General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Do many people in Roxbury or Dorchester actually own their houses, or do most rent? I can see how higher property values would kick out some renters, but wouldn't it be good for any homeowners?

About the rentals, I don't know. Dudley is one area upset with MBTA. Due to the tearing down of the OL and not replacing it. Theres a lot of pressure still by the community toward the MBTA for a direct underground subway line to downtown Boston.

Article: BOSTON.COM - Silver Line will expand, but not all are onboard
Date: May 5, 2009
Source: www.Boston.com - Boston Globe
Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...ver_line_will_expand_but_not_all_are_onboard/

If my memory serves me correctly, along with the No. 1 and CT1 along Mass Ave., that whole Warren Street/Blue Hill Ave. serves as one of the MBTA's busiest bus corridors. So the potential for increased ridership is there. But once the line was built it will bring a lot of new hikes in property taxes. So whether as renters or home owners there will be an increase to the cost of residing in the area as new people and industry begin settle based on improved transit. Already Northeastern University has started to acquire more land around Ruggles and it has caused quite a stir in the area but I assume more land development would come to Dudley if the SL subway was built.

I just Googled it but here's a quick example: The Evisceration of Roxbury

So for long term planning the MBTA should consider the possible future needs of North Eastern as they might one day be the actual future tenants in the area. E.g. is that a possibility in say 50 years that it would be like Harvard and require an underground bus-way as well? If so space could be left just in case.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I just Googled it but here's a quick example: The Evisceration of Roxbury

That is a good read actually (if a bit venomous).

So for long term planning the MBTA should consider the possible future needs of North Eastern as they might one day be the actual future tenants in the area. E.g. is that a possibility in say 50 years that it would be like Harvard and require an underground bus-way as well? If so space could be left just in case.

In my futureMBTA plans I call for an underground bus terminal at Dudley Sq. But more to the point of Town vs. Gown, I've always argued that expanding universities can help both sides, the institute and the neighborhoods, except that these big ones seem intent on throwing their weight around (I've always chastised Harvard for how it arrived in Allston).

It really is a double edged sword. In fact I recently read an article about Houston's plans for a new light rail network that were opposed in the poorest, most transit dependent neighborhood because the people there were worried about gentrification. The article was basically walking the thin line between "how do we convince them it won't" and "light rail will bring economic development".

Of course the objective planner in me wonders what would happen if all areas had equal service. After all the poorest congressional district in the nation, the South Bronx, has a number of subways running though it. With the state (many states really) pushing Transit Oriented Development it does bring up the question of gentrification.

The point I guess I'm getting at is extending the T into Roxbury doesn't have to mean kicking out all the poor people. If we had any sort of balanced planning system in Boston then there would be a new master plan calling for extended subway service, new institutional and commercial development, and new low-moderate income housing.

A great example of such a plan is Melrose Commons in Melrose, the Bronx. You know those bombed out moonscapes you've all seen pictures of from the 1970s? That was Melrose.

Today this is Melrose:

Melrose is very much like the worse parts of Roxbury and today there is a massive new low-moderate income redevelopment going on there. There is a great history of it here: http://www.sustainable.org/casestudies/newyork/NY_af_melrose.html

The gist is that 20 years ago the city wanted to bring in new "affordable" development for the area, except "affordable" in NYC is "upper-middle class" most other places and the median income of Melrose was something like $12,000 a year. The residents fought back and 15 years later a new plan broke ground, one that actually allowed residents to stay in their neighborhood while the neighborhood was cleaned up. It is a win-win. This is what we need for Roxbury, a win-win.

 

[mass88]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Saw this on the Red Line yesterday. I am going to assume this map is at least 15 years old.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^^^ Older than that. When I came here in '88, some people still used "Washington" to mean "Downtown Crossing", but the name had already changed. I'm not as certain about Columbia becoming JFK/UMass, but I think that had also already happened by then.
Also, both Red Line extensions were complete prior to my arrival in Boston. Most likely an applique map was placed on top of the one pictured, and has recently peeled off.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

And no extension to Davis & Alewife

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Saw this on the Red Line yesterday. I am going to assume this map is at least 15 years old.

Double that; probably closer to 30.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I've seen that, too. People rip off the stickers they slapped on for the new maps. Maybe if they'd take 5 minutes to unbolt it and put up a proper one....

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

In my futureMBTA plans I call for an underground bus terminal at Dudley Sq. But more to the point of Town vs. Gown, I've always argued that expanding universities can help both sides, the institute and the neighborhoods, except that these big ones seem intent on throwing their weight around (I've always chastised Harvard for how it arrived in Allston).

Don't look now, but they've quietly entered Watertown for a while too. At the Arsenal business park. They have shuttles that leave from just outside the Charles Hotel in Cambridge with stops at the Business School Campus and then continue onward down Western Ave/Arsenal Street until they pass the Watertown Mall area and then they turn left into that big office park there. The last building (all the way at the back) and furthest to the west is used by Harvard Press. I'm wondering if they own it or rent it?

