MBTA Construction Projects

[stick n move]

Foxboro

“The MBTA completed the fastest permanent station construction project in its history.

Foxboro Station reopened with a new 800-foot accessible platform for the 2026 World Cup, where 20,000 fans per match can arrive by train.”

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[KCasiglio]

“The MBTA completed the fastest permanent station construction project in its history.

Are we going to learn the lessons from this?

 

[chrisbrat]

Are we going to learn the lessons from this?

You must be new here.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Are we going to learn the lessons from this?

Lessons? Like controlling costs for once in their useless lives and not breaking state laws because they were in such a terrible rush?

Hell no!

 

[KCasiglio]

not breaking state laws

Well that's the kind of lesson I would want to be learned. That maybe said state law, just like many local ordinances we all regularly gripe about, is a net negative on outcomes. Outcomes are what we should be focused on.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Well that's the kind of lesson I would want to be learned. That maybe said state law, just like many local ordinances we all regularly gripe about, is a net negative on outcomes. Outcomes are what we should be focused on.

They circumvented fair bidding by appending the project as a change order onto a completely unrelated already-awarded project to the same bidder (Suffolk Construction). That's quite freaking not-okay, and quite freaking directly tied to the extremely bloated cost ($35M) of the renovation because no one else was allowed to compete and pitch something better. Foxboro cost exactly as much to renovate as Natick Center, with just 1 permanent platform, no vertical circulation, pre-existing egresses and utility hookups, no land acquisition, and no measures to retain existing service during construction. We don't know if anyone else could've met the deadline with a lower offer because there was no fair bidding process whatsoever.

That's a scandal, not a positive outcome to emulate.

 

[KCasiglio]

They circumvented fair bidding by appending the project as a change order onto a completely unrelated already-awarded project to the same bidder (Suffolk Construction). That's quite freaking not-okay, and quite freaking directly tied to the extremely bloated cost ($35M) of the renovation because no one else was allowed to compete and pitch something better. Foxboro cost exactly as much to renovate as Natick Center, with just 1 permanent platform, no vertical circulation, pre-existing egresses and utility hookups, no land acquisition, and no measures to retain existing service during construction. We don't know if anyone else could've met the deadline with a lower offer because there was no fair bidding process whatsoever.

That's a scandal, not a positive outcome to emulate.

Totally makes sense! Not having followed the project I was reacting exclusively to the speed headline.