General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[Koopzilla24]

It's also important to distinguish between users paying in cash, and users refilling a Charliecard in cash then tapping. The latter will still be associated with the card for ODX purposes. This 2019 thesis (page 48) indicates that 8.8% of farebox intersections involve cash. Of those, 5% are cash fares, while 3.8% are Charliecard refills.

That thesis also indicates that cash boardings are heavily concentrated at a relatively small number of stops. Out of the 7000+ farebox stops (bus stops, Green Line surface stops, and Mattapan Line stops), just 0.52% (less than 40) accounted for 20% of cash boardings. (Those were mostly major rapid transit transfers - which already have fare machines that passengers should use instead - plus a few major destinations like malls.) Half of cash boardings were at ~250 stops. That makes it a lot easier to infer overall travel patterns.

A very important consideration to fare collection are routes like this the 34E

These suburban bus routes that pass through multiple towns hold a significant place in serving trips that never touch a Charliecard ticket machine. I take this route often to commute (just took it this morning) and there’s a chunk of passengers that appear every day traveling only within the Dedham Center-Walope segment. There’s a single gas station in Norwood that has the ability to reload cards between Hyde Park and Walpole leaving the bus farebox as the primary recharge point for most people. If the T wants to remove the cash fareboxes to speed up boarding then there needs to be more infrastructure to support adding cash to Charliecards or acquiring charliecards in the first place.

On that note I’ve started seeing blank Charliecard dispensers on the front of buses

 

[Delvin4519]

Major disruptions to the Red and Orange lines today due to an "electrical issue at Downtown Crossing". Included with the as-scheduled green line shuttle buses almost the entirety of the rail rapid transit system is/was down for downtown Boston.

My anecdotal trip notes, there was not nearly enough shuttle capacity even with the lower ridership because of the weather. Only one bus was waiting for our red line train at JFK. Another came a few minutes later. Not sure how long the rest of our train has to wait for a third/fourth bus after that.

Here's a map of how much of the MBTA subway system operated this morning, due to the Green Line closure and the shuttle buses on the Red and Orange lines. Just a quick screenshot of the slow zone tracker and edit it in MS paint.

Lack of any alternative high frequency routes is extremely problematic. All the buses run infrequently. The 1 bus only connected from Harvard to Mass Ave and that was it. No connection from the Blue Line to anything else. 111 bus is a dead end at Haymarket. Coming from Braintree Branch of the Red Line there are no high frequency routes, on the Ashmont few key routes from Ashmont/Mattapan to Ruggles. Aside from that, the only way to get into downtown from the south and west was the Silver Line from Nubian.

There is a dire need for high frequency routes and more frequent crosstown connections. Only running 84% of pre-COVID bus service despite being at 92% of pre-COVID staffing for buses is problematic.

 

[Delvin4519]

Here's a map of how much of the MBTA subway system operated this morning, due to the Green Line closure and the shuttle buses on the Red and Orange lines. Just a quick screenshot of the slow zone tracker and edit it in MS paint.

Lack of any alternative high frequency routes is extremely problematic. All the buses run infrequently. The 1 bus only connected from Harvard to Mass Ave and that was it. No connection from the Blue Line to anything else. 111 bus is a dead end at Haymarket. Coming from Braintree Branch of the Red Line there are no high frequency routes, on the Ashmont few key routes from Ashmont/Mattapan to Ruggles. Aside from that, the only way to get into downtown from the south and west was the Silver Line from Nubian.

There is a dire need for high frequency routes and more frequent crosstown connections. Only running 84% of pre-COVID bus service despite being at 92% of pre-COVID staffing for buses is problematic.
View attachment 46810

If I plotted key bus lines and commuter rail lines using extremely thin lines. The only rail connections or key bus connections from the west or south side, to the north or east side, was via a Commuter Rail link from North Station to Porter, and the only other link was the SL3+SL4 to get from the north or east side, to the west or south side.

(Of course local bus routes exist, but many of then run infrequently)

When the GL, OL, and RL were all offline simultaneously, the city was essentially, almost, cut in half.

