General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[737900er]

It is really disheartening that station that is less than 10 years old is already falling apart:

Not just the Green Line Extension: Government Center ceiling suddenly needs repairs, too

The Government Center T station re-opened in 2016 after being shut for two years of extensive renovations and repairs. A roving UHub photographer reports today: Read more.

www.universalhub.com

Whats going on with the scaffolding that's been there for a few months blocking part of the Lechmere-bound platform too?

 

[king_vibe]

It is really disheartening that station that is less than 10 years old is already falling apart:

Not just the Green Line Extension: Government Center ceiling suddenly needs repairs, too

The Government Center T station re-opened in 2016 after being shut for two years of extensive renovations and repairs. A roving UHub photographer reports today: Read more.

www.universalhub.com

The photo isn’t great but this looks like a little bit of parging and paint. I don’t see what the big deal here is.

 

[Wash]

The photo isn’t great but this looks like a little bit of parging and paint. I don’t see what the big deal here is.

Essentially, what I heard happened is that the T installed a water sprinkler system to lubricate the green line tracks when they renovated the station, but the drainage solution they had was inadequate/the pipes started leaking, so pretty much since the station opened water has been pooling in the ceiling above the Blue Line.

 

[stick n move]

Jesus. Can they sue the contractors?

 

[HenryAlan]

Jesus. Can they sue the contractors?

Probably too late, ten years after the fact.

 

[Jahvon09]

Whats going on with the scaffolding that's been there for a few months blocking part of the Lechmere-bound platform too?

I noticed that today on the way to my eye doctor appt.

 

[Jahvon09]

This incident could spark back the need for platform doors again!!! Man deliberately pushes wheelchair onto Third Rail at Park Street Sation's Red Line!!

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Delvin4519]

MBTA Green Line shut down for a third time this week, this time due to a power problem. This is in the central subway tunnel.

MBTA's Green Line suffers 3rd power-related disruption in a week

The latest power problem occurred near Copley, where another power-related issue halted service on Saturday.

www.wcvb.com

 

[bigeman312]

MBTA Green Line shut down for a third time this week, this time due to a power problem. This is in the central subway tunnel.

MBTA's Green Line suffers 3rd power-related disruption in a week

The latest power problem occurred near Copley, where another power-related issue halted service on Saturday.

www.wcvb.com

Came here to post this! Service was suspended for 2.5 hours.

 

[Jahvon09]

Finally, & at long last!! The MBTA has come up with a plan to have the defective tracks repaired on the GLX!! It would take about 14 days of overnight work, starting from November 1st to about the 15th or so to do the work.

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Delvin4519]

Green Line suffers another wire problem today, shuttle buses replacing streetcar service.

Disabled Green Line train brings in more MBTA shuttle buses

An MBTA Green Line train was disabled because of an equipment issue in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, the fourth incident requiring the T to bring in shuttle buses on the line in five days. The train was disabled at St. Paul Street, the MBTA said, citing an issue with the train’s...

www.nbcboston.com

 

[Jahvon09]

Green Line suffers another wire problem today, shuttle buses replacing streetcar service.

Disabled Green Line train brings in more MBTA shuttle buses

An MBTA Green Line train was disabled because of an equipment issue in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, the fourth incident requiring the T to bring in shuttle buses on the line in five days. The train was disabled at St. Paul Street, the MBTA said, citing an issue with the train’s...

www.nbcboston.com

So glad that my eye doctor's appt was the other day!!!! Hah!!!!

 

[Stlin]

I don't really want to speculate, but given how the power issues have been so concentrated in time, I feel as if it must have a single causal factor, probably a defective pantograph? If it was just poor splicing, you'd expect those failures to be more normally distributed. I know they said in the board meeting that they inspected the pantographs on the proceeding cars, but precious little can touch the catenary, survive, and moves through the central tunnel and the GL system, especially given how steadily they've worked from Red Bridge through Copley and now St. Paul street. The pictures I've seen from the Friday and Saturday failures appear to be on the "southbound" track, the Globe notes that failure #3 on Tuesday in Copley was on the "westbound" (ie, "southbound") track and and pics of today's also appear to be in that direction. Do any C branch trips start from the GLX VMF?

 

[ant8904]

New MBTA podcast is out. Some of the lines I do find a bit less anodyne than before.

https://soundcloud.com/spilling-the-t-podcast%2Fthe-bigger-picture-with-acting-secretary-of-transportation-monica-tibbits-nutt

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

I don't really want to speculate, but given how the power issues have been so concentrated in time, I feel as if it must have a single causal factor, probably a defective pantograph? If it was just poor splicing, you'd expect those failures to be more normally distributed. I know they said in the board meeting that they inspected the pantographs on the proceeding cars, but precious little can touch the catenary, survive, and moves through the central tunnel and the GL system, especially given how steadily they've worked from Red Bridge through Copley and now St. Paul street. The pictures I've seen from the Friday and Saturday failures appear to be on the "southbound" track, the Globe notes that failure #3 on Tuesday in Copley was on the "westbound" (ie, "southbound") track and and pics of today's also appear to be in that direction. Do any C branch trips start from the GLX VMF?

Pantographs are 'consumables'. The surfaces wear out in a relatively short time and are continuously replaced after a matter of few months. And the bracket arms are replaced on longer cycles because the constant squeezing and extending wears them out. So if it's snagged pantographs that are causing the power problems, it's probably just random chance as any given vehicle on a 200+ vehicle fleet could be nearing end of a pantograph component's life cycle. These are pretty common problems. If it's an issue with the wire itself...that's obviously different.

 

[eber]

I didn't see this posted: MBTA has released their preliminary November service changes for work on the Red/Orange lines. Looks like fixes/speed restriction work for the Red between JFK/UMass and Park Street Stations (Nov 14 @ 8:45p - Nov 16, weekend of Nov 18-19) and Alewife and Kendall/MIT Stations (weekend of Nov 4-5) and for the Orange line between Oak Grove and North Station (Nov 7 @8:45p - Nov 10, weekend of Nov 11-12).

No word yet on the GLX work, but it was mentioned a bit in the FMCB/MassDOT meeting that they're evaluating the recommendation from the GLX Contractors team for a two-week evening disruption that could start in November.

November Service Changes Will Allow Crews to Continue Improvement Work Across MBTA System

 

[Jahvon09]

Things are so broken down & not working properly that it has become so hard to figure out what exactly is wrong!! It has gone from problems with the tracks to the overhead pantographs. The system is so broken up that it might take an awfully long time to get things working right!! Seems that the only thing that's working right is the third rail on the Orange, Red & Blue Lines. The tracks have all gone to hell in a hand basket!!

 

[nbcoram]

I don't really want to speculate, but given how the power issues have been so concentrated in time, I feel as if it must have a single causal factor, probably a defective pantograph? If it was just poor splicing, you'd expect those failures to be more normally distributed. I know they said in the board meeting that they inspected the pantographs on the proceeding cars, but precious little can touch the catenary, survive, and moves through the central tunnel and the GL system, especially given how steadily they've worked from Red Bridge through Copley and now St. Paul street. The pictures I've seen from the Friday and Saturday failures appear to be on the "southbound" track, the Globe notes that failure #3 on Tuesday in Copley was on the "westbound" (ie, "southbound") track and and pics of today's also appear to be in that direction. Do any C branch trips start from the GLX VMF?

There is one scheduled round-trip in the morning from Cleveland Circle to Medford/Tufts and back; once in a while normal trips can get extended by dispatch to Union or Medford (but more commonly North Station).

 

[BosMaineiac]

New MBTA podcast is out. Some of the lines I do find a bit less anodyne than before.

https://soundcloud.com/spilling-the-t-podcast%2Fthe-bigger-picture-with-acting-secretary-of-transportation-monica-tibbits-nutt

She sort of pours cold water on any sort of expansion projects in the near future. She makes it clear she is for bus expansion and possibly commuter rail electrification (long-term project). This doesn’t bode well for any sort of expansion plans proposed on this board, but I think it is promising that we have her perspective as secretary. Bus expansion/electrification is the #1 priority for the MBTA, and it’s good to see someone who’s driven in her position. The MBTA needs these kind of priorities right now, anyways. The expansions will come in due time, but there are pressing issues that will take time to fix.

 

[Teban54]

The MBTA needs these kind of priorities right now, anyways. The expansions will come in due time, but there are pressing issues that will take time to fix.

Just my personal opinion, but I've always had issues with this kind of mindset because:

The current shitshow on maintenance and service quality was because the T didn't do proper maintenance for so long, to the point where nobody knows how to do it and the institutional knowledge is totally lost.

The same also applies to network expansions and planning.

Keeping a stream of extension projects under design and/or construction ensures that people don't forget how to do them. We had that happen before GLX, which was why things were so out of whack there until John Dalton had to come along and bring in the knowledge to do transit projects. Let's not lose that until another generation is gone.

----------------

As an aside, I'll also note that her attitude isn't "we'll fix the maintenance first and come back to expansions later". It's "we won't do expansions ever again, because other similar cities have stopped doing so". Which is a complete lie, seeing Boston's GLX, NYC's Second Ave Subway and IBX, DC's Silver Line extension, Purple Line and Bloop, Chicago's Red Line Extension, Philly's Roosevelt Blvd Subway etc are either just completed, in construction or started planning recently.