General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Digital_Islandboy said:
People are too careless to put Commuter Rail passes on card. Expensive card readers are required, (so are you all willing to have another fare increase to pay for them?) and if people crack their charlie card they can't be read and people will be told they have to pay full fare and seek a reimbursement later.
The chances of people paying without a big fight between conductor and passenger are slim, so I laude the T for keeping the paper tickets just as they told us internally how it was going to have to remain until something better can be developed. If you're willing to have your taxes go up some-more they can buy all those card readers.
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You're kidding, right?

A paper ticket can be lost or stolen. It can easily be damaged. There is no recourse if any of that happens. I'm glad I don't have an expensive commuter rail monthly pass, a $300 piece of paper or laminated crap.

The Charlie card can be registered online so that if you lose it, it can be replaced. How do you not know that?

Furthermore, if you are worried about saving tax dollars, then the best thing to do would be to have fewer conductors on board every train.

Having so many conductors on each train, just to look at tickets, is extremely expensive, unproductive, and old fashioned.

Sadly, most American transit agencies are so backwards and corrupt that they would rather waste more and more money than learn the proper, modern way of doing things.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Bus shelters have been installed on both sides of Huntington @ Opera.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Rumor has it that the weekend's track work on the B Line included removing the vestigal stub of the A Line.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The EGE said:
Rumor has it that the weekend's track work on the B Line included removing the vestigal stub of the A Line.
Click to expand...

That's correct. Universal Hub has a good pic.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

They removed the junction but there's still a couple rails.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Found this headline on the MBTA website:

Beverly Scott named Woman of the Year by WTS International*

“Dr. Scott’s efforts to advance women in the transportation industry has inspired many and provided the industry with new workforce development opportunities. Her passion and mission are aligned with WTS International’s goals. We’re honored that she brings her professional acumen for mission-driven leadership to our organization, and we congratulate her on her Woman of the Year recognition,” said Marcia Ferranto, WTS President and CEO.

Dr. Scott is renowned throughout the U.S. and North American transit industry for her visionary leadership, results-driven management style, and progressive approach to labor-management relations. Among her most notable industry contributions is her pivotal leadership role in the critical areas of strategic human resources planning, workforce development, and employee training. Most recently, Scott was named a “Transportation Innovator of Change” by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of Transportation for her long record of exemplary leadership and service in the transit industry."

https://www.wtsinternational.org/2014-wts-recognition-awards-announced/

(emphasis mine)

*The association for the professional advancement of women in transportation
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos



It's not pretty... but it pulled passengers today.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Now that you say that I actually like it.

I hope the new red lines look like megatron
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The side even looks like the logo...
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boss-looking loco. Certainly slicker than the unit to the right of it in the first picture.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Just a note on Proof of Payment (using pass holders and self-validated tickets instead of a farebox or faregate).

San Diego trolleys, which use only Proof of Payment, report 98% payment in recent audits. http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/documents/SDTrolleyFactSheet.pdf

Consider how much faster buses and the Green Line would load if riders were permitted to use all doors (and not do the farebox thing). (faster loading means faster average speeds, shorter commutes and more vehicles per hour for the same staffing)

Consider how much smaller/cheaper headhouses could be on the subway could be.

The mind and heart ache that we have not gone to POP--at least on the buses and green line.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

This isn't about rationality. It's about "sticking it" to those damn, dirty T riders and their shifty ways. It's about forcing "perfect" fare compliance, even though that's an impossible goal. The Puritan mind cannot withstand the notion that someone, somewhere, might get lucky and get away with fare evasion. They will pour all their money and effort into trying to prevent that from happening -- nevermind that it costs more to stop fare evasion then you would get in return. It's not a cost/benefit question, it's a morality play, to them. These cretins would rather spite themselves, and sit around at each station stop for extra minutes, than stomach the notion that somebody might sneak on board without paying. And the management doesn't give a shit either way because they don't ride the trains and they don't have any pressure to economize either.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

There is the thing about non-POP. The argument goes that you get 100% of the people to pay instead of 98%, and the MBTA has decided that all the inconveniences generated with that are worth the extra 2% in income.

But that is a false argument. I cannot count the amount of times I have got in the Green Line (St. Mary's) 10-15 people waiting, and then somebody starts to put money on the card, making the rest of the group wait or if the machine is not working as it should, or if the bill doesn't work the first time, or...., and the driver then on his own account decides that that person can move on and travel for free. Not once, not twice,... I don't know if it is a 2% but it is massive.

As a transplant to Boston this system looks to me beyond stupid.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Not only is 100% compliance impossible under any system of fare collection (perfection! yeah right), the slowdown you suffer from getting that last 2% far outweighs any fares that you collect. Time is money, and no less so on a transit system, where labor costs $100/hour per person and every wasted minute is an expense born not only by the riders but also the MBTA.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

It's too bad the MBTA doesn't give transfer slips to people who pay by cash, otherwise the implementation cost would be zero.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Honestly, in my talks with people working within the MBTA, it seems to me that the reason they wont do it is because they are so shell-shocked by political opposition/lack of funding. It doesn't seem to be that they are necessarily opposed to POP, rather, they are so tired of political opposition (and the resultant underfunding) from legislators from non-MBTA served areas that they have just caved to pressures to "reduce rider fraud", which always seems to be a legislative talking point (just like being "tough on crime")...
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Yes, it's more about lack of leadership, lack of willingness to stand up for riders in the face of bullies.

This is one reason why I have soured a bit on Rich Davey. He's a nice guy, but he's never really expended any political capital for us and gone to bat against the moronic politicians.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

In fairness to Rich, he was way out in front stumping for the gigantic Patrick transpo bill last time out. He may or may not be avoiding PoP because it's a third rail issue, but it's not like he's completely averse to sticking his neck out.
 
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