 

[Teban54]

If I plotted key bus lines and commuter rail lines using extremely thin lines. The only rail connections or key bus connections from the west or south side, to the north or east side, was via a Commuter Rail link from North Station to Porter, and the only other link was the SL3+SL4 to get from the north or east side, to the west or south side.

(Of course local bus routes exist, but many of then run infrequently)

When the GL, OL, and RL were all offline simultaneously, the city was essentially, almost, cut in half.

View attachment 46815

If we're counting key bus routes, shouldn't shuttle buses (which often run more frequently than many key bus routes) also be included?

 

[Delvin4519]

If we're counting key bus routes, shouldn't shuttle buses (which often run more frequently than many key bus routes) also be included?

Many riders reported this morning that there were often 30 minute waits or longer for shuttle buses that were too full they couldn't board. The MBTA simply took the Kenmore - Copley shuttles and extended them to North Station. Given the snowy conditions, and the shuttle length was essentially tripled or quadrupled in route length, I highly doubt they could retain their existing headways.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747267222719111584

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747265172090376522

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747278072120799284

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747271390410248332

It seems to be a outright catastrophic failure of the transit network system. 1 of the 4 lines was taken offline for repair work, leaving 3 lines left over. 2 of the remaining 3 operational lines failed, meaning it was impossible to get from one side of downtown to another. The MBTA went from being a transit network, to truly just become "a pile of lines"/"a pile of routes".

 

[TrolleybusFoaming]

Lack of any alternative high frequency routes is extremely problematic. All the buses run infrequently. The 1 bus only connected from Harvard to Mass Ave and that was it. No connection from the Blue Line to anything else. 111 bus is a dead end at Haymarket. Coming from Braintree Branch of the Red Line there are no high frequency routes, on the Ashmont few key routes from Ashmont/Mattapan to Ruggles. Aside from that, the only way to get into downtown from the south and west was the Silver Line from Nubian.

Well, this is a result of the T's heavy emphasis on the feeder model, which overall is good! You don't want buses downtown, especially in Boston, but that of course depends on the subway functioning...

 

[alewife]

That's true, but Boston is somewhat of an outlier even among cities with rail rapid transit in terms of having very little bus service downtown and essentially no bus service operating through downtown. The BERy was very aggressive in truncating surface routes to rapid transit transfer hubs, which as noted is great when everything is functioning. But it means that there's limited redundancy when there are issues, as we saw this morning.

This map is from 2019, so it doesn't include GLX or any of the more recent changes to the bus network, but it's a great visualization showing both the lack of bus service downtown and just how much the network is oriented toward feeding into rapid transit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1160593997095743488

 

[JeffDowntown]

That's true, but Boston is somewhat of an outlier even among cities with rail rapid transit in terms of having very little bus service downtown and essentially no bus service operating through downtown. The BERy was very aggressive in truncating surface routes to rapid transit transfer hubs, which as noted is great when everything is functioning. But it means that there's limited redundancy when there are issues, as we saw this morning.

This map is from 2019, so it doesn't include GLX or any of the more recent changes to the bus network, but it's a great visualization showing both the lack of bus service downtown and just how much the network is oriented toward feeding into rapid transit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1160593997095743488

The whole history of underground transit in Boston was driven by the desire of the Brahmin class to get the surface transit out of the way, so their carriages could pass through the streets unimpeded. The is why they funded it in the first place.

 

[Teban54]

Well, this is a result of the T's heavy emphasis on the feeder model, which overall is good! You don't want buses downtown, especially in Boston, but that of course depends on the subway functioning...

On a very high level, I agree: in a system that's well-maintained and has spare capacity (which the T is currently not but working towards under Eng), having buses competing with the subway for connections downtown is often not a good use of resources.