It really is a double edged sword. In fact I recently read an article about Houston's plans for a new light rail network that were opposed in the poorest, most transit dependent neighborhood because the people there were worried about gentrification. The article was basically walking the thin line between "how do we convince them it won't" and "light rail will bring economic development".

Of course the objective planner in me wonders what would happen if all areas had equal service. After all the poorest congressional district in the nation, the South Bronx, has a number of subways running though it. With the state (many states really) pushing Transit Oriented Development it does bring up the question of gentrification.

Well, Harlem too has seen gentrification in the last decade as well. Like from around the time that Bill Clinton moved into that area. Late 1990's or so.

The point I guess I'm getting at is extending the T into Roxbury doesn't have to mean kicking out all the poor people. If we had any sort of balanced planning system in Boston then there would be a new master plan calling for extended subway service, new institutional and commercial development, and new low-moderate income housing.

The city of Boston could consider buying up perhaps foreclosed properties and turning them into affordable houses? Not sure if the municipalities want to spend revenue on property acquisition right at this time but it is one option.

A great example of such a plan is Melrose Commons in Melrose, the Bronx. You know those bombed out moonscapes you've all seen pictures of from the 1970s? That was Melrose.

Today this is Melrose:

Melrose is very much like the worse parts of Roxbury and today there is a massive new low-moderate income redevelopment going on there. There is a great history of it here: http://www.sustainable.org/casestudies/newyork/NY_af_melrose.html

The gist is that 20 years ago the city wanted to bring in new "affordable" development for the area, except "affordable" in NYC is "upper-middle class" most other places and the median income of Melrose was something like $12,000 a year. The residents fought back and 15 years later a new plan broke ground, one that actually allowed residents to stay in their neighborhood while the neighborhood was cleaned up. It is a win-win. This is what we need for Roxbury, a win-win.

Very nice splice of the visual transformation of Melrose. Wow. It is like night and day. You're probably right that the city of Boston would need to channel some initiatives on ways to allow transformation of the area but in a more balanced way.

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I've seen that, too. People rip off the stickers they slapped on for the new maps. Maybe if they'd take 5 minutes to unbolt it and put up a proper one....

Stuff around the MBTA changes so fast usually it is cheaper to use stickers.

This plaque on a certain MBTA building (I wont name which one), costs some big bucks to design because it is made to be illuminated on the back. It lists the different offices of the MBTA basically. When the finally get it etched something happens. Someone resigns, someone gets promoted, or it is time to hold new elections. So what happens they have to scrap the old sign get a new one etched with all the changes and the sign will stay for a few months until it needs to be taken down again because it is out of date. All the MBTA brochures and stuff they always have to be redone come any political change in the state.

 

[Shepard]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

If all of it is just stickers, why do they need $500k and two years to roll out the new maps?

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

If all of it is just stickers, why do they need $500k and two years to roll out the new maps?

Where is the $500K figure from which you're referring to?

 

[Lurker]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

LED signage which could be dynamically changed, indicate current station locations, estimated travel time to next stop, direction of travel, connections, etc. would be really useful and eliminate the issues with inaccurate static signage. Let's face it, the MBTA is likely already paying $200 per sign. That's what a small LED display (think 12" or 17" TV) with a few decade lifespan runs for today.

 

[bbfen]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Where is the $500K figure from which you're referring to?

The T regularly quotes between half a million and a gajillion dollars to update signage. Which, in my experience, usually means some Wite-Out and/or sloppily placed stickers.

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The T regularly quotes between half a million and a gajillion dollars to update signage. Which, in my experience, usually means some Wite-Out and/or sloppily placed stickers.

hehe That might be the big wall hanging ones which you see in the subway stations? Or perhaps the orange LED ones which tell you when the train is arriving? Those LED ones I think were quite a bundle.....

Here's the ones for the Silver Line along Washington Street.

http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=15643&month=&year=

 

[statler]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston.com

Controversial MBTA billboard plan is withdrawn
Posted April 26, 2010 09:56 PM

By Michele Morgan Bolton, Globe Correspondent


Media giant Clear Channel has withdrawn its application to lease an 85-foot-tall, two-sided billboard at 699 Blue Hill Drive just weeks after a storm of opposition by Dedham and Westwood officials and residents.

While it isn't known whether the decision is temporary or long-term, Dedham Town Administrator Bill Keegan said one thing that's clear is that his and others' testimony against the proposal definitely paid off.

"I received notice that the applications have been withdrawn,'' Keegan said in a note to selectmen. "Now this may mean that it may come back at a later time, but I do consider this a short-term victory."

State officials took the matter under advisement earlier this month after scores of opposing views were voiced during a public hearing before the state Department of Transportation's Outdoor Advertising Division and its director, Edward Farley.

Agency spokesman Adam Hurtubise confirmed on Monday that the proposals have been withdrawn, but had no further information.

The 48-foot-long and 14-foot-high billboard is part of a 10-sign, 10-year contract between the MBTA and Clear Channel meant to raise nearly $10 million for the cash-poor state agency. It would replace three banners that once hung from the Route 128 commuter station parking garage advertising the Westwood Station lifestyle center planned for adjacent University Avenue.

