General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston.com really is useless isn't it?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Sadly, yes.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

A couple friends and I want to attend the New England Revolution game on Saturday, March, 21 at Gillette Stadium without a car. Thoughts? Is this possible? Is there a better option than commuter rail to Walpole and then a cab?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^ I'm guessing they don't run Gillette specials for the Revs?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^ I'm guessing they don't run Gillette specials for the Revs?

I'm under the impression that it's only for Patriots games and maybe a select few special events, but not for regular season Revolution games. I hope I'm wrong!
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^ I'm guessing they don't run Gillette specials for the Revs?

Sadly no.

I'd say you could join me bige, but we wouldn't be able to fit you and your friends. Cab from Walpole is your only option.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Sadly no.

I'd say you could join me bige, but we wouldn't be able to fit you and your friends.

Thanks for the offer, anyways. If something changes, I may PM you. I guess I was hoping there was some kind of "Revs Supporters" bus from South Station, at least.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Thanks for the offer, anyways. If something changes, I may PM you. I guess I was hoping there was some kind of "Revs Supporters" bus from South Station, at least.

I've heard the cab ride can usually be done in 15 min and that cabs wait at Walpole specifically for Gillette trips on game days. Splitting with your friends shouldn't be too expensive. Revs supporters buses are random for certain games.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

(from Snow tread)
Only in Boston could [GLX headhouses] be considered "Taj Mahal" :D
For a subway, sure, they're "sparse" but in this case they're $200m too fancy (maybe $400m) when compared to not needing headhouses at all. That's unforgivable and why we can't have more transit: because we're unwilling to reinvent or adopt other's proven winners.

Original Concept was "Newton D Branch" (ramps to side or center platforms) but then they decided they needed 3 car trains (and 4-car platforms to be future proof) which necessitated off-board fare collection, which necessitated fare gates, which necessitated a wide, grade separated floorplate to hold, and a big glass box to keep the gates and crowds enclosed. A cascade of operationally-pointless capital spending set off by myopic thinking on fare collection.

Best practice in Light Rail is Proof-of-Payment and Washington-St-Silver-Line style shelters, not buildings.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

3 car trains don't necessitate fare gates.

Off-board fare collection doesn't necessitate fare gates either.

All you need is a platform long enough for the trains it is expected to handle (why not do 4-car, it's just a little bit longer platform, nothing else). And a platform that enables level boarding with the train for accessibility. And an accessible path from the street to the platform. And a place to put fare validation/purchase machines.

Now, I don't think that they were able to create an accessible path from the street without using elevators. And that's where costs started to blow up. And yes, the headhouses are over built. What would be better is to develop some kind of commercial/residential space at each station location, and make the developer build the access to the platforms. You know, like they're trying to retrofit at Hynes Convention Center.

Sigh.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Rather than bog down the Winter thread, we bring you this update on what a real Proof-of-Payment system would look like, from Norfolk VA. It includes getting employers to pre-pay for 100% of their workers to ride free, thereby making them all effortlessly honest at an honor-system-with-inspectors system.

When I worked at Yahoo, they had Employer Eco Pass that was exactly like this for Santa Clara Valley. Have to pay for all employees, lower rate, etc. http://www.vta.org/getting-around/fares/eco-pass

Before that, I was a student at Wash U in St. Louis where we had the U-Pass, public transit for faculty, staff, students, employees of contractors.
http://parking.wustl.edu/transportation/Pages/u-pass.aspx

So, it isn't just Norfolk. Plenty of systems seem to have figured out how to sell universal public transit to companies and universities.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Apparently the first refurbished green line trolleys have been delivered: https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/578215259372183553

CAY7kxaWgAAbKxE.jpg:large
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

A sign of things to come: Green Line trains are now trackable between Lechmere and Haymarket. Those AVI sensors were apparently installed last month, but this is the first I've seen of them being released into the public feed.

s8yiSJH.png


The screenshot is from Stefan's map.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Ah, maybe this sight will be able to be updated sometime soon.
OMG this link has naughty words in it

Yeah, it's puzzled me why they haven't updated it with the GL data that is available.

As a side note though, the whole site has been essentially non-functional for months. None of the rapid transit lines show correct active trains anymore. I'm guessing the T changed their live data feed and the data source was never updated.

The real question is "How fucked is this site?" and the answer is really fucked.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Hynes Boylston entrance was opened this weekend for Anime Boston. I don't think they've done this in previous years.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

It was poorly signed. A bunch of signs saying Bolyston Street wth a giant arrow, but none saying Anime convention, Hynes Convention Center, Etc.

This probably even conflicted with the normal Hynes Convention center signs directing everyone to Mass Ave. I took the T to Hynes on Sunday and not a single Anime fan used the exit. It's a little better situated as an entrance, but lacked fare gates and there was no one stationed at the entrance when I was there.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Its idiotic moves like keeping the Hynes entrance closed (and declining a developers offer for a new Chinatown entrance) that leads credibility to the idea that theres endless money to be found in improved MBTA operations.
 

Back
Top