But I think exceptions can be made for neighborhoods that are relatively close to downtown but without direct subway service. Namely, the likes of Charlestown, South End, South Boston and more. (The latter does have a radial-like subway transfer via the 9 bus, but the direct downtown connection via the 7 bus is just as popular during rush hours, despite serving a much smaller part of the neighborhood.) Even the 500-series express buses to Newton, Brighton and Watertown have proven to be popular - they run at 15-min frequencies per route during rush hours, and are among the few express buses to be retained under the Bus Network Redesign (BNRD).

These factors are likely what motivated the downtown bus priority corridor, running largely via Congress St between North and South Stations, used by a combined 7/93 bus route. In addition to serving those neighborhoods, it also has additional utility in offering connections that are not well-served by rapid transit, and going deeper into the Financial District than any of the 4 peripheral rapid transit stations. One can also expect this "multimodal corridor" to take on more bus routes in the future.

 

[Delvin4519]

That's true, but Boston is somewhat of an outlier even among cities with rail rapid transit in terms of having very little bus service downtown and essentially no bus service operating through downtown. The BERy was very aggressive in truncating surface routes to rapid transit transfer hubs, which as noted is great when everything is functioning. But it means that there's limited redundancy when there are issues, as we saw this morning.

This map is from 2019, so it doesn't include GLX or any of the more recent changes to the bus network, but it's a great visualization showing both the lack of bus service downtown and just how much the network is oriented toward feeding into rapid transit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1160593997095743488

The map was extremely outdated, so i went through the painstaking task of making a new map. This map is updated, but since some lines are stacked, some of them are overlaid by another line.

I was trying to point out the lack of crosstown routes in the Greater Boston area, due to many of the bus routes only connecting to only a single subway line.

There is a huge lack of high frequency crosstown routes, especially on the north and east side of Greater Boston. Many crosstown routes like the 21, 86, 89, and 110 have poor low frequencies and long headways. Malden Center has no crosstown connection to the Red Line, and the 411 route is extremely indirect and barely runs.

Getting from Cambridge/Davis Sq. over to Malden/Everett/Charlestown is extremely difficult. The 86, 91, and 89 run 35 - 45 minute frequencies midday, evenings, and weekends. This means to get from Harvard to Sullivan, the faster route would still be to travel all the way to Downtown Crossing, then travel back northbound on the Orange Line. This trip would take about 30 minutes, versus waiting 35 minutes for the next 86 bus and a 20 minute bus ride to Sullivan.

Similarly, it takes about 43 minutes to get from Davis to Malden Center, via Downtown Crossing. The same route via the buses would be very untenable, as it requires a bus to bus transfer, given 30 - 45 minute frequencies for many of the buses in Medford, which are all hourly at best on evenings and weekends. Medford/Tufts to Malden Center is also awful. The route for this commute is extremely indirect, as it requires travel all the way to North Station for a transfer, and back out to Malden. This trip is about 38 minutes for what is a 13 minute drive.

Crosstown routes would remove some of the pressure from the downtown core. The current bus feeder system means there is a single point of failure of the entire MBTA system in the downtown core. If the downtown core has a systemic failure like what happened today. That basically makes any crosstown trip extremely difficult, if not almost impossible. The existing crosstown connections are extremely insufficent and inadequate. Improving crosstown routes, especially on the northern side around the Orange Line, could alleviate some of the pressure and divert at least a few commuters onto ring bus routes, and away from the rail replacement shuttle buses, if the frequencies are significantly improved. As seen in the map posted earlier today, after 3 subway lines were all taken offline, it was almost impossible to get from one side of downtown, to the other, and the only alternative was to gamble with the poorly run shuttle buses.

 

[Teban54]

The map was extremely outdated, so i went through the painstaking task of making a new map. This map is updated, but since some lines are stacked, some of them are overlaid by another line.

View attachment 46834 View attachment 46837

I was trying to point out the lack of crosstown routes in the Greater Boston area, due to many of the bus routes only connecting to only a single subway line.

There is a huge lack of high frequency crosstown routes, especially on the north and east side of Greater Boston. Many crosstown routes like the 21, 86, 89, and 110 have poor low frequencies and long headways. Malden Center has no crosstown connection to the Red Line, and the 411 route is extremely indirect and barely runs.

