COVID-19 Impacts on Logan, MBTA, and Boston travel and tourism

NJ Transit put their bus people behind shields a few years ago, but it was to prevent physical assault.

Of course only SEPTA would decide to spend money to wring every last penny from their riders instead of just letting people board for free via the back door

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The DOT denied JetBlue’s request to suspend service at ORH and most other airports (T.F. Green among others) listed in its request, citing that the airlines is receiving funds from the CARES act for payroll assistance and is therefore obligated to maintain a certain level of service. I was surprised by that decision.

www.telegram.com

Feds deny JetBlue's request to suspend service in Worcester

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday denied a request by JetBlue Airways Corp. to suspend service to and from Worcester Regional Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOT denied th…
www.telegram.com
 
cubalibre said:
The DOT denied JetBlue’s request to suspend service at ORH and most other airports (T.F. Green among others) listed in its request, citing that the airlines is receiving funds from the CARES act for payroll assistance and is therefore obligated to maintain a certain level of service. I was surprised by that decision.

www.telegram.com

Feds deny JetBlue's request to suspend service in Worcester

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday denied a request by JetBlue Airways Corp. to suspend service to and from Worcester Regional Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOT denied th…
www.telegram.com
Click to expand...
A lot of the reason for keeping passenger jets flying to many destinations is cargo capacity.

We don't have enough cargo jets in the US to move the air freight needed. Passenger jets carry a huge amount of our air cargo in the US. Even though a lot is being made about the passenger compartment being nearly empty, these planes are largely flying with full cargo holds!
 
Alaska and Frontier have started "milk runs" where the same plane stops at multiple cities, which counts as service.

I wonder if Jetblue can do that, or go further and operate Worcester as a bus destination, like United does with Allentown.
 
I follow a YouTube channel by the name of Blancolirio, an airline pilot out of California. He just shared the full extent of commercial air reductions & the minimum requirements per the DOT & the CARES Act.

Here's what Boston's looks like:

boston cuts.png


Full List is compiled HERE
 
Delta and United reported earnings this week:

Delta:
  • Net loss $534 million, revenue down 18% from last year
  • Burning $100 million/day in March, hoping to get it down to $50 million by May or June. Ending June with $10 billion in liquidity.
  • "The second quarter will be worse. The decline in travel has reduced our expected revenues for the period by $11 billion, or 90 percent, compared to a year ago,” -CEO
 
I didnt even realize anyone aside from Jetblue was flying to Worcester
 
Airlines Q1 reporting tally:
Delta: $534 million loss
American Airlines: $2.2 billion loss
United $1.7 billion loss
Southwest: $94 million loss
 
www.wbur.org

How's The Air In There? A Look At Ventilation On The MBTA

As MBTA ridership ticks back up, public health experts say good air flow can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
www.wbur.org www.wbur.org

Interesting article on the science of air circulation in transit vehicles vs. COVID transmission risk, and the new data-driven attention the T is giving to making ever safer improvements to vehicle HVAC.
 
The week of 5/17 saw the highest total "Rapid Transit" (fare gated stations including those on the Silver Line) ridership in the COVID era. Friday, May 21 was the highest MBTA "Rapid Transit" ridership day since March 2020:

MBTA_RT_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


On that Friday (5/21/21), with clear skies, highs around 70, the Bruins in town for a limited-capacity playoff game, and 75% of Massachusetts having already received at least one dose of the vaccine, Boston was the most "alive" the city had been in 14 months.

On that day, the Blue Line and Red Line each recorded their highest ridership day since 3/13/20:

Blue_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


The Blue Line had higher ridership each day from Wednesday through Friday (5/19 - 5/21) than any Sunday in 2020. Weekday ridership on the Blue Line is now higher than Sunday ridership was in the before times. At 25,566 riders on 5/21/21, the Blue Line recorded:
  • 72% of its Friday, March 13, 2020 ridership.
    • 3/13 was in the middle of a precipitous decline in ridership and was the last time MBTA ridership was higher than 5/21/21.
  • 53% of its Friday, March 6, 2020 ridership.
    • 3/6 was at the end of the last "normal" week before the precipitous ridership decline.
  • 54% of its Friday, February 28, 2020 ridership.
    • 2/28 was the highest system-wide ridership Friday of 2020.

Red_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


At 61,260 riders on 5/21/21, the Red Line recorded:
  • 65% of its Friday, March 13, 2020 ridership.
    • 3/13 was in the middle of a precipitous decline in ridership and was the last time MBTA ridership was higher than 5/21/21.
  • 35% of its Friday, March 6, 2020 ridership.
    • 3/6 was at the end of the last "normal" week before the precipitous ridership decline.
  • 32% of its Friday, February 28, 2020 ridership.
    • 2/28 was the highest system-wide ridership Friday of 2020.

On 5/21/21, the Orange Line recorded its highest ridership day since 3/16/20:

Orange_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


The MBTA also set a COVID-era high in bus system ridership for the fourth consecutive week:

MBTA_Bus_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


The bus system averaged 191,550 riders per weekday. This is the highest ridership week, and first week over 190,000 riders per weekday, since the week of 3/9/20. Ridership was 47% of the index week (week of 2/24/20), 72% of Christmas week '19, and 74% of Thanksgiving week '19. This is up 2.6% from the previous week's high-water mark.

The highest ridership bus route on the week of 5/17 was the 66, for the third week in a row. In fact, at 7,321 riders per weekday, the 66 logged the highest weekly COVID-era ridership for any bus route in the system:

66_Bus_Ridership_5_17_Week.png


The 66 bus ridership was 54% of the index week and 92% of Christmas week '19.

EDITED: For clarity
 
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I'll be interested to see where things are by end of July/August timeframe.
 
bigeman312 said:
At 61,260 riders on 5/21/21, the Red Line recorded 65% of its Friday, March 13, 2020 ridership.
Click to expand...

That math looks wrong or doesn't really reflect pre-pandemic levels. From that graph the Red Line was doing 180-190k during normal weekdays that didn't include days that it snowed. 61k is nowhere near 65%. It's also not really that much higher than the summer lull levels.

Might want to really compare to May 2019.
 
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