C40's (initially bought for the Silver Line) entered service.

December 28, 1985 - The E Arborway Branch of the Green Line is temporarily suspended and replaced by Route 39 service. No Green Line service operated between Copley and Arborway. In preparation for the introduction of the LRV's, the Northeastern Incline was rebuilt to allow for the increase weight. The E Line was the last branch of the Green Line to still use PCC streetcars, some dating as far back as 1941. In 1986 service resumed on this branch only to Brigham Circle. Service was initially provided with Boeing LRV's, but by 1987 all service now used Type 7's. Service would return only as far as Heath Street on November 4, 1989. To this day, Jamaica Plain remains without Green Line service. Trolley poles, sections of track, and even a full Green Line stop at Forest Hills are all that remain. Bustitution had claimed its last victim in Boston.

May 4, 1987 - The Washington Street Elevated is closed and subsequently demolished after 86 years of service. The Orange Line was rerouted to the Southwest Corridor (originally planned to be a highway extension). Elevated stations closed were: Dover, Northampton, Dudley, Egleston, Green Street (old station), and the original (constructed 1909) Forest Hills Station. The historic Dudley Station is then converted into a bus terminal, with several original pieces of architecture incorporated into it. As was the case with the Charlestown El, service was replaced with increased bus service on Route 49. For 15 years, Route 49 service linked Dudley Station with Downtown Boston (Route 42 was extended from Egleston to Forest Hills and provided service from there to Dudley Station). However, Route 49 could not compare to the El's 8 minute trip from Dudley to Downtown Boston. The only stations remaining from the original Orange Line are Haymarket, State, Downtown Crossing, and Chinatown.*

Photograph Courtesy of The Joe Testagrose Collection

*Even these stations are not really the "original stops". The Washington Street Tunnel opened in 1908. For the first seven years of service (1901-1908) Main Line Elevated trains operated through the Tremont Street Subway. So the actual original stops are Government Center, Park Street, and Boylston. Streetcar service had been reconfigured during this time to allow for subway train operation.

Fall 1995 - The Crosstown Buses make their debut. Unlike other bus routes, they make limited stops (making the trip between major points faster). Also, for a little extra fare, passengers could transfer to the subway system.

1999 - The first Type 8 Green Line cars arrive in Boston. Plagued with a variety of problems including poor brakes, misaligned wheels, and wobbling axles (not to mention several derailments), the full fleet does not enter service until 2007/2008. In fact, the entire order was not carried out as the MBTA was unsatisfied with the manufacturer (Breda of Italy) and only accepted 85 (later 95) of the 100 cars.

1999 - The state's "Forward Funding" program expands the MBTA's revenue base and service area (now 175 cities and towns). In the additional communities, the MBTA is not responsible for providing local service.

2002 - The Silver Line Washington Street opens up, much to the dismay and ridicule of riders who were expected light rail rapid transit instead of "bus rapid transit".

2003 - The first CNG buses, purchased by the MBTA amid mounting community pressure to do away with the diesel fume spewing RTS, enter service. They were also some of the first low floor buses in the T's fleet. They are only assigned to Cabot and Arborway Garages (which host routes that primarily serve Boston). This soon leads the T to purchase cleaner buses, many with Emissions Control Technology (ECD), for its fleet. The era of the RTS was drawing to a close. By 2005, almost all RTS buses built before 1989 (8400's thru 8900's) had been retired. All remaining 1994/1995 RTS buses had particulate filters added to reduce emissions. Now, even these buses are slowly being phased out.

1989 RTS Bus.

A NABI CNG Bus

2004 - The Silver Line Waterfront opens. Service initially operates with Neoplan trackless trolleys on a South Station - Silver Line Way shuttle. Soon service expands to three distinct services; SL1 to Logan Airport, SL2 to Boston Marine Industrial Park, and the SL3 to City Point (slated to be discontinued due to low ridership). Unlike the Silver Line Washington Street, Waterfront service features a tunnel, partially grade separated right of way, three underground stations, and straight electric propulsion for part of its route (using dual-mode articulated buses built by Neoplan). Not bad for $601,000,000.

December 2006 - Charlie comes to Boston. The MBTA replaces its decades old system of tokens and turnstiles with the CharlieCard and Automated Fare Collection (AFC). The change over comes just before the 2007 MBTA fare increases. Rather than paying for each trip in cash, the CharlieCard (and to a lesser extent the CharlieTicket) allow riders to store multiple fares and even passes on an electronic smart card. New faregates at subway stations also help to crackdown on fare evaders (though the "backpack trick" and other ways to cheat the system soon are developed).

The new AFC and CharlieCard system did away with tokens as well as paper transfers like these.
I had always had the odd fortune of coming across books of bus transfers, sometimes in the most unlikely places.
I have found books of transfers in the middle of the street, in a park, on a subway seat, even just laying on the ground!
Nothing like a day of free bus rides!