Getting from Cambridge/Davis Sq. over to Malden/Everett/Charlestown is extremely difficult. The 86, 91, and 89 run 35 - 45 minute frequencies midday, evenings, and weekends. This means to get from Harvard to Sullivan, the faster route would still be to travel all the way to Downtown Crossing, then travel back northbound on the Orange Line. This trip would take about 30 minutes, versus waiting 35 minutes for the next 86 bus and a 20 minute bus ride to Sullivan.

Similarly, it takes about 43 minutes to get from Davis to Malden Center, via Downtown Crossing. The same route via the buses would be very untenable, as it requires a bus to bus transfer, given 30 - 45 minute frequencies for many of the buses in Medford, which are all hourly at best on evenings and weekends. Medford/Tufts to Malden Center is also awful. The route for this commute is extremely indirect, as it requires travel all the way to North Station for a transfer, and back out to Malden. This trip is about 38 minutes for what is a 13 minute drive.

Crosstown routes would remove some of the pressure from the downtown core. The current bus feeder system means there is a single point of failure of the entire MBTA system in the downtown core. If the downtown core has a systemic failure like what happened today. That basically makes any crosstown trip extremely difficult, if not almost impossible. The existing crosstown connections are extremely insufficent and inadequate. Improving crosstown routes, especially on the northern side around the Orange Line, could alleviate some of the pressure and divert at least a few commuters onto ring bus routes, and away from the rail replacement shuttle buses, if the frequencies are significantly improved. As seen in the map posted earlier today, after 3 subway lines were all taken offline, it was almost impossible to get from one side of downtown, to the other, and the only alternative was to gamble with the poorly run shuttle buses.

Fortunately, a lot of the crosstown bus routes you mentioned will receive frequent service under the Bus Network Redesign (BNRD) in the form of Frequent Bus Routes (abbreviated FBS thereafter), which have 8-11 min frequencies during most of daytime, and 15-min frequencies even in the wee hours of 5-6am and 10pm-1am.

• The T110 will be converted to an FBS with its current routing.
• The Harvard-Sullivan segment of the 86 is replaced with T109, which then goes to Everett and Linden Square.
  • It's curious why the Harvard-Reservoir section of the 86 didn't receive such treatment, but the T66 still exists.
• The 91 is entirely covered by T47 (Union Sq Somerville - Central) and T109 (Sullivan - Union Sq).
• BNRD provides two FBSes ending at Malden, which address some of the problems you explicitly mentioned:
  • T96: Malden - Medford Square - Medford/Tufts - Davis - Union Sq Somerville
  • T104: Malden - Everett - Chelsea - Airport BL
• As for the 21:
  • While the 21 itself didn't get promoted to FBS, it's in an "FBS-adjacent" tier with 12-min peak headways and 20-min headways during middays and evenings. This is rare among the non-FBS routes: only the 21, 90, 95 and 216 have such elevated frequencies. (The 69 is below this FBS-adjacent tier but above the rest of the "dark brown" routes.)
  • Also, the general goal of connecting southside OL and RL is achieved by four FBSes, one of which is newly promoted: T15, T16, T22 and T23.

This covers everything in your comment except the 89 (which I'll get to later). Other newly promoted crosstown FBSes that connect to at least two subway lines include:

• T8: Harbor Point - JFK/UMass - BMC - South End - Copley
• T9: City Point - South Boston - Broadway - Copley (current routing)
• T12: Seaport - South Boston - Andrew - BMC - Nubian - Roxbury Crossing - LMA - Brookline Village (new route)
• Full T47: Union Sq Somerville - Central - Cambridgeport - BU - Fenway - LMA - Ruggles
• T101: Medford Square - Sullivan - Charlestown - Lechmere - Kendall/MIT
  • Largely radial but has a very useful "inner crosstown" section
  • That's probably why the 89 didn't get promoted: half of it duplicates the T101, and it's also in close proximity to the T96
• Not exactly "crosstown", but T7: Sullivan - Charlestown - North Station - Financial District - South Station - Seaport - South Boston - City Point
  • It does let you cross through downtown even when subways are down
  • In fact, it's the only bus route that would have helped with the mess within downtown itself in today's scenario
• (If we count Mattapan Line too, T31)

Overall, BNRD has 19 out of 27 non-SL FBSes (70%) that connect to at least two rapid transit lines (including Mattapan, not counting T111 as it connects to the Green and Orange lines at the same stations), compared to 7 out of 15 (47%) today.

