General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Anyone get the feeling that, after knowing about this for 10 years, we'll eventually be reading something in the Globe (no, wait, on boston.com...no, wait, on nytimes.com/boston) by Adrian Walker or someone else who catches on to this late that goes like "oh wow, I actually left Massachusetts for a day and look what they have in New York! I know we're supposed to hate them, but maybe this is a good idea for a state that's supposedly technologically sophisticated?"

Followed by another 10 years of dithering by the T before it actually gets done.

At least that's what happened with the replacement of tokens...
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Although when the T finally did replace tokens, they leapfrogged NYC, who still use paper tickets.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

There is one of these at Maverick, no? There was last time I was there (which was 5 years ago).
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

NEW Passenger Train Information System (PTIS)

The MBTA is pleased to announce that testing is in the final stages for the new PTIS (Passenger Train Information System). This upgrade will enable us to provide our passengers with real-time information generated directly from the train. Passengers will soon see train arrival information on electronic station signs (?Next train arriving in 10 minutes?). The system will also offer automated ?next station stop? announcements on board the trains.

Some of you may have experienced the new system during this testing phase and we ask for your patience while this necessary part of the process takes place. During this time there may be occasions when the electronic station signs could appear to be out of service. You might also experience testing of the on board announcement system, which could be misleading (naming stations that are not on that route). Please ask your conductor if an announcement is confusing.

The PTIS technology will be introduced in phases beginning with the Greenbush and Old Colony lines. We anticipate that the system will be implemented on these lines by year?s end with a system wide rollout to follow.

We thank you in advance for your patience while we make these enhancements.

Thank you for riding the commuter rail.​
 
MassDOT Developer Conference - Nov. 14 MIT

I thought this group would be interested in MassDOT's open data efforts and a Developers Conference we are hosting November 14 at MIT. At MassDOT, we have decided to open up as much transportation data as possible so that innovative developers can build interesting mobile and web applications with our data. Since launching our site in July, we have held regular meetings with Developers and seen the launch of 5 iPhone applications. To learn a little more about what we are doing, please check out a presentation I gave at O'Reilly Media's Ignite Boston 6 Event.

The Conference is free and open to the public. It will include plenary sessions featuring speakers from the transportation and technology community, and breakout sessions, where developers can meet to discuss MassDOT?s data and what applications they are working on. The Conference will also include training sessions for the Regional Transit Authorities, which provide transit services outside of Greater Boston, to help those agencies maintain their data in open and available formats on the Developers Page.

Additionally, MassDOT is holding the 2009 MassDOT Developers Challenge, which inspires developers to create both applications and data visualizations, to submit them to EOT, and to release them to the public. The two top submissions will receive a CharlieCard valid for one-year of free travel on the MBTA, in addition to recognition at the Conference. To learn more about the challenge, please visit the MassDOT Developers Page.

To RSVP for the conference please CLICK HERE.

Please email me with any questions!
Josh

______________________________
Joshua Robin
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Joshua [dot] Robin [at] eot [dot] state [dot] ma [dot] us

EOT Developers Page:*http://www.mass.gov/eot/developers
Twitter:*http://twitter.com/MassDOTdev
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/massdotdevelopers
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Thanks Josh! Welcome to the board. Hope to hear from you often.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Now if only Massdot, eot and mbta could coordinate their websites so it doesnt requre having three windows open to see the status of a transit program....(not to mention city specific websites)
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Dear MBTA:

Running a single car train at 10pm on a Friday night, on Halloween weekend, on the B line, is not a good idea. I understand that in most cities, 10pm is not peak hour. Boston is not most cities. The B line is not the average transit line.

Dear driver:
If I (and three others) are standing outside the train holding open the doors you insist on trying to close, it is not because we want to get in and hope space will magically appear. It is because people are trying to get out.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

vanshnookenraggen said:
There is one of these at Maverick, no?
Click to expand...

The old analog map with the moving lights representing moving trains is long gone. They gutted Maverick during the renovation.

They're trying something similar with 46" LCDs, They installed one at Orient Heights a couple of months ago. So far as I can tell, it doesn't really work.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Kenmore Station, 8:54 AM:

Green line train operator yells at wheelchair passenger on the platform that there "aint nothin i can do, train is full." Wheelchair passenger tries to ask a question, operator interrupts: "aint nothin i can do, train is full." The statement was true, but was one of the most unprofessional - and quite possibly demeaning - customer interactions that I've ever witnessed on the T.

The green line has its share problems, but overall I do find it reliable and most often comfortable. A few more smiles and a heavy injection of more empathy into the staff's veins would do so much to change riders' attitudes about the level of service they receive.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Shepard said:
A few more smiles and a heavy injection of more empathy into the staff's veins would do so much to change riders' attitudes about the level of service they receive.
Click to expand...

Well you see that's not in the union negotiated contract and may very well be against current work rules.

If that exchange had been captured on video, you bet there would be quite the lawsuit.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

actually, isn't the train operator supposed to ask some of the standing passengers to get off to make way for the wheelchair?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Shepard said:
Kenmore Station, 8:54 AM:

Green line train operator yells at wheelchair passenger on the platform that there "aint nothin i can do, train is full." Wheelchair passenger tries to ask a question, operator interrupts: "aint nothin i can do, train is full." The statement was true, but was one of the most unprofessional - and quite possibly demeaning - customer interactions that I've ever witnessed on the T.

The green line has its share problems, but overall I do find it reliable and most often comfortable. A few more smiles and a heavy injection of more empathy into the staff's veins would do so much to change riders' attitudes about the level of service they receive.
Click to expand...

How is this possible? The elevators at kenmore to the platform arent finished yet!
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

jass said:
How is this possible?
Click to expand...

The wheelchair-bound commuter may have exited a "first available" train that s/he boarded at Park Street or Government Center to make a change at Kenmore (i.e. "B" to "D").

As disgraceful as the operator's attitude and behavior appear, it bothers me that no one on the train was willing to step off (or as I've often seen) step further in to make room.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The specific issue was that an inbound C train suddenly came out of service at Kenmore, forcing all passengers to cross to the other platform where an already busy inbound train was waiting.

So, in truth, the train was absoultely beyond capacity (I ended up waiting for the next one just to avoid the crush) - nonetheless, the attitude was completely unjustified.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Was it a type 7 or 8?


If it was a type 7....maybe the operator didnt even know how to use the lift? In my 5 years in Boston, Ive only seen a wheelchair on the green line once (getting off at harvard ave on a type 8)
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

It was the first car, a type 7. But the second car was a type 8.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I believe they run all Green Line trains with at least one Type 8 car, specifically so passengers in wheelchairs can board more easily.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

cden4 said:
I believe they run all Green Line trains with at least one Type 8 car, specifically so passengers in wheelchairs can board more easily.
Click to expand...

Ive seen so many damn single trains running recently, so I asked.

Something is going on behind the scenes with this new MassDot thing. Singles had never been as common as they are now.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Spinning this into a different direction... Can someone explain why they can't run triples? I've heard it has to do with the signaling technology, although I'm not sure what the issue is exactly. I also suspect the length of some street platform lengths are a limiting factor, although they do seem far longer than the double trains - and this wouldn't be an issue whatsoever on the D line...

In any case, I've heard that running triples and slightly increasing headways would be one way of significantly reducing central subway traffic.
 
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