General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Yeah...got caught in it today. Various unofficial reports are saying someone jumped in front of a Red Line train at South Station.
 
Got caught in it as well. Walked to SS to take the commuter rail instead. Saw at least 6 emergency vehicles out front.
 
So BNR is going to launch without restoring pre-pandemic bus service on other bus lines? Increased bus service in Everett will come at the expense of reduced weekday and Saturday bus service on other lines like the 47, 57, 80, 92, 93, 94, 96, 108 buses?

There were 1,819 bus operators pre-COVID. BNR will target 1,560 operators. How can they run bus service that required 1,819 operators pre-COVID and increase service in Everett with only 1,560 of them? Riders want pre-pandemic service restored, before Everett gets extra service on top of it. It should not come at the expense of decreased service on other lines.

BNR should target at least 1,750, or rather raise the target even higher to 1,850 before BNR kicks off. Ridiculous to go HALF A DECADE with REDUCED BUS SERVICE with no sign of returning to pre-pandemic service levels.

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Yes, especially when the ridership on some of the phase 1 changes is dubious compared to existing crowded routes.
 
KCasiglio said:
Yes, especially when the ridership on some of the phase 1 changes is dubious compared to existing crowded routes.
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Sending the T104 into an industrial wasteland floodplain is one of the most dubious changes that is up front for December 2024. Why is the T sending 15 minute frequencies there while other bus routes in more urban areas had 15 - 40% service cuts since COVID that are still waiting for return to pre-COVID frequencies. The T104 should be sent down to serve the redevelopments along Revere Beach Parkway/Chelsea St/Everett Ave.

Since COVID, the 92, 93, 94, 96, and 108 buses run at best hourly service weekday middays and half hour rush hours, serving much more dense areas than the empty pit that is 2nd St. in Chelsea going to be served by the 15 minute T104.

Pre-pandemic the 92, 93, 94, 96, and 108 bus ran more frequently, every 20 minutes middays and every 7 - 12 minutes rush hours. Then since 2020, the T slashed service on the 92, 93, 94, 96, and 108 buses to hourly or half hourly service. Route 80 connecting Medford/Tufts and Arlington Center also saw major cuts, meaning Medford/Tufts on the GLX barely has any usable bus connections at all.

When is the MBTA going to restore service we had pre-COVID? In Summer 2024, the MBTA went further and slashed route 47 service that connects Longwood Medical Area with Central Square and Ruggles. The route went from every 20 minutes middays on weekdays Spring 2024, to every 30 minutes frequency since June 2024. The MBTA continues to TAKE AWAY service from riders! The T restores subway service and adds 15 minute service to an industrial wasteland, while slashing pre-pandemic frequencies of high density urban bus routes to half hourly and hourly frequencies.
 
I don't get why people are hating on the revamped 104. In fact, it's one of my favorite routes from BNRD.

A direct connection from Logan Airport to basically every major neighborhood to the north of metro Boston? That's even better than 95% of fanmade rail proposals to Logan.

The specific alignment is another matter, but still: (1) 2nd St offers the most direct connection between downtown Everett and Market Basket Chelsea; (2) given how YIMBY Everett is, I'm sure the "industrial wasteland" around 2nd St will have redevelopment plans sooner or later.
 
Teban54 said:
I don't get why people are hating on the revamped 104. In fact, it's one of my favorite routes from BNRD.

A direct connection from Logan Airport to basically every major neighborhood to the north of metro Boston? That's even better than 95% of fanmade rail proposals to Logan.

The specific alignment is another matter, but still: (1) 2nd St offers the most direct connection between downtown Everett and Market Basket Chelsea; (2) given how YIMBY Everett is, I'm sure the "industrial wasteland" around 2nd St will have redevelopment plans sooner or later.
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"Sooner than later"

Then it would make more sense for the MBTA to just use the Everett Ave./Chelsea St. corridor for the 104 in the interim? It can always be rerouted to 2nd St. after the the redevelopment of 2nd St. is nearing completion. The area by Revere Beach Parkway/Everett Ave./Chelsea St. has already gone redevelopment a lot sooner and so would benefit from improved bus service a lot sooner.

I don't have a problem with T104. It would of course dramatically improve access to OL northside and the Blue Line through Everett. But throwing 15 minute frequencies at an industrial wasteland is a huge waste; especially when like most of today's bus routes have yet to recover pre-COVID service is a huge problem. Bus riders have got ALMOST ZERO service restorations with some ADDITIONAL TRIMMING of service frequencies, while rush hour riders of the Orange/Green/Blue Lines get restored frequencies.

I highly doubt 2nd St. will be redeveloped in time to meet the December 15, 2024 deadline for BNRD. Industrial wastelands are rarely huge ridership generators, and so those areas are better suited for better bike connections. Restoring pre-pandemic service on existing bus lines should get precedence over giving industrial wastelands 15 minute frequencies. 1,560 operators isn't enough to run the pre-COVID schedule that required 1,819 operators + the extra 15 minute service the 2nd St. corridor is getting with BNRD.
 