Also note that much the 47% today is driven by the 4 Dorchester routes that connect Ruggles and Red/Mattapan lines (15, 22, 23, 28), which often act more like radial routes. If you don't count them, the difference is even more drastic: 15 out of 23 (65%) under BNRD, vs 3 out of 11 (27%) today.

 

[Delvin4519]

Fortunately, a lot of the crosstown bus routes you mentioned will receive frequent service under the Bus Network Redesign (BNRD) in the form of Frequent Bus Routes (abbreviated FBS thereafter), which have 8-11 min frequencies during most of daytime, and 15-min frequencies even in the wee hours of 5-6am and 10pm-1am.

• The T110 will be converted to an FBS with its current routing.
• The Harvard-Sullivan segment of the 86 is replaced with T109, which then goes to Everett and Linden Square.
  • It's curious why the Harvard-Reservoir section of the 86 didn't receive such treatment, but the T66 still exists.
• The 91 is entirely covered by T47 (Union Sq Somerville - Central) and T109 (Sullivan - Union Sq).
• BNRD provides two FBSes ending at Malden, which address some of the problems you explicitly mentioned:
  • T96: Malden - Medford Square - Medford/Tufts - Davis - Union Sq Somerville
  • T104: Malden - Everett - Chelsea - Airport BL
• As for the 21:
  • While the 21 itself didn't get promoted to FBS, it's in an "FBS-adjacent" tier with 12-min peak headways and 20-min headways during middays and evenings. This is rare among the non-FBS routes: only the 21, 90, 95 and 216 have such elevated frequencies. (The 69 is below this FBS-adjacent tier but above the rest of the "dark brown" routes.)
  • Also, the general goal of connecting southside OL and RL is achieved by four FBSes, one of which is newly promoted: T15, T16, T22 and T23.

This covers everything in your comment except the 89 (which I'll get to later). Other newly promoted crosstown FBSes that connect to at least two subway lines include:

• T8: Harbor Point - JFK/UMass - BMC - South End - Copley
• T9: City Point - South Boston - Broadway - Copley (current routing)
• T12: Seaport - South Boston - Andrew - BMC - Nubian - Roxbury Crossing - LMA - Brookline Village (new route)
• Full T47: Union Sq Somerville - Central - Cambridgeport - BU - Fenway - LMA - Ruggles
• T101: Medford Square - Sullivan - Charlestown - Lechmere - Kendall/MIT
  • Largely radial but has a very useful "inner crosstown" section
  • That's probably why the 89 didn't get promoted: half of it duplicates the T101, and it's also in close proximity to the T96
• Not exactly "crosstown", but T7: Sullivan - Charlestown - North Station - Financial District - South Station - Seaport - South Boston - City Point
  • It does let you cross through downtown even when subways are down
  • In fact, it's the only bus route that would have helped with the mess within downtown itself in today's scenario
• (If we count Mattapan Line too, T31)

Overall, BNRD has 19 out of 27 non-SL FBSes (70%) that connect to at least two rapid transit lines (including Mattapan, not counting T111 as it connects to the Green and Orange lines at the same stations), compared to 7 out of 15 (47%) today.

Also note that much the 47% today is driven by the 4 Dorchester routes that connect Ruggles and Red/Mattapan lines (15, 22, 23, 28), which often act more like radial routes. If you don't count them, the difference is even more drastic: 15 out of 23 (65%) under BNRD, vs 3 out of 11 (27%) today.

