General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

I’m finding it interesting the use of Regional Rail instead of Commuter Rail on documents. Wonder if they are considering a public name change soon.
 
Maybe I'm just not familiar enough with the inner workings of things like the CIP but some of the line items seem really confusing. For example, why is the GLX labeled as "Construction" with $115 million programmed for 2027-2031? Are they actually spending another 100 million dollars on it?
 
Then there's 1.5M for
Procurement and construction of two 150-passenger, high-speed catamarans from Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding to support ferry service. The Champion and Glory catamarans entered service in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
If they've been in service for 8-9 years, what's this 1.5M for?
 
Then there's 1.5M for

If they've been in service for 8-9 years, what's this 1.5M for?
Some of the ferries have been leased as new routes were tested. As the routes become permanent, I believe the MBTA is buying the ferries used on those routes.
 
Winter 2026 GTFS schedules are out.
We've got the new spring GTFS schedules posted. Here are the actual changes:

Frequency decreases:
* Bus routes: 10, 11, 32, 201, 215, 350

Frequency decreases and increases:
* Green Line B
* Bus routes: SLW, 455

Frequency increases:
* Orange Line daily; Blue Line, Red Line, Green Line C weekdays only
* Bus routes: SL2, SL2, 1, 9, 15, 16, 24, 34, 34E, 40, 50, 66, 71, 73, 74, 75, 85, 87, 88, 94, 96, 101, 111, 116, 202, 220, 222, 226, 411, 714, 716

1774636513951.png


And for each route; this is what actually changed:
1774639053711.png


Map changes:
* Downgraded the 34/34E corridor from "Every 15 - 20 minutes" to "Every 30 - 60 minutes" due to Sunday schedules no longer being coordinated.
* Downgraded the 34/34E/35/36 corridor from "Every 12 - 15 minutes" to "Every 20 - 30 minutes" due to 34/34E Sunday schedules no longer being coordinated.
* Route 350 rerouted to Burlington Mall
* Route 34E extended from East Walpole to Walpole Center
* Route 87 extended from Clarendon Hill to Arlington Center
* 30 minute frequency added between Sullivan Sq and Winter Hill; Davis Sq and Medford Hillside; and Medford Sq; due to Route 96 and 101 running every 30 minutes
* Routes 24, 96, 455, and 714 shifted from "Every 1 - 2 hours" to "Every 30 - 60 minutes" due to exceeding 21 Sunday trips
* Route 42 shifted from "Every 30 - 60 minutes" to "Every 20 - 30 minutes" due to now exceeding 41 Sunday trips.
* Route 16 shifted from "Every 20 - 30 minutes" to "Every 15 - 20 minutes" due to now exceeding 61 Sunday trips.
* Route 9 shifted from "Every 20 - 30 minutes" to "Every 15 - 20 minutes" as it is now a FBR.
* Added route 40, 50, 226, and 716 as "Every 1 - 2 hours" with between 11 - 21 Sunday trips
* Removed Route 40/50.

1774637131463.png

Old maps: Pre-COVID; 2023: Winter, Spring (Slow Zones), Summer, Fall; 2024: Winter, Spring, Summer (News), Fall; 2025: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall 2026: Winter
 
Last edited:
We've got the new spring GTFS schedules posted. Here are the actual changes:

Frequency decreases:
* Bus routes: 10, 11, 32, 201, 215, 350

Frequency decreases and increases:
* Green Line B
* Bus routes: SLW, 455

Frequency increases:
* Orange Line daily; Blue Line, Red Line, Green Line C weekdays only
* Bus routes: SL2, SL2, 1, 9, 15, 16, 24, 34, 34E, 40, 50, 66, 71, 73, 74, 75, 85, 87, 88, 94, 96, 101, 111, 116, 202, 220, 222, 226, 411, 714, 716

View attachment 71692

And for each route; this is what actually changed:
View attachment 71707

Map changes:
* Downgraded the 34/34E corridor from "Every 15 - 20 minutes" to "Every 30 - 60 minutes" due to Sunday schedules no longer being coordinated.
* Downgraded the 34/34E/35/36 corridor from "Every 12 - 15 minutes" to "Every 20 - 30 minutes" due to 34/34E Sunday schedules no longer being coordinated.
* Route 350 rerouted to Burlington Mall
* Route 34E extended from East Walpole to Walpole Center
* Route 87 extended from Clarendon Hill to Arlington Center
* 30 minute frequency added between Sullivan Sq and Winter Hill; Davis Sq and Medford Hillside; and Medford Sq; due to Route 96 and 101 running every 30 minutes
* Routes 24, 96, 455, and 714 shifted from "Every 1 - 2 hours" to "Every 30 - 60 minutes" due to exceeding 21 Sunday trips
* Route 42 shifted from "Every 30 - 60 minutes" to "Every 20 - 30 minutes" due to now exceeding 41 Sunday trips.
* Route 16 shifted from "Every 20 - 30 minutes" to "Every 15 - 20 minutes" due to now exceeding 61 Sunday trips.
* Route 9 shifted from "Every 20 - 30 minutes" to "Every 15 - 20 minutes" as it is now a FBR.
* Added route 40, 50, 226, and 716 as "Every 1 - 2 hours" with between 11 - 21 Sunday trips
* Removed Route 40/50.

View attachment 71695
Old maps: Pre-COVID; 2023: Winter, Spring (Slow Zones), Summer, Fall; 2024: Winter, Spring, Summer (News), Fall; 2025: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall 2026: Winter
The 40 and 50 were expanded to now each run 7 days a week, so there's no need for (previously Sunday only) combined 40/50. That explains its removal. think the new Sunday service on the 40 and 50 may also explain how Sunday service is categorized across the 34/34E/35/36 on that corridor.
 
MBTA/MassDot-- Should go to MIT and present an overall Massachusetts map and have the smartest/brightest engineers create a plan for a self-sufficient transit grid that can be self-sustaining throughout Mass and other New England States.
The guy who famously thinks higher education is a scam sucking us dry wants higher education to create transit that's totes self-sufficient for the first time in recorded history, even though that same sentence implies that there will be subsidy by virtue of somebody has to pay the institutions who are tasked with this.

Don't ever change, crazy Libertarians.(y)
 
The guy who famously thinks higher education is a scam sucking us dry wants higher education to create transit that's totes self-sufficient for the first time in recorded history, even though that same sentence implies that there will be subsidy by virtue of somebody has to pay the institutions who are tasked with this.

Don't ever change, crazy Libertarians.(y)
Calling ‘stop burning money forever’ an ideology is exactly how we ended up with traffic jams, slow zones and a 30‑year Big Dig hangover

Johnny's lighting a stick of dynamite--🔥
 
Calling ‘stop burning money forever’ an ideology is exactly how we ended up with traffic jams, slow zones and a 30‑year Big Dig hangover
Maybe this isn’t my place to give input, but what you seem to be describing is a lack of “burning money” in the case of slow zones, and traffic jams to an extent.
 

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