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I'm on my phone so I'm having a hard time linking the document properly, but the MBTA posted it's preliminary announcement document for the Alewife Station TOD opportunity, and it's interesting. They note that the Commuter Rail line air rights have potential for development with this and could even host a new rail station.

I'll let you guys debate if that's worth it, but IMO, Cambridge and Somerville would benefit greatly (if they were up to it... ahem, Davis Sq rezoning meetings/meltdowns from a few years ago) for the possible local transfers to busses and Red before Porter, or for the local neighborhood and surrounding cities' commuters, regional rail service directly to North Station as well.

Really excited to see how this works out.
 
stefal said:
I'm on my phone so I'm having a hard time linking the document properly, but the MBTA posted it's preliminary announcement document for the Alewife Station TOD opportunity, and it's interesting. They note that the Commuter Rail line air rights have potential for development with this and could even host a new rail station.

I'll let you guys debate if that's worth it, but IMO, Cambridge and Somerville would benefit greatly (if they were up to it... ahem, Davis Sq rezoning meetings/meltdowns from a few years ago) for the possible local transfers to busses and Red before Porter, or for the local neighborhood and surrounding cities' commuters, regional rail service directly to North Station as well.

Really excited to see how this works out.
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It took me a minute to track this down - I think they only pushed it as a press release and didn't post the full RFP, though I'm still looking. Just IMHO though, this is worth its own thread.


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The biggest part of this to me, is that they want to move at the figurative speed of light, even by industry standards. Not even an RFP out yet and they want to get to NTP by Winter 2024?!

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Full document attached, selected excerpts:

The MBTA seeks to create a world class public transportation hub through a future-forward development project, to enhance the public realm in the station area, meet its infrastructure improvement objectives and to contribute to economic development and sustainable growth in the Alewife community.

To accomplish these goals, the MBTA will enter into a Pre-Development Agreement with its chosen JD partner to maximize public and private strengths of each party, and to create a development master plan that is realistic and viable. Upon the satisfaction of the pre-conditions to development set forth in the Pre-Development Agreement, it is the intention of the MBTA to proceed directly to a long-term lease with its JD partner.

As the public owner, the MBTA is looking for design, permitting, construction, financial, operations and maintenance expertise to complement the MBTA’s capabilities. Collaboration, creativity, accountability and transparency will be hallmarks of the partnership. The development of the Alewife Complex will be closely coordinated with City of Cambridge representatives.

The MBTA’s Transit Oriented Development/Innovative Delivery (TOD/ID) team has developed an innovative procurement related to the redevelopment of the Complex based on the following facts:

The garage is a five-story, one million square foot structure accommodating 2,733 parking spots, critical power components that are a part of the MBTA’s core system, and a small amount of retail. It is the largest parking structure in the MBTA system.

Adjacent real estate along the Fitchburg commuter rail line, which is underutilized and has value for an alternative higher and better use such as development and/or a new rail station.

Several structural condition analyses of the garage have been conducted over the past decade with the latest and most substantive being completed in 2020. This study and on-going experience determine that the MBTA will need to spend at least $55 million (in 2020 dollars) over the next ten years to keep the garage operational, with no measurable improvements in operations or capacity.

The station is also in need of certain repairs.

The City of Cambridge, through its 2019 Alewife District Plan and subsequent zoning and permitting actions, envisions continued economic development activity and a growing “vibrant mixed-use district” around the Complex. As other areas of Cambridge and the greater Boston region become built out, the Alewife area has emerged as an inviting opportunity for commercial, biotechnology and residential developers.

As it is well past its useful life and the ratio of revenue to repair cost is unsustainable and unwise, the MBTA has determined that it is in its best interest to demolish the garage and to engage with a private sector partner(s) to reimagine the use of the Complex.

The development opportunity anticipates that the Lease will include the garage and the land on which the garage is located, air-rights. Further, the Developer will demolish the garage and redevelop that portion of the Complex as a part of the private redevelopment project, subject to an obligation to continue to provide a sufficient amount of parking for customers of the MBTA, as determined by the MBTA, at all times through a covenant in the Lease. The MBTA anticipates that it will retain pricing control over that parking.

In consideration for the development opportunity, the Developer will be required to design and construct (to the MBTA’s standards) certain improvements to the MBTA transportation facilities at the Complex, including: (a) improvements to the station and Complex as detailed in a to be developed program; and (b) modifications to the station and complex made necessary on account of the Developer’s private mixed-use redevelopment.
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Attachments

  • Alewife-Joint-Development-Information-Packet-7-24-2024.PDF
    716.9 KB · Views: 274
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I guess the light speed schedule answers why they aren’t rebuilding the Alewife atrium.
 
