General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Well, that was certainly some awesome foresight. Other transit agencies do crazy things like soliciting public feedback before permanently selecting a color scheme, but not the MBTA...

The teal/gray scheme was imposed on the Green Line by one now retired maintenance superintendent without any input from the public or other MBTA employees, its been back to dark green ever since he left some years ago.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

And hopefully net some new work cars out of the salvages. All 3 of their Boeing work cars are shot and may not survive more than a couple more years. The dark green maintenance-of-way car that used to live at Reservoir in the back yard is already dead and retired. The re-railer car that lived on the pocket track near Arlington has shot propulsion and has to be towed onsite by a Type 7...meaning it takes longer than it used to to clear a derailed train. And the neat-looking orange/creme painted track geometry car likewise has to be towed. Means they have to sideline more revenue cars than they're comfortable doing for work rotation on the overnight shift instead of carrying passengers.

The contract with Alstom doesn't have any provision to convert any Type 7s to work cars, that was something the MBTA was kicking around doing in-house. Car 3707, which has a bent frame at one end, was discussed as a candidate for conversion to a "super" work car that would replace all three Boeing work cars. However, one end of 3719 was wrecked in a yard accident at Boston College earlier this year, and 3707 is now more valuable as a car that can potentially supply a B-end to replace the wrecked end of 3719. It looks like there is no other replacement plan to build a Type 7 work car.

Although Boeing work cars 3417 and 3448 could in theory still be towed, in practice they actually haven't turned a wheel except to be moved around storage spots at Riverside yard in over two years. When they had that major derailment at Beacon Junction earlier this year, they made no attempt to tow rerailer 3417 to the scene. They just put some hydraulic jacks and other equipment on a standard Type 8 and sent it to the scene. If they wouldn't use 3417 for this wreck ( a car with all six axles off of the rail, in a tunnel between stations) there is no other scenario where it would be used. The track geometry Boeing has essentially been replaced by a greater use of contractors examining the rail.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm a Fitchburg Line commuter, and performance in October was so horrific that I began to seriously wonder whether rumors of a silent employee mutiny were true. It's great to see the issues getting some press.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing these issues. I've never experienced delayed trains to Newburyport until the last month and a half or so.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm a Fitchburg Line commuter, and performance in October was so horrific that I began to seriously wonder whether rumors of a silent employee mutiny were true. It's great to see the issues getting some press.

Would not be surprised at all if there is a background work slowdown in process.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The Fitchburg Line's October performance encouraged me to push my cold-weather biking limit, so that's a good thing!

But, seriously, Inbound Train 458 (5:20 from Littleton) was so routinely late, that there was never any point in showing up on time. The morning runs were better, but not amazing. Performance has improved recently, probably due to slippery rail becoming less of an issue.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm left wondering though...

a.) Is it really Keolis' fault? They inherited an awful fleet of aging trains.
b.) Is fining them so early on and thus reducing the funds they have to actually spend on improving the system really the right way to go?
c.) Is the money collected from fines targeted into some sort of transit improvement account?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm left wondering though...

a.) Is it really Keolis' fault? They inherited an awful fleet of aging trains.
b.) Is fining them and thus reducing the funds they have to actually spend on improving the system really the right way to go?
c.) Is the money collected from fines targeted into some sort of transit improvement account?

a) No, it probably isn't. They inherited a rough transition coming in after MBCR spent the prior 9 months in scorched-earth mode threatening to sue everyone.

The new vehicle purchases are having a really rough time. We know all about the Rotem nightmare that still isn't over. And the HSP-46 order is temporarily paused while all unaccepted units gets warranty fixes and the in-service units are rotated out 1 week at a time for the same mods. Not a Rotem-level thing, but a more mundane "shit happens" thing that unfortunately coincides with a rash of engine failures and shop casualties on the old fleet. MotivePower, Inc. is shitting bricks because its own aggressively-scheduled contract has to have them getting the 20 units on the base order accepted into service by year's end or they get hit with crippling penalties.