Yea. I am aware BNRD was previously approved to go ahead. The primary issue is there continues to be lots of uncertanity regarding the future of BNRD, given the outlook locally and more broadly. Plus, the current bus system will continue to remain in place for the next 12 months bare minimum, as the timeline states for the first phase of BNRD to begin around New Year's January 2025, as the rollout would an extremely complicated process.

 

[Teban54]

Yea. I am aware BNRD was previously approved to go ahead. The primary issue is there continues to be lots of uncertanity regarding the future of BNRD, given the outlook locally and more broadly. Plus, the current bus system will continue to remain in place for the next 12 months bare minimum, as the timeline states for the first phase of BNRD to begin around New Year's January 2025, as the rollout would an extremely complicated process.

The problem is, if the pessimism of BNRD comes from the lack of resources (primarily bus drivers) and/or the timeline for implementation, that would imply there's no solution to the insufficient crosstown service today, either. If you're working with a fixed number of operators that's frozen today, the only way to improve crosstown routes is to "rob Peter to pay Paul", that is, reduce service on radial routes.

In other words, either you're pointing out an issue that's already being planned to be resolved, or you're pointing out an issue that you think will have no hope of ever getting resolved.

 

[Delvin4519]

The problem is, if the pessimism of BNRD comes from the lack of resources (primarily bus drivers) and/or the timeline for implementation, that would imply there's no solution to the insufficient crosstown service today, either. If you're working with a fixed number of operators that's frozen today, the only way to improve crosstown routes is to "rob Peter to pay Paul", that is, reduce service on radial routes.

In other words, either you're pointing out an issue that's already being planned to be resolved, or you're pointing out an issue that you think will have no hope of ever getting resolved.

I'm not referring to the near term (next few months), I'm referring to the uncertainity that comes after mid 2024, and to a stronger degree once past November/December 2024 and into 2025, which is the timeline for BNRD to begin.

Of course, resolving the bus operator shortages takes time. At the rate the MBTA is going, it is possible they can get into a better position by Labor Day 2024. The MBTA seems to be making progress. I have posted the data last week and it shows that improvments to bus staffing is happening behind the scenes.

The pessimism I have is the more broader and external factors that could all work against Eng, the MBTA, and the T's Bus Network Redesign. Things like the statewide budget shortfall after revenues came under projections, the MBTA's fiscal cliff for FY25 has not been addressed, the 2024 national election that could have ramifications in various areas, such as federal support for transit, global conflicts and supply chain issues and rising operational costs. It feels like there could potentially be more external factors working aganist the MBTA in the not too distant future , than there was 5 years ago in 2019, despite a new MBTA General Manager working to fix the MBTA, appointed by Governor Healey. These aren't the MBTA's fault, it's just the change in state of broader affairs the MBTA and the city/state must contend with.

BNRD is a long overdue change, and it would provide plenty of high-frequency alternative routings that could allow one to bypass the downtown core to access crosstown destinations, such as additional connections from the Red to Green lines that can bypass the Park St./DTX transfer. While the MBTA continues to work on planning behind the scenes, the benefits have yet to be realized until the changes actually start rolling out.

 

[Jahvon09]

3 of 4 MBTA subway lines downtown closed for an hour - CommonWealth Beacon

An electrical fire near Downtown Crossing Station shut down the Red Line and the Orange Line. The Green Line was shut down for previously scheduled track work, which meant the only subway line running normally was the Blue Line.

commonwealthbeacon.org

 

[Teban54]

Maura Healey says MBTA operations funding to double in first yearly speech

Gov. Maura Healey took a victory lap Wednesday night in her first annual State of the Commonwealth speech, touting a litany of accomplishments while also proposing several new spending initiatives …

www.bostonherald.com

Gov. Maura Healey proposed a major increase in operations funding at the MBTA during her first State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday that also pitched residents on new investments as Massachusetts’ fiscal picture presents Beacon Hill with challenges.

“And we will establish a permanent, reduced fare for low-income T riders; and continue affordable options at regional transit authorities,” she said.

Healey also said she plans to include in the spending document “transformative investments to improve all the ways we get around in Massachusetts” and “record levels” of money for local roads and bridges.