I imagine, by this timeline, they are going to be more reliant upon financials and less so the planning/design side of things. Responses may just be letters with descriptions of what they envision, maybe with a massing study or two included, similar to some of the Wellington air-rights RFP responses.
 
The written update on the Track Improvement Program from last Thursday's board meeting included an updated timeline. Unlike the ones I've seen before, this one includes "actual" vs. "modeled" numbers for the time savings in minutes from removing the speed restrictions:
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A couple highlights:
  • On heavy rail, time savings generally seem to be more than originally modeled
  • On the Green Line, time savings are pretty significantly less than originally modeled
 
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mbta green line shutting down again!!!! - Bing

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The MBTA Green Line (B) is shutting down again!!! How many friggen times must we just keep on losing service on these lines before everying is all said & done?!!! This is so damn ridiculous!! Am I going to have to miss another appt because of this stupid crap keeping me from getting there on time?!!!! :mad:
 
Delvin4519 said:
I highly doubt 2nd St. will be redeveloped in time to meet the December 15, 2024 deadline for BNRD. Industrial wastelands are rarely huge ridership generators, and so those areas are better suited for better bike connections. Restoring pre-pandemic service on existing bus lines should get precedence over giving industrial wastelands 15 minute frequencies. 1,560 operators isn't enough to run the pre-COVID schedule that required 1,819 operators + the extra 15 minute service the 2nd St. corridor is getting with BNRD.
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There are currently 1207 units worth of construction approved by the city of Everett for construction on 2nd Street (unless I missed some). The 129-unit building on the corner of Rt16 and 2nd was still a pile of dirt in Sept 2022 and is now renting out units to residents. A 320 unit building at Vine st was a dirt pile earlier this year and is now 30% framed. That may not be ready for December but it's definitely on the "sooner" side when it comes to housing development.
 
Jahvon09 said:
The MBTA Green Line (B) is shutting down again!!! How many friggen times must we just keep on losing service on these lines before everying is all said & done?!!! This is so damn ridiculous!! Am I going to have to miss another appt because of this stupid crap keeping me from getting there on time?!!!! :mad:
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In the post above yours, I shared the latest timeline for the track improvement program this year. It's mostly the same as what they proposed at the end of last year, which, even back then, included the upcoming B branch shutdown. It can also answer your question around what shutdowns they're planning for the rest of the year.

IMO, you really can't blame current MBTA leadership for the state of the system that's led to needing the shutdowns this year for the track improvement program. On the contrary, so far they've had a great track record of actually completing the work they set out to do during these shutdowns, unlike some shutdowns in the past (e.g. the orange line shutdown of 2022).
 
devnull said:
In the post above yours, I shared the latest timeline for the track improvement program this year. It's mostly the same as what they proposed at the end of last year, which, even back then, included the upcoming B branch shutdown. It can also answer your question around what shutdowns they're planning for the rest of the year.

IMO, you really can't blame current MBTA leadership for the state of the system that's led to needing the shutdowns this year for the track improvement program. On the contrary, so far they've had a great track record of actually completing the work they set out to do during these shutdowns, unlike some shutdowns in the past (e.g. the orange line shutdown of 2022).
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If needed, I'll walk to the B line & go to the doc's offce that way. I'm so tired of missing appts because of this crap!! :mad:
 
The Senate passed a bill that would let the T issue fines against drivers who block bus lanes and stops. But the legislation will die unless the House also approves it before the stroke of midnight tomorrow night:

mass.streetsblog.org

The Mass. State House Has One More Day to Pass Bus Lane Enforcement Legislation - Streetsblog Massachusetts

Last week, the Massachusetts Senate approved “An Act relative to bus lane enforcement,” a bill that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus lanes and bus stops. But with hours to go until August 1 and the end of the...
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
 
StreetsblogMASS said:
The Senate passed a bill that would let the T issue fines against drivers who block bus lanes and stops. But the legislation will die unless the House also approves it before the stroke of midnight tomorrow night:

mass.streetsblog.org

The Mass. State House Has One More Day to Pass Bus Lane Enforcement Legislation - Streetsblog Massachusetts

Last week, the Massachusetts Senate approved “An Act relative to bus lane enforcement,” a bill that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus lanes and bus stops. But with hours to go until August 1 and the end of the...
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
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I really hope Massachusetts doesn’t fumble this one at the proverbial goal line.

This bill would be best bang-for-your buck transit improvement this decade.
 
Pathetic.

I blame Massachusetts voters for voting against Ranked-Choice Voting in 2020 and leaving us with a one-party state that has zero accountability.

Having policy differences is one thing. This error was entirely unforced though, and really shows just how incompetent the state legislature is. I deeply hope that every single member of the MA legislature is disappointed in themselves and that every single one of their spouses and children are disappointed in them, too.
 
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