And Fitchburg and Haverhill are both under the knife for the improvements projects. Fitchburg at its most acutely painful point with inside-128 work and weekend shutdowns, meaning Monday mornings are when they have to debug the glitches in the new signal system. And Haverhill is just running years late on that glacially-moving 'stimulus' project.


b) Keolis knew what they were getting themselves into, and no doubt knew that they were likely to take some performance hits in their first quarterly review because of the radioactive mess MBCR left behind and all the teething pains of the new vehicles. It's a high-risk/high-reward thing for them. They take the transitional losses up-front, then if they prove themselves capable of meeting a pretty low bar for improvement they make money hand over fist on the backside of the deal.

If employeee morale is low...that's a different issue. And more complex one because the MBTA has as much responsibility for the conditions surrounding low employee morale as the operator does. I honestly have no idea...the commuter rail employees on RR.net don't seem any more down in the dumps than usual beyond the daily struggles with the vehicle fleet (which is nothing new). But they know their employer reads the forums and aren't likely to bitch about anything management-wise...it's gearhead gripes, problem track, kooky politicians who don't know transit ops, and the rapid transit division making a mess of their backyard with GLX. "Safe" gripes. If your own conductor on your morning commute is saying that it sucks and explaining way, that's different. But also difficult to project across-the-board because individual experiences are individualized. It would be more concerning if the whispers about employee discontent are pervasive.


c) The letter of the contract would say what account the fines go to. It's available online if you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night and want to play amateur contract lawyer for an hour looking for that clause. Most of it's pretty impenetrable legalese.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The basic word is that they over-promised and under-bid.

I've heard that the primary reason why the last group of Rotem cars has not been accepted is because Keolis hasn't been able to come up with crews to run the test trains (although they finally had one out in the last couple of days). Also hearing stories of recent college grads from France being flown over to try and fill administrative jobs, perhaps to keep the costs down. They have also been trying to combine functions with the VRE operation in Virginia, so sometimes a local issue has to wait for someone from Virgina to respond before anything gets done. People I know who were no fans of Jim O'Leary/MBCR are already mumbling about things being the same or worse. Hopefully things will get better, but hopefully it will be French taxpayers and not Boston commuters who will suffer during the early years of the contract.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

From the Globe's Legal Notices section this morning:

"The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is commencing the procurement process for the following:
IBF# 204-14 The furnishing and delivery of 325 - 40 foot low-floor hybrid and CNG buses in accordance with the Authority's Bid Documents and technical specifications No VE14-41."
Blah, blah, blah,
"The project is federally funded."
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

b.) Is fining them so early on and thus reducing the funds they have to actually spend on improving the system really the right way to go?

It's worth noting that the T contract is worth about $300m USD per year in revenue to Keolis, and fines are capped at $12m, around 4%. $434k is a relatively paltry sum in context, especially (I think) when the fines are related to timeliness.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The T had an absolute meltdown this morning:
http://www.universalhub.com/2014/trains-everywhere-given-last-rites-commuters-know

Dead train on the Orange Line.
Dead train on the Providence Line.
Mechanical problems on the Franklin Line.
Mechanical problems on the Worcester Line.
Standing-room only (barely) on the Fitchburg Line - because of an earlier dead train.
Riders were ordered off an Orange Line train at Sullivan, around 8:10 a.m. Those riders were not happy. Nor were the riders already waiting at Sullivan, natch.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Plus wire problem on the "D" branch -- shuttle busing.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Wow, maybe the MBTA needs new infrastructure and equipment? But if that were the case, surely someone in state government would address the issue so no need to be alarmed.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Wow, maybe the MBTA needs new infrastructure and equipment? But if that were the case, surely someone in state government would address the issue so no need to be alarmed.

The CR locomotives are being replaced right now. They got 75 new CR cars to replace the worst and they're doing mid-life overhauls on a large portion of the fleet.

The Red and Orange Lines are being replaced nearly in full except for the newest RL cars. The RL and OL will be a years before they get the new cars, but the contract has been awarded.

You can rightly criticize them for waiting too long, but at least equipment-wise there's nothing more to do to address your complaints.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Residents still waiting on MBTA improvements

By Charlie Breitrose
watertown@wickedlocal.com
Posted Nov. 24, 2014 @ 11:14 am


The Town Council wants some answers about when Watertown will receive some relief for its transportation woes, and it got some details, but no clear timeline.

In the spring, an effort led by concerned citizens and joined by town officials came to a summit in May when they were able to make their concerns clear to the MBTA during a visit by T General Manager Beverly Scott.

The main focus was the crowding and lateness of buses on the 71 and 73 lines heading to and from Harvard Square. MBTA officials returned to town in August where they head concerns about the 70/70A line that serves the Arsenal Street corridor - an area where a number of large development projects have been proposed. They told the town officials, business leaders and members of concerned community groups that a study would be undertaken to look at the Arsenal Street area.

Recently, the Town Councilors discussed how they have not heard anything further from the T about how the town’s public transportation will be improved. Councilor Aaron Dushku raised the issue and asked whether to try to arrange another meeting with the MBTA.

Town Council President Mark Sideris said he would rather continue the process that started in the spring.

“I appreciated Councilor Dushku’s and other residents’ frustration with the lack of action,” Sideris said.

Instead, he suggested sending a letter to the MBTA asking for an update. The Council voted 8-0 to approve this approach.

This week, Councilor Angeline Kounelis received a response to a letter she sent to the MBTA in September. MBTA Assistant General Manager David Carney provided information statistics about ridership and on-time rates for the 71 and 73 routes.

He noted that both routes are among the busiest in the MBTA system. Route 71 has 5,548 weekday riders, making it the 22nd highest out of 168 bus routes in the MBTA. The Route 73 has 6,424 weekday riders, or the 17th highest ridership.

Both routes had on time rates in the top 20-25 percent of routes in the system, Carney wrote. The 73 did have a period in late 2013 and early 2014 when it dropped to about the 50th percentile due to construction in Belmont and in Harvard Square.

Some short-term goals would be to adjust the schedule to improve on-time performance.

In the medium- and long-term, Carney said, the MBTA would support reviewing traffic at the intersection of Mt. Auburn Street and Fresh Pond Parkway in Cambridge. Another step could by collecting fares off buses - particularly at Harvard Station.

Adding more buses during commute time has been a request from town officials and residents. Carney said this could be hard.

“There are times of the day when Route 71, and Route 73 are crowded and warrant additional service,” Carney wrote. “We have a proposal under review to increase the amount of off-peak service on these routes pending identification of additional resources. However, adding peak service will be a challenge since all peak buses are in service, and adding peak service will mean reallocating service from other peak routes, which are also usually crowded.”

Town Councilors said they would continue to keep an eye on transportation issues - existing ones and those coming down the line. Dushku said he is concerned about the realignment of the Mass. Turnpike, which would remove tolls at the Allston/Cambridge exit. Also, the West Station in the area will become a hub for transit for the communities west of Boston, he said, including Watertown.

Wicked Local Watertown
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Probably belongs in the Reasonable Transit Pitch thread, but I'm a frequent 73 rider and:

The 70/70A should get the Key Bus Route treatment from Central Square to Waltham Station:
  • Stop spacing improvement
  • Bus stop improvements (curb extensions, shelters, benches, signage, etc.)
  • Improved frequency (headways should be <10 minutes peak, <15 minutes midday, and <20 minutes off-peak)
  • Extended service (start and end service with other KBRs, including weekends)

Also, the 71/73 should get BRT elements from Harvard Square to where they split at Belmont & Mt. Auburn:
  • Dedicated lanes where possible
  • Signal priority
 
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The T will never have enough peak buses if it doesn't pony up and scale back service that is under utilized. I seem to remember a lot of opposition to service cuts during the latest bus line review. Then people (granted different people) wonder why they can't get adequate bus service.

Any unique challenges for the TT routes vs a normal bus line?
 

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