Spoiler Alert!

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

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

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

Ride Supplemental Route 9702 while you still can!

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

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

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

This sight will become a thing of the past.

And on the north side...

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

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

And on the rails...

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

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

Farewell for now.

Ed Dana Would Be In Tears...

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"!

"Left In The Dark"

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...

Wake Me When It's Over

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...

The Final Ride

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!