MassDOT Secretary stated during the meeting that its not the state police holding back Silver Line buses, bus operations has deemed it unsafe, mass state police has approved the use. Also they are studying the idea of installing warning lights on the highway to notify when a bus is coming down the ramp but still deemed unsafe, current goal is to use it during congestion and install various sensors and signs so buses can use it when traffic is backed up as essentially a queue jump onto the highway. Study has shown there is very little time benefit during non-traffic hours anyway (less than a minute).
That's at least good news.. with Commonwealth Magazine reporting 3-6pm on weekdays only during the summer. Will at least help with headway management and shave 10-15 minutes off the trip for better frequencies during this period.
"inability to coordinate ramp usage between emergency vehicles and buses" is straight garbage though. If there is an incident can't they just shut the ramp and let the SL detour around?
http://www.massport.com/media/3175/march-board-deck_32119_website_watermark.pdf
Looks like suburban LEX locations under consideration are Waltham/Rte. 2, Newton/Route 128, Saugus/Route 1 and 90/495.
http://www.massport.com/media/3175/march-board-deck_32119_website_watermark.pdf
Looks like suburban LEX locations under consideration are Waltham/Rte. 2, Newton/Route 128, Saugus/Route 1 and 90/495.
http://www.massport.com/media/3175/march-board-deck_32119_website_watermark.pdf
Looks like suburban LEX locations under consideration are Waltham/Rte. 2, Newton/Route 128, Saugus/Route 1 and 90/495.
Thank you for sharing the presentation--it has a lot of valuable information in it. I have a few takeaways:
- Slide 64: 10 million of the 12 million TNC (Uber/Lyft/taxi/limo) trips in 2018 were generated by passengers inside Rt. 128... 7.9M in urban core (47%) and 2.2M between urban core and Rt. 128 (32%).
- Slide 75: Incremental TNC revenue forecast to hit $26M per year, $20M of which will go toward New HOV Initiatives to reduce congestion.
- Slide 79: Goal to double Logan Express ridership to 4M.
- Slide 80/81: ridership fell from 290k in 2015 to 119k in 2018, partly because of Government Center reopening, fare increase, and growing popularity of TNC's... so we're reducing the fare to $3 to Logan and free outbound.
- Slide 89: Candidate locations for new suburban LEX stations include I-90/I-495, Waltham/Rt. 2, Newton/Rt. 128, and Saugus/Route 1; also potentially MassDOT Park & Ride lots.
Synthesizing the above information, I wonder about a few things:
- If MassPort is serious about attaining their goal and has that kind of revenue coming in, then why don't they make the Back Bay & North Station routes free? With the forecast growth of fees they'll collect from popular TNCs, it seems like a free shuttle bus from the most densely populated transit hubs would help them reach their LEX participation goals. Google Map mobile integration is an awesome step (Slide 81), but would be a no-brainer for the frugal if they saw a free journey to Logan from the City compared to the TNC costs.
- This is a little self-serving cause I live across from Wellington Station, but I think offering LEX service to/from Wellington or Malden Center would be popular given their quick ascent into a connecting intermodal hubs for shuttle activity to the Encore and other regionally-significant bus routes. LEX buses could share the silver line ROW through Chelsea for most of the journey, cutting the time in half. It currently takes an hour to get from Wellington Station to Terminals C & E at Logan Airport utilizing public transport... they're 4 miles from each other as the crow flies. LEX could cut that time in half.
- MassPort should make LEX service free for airport employees.
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sY9H
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sYyv
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sW4h
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sWh8
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sZcE
https://flic.kr/p/2g2sVVaI'm thinking this is to replace the Gulf station located where the terminal E expansion will occur.
I'm thinking this is to replace the Gulf station located where the terminal E expansion will occur.
^^ Regressive...
Post Security A-E Connection should be made a priority since Delta has greatly increased the number of it's international flights from Logan. Certainly would make the transfer of Delta passengers arriving at Terminal E who are ticketed on connecting Delta flights out of A so much easier and faster. Actually, this should have been done years ago.
Airports need gas stations... I'd wager 90% of the traffic at such a gas station isn't personal vehicles either.
The electric car future isn't here just yet, especially in such a cold state like MA. The failure of several electric bus pilots in cold states has more than proven that.