But arguments against the billboard said the hulking sign would mar the panoramic views of the Blue Hill Reservation, and also violate a 40-year-old federal statute that says signs can't be located with 300 feet of public parks and scenic areas and/or within 500 feet of an interchange or intersection.

Town officials argued that the proposed billboard would be situated just 310 feet from the Neponset River Reservation and well within the distance guidelines for Route 128, University Avenue, and Interstate 95.

Accordingly, T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said, the decision to withdraw the application came after town officials submitted those facts to support their claim that the location for the proposed billboard did not satisfy that federal-state memorandum of agreement.

"The MBTA feels it is important that the process for erecting a new billboard be suspended while this information and documentation be thoroughly analyzed,'' he said.

It's the second time in as many years that a billboard plan has been beaten back. Last year, state Representative Paul McMurtry, a Dedham Democrat, and fellow town officials succeeded in persuading the MBTA to eliminate a separate plan to lease dozens of billboards along major roadways.

That included sites in Dedham and Westwood, even though the state courts have ruled the T's advertising practices can trump local zoning laws and public opinion.

Dedham Selectman Paul Reynolds, one of the billboard plan's most vocal opponents, said Monday he was "very happy" after word began to spread that the proposal is dead -- at least for now. "We're very grateful that the process worked."

Like Keegan, Reynolds said he believes Dedham's concerns had an effect on the final decision.

"And on the community side, it was great to see how much vibrant support surfaced to protect the Commonwealth's landscape from unnecessary blight,'' he said.

Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.

New Rule: If your town enacts a new ordinance or law that will block or if the voters in your town effectively block any revenue enhancing, or cost cutting scheme proposed by the MBTA worth x amount of dollars, your town must pay the MBTA x amount of dollars. Fair?

 

[Arborway]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Got a chance to ride one of the just-delivered New Flyer 60' articulated buses.

The first thing you notice when you climb on board is the color temperature of the lights. I'm not kidding. The buses use LEDs instead of fluorescent or incandescent lights, and the result is a slight blue hue given the lower color temp. This isn't actually a bad thing and I hope they never go back to the harsh white lights of earlier buses.

The interior is a step beyond what we're used to. Smooth grey walls, and lights positioned to be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing (the effect is most apparent when sitting in the back and looking forward.)

But I know people like bulleted lists.

Pros:

- Nice lighting

- Good interior finishes. It's clean, modern and doesn't try to be boring or flashy. The whole bus has a distinct spacecraft vibe at night.

- Very smooth suspension. Much better than the Neoplans, and immeasurably better than the 40' NABIs which let you feel every grain of sand on the road.

- They're quiet. Very, very quiet. The diesel engine doesn't run much of the time, and the HVAC system is the only thing you hear other than the low hum of the electric motors. (as quiet, if not quieter than the Silver Line dual modes)

- More space around the doors. The rear-most door practically gets its own lobby.

- The announcements aren't nearly as loud as they are on other buses. I don't want to hear them through my sound-isolating earbuds.

- Still has that new bus smell.

- Apparently winter-compatible. The hybrid drive system powers all six wheels. The Neoplans (and other traditional artics) are normally pushed along by the back two. Not so great when the roads get slippery.

Cons:

- The seats over the middle wheels no longer face forwards and backwards. This isn't a case of "Blah, it's different, therefore I'm unhappy" The problem is they point into the aisle running between them. It has the upside of making the bus look longer, and more airy when the seats are empty. When people actually sit in them, the aisle is almost completely filled with knees and feet. Virtually every passenger making their way to the back tripped over someone seated in this section.

- They left seats in the accordian-like articulation joint, creating an even worse pinch-point than the middle rows. The walls extend inwards at the floor level to prevent anyone from standing off to the side of them. Keeps one notorious passenger circulation problem and limits standing space.

- 2 + 2 seating is OK, but 2 + 1 would make crush-level loads easier to tolerate, and make it possible to navigate past the ever-present strollers.

- There won't be enough to run full service on the #39 on icy or snowy days. Which means switching over to the 40' reserve fleet every single time the weather gets bad. The #39 is getting four of the new buses, most of the rest are going to #28.

 

[jass]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Thanks for the feedback. If you manage to get a picture of the interior, id love to see it as well.

I also agree that for the city, 2x1 seating is the best. When I ride the 77, I look forward to the RTS buses during rush hour.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

With more delays coming, Braintree urges T to cut fares
Joseph Sullivan, mayor of Braintree, said riders should be compensated.
By Eric Moskowitz
Globe Staff / April 29, 2010

Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan of Braintree, unhappy that his constituents will face increasing delays and cancellations on trains to Boston because the MBTA bought faulty rail ties, yesterday launched a long-shot bid to win fare reductions for riders on the Old Colony commuter rail, as well as discounts for South Shore communities that pay annual fees for service the mayor says is inadequate.

Sullivan?s campaign, prompted by the T?s acknowledgment that it will have to slow or cancel many trains for two years to replace thousