General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

jass said:
Why are unions even legal?

Arent they monopolies? Shouldnt there be a competing MBTA police union?
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Yeah we used to have that in the early 1800s but they would just fight amongst themselves and nothing would get done. Firefighters too, would fight AT the fires instead of putting out the fires.

Also the whole thing about management fucking over the workers with low wages, no health care, 7 day works weeks..... etc.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

mass88 said:
That was a well written article with a lot of great points.
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Thoughtfully written, and he quotes Joy Division (often the soundtrack to my commute). Someone give "Bill" a Pulitzer.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Beton Brut said:
Thoughtfully written, and he quotes Joy Division (often the soundtrack to my commute). Someone give "Bill" a Pulitzer.
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Thanks guys. I'll make sure to clear out some space on a shelf. ;)
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^^ Nice blog man. I love the March 15th post on the MBTA's, uh, novel method of communicating with Green Line passengers. Gotta love that Brookline ingenuity.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston.com - April 15, 2009
MBTA buses outfitted with GPS technology
April 15, 2009 05:42 PM

By Globe Staff

What's yellow, white, and black and can't be lost? An MBTA bus.

All of the buses in the MBTA fleet have been outfitted with GPS devices, which will allow dispatchers to track them as they follow their routes, the authority said today.

Using the GPS system, dispatchers will know when buses are running late and be able to make public announcements on the buses to keep customers informed, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said in a statement. In case of an emergency, the dispatchers will also be able to send help to the right place.

"The improvements announced today will help improve service and reliability for thousands who rely on T bus service," said MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas.

The MBTA's fleet includes 1,040 vehicles. The GPS installation was completed in February, the MBTA said.
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Silly me. I had assumed this technology would have been in place years ago.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

bbfen said:
They actually had giant chunks missing from the treads.

Now, the fun part will be to see how long the contractors can take to complete the job, and what delays they'll "discover" along the way. This would be a three week job--at most--in the private sector. They were just iron stairs dropped into place, not concrete or anything. A week to demo, a week to remediate the walls/floor and prep, another week to install new.

I'm betting August.
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It's fun to bash them when screw up (often) we must be fair and praise them when show some competence:

Boston.com - April 17, 2009
Main entrance to Park Street station reopens
April 17, 2009 12:05 PM

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

The MBTA announced this morning that the main entrance to the Park Street subway station has reopened, 39 days after construction work began.

The T said the $1.4 million project was completed as scheduled, just before Monday's Boston Marathon.

Workers last month began demolishing and removing the deteriorating staircase structure and architectural elements. That was followed by the construction of an entirely new staircase structure composed of steel and marine-grade aluminum treads and risers.

There are new stainless steel railings and a new granite landing at the top of the stairs. Workers also re-painted the interior of the entrance.

The station, along with the Boylston station, is one of the nation's first two subway stops. It opened Sept. 1, 1897.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I noticed them pulling off the plywood this morning and was so surprised that I almost needed to go home for a new pair of pants
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

This project also closed a stairway from the southbound Green Line platform to the center Red Line platform. Did that also reopen?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

This morning, 9:35 am: Government Center to Brookline Village, 55 minutes due to a signal problem. Awesome!
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

statler said:
It's fun to bash them when screw up (often) we must be fair and praise them when show some competence:

Globe article - April 17, 2009
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I agree. Kudos to the T for staying on schedule. I'll drop a note on the same to the T (seriously, it is important to recognize when they keep their promises).
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Updating my post above: the stairway from the southbound Green Line to the Red Line center platform is still closed and boarded up, as of 6:30 pm tonight. So this project is NOT yet finished.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Apparently, red sox game = single car green line

I saw more single car trains today than I have in the entire past year.

I walked from kenmore to packards corner. I saw 8 single car trains and not a single double.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

jass said:
Apparently, red sox game = single car green line

I saw more single car trains today than I have in the entire past year.

I walked from kenmore to packards corner. I saw 8 single car trains and not a single double.
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If you talk to any of the MBTA apologists, they'll claim any single car train is a RAD supplementing the regular number of deuces on the line.

My ass.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

bbfen said:
If you talk to any of the MBTA apologists, they'll claim any single car train is a RAD supplementing the regular number of deuces on the line.

My ass.
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Its possible they were running 8 single car trains in 10 minutes instead of 4 double car trains in the same time span....but I doubt it.

There were singles everywhere yesterday too.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Okay, 3/4 weeks per month, you can't use your debit card in the machines. WHY!?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston Metro - April 12, 2009
T Q+A with General Manager Dan Grabauskas


For the past two weekends, the Red Line from Ashmont to JFK/UMass has been closed for construction. While I am very thankful for the addition of the free shuttle to and from these stations, I find myself frustrated at the lack of notices placed at Ashmont. These shuttle services add an extra twenty to thirty minutes each way to the commute, so why is the MBTA not posting signs at Ashmont, letting riders know of the weekend construction and subsequent delays?
Andrea

Dear Andrea,
Thank you for your patience as we continue with the reconstruction of Ashmont Station. We are aware of the many challenges customers experience, including changes to the path of travel to and from the station; weekend bus replacement service; and other adjustments that are needed to move the project forward. Upon reading your frustrating experience at Ashmont, we immediately added your name to the Ashmont Project distribution list to receive e-mail updates on service adjustments.
We also have a community outreach team that provides service information to the public through the dissemination of flyers, posters at stations, and notices in the local paper. Subway operations personnel have also been instructed to make train and station announcements regarding all upcoming changes to service.
Please be assured that we will continue to update customers on the progress of the Ashmont Rehabilitation Project with a stronger emphasis on changes to service that may impact a customer's timely commute.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Does anyone know the T's policy for bus drivers smoking in the bus? I saw a bus bombing down Broadway in Southie yesterday that was out of service and the driver was smoking a cigarette.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

So I get on the Orange Line this morning and there is a dude with a rag and spray bottle wiping down all the poles and handles.
I thought, "Well, that's new." And then I remembered, "Oh yeah, swine flu." :rolleyes:
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The # 71 bus out of Harvard to Watertown has 2 drivers who smoke in the back of the bus ,then pick up passengers who have to smell and breathe it in,when you complain you get a fuck off look! They were also wipeing down Havard station this morning
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Good to know that the T thinks swine flu is deadly but second hand smoke's not.
 
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