Also, from Reddit comments, "The T is getting over $1.2 billion, 950 from the state and 200 from MassDOT. MassDOT’s money already went through and the money from Healy will comes next week."

 

[Delvin4519]

Maura Healey says MBTA operations funding to double in first yearly speech

Gov. Maura Healey took a victory lap Wednesday night in her first annual State of the Commonwealth speech, touting a litany of accomplishments while also proposing several new spending initiatives …

www.bostonherald.com

Also, from Reddit comments, "The T is getting over $1.2 billion, 950 from the state and 200 from MassDOT. MassDOT’s money already went through and the money from Healy will comes next week."

StreetsBlog Mass paints a less optimistic and more concerned viewpoint:

Gov. Healey Pledges to Double Operating Support for the T, Seek Replacement for Gasoline Taxes - Streetsblog Massachusetts

Governor Maura Healey delivered her first State of the Commonwealth address, which included a few brags about her administration’s accomplishments in turning around the MBTA, and a few new promises for transportation policies her administration would like to take on in 2024. Here are some of the...

mass.streetsblog.org

It's possible that some of this increased funding could fund improved transit service, like the proposed bus network redesign.

But the T has been facing large and growing operating shortfalls since the pandemic, so this increased funding will likely be necessary just to preserve existing service levels.

 

[KCasiglio]

I'm glad we're finally taking at look at how to make up for the inevitable decline of gas tax receipts. I deeply hope that as we transition to (most likely) some form of VMT tax that we retain the gas tax and shift it entirely towards investments in cleaner forms of transportation.

Streetsblog makes an excellent point about the operating deficit. Though I think its worth noting that its not inevitable that ridership remains forever depressed. My optimistic hope is that as the T begins to return to a state of functionality in 2025 and beyond that farebox revenue recovers and this heightened level of funding remains.

 

[Koopzilla24]

There is a huge lack of high frequency crosstown routes, especially on the north and east side of Greater Boston. Many crosstown routes like the 21, 86, 89, and 110 have poor low frequencies and long headways. Malden Center has no crosstown connection to the Red Line, and the 411 route is extremely indirect and barely runs.

Getting from Cambridge/Davis Sq. over to Malden/Everett/Charlestown is extremely difficult. The 86, 91, and 89 run 35 - 45 minute frequencies midday, evenings, and weekends. This means to get from Harvard to Sullivan, the faster route would still be to travel all the way to Downtown Crossing, then travel back northbound on the Orange Line. This trip would take about 30 minutes, versus waiting 35 minutes for the next 86 bus and a 20 minute bus ride to Sullivan.

I would like to point out the 86 runs quite consistent 20-25min service for most of the day on Saturdays not 35-45. That’s my local ride or die route a can’t let it be misrepresented it’s come in absolutely clutch numerous times with how late it’s runs and how many key destinations it connects to

 

[bakgwailo]

I'm glad we're finally taking at look at how to make up for the inevitable decline of gas tax receipts. I deeply hope that as we transition to (most likely) some form of VMT tax that we retain the gas tax and shift it entirely towards investments in cleaner forms of transportation.

Streetsblog makes an excellent point about the operating deficit. Though I think its worth noting that its not inevitable that ridership remains forever depressed. My optimistic hope is that as the T begins to return to a state of functionality in 2025 and beyond that farebox revenue recovers and this heightened level of funding remains.

Given Eng and the MBTA's roadmap on slow zone elimination, and performance so far, I'd be warily optimistic for things to get functional at some point late this year, provided they can finally get ahead on hiring that is limiting current headways (even if we didn't have the other limiting factors such as slow zones and rolling stock).

I think the big question is if the Orange/Red order can ever get back on track at all, along with the signal system replacement projects. I'd argue the red needs the signals at this point, and the orange really needs rolling stock to take things up a notch after the slow zones and dispatcher shortages.

That said, I fully agree that I think ridership will pick back up, as long as the slow zones go away and headways can scale back up to actual rapid transit levels.