The MBTA has had its ups and downs over the past 44 years, but overall has made a great deal of progress in that time. After all, Boston is a city of many transit firsts. But what does the future hold? Currently, the MBTA is on unsteady financial ground with a debt (interest included) of about $8,000,000,000. This has sadly been a trend for Boston's past transit systems. The Boston Elevated Railway was bought and taken over the the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947 as the BERy was falling "deep into the red". But the MTA would only last 17 years before it too succumbed to its financial woes and was replaced by the MBTA. At times, the MBTA has flirted with financial ruin, only to come away with a few wounds. There is still hope for the T, however. Plans (dating back some 63 years) for the Green Line extension to Medford are coming closer to fruition. New technologies such as GPS, CAD/AVL, and AVI are helping the T to improve its services. So who knows where the T will be in fifty years. Will the system grow into a shining example of transit at its best? Or will it fall to its troubles, perhaps rising again out of the ashes like the phoenix?

I guess time will tell...

Are You Being Served: The Urban Ring

2008-07-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Finally! Sorry for the delays, let's just say I've been experiencing some "technical difficulties" lately. I've also tweaked the format of the series a bit, as well as the names of each post. Hope you enjoy!

- The Lone Rider

So there has been a lot of buzz lately around the Urban Ring project. The tentative plan for it (including proposed routings, etc.) has been somewhat finalized. However, there is still some room for tweaking. Several community meetings held in Chelsea, Roxbury, Cambridge, and The Fenway gave residents (and possible future riders) a chance to learn more about the project, raise their concerns, and chip in some suggestions. Some chaps I know over at Alternatives For Community and Environment (ACE) stopped by the Roxbury meeting. Check out their blog to see what they think about the Urban Ring:

http://www.ace-ej.org/a_transit_injustice_in_the_making

So what is the Urban Ring, that experiment in rapid transit that has everyone talking? The Urban Ring is a proposed bus rapid transit system that would connect the outlying "spokes" of the current rapid transit system. Using a combination of private rights of way, dedicated bus lanes, and a massive $1,000,000,000+ tunnel under the Longwood Medical Area, commuters would no longer have to go into the downtown core to transfer between lines.

Or take often congested and slow buses across town...

*cough*Route 01*cough*Route 66*

Sorry, I think I may be coming down with something.

Trip times between major points such as Dudley Square and Cambridge, would drop drastically. As I said before, places that currently require passengers to take local buses (or if you belong to MASCO, a private shuttle) to get to and fro. Each stop would be a little mini-station, similar to the ones on the Silver Line Washington Street. Hopefully, they will be better designed. The Urban Ring would also have key features such as priority signaling, CAD/AVL (like that found on the current bus fleet) and much more state-of-the-art technology to ensure maximum efficiency and performance. And of course no new BRT line would be complete without a fleet of state of the art buses. Hopefully New Flyer Industries, my favorite bus manufacturer, will get the bid. It is projected to attract up to 175,000 passengers per day.

According to one of the slides from the Roxbury meeting (you may view a PDF of each of the meeting presentations on the official Urban Ring website, www.theurbanring.com) another goal of the Urban Ring is to bring "new rapid transit for environmental justice communities". That's sounds fantastic! Apparently, included in their definition of an environmental justice community are places such as The Fenway and Admiral's Hill in Chelsea. Those places seem kinda upscale to me, not really areas that jump out at you as "EJ". Check out their handy-dandy map outlining which areas are "EJ" and which ones aren't here, on page five. Just in case you're curious, Everett Shops and Briggs Field also count as EJ areas. Really? You mean the place where they store retired RTS buses before they are scrapped and the MIT sports field in Cambridge? Reminds me of how in the MBTA 2005 Title VI report several parks and even a pond were shown to be "Minority Transportation Access Zones", a rough equivalent to the Urban Ring's "EJ communities." Do they really count fish as minorities? Seems kinda insulting...

MASCO will certainly be happy: no more shuttles! The Urban Ring will pretty much do the job for them. Think of the money they'll save.

My enthusiasm, however, is somewhat curbed...

I'm all for a new transit line. Hopefully, it will draw people away from their cars and onto public transit. But the Urban Ring is going to be Bus Rapid Transit (or as some mocking call it, "Barely Rapid Transit"). Since the Silver Line debuted in 2002, I've wary of the whole concept. I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of a bus being considered rapid transit. I won't get into the particulars right now, that'll be the next post! When I first heard about the project several years ago, heavy rail rapid transit (i.e. a subway) was being considered as one of the options. Of course that never came to be. Would've been nice though.

It is the fact that Roxbury and Dorchester are almost all but skimmed over that really troubles me. Proposed stations in these areas include Ruggles, Melnea Cass Boulevard, Dudley Square, Newmarket (1010 Mass Ave.), Edward Everett Square, and UMass Boston. If you look at their Environmental Justice map (EJ areas are colored red), a large swath of communities are overlooked. True, the ring is focused on the "urban core", but while you're at it maybe build a new light rail line or two in Roxbury? The Urban Ring could be like one of those hippie bracelets that has strings of beads hanging from it. Only, those strings would be light rail lines feeding into the Urban Ring. All of this investment, about $2.2 billion dollars, but some people are still being left out. So once again, some riders will just be left waiting at the bus stop.

Are You Being Served?

2008-07-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings, dear readers.

I am launching a series of articles called Are You Being Served? They shall have the overarching theme of looking at environmental justice and transit equity issues, and of course what would be best for the daily riders and the MBTA itself. I will attempt to be as fair and unbiased as possible. But of course, this is a blog after all! Thus I will be interjecting my educated opinion, but not in the Fox News-y kinda way.

It shall be divided into four parts:

Part 1 - The Urban Ring: Boston's Transit Solution or Nightmare?

Part 2 - The Silver Line: Sterling or Tarnished?

Part 3 - The MBTA Bus System (Sorry, no witty subtitle...yet!)

Part 4 - Light Rail On Hyde Park Ave: My Vision For Boston's Transit Future

Sorry for the cheesy names I gave some of them. I just couldn't help it.

So as I embark on this project I hope to open your eyes to some of the issues raised, invite you to share your opinions and of course criticism, and basically give you something to think about.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2008-06-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

This morning a woman was struck by an Oak Grove-bound Orange Line train. The incident happened at Sullivan Station. Rumors are abounding that it was an apparent suicide, but I will wait for the official investigation to come to a close. She was the third person to be struck by an MBTA train this week. Earlier this week a math teacher was hit by a Fitchburg Commuter Rail train near Concord. The MBTA said that he was trespassing on the right of way. Similarly, a teenage boy was also hit by a Commuter Rail train near Bellevue Station on the Needham Line. Authorities say he and a friend (whom was not injured) were walking along the tracks. My condolences go out to all of their friends and family.

But in the last two cases, one has to wonder. Why were they on the tracks? Don't people realize that walking on the tracks is a terrible idea? Well, not everyone has common sense. Maybe people will learn someday.

Please do not walk on or near railroad/subway tracks at any time. That shortcut could very well cut your life short.

So There Was This Neoplan AN440...

2008-06-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

Alas, it has been about two weeks since my last post. Sorry to keep any of you regular readers waiting. So what's been going on? Well, on the 111 things are as usual. Last Tuesday (Bunker Hill Day) I had the good fortune to see all thirteen buses that were operating on the 111 during the PM rush hour. This of course happened in the timespan of about twenty minutes. Speaking of the 111, this morning I spotted bus #0518 heading inbound. What's so remarkable about that? Well, Neoplans are a rare sight on the 111.

For those who don't know, this is a Neoplan.

But that isn't why I was so shocked to see it. 0518 is a Fellsway Garage bus. The 111 is a Charlestown Garage route. Granted, Charlestown does cover Fellsway routes weeknights and weekends, but to flip things around like that? Bizarre. Then again, I have seen many a Cabot bus doing Arborway work.

Note the untiled platform. Summer rehab work at
Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont, and Wood Island Stations
will soon correct problems such as this.

In rapid transit news, the Blue Line will soon become the "New Line" once several station renovation projects are completed by summer's end. Sorry for the corny rhyme. Taking place at Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont, and Wood Island Stations, the work will primarily focus on redoing the platforms. Additional work such as putting up new signage and painting will also be done.

I have also seen some of Quincy's brand new New Flyer D40's. I still have not ridden one yet, but I plan to soon.
Our old pals, Type 3 snowplow #5164 and PCC wire car #3332, have now been incorporated into the collection of retired transit vehicles at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. 3332 was the last double-ended ex-Dallas PCC (try saying that three times fast) still on T property. It spent its last years as a support vehicle on the Mattapan High Speed Line. 5164 (and I don't think any other T vehicle has accomplished this feat) put in 100 years of service for the MBTA, MTA, and BERy (Boston Elevated Railway). 5164 originally entered service as a passenger streetcar in 1907. Twenty years later, it was converted to a snow plow (with many of its Type 3 brethren). Unlike now, back then many cities and towns did not plow their main streets as they often had a streetcar line running down the middle of them. BERy (along with the Eastern Mass. Street Railway in the suburbs) took on the responsibility of clearing away the snow for auto (and of course streetcar!) traffic. Good luck at your new home!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the 2008 MBTA Service Plan, coming to a community outreach meeting near you! The biennial assessment of the T's bus and subway service it sure to be chock full of good stuff (unless you take the 743, but then again who does?).

Heat Stroke

2008-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well it was another fun day on the 111's. Four RTS buses died during the height of rush hour!
One bus broke down three separate times and was sent back out onto the street after it was patched up each time. We can't let too many buses fall off the line, now can we?

The heat must have finally gotten to 0258, even though it was doing a trip on the 111 the bus thought for sure it was an 89. The TransitMaster, no matter what the driver did, stubbornly spat out "Route 89 CLARENDON HILL". I later spotted 0258 heading inbound at Woodlawn saying "11 CITY POINT VIA BAYVIEW". Doesn't the 11 run in South Boston, not Chelsea? Yeah, a missing "1" can make a big difference.

0582 (a Neoplan from Lynn Garage operating on the 426) was showing off how tough it was at Haymarket Station. While waiting to leave the station, the engine was going full throttle. The bus of course was not going anywhere. Just burning fuel. Talk about being in a race to go nowhere. The transmissions on the Neoplans also have a mean downshift, which it why they are some of the noisiest buses in the fleet.

0240, still on the front line for the 111's, had no AC. Well, at least none you could really feel. The boys over at the garage told him to "keep his windows open". Guess that's what they had to do before buses had AC.

All I can say is that my bus, 0736, was working fine. Perfect AC! And no crowds! The only problem was that I kept getting a "hot engine" light. It just wouldn't go away. Well, the engine didn't catch fire so I suppose it resolved itself.

After we crossed the Tobin Bridge RTS 0392 greeted us with its lights out, engine dead, and hazard lights flashing. The operator, who is about eight months pregnant, was sitting with an inspector in his van trying to beat the heat. At least she didn't go into labor...

Also, a Red Line train with bad brakes lost control today. No injuries, nothing major. But with four safety supervisors at the helm, how could you have gone wrong?

PCC Photos

2008-06-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

More to come soon!

Two For One Special! Today Only!

2008-06-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

I was doing my rounds today and found myself at Ashmont Station. The original platforms have been demolished and the temporary ones in place are made from two by fours, plywood, and roof tiling. Sounds safe enough to me! The platform now extends towards Codman Yard, almost into it in fact. There is also a new exit on the outbound platform to a side street where Tower Q used to stand.
Anyway, I wandered over to the faregates and asked the CSA (Customer Service Agent, the folks in the burgundy shirts) how things were going. And then the trouble started...

You see, all four of the CharlieCard Fare Vending Machines were broken! A software glitch prevented passengers from adding value to their CharlieCards. Don't have enough to get on the train? Well, you're going to have to buy a $2.00 CharlieTicket then. Or walk to the next stop, Shawmut. I'm sure their machines are working. Your choice. Naturally, the riders were less than happy about it.

Note that the "Add Value" icon is gray. Tap it, slap it, punch it; whatever you do will be in vain. It just isn't going to respond. The CSA eventually decided to let two people split the cost of a $2.00 CharlieTicket and go in together. Of course, many people were still mad about paying the extra $0.30 (and rightly so) when there was no one to go in with them. The CSA told me it had been like this since the start of service. That's about 5:00AM. He had called downtown, however it was a software problem not a mechanical problem. Thus the "Charlie Crew" could not fix it. Guess those IT guys must be pretty busy with all the computers down at Park Plaza.

So I did my part and explained to the passengers what was up and what their best option was. After that, I went onto the Mattapan Trolley to see how things were going...

I really expected to get a trolley with the wrong farebox code. For you see, off and on someone has been telling the trolley operators to program their fareboxes as Route 831. FYI, the subway and trolley lines all have route numbers like the buses (Orange Line = Route 903, Red Line = Route 931 or 933, etc.). On the Green Line and Mattapan Trolley, the routes are programed into the fareboxes so they charge the right fares and accept the correct transfers. As I was saying, misinformed operators were putting in Route 831. The problem? That is the farebox code for the C Branch of the Green Line! Thus, when you get off the Red Line at Ashmont going to Mattapan the farebox charges you extra. Dude, Cleveland Circle is no where near Ashmont! You definitely had to have left the system to get here. Many an extra $1.70 was lost in the confusion. But they got hip and started putting in Route 899, the Mattapan Trolley route number. But none of that nonsense today. The farebox had the right route number, it was just not accepting anything. No coins, no dollars, no transfers, no coconuts. Other than car 3262 (remember this car? It derailed on opening day) coming off the wire, not too bad a day. I'll have some PCC photos coming soon!

The MBTA Fire Bus

2008-06-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

So there is this bus out at Charlestown/Bennett Garage, Flyer (no, not New Flyer, Flyer Classic) #9471. From 1982 until about 1996 it was a regular transit bus. It was then transformed into its current incarnation. It acts as a mobile recooperation center for firefighters at the scene of a major fire. It has deluxe AC and "heat reflecting shades". Pretty cool, huh?

Here are some photos I took:

Don't Forget To Carry The One

2008-05-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is curious, the current ridership for the Route 111 is 10,271 people per average weekday. That's 5300 going into Boston and 4971 heading out to Chelsea. Just a bit of random T knowledge for you.

The official MBTA 2007 Ridership and Statistics Book (latest edition) says: 8292 riders per weekday.

Keep in mind that that count was done during Winter Rating 2003.

So does that mean that instead of three passengers using the Route 431 (Lynn Depot - Neptune Towers) on Saturdays it is actually more like fifteen?

The Green Line Accident

2008-05-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening, 6:00pm. It is the height of the evening rush hour and commuters are heading home after a day of work on the Riverside Branch of the Green Line. A train has just left the signal near Woodland Station when it is struck from behind by another train. In one of the worst MBTA accidents in years several people are injured, one of them seriously, and one of the operators is killed.

The operator of the second train, 24 year old Terrese Edmonds, died in the crash. The cab of her car was crushed severely by the impact. It took rescue crews several hours to remove her from the wreckage. My thoughts and condolences are extended to her family.

She had been operating trains since last October, still a rookie. Rumors have been flying around that she may have been on her cellphone just before the crash. The NTSB is trying to get copies of her phone records to confirm these rumors. Others say she simply wasn't experienced enough to be on that line. Unlike the other branches of the Green Line, the Riverside Branch has a regular operating speed of 45-50 mph. I admit I have seen operators do 55-60 at times.

The NTSB has determined that the train was traveling at about 35-40 mph when it should have been doing about 10. The train it stuck had just began to accelerate, going barely 5 mph. Track geometry tests show that there were no problems with the tracks at the time of the collision. Any mechanical errors with the brakes have also been ruled out by the National Transportation Safety Board. It appears that human error may be to blame for the accident.

Unlike the Red, Orange, and Blue Lines, there is no failsafe mechanism in place on the Green Line. On the subway lines, if a train gets to close to another train (i.e. within 500 feet or so), the emergency brake is triggered and power cut. The train then comes to a halt. On the Green Line, however, it is up to the operator to keep a safe distance from other trains. Due to its unique operating environment (most trackage is at grade, headways between trains in the Central Subway can range from 10 minutes to 10 seconds, etc.), it does not appear to be very practical to install such a system on the line.

But what about passenger safety? I'm sure we all remember the "fender bender" at Boylston Station. It was no where near as terrible as Wednesday's accident, but several people were still hurt.

Cars 3667 and 3703 have been damaged beyond repair. After the investigation is over, there are plans to retire and scrap them. However, it may still be possible to splice the two undamaged ends together to create a new car.

But the MBTA can always buy new trains. You cannot, however, replace the dear person lost.

This section of the line was shutdown for three days. Buses from all over the system, Charlestown/Bennett, Albany, Arborway, Cabot, were called in to provide shuttle services. Regular bus service felt the strain. The MBTA does not currently have a contingency fleet of buses to provide shuttles in emergencies. On Saturday, Green Line service resumed through the area. It is expected to be suspended again for the NTSB to conduct a test on Sunday. Monday morning should see a return to normalcy.

The accident was eerily similar to one which occurred 28 years ago, also on the Green Line and on the Riverside Line, near Brookline Village Station.

Images Courtesy of Scott Ruffinen

Like yesterday's accident, the first train was waiting a signal when the second struck it from behind. Speed was a factor in the accident.

Do I still feel safe riding the T? Yes, do you? There have been shootings on MBTA buses, bus I still catch bus each day. A runaway box car stuck a Commuter Rail train, but I still grab a Fairmount Line train every now and then.

Hopefully, we will all learn something from this tragedy.

A Day At The Races

2008-05-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

So I went to catch the 111 this evening at Haymarket. Even though everything is on a Sunday schedule for the holiday, I figured the wait wouldn't be that long. The 111 has a pretty good frequency even on weekends. To my surprise (I wasn't really surprised) there were three buses at Haymarket. What luck! All New Flyers, but still, having a choice between bus #0634, #0660, and #0741 made me feel pretty special. Again the MBTA underestimated ridership. Today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and reflection. Surely most people would be at home. Yeah, on a warm and sunny day with no school or work, I'm sure. Turns out we had quite a mass of people waiting for the 111 (~50-75 people).

The man in the red hat is watching the first bus (laden with passengers of course) pull away. Bus 660 would soon follow. My bus (in the corner) got the leftovers. Now today there are four buses on the Route 111, operating every 12 minutes. Hmm...Three of the buses are in Downtown Boston, so that leaves only one bus in Chelsea. Heading inbound I'm sure. But wait! On our way up North Washington Street (still in Downtown Boston by the way), what's that I see? Why it's the fourth bus! Heading towards Haymarket! So we have three buses that have not yet reached the Tobin Bridge and another pulling into Haymarket. Thus at that very moment...there was not a single Route 111 bus in all of Chelsea! Yes, I did do my math correctly.

Now that's what I call service, folks!

Sorry...

2008-05-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

I also owe an apology to the Green Line's Type 8's.

The accident involving car 3879 was NOT the fault of the train (nor the driver!).

It was caused by a faulty switch.

Sorry about that, Breda.

A Blast From The Past

2008-05-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

It has been one zany week in my transit travels this week. This, however, takes the cake. I went to catch the 111 Monday morning and got quite a surprise. I caught RTS #0216. What's so special about that?

Bus 0216 lacks...

...automated stop announcements

...the digital stop display (it still has the exterior destination signs of course!)

...GPS tracking and vehicle location

...and a TRANSITMASTER! The driver had no idea if they were on time or not. By the way, a TransitMaster is that little electronic device by the driver which gives information like schedule accuracy (it tells the driver if they are late, early, or on time), the next stop, etc.

Plus it still has the light up "Stop Requested" box up front! I haven't seen one of these on a bus in years. Rumor has it that #0216 was to be shipped off to Everett Shops where it would be retired and sold for scrap. However, someone accidentally mixed it back in with the regular buses and found its way back at the pullout lot.

The horn didn't work either.

I got RTS 0216 again on Tuesday during the PM rush hour. The driver told me it was all that was left at pullouts at Charlestown Garage.

What's next? A Flyer D901?

Flyer D901 #9471, Former MBTA Transit Bus, Current MBTA Fire Bus

The F***ing Type 8s

2008-05-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Photograph Courtesy of The Boston Globe

Well, 3879 derailed near Chestnut Hill Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton the other day (May 14). It was the operator's last trip for the night (c. 1:30AM) and about 30 people were on board at the time of the accident. The trolley jumped the track and hit a pole, causing the overhead wires to come down and set the car on fire. Thankfully, no one was injured, however substitute bus service ran for most of Wednesday between Washington Street and Boston College on the B Branch. Wednesday morning was spent cleaning up the wreckage and getting the line back online for service. 3879 is currently sitting at Lake Street (the yard facility at BC) awaiting its fate. The damage it sustained is pretty devastating. Some rumors are flying around that it may be the first Type 8 to be retired. Theories abound as to what caused the accident. Another slip up by an unreliable piece of equipment? Operator speeding? College kid saboteur (what some think, but not me personally)? The MBTA says it will investigate the matter. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

To be honest, I wasn't surprised this happened. Not at all.

I have always had a distrust for these cars. They have caused trouble for the T right from the start. Now all my faith in them is completely gone. I'm going strictly Type 7 from now on. Harsh, but totally warranted.

The Type 8 has had a less than impressive track record (sorry for the pun) in its seven-ish years of service for the MBTA. After about a year of vehicle testing, the first Type 8 entered service in 1999. The problems started soon afterwards. The brakes were no good and operators had a hard time stopping the trains. Legend has it that one car rolled uncontrollably down a hill and the operator had to use the emergency brake to stop it. The MBTA actually paid $3.25 million a piece for these things? And I thought Greenbush was a waste of money. There had been about dozen derailments before the MBTA decided to take action against the builder, Breda, in 2004.
After the legal dust settled, the MBTA and Breda decided that the T would take 85 of the 100 cars ordered and accept 15 "shells" to be used for spare parts. In 2007, the MBTA agreed to take ten more bringing the total to 95 cars.

The sad thing is that most riders have no idea about the Type 8's shady past. Many of them just get on and ride something that ought to be under the watchful eye of the National Transportation Safety Board. Well, they say "ignorance is bliss". If they did know, what would that do? Would there be a public outcry? Would we all just not care that much and go on with our lives? Who knows, who knows.

25 Things I Hate About The MBTA - PART 1

2008-05-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, here's my list!

This is sorta a rant, so don't be surprised...

#1. Type 8 Green Line Trolleys

They are crap on wheels. From the faulty brakes to the derailments, the many many derailments, it is no surprise that the T canceled their order with the builder, Breda. The order was originally for 100 cars, but with all the reliability problems it was dropped to 85. Oddly, the T agreed to take 10 more bringing the total to 95 cars that the MBTA wasted its money on.

See that:
A Type 8 derailment is to blame.

#2. The MBTA's Secretive Photography Policy

So I go out one day to do some "railfanning" (consult Wikipedia for a definition). Naturally, I plan to take some photographs of the rolling stock. So I find a nice station (interesting architecture, nice light, etc.) and wait for a train to come in. Once I see a train entering, I focus my camera and SNAP! take a picture. As a rule, I NEVER use the flash (even in the subway). It is rude and possibly dangerous to the operators of the trains. It also just ruins pictures. So I go about taking some more when someone approaches me and asks "Excuse me, sir, do you have a permit?" Pausing, I reply, "No, it is no longer required for personal photography [i.e. what I'm doing]." For you see, in July of 2007, the MBTA rescinded its old photo policy which required a permit for all types of photography.

Apparently most of their employees (and just about every T police officer I've talked to) didn't get the memo.

So I try in vain to explain the new policy to them.

(go here for more info: http://transitpolice.us/Photo%20Policy/Photo%20Policy%201.pdf)

The person either...

A) Realized they missed something and thank me for the update

B) Tell me to "hold on" and call the Line Dispatcher for confirmation. Usually the Line Dispatcher (of all people the Line Dispatcher!) is oblivious and knows nothing of the new policy.

C) They tell me to stop, lest I be reported for committing a 'terrorist act'.

D) Just say "whatever" and leave me alone.

Most of the time B happens.

Please, MBTA, whenever you make a major policy change notify ALL your employees and staff!

#3. Vague Subway Announcements

Ever been on the train and they announce that it will be standing by for a "schedule adjustment"?

Do you even know what the hell a "schedule adjustment" is?

For those of you who don't, when subway trains get too close together (i.e. are not on the scheduled headway), Central Dispatch orders them to hold their position to keep them evenly spaced apart.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a "schedule adjustment".

"There is a disabled train up ahead that is causing 10-15 minute delays."

I hope the track is ADA compliant.

"We will be standing by for an adjustment in the system."

Sounds major, are they opening a new line?

The list goes on. How about some information we can actually use.

#4. MBTA Bus Fareboxes/Automated Fare Collection In General

These were not designed with the user in mind. Whether they are eating up your money, or simply not taking it at all ("You money is not good here!" Better smooth out that dollar real good), the new system has been one big pain in the ass. Seriously. Be sure to ALWAYS get a receipt when you add money to your CharlieCard at the station. Don't be told you "do not have enough value" when you know good and well you just put $5 on that thing.

As for the bus fareboxes, wasn't it oh so much easier when you just dropped in your change or swiped you pass? Now the coins must go in single file lest that technobox confuses a dime with a quarter!

#5. Seat-Whores

You bastards who insist on taking up valuable seating, especially during rush hour, with a bag or worse your feet, Goddamn! Have you no respect for your fellow riders? You watch us stand while you sit comfortably with all your precious "leg room". The nerve!

#6. Door-Whores

Honestly, must you all crowd around the front door. I'm sure the driver doesn't mind the company, but it is so hard to get on and off the bus (particularly when it is crowded). Don't worry, there is a second door on the bus.

#7. Bus Rapid Transit

When I think of rapid transit, I imagine...

NOT...

No matter how much silver paint you use, no matter how many community-themed kiosks you put up, no matter how many T police officers are patrolling that HOV lane (wait, there aren't any!), the Silver Line is not rapid transit. No matter how hard I looked, I just couldn't see the tracks. Maybe I need a stronger prescription.

Truly, the MBTA thought they were doing a service to the communities of the South End and Roxbury by replacing the Orange Line El (about 15 years after it closed by the way) with the Silver Line Washington Street. Some MBTA documents refer to the buses as "Silver Line vehicles", whilst they refer to the exact same type of vehicles that are used on the Route 39 as simply "articulated buses". The paint job makes a big difference. Let's bring back the Arborway Line to Jamaica Plain by just painting the 39 green! I'm sorry, but Neoplan USA makes buses, not trains. An "equal or better" replacement? Hardly. But alas, that's a topic for another blog post.

The horror continues! Stay tuned. There will be more terrible transit later...

Let's Go For A Ride On The 111

2008-05-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

I ride the Route 111 pretty often. Overall, the route isn't that bad. That is, of course, if you are not riding during rush hour...

A typical morning commute might go like this:

You board a few stops before Bellingham Square heading towards Boston. As you get on, you see another bus coming down the street. "I thought the 111 ran every five minutes?" you ask yourself. Oh well. If you manage to get a seat make sure it's a good one. You're gonna be in for a real show.

You ride a few stops until you approach Bellingham Square. Show time!

Bellingham Square - We arrive at Chelsea's main transit hub, usually with company, and a swarm of people approach the bus. Rather than take the 114, 116, 117, or even the 112 to the Blue Line, commuters opt for the "quick" Route 111 to get them into the city. Despite the pleas of the driver...

"Please, I'm running late! There's another bus right behind me!"

"I've got to go. I can't take any more people, catch the next one."

...A large group of people still try to get on anyway. Luckily the inspector stationed there will often let people board via the rear door to reduce dwell times (time spent at each stop). The doors close and we're on our way.

Fourth Street - If there is still a bit of room, we'll stop to pick up. If not, some people get left behind I guess. Oh well, most of the buses often run in pairs so they don't have to wait long for the next one.

Chestnut Street - If you are lucky, someone is following you close enough so you don't have to stop here. There are often 10-15 people waiting at this stop and for those unfortunate drivers who must pick up, it's not a pleasant experience. The slow parade to the farebox begins. "Sorry, the machine didn't read your card. Tap it again. No, slower, like this. Try again. You don't have enough value on your CharlieCard, you need to add more. Hey! Can you all move to the back of the bus to make room." Then things may get heated...

One driver on the Route 111 strictly enforces the "no standees in front of the yellow line" rule.
Each time someone stands even just an inch over the line, he'll snap "Move behind the yellow line! I'm not going to move this bus until everyone is behind the line. I've got all morning to sit here."

He has sparked his fair share of arguments with riders.

Fifth Street - The last stop before the bridge. We often skip this stop. Not enough room. Just catch the next one. It's not that important a stop. Haha, look at them chase after the bus. Like we're going to stop for them.

Once on the Tobin Bridge, things move rather smoothly. The dense throng of standees sways along to the motion of the bus almost in unison as we fly across the Tobin. We then zip through the tollbooths and down into the City Square Tunnel. Within ten minutes were are pulling into Haymarket Station...along with two other buses.

Then there is the commute home...

Service Has Resumed With Residual Delays...

2008-04-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, my last post was on February 21!? Jeez! Sorry for being offline for such a long time, I've been pretty busy lately. Anyway, I'll start off with some news updates.

Six 1700 series cars have been set aside at Cabot Shops (the Red Line yard) for repairs and may be the first of the 1700's to go into overhaul. The overhaul program, slated to begin later this year or early in 2009, includes cam and brake work, upgrades to the power systems, and possibly digital destination signs and automated stop announcements (like on the 1800's).

On the Orange Line, work continues on repainting and overhaul work for the 1200's. The refurbished cars are easy to spot with their bright and glossy orange, white, and gray paint jobs.

Speaking of keeping up appearances, there are now six cars in the new Green Line paint scheme: 3656, 3664, 3667, 3678, 3689, and 3694. Their bold hunter green and white color is a marked departure from the subdued teal and gray seen on the rest of the Green Line fleet.

Another train of the new Blue Line cars (700's) has entered service bringing the total to eight cars in revenue service. 86 cars are still left to be delivered. Now, commuters have a 1 out of 7 chance of getting on of the new trains during rush hour.

The next order of 155 New Flyer D40 buses, #0755-0909, are planned to be delivered to Cabot (55), Lynn (50), and Quincy (50). Once more shall diesel buses have a noticeable presence at Cabot (remember the of "Summer of the RTS" when the Riverside Shuttle was going on? RTS buses on 01's, 28's, 44's, and 45's!). 55 NABI buses from Arborway are set to enter a midlife overhaul program. Cabot will then give Arborway 55 of its NABI's and take 55 of the New Flyer D40s.

Sorry, nothing big going on with the Silver Lines lately.

As for the bus system, all pullouts from Cabot Garage on Routes 22, 23, and 28 are to be only camera buses beginning this rating (Spring 08). Several buses from Charlestown/Bennett (0610, 0612-0616, and 0620) have been transfered to Cabot to meet the peak requirements. More NABI buses are planned to be retrofitted with security cameras sometime down the road. Currently on buses 2201-2204 such systems are installed.

Odd bus sightings included an unusually (at least for me) large number of Lynn RTS buses at Haymarket (almost always Neoplan AN440's), New Flyer's in East Boston for the Blue Line shuttle, and a New Flyer on the 66 (normally not assigned to that route).

Coming up a little later: A look at service on the Route 111, top 25 things I hate and top 25 things I like about the MBTA, and some photos.

Stay tuned,

The Long Rider

The New Blue Line Train Photos

2008-02-21T13:32:00.001-08:00

More To Come Soon!!!

Orange Line Photos

2008-01-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

New Blue Line Trains

2008-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Amtrak Strike

2008-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Alas, yet another blow to the MBTA's commuter rail system! If late trains were not enough, now Amtrak (which dispatches MBTA commuter rail trains in and out of South Station) workers are threatening to strike. Legally, they cannot call a strike until January 31, 2008. The workers have been on the job for eight years without a contract and only given cost of living raises as needed. So what if they go on strike? Well, to the best of knowledge...

- Greenbush Line terminates at Quincy Center or JFK/UMass

- Old Colony Line terminates at Braintree, Quincy Center, or JFK/UMass

- Fairmount Line: Use Local Bus Service

- Providence/Stoughton Line: NO SERVICE!

- Franklin Line terminates at Ruggles or possibly Back Bay

- Needham Line terminates at Forest Hills or possibly Ruggles

- Framingham/Worcester Line terminates at Back Bay Station

And of course, crush loads during rush hours on the Red and Orange Line.

Sounds like fun.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Mattapan Line Photos

2008-01-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

More To Come Later...

The Mattapan High Speed Line Reopening!

2008-01-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

It was an overcast and chilly day when the Mattapan High Speed Line resumed service after an eighteen month shut down. I had arrived at Mattapan Station at about 8:15AM. Once I got off the bus, which used the newly refurbished busway, I walked over to the inspector's office. A small group of T officials were gathered on the platform. One of them was directing people to the trolleys and the others were making sure that everything else was running smoothly. I had heard that practically everyone in the Green Line training school class had been assigned "CSA" duty, i.e. they would have to stand at each stop and tell passengers that the shuttle bus (Route 799, which ran in lieu of trolleys during the shut down) had been discontinued and the trolley was back up. Looking over at the yard, I saw that the 100 year old Type 3 snow plow (#5164) and the PCC wire car (#3332) had been carted way, hopefully to Seashore.

Car 3262 had derailed next to the inspector's office due to ice and slush on the rail. Since the line has no work equipment whatsoever, they had to call over to Riverside to get help. Now, I would think that a line such as the Mattapan Line, which is virtually "cut off" from the rest of the system (track wise) ought to have all the work equipment it needs (sand cars, wire cars, snow plows, etc.). Alas, it looks like that whenever something goes wrong, Riverside will have to bail them out.

Many of the passengers were also in for some sticker shock. Before the line had closed, it had been a "free service" (technically, a fare had always been charged, but it had not been enforced for sometime). When the shuttle bus began operation, it too did not charge any fares. The fare increase in January 2007 changed all that, however, as $1.25 was now being charged for the shuttle. Many had thought that when the trolley returned, it would be free as well (I personally thought that the T would charge $1.25 each way). We were all in for a shock. The fare was now $1.70! Many people asked "You have to pay now? I've never paid for the trolley in my life!"
What is even worse is that if you take the bus to Mattapan, then the trolley to Ashmont, then the Red Line downtown, that's $3.40 one way! $1.25 for the bus, $0.45 transfer to the trolley, then another $1.70 at Ashmont. Yes, there is another set of faregates (really farebox surplus from the bus garages) at Ashmont. A rather ridiculous set up if you ask me.

After getting some lunch, I spent the rest of the afternoon photographing around the line before going home. There is still some work to be done on the line and Ashmont is still far from being completed (maybe in late 2008/early 2009). All in all, however, the line looks quite nice and I look forward to many long years of riding and enjoying it.

Welcome To No Free Transfer

2007-12-31T14:22:00.001-08:00

Well, after much trial and error I have finally created a transit blog. Here you will find T news, stories of my railfanning adventures, pictures and video, and much more. My first big post will be a review of the Mattapan High Speed Line, which reopened for service on Saturday, December 22 after a year and a half shut down. That's all for now, hope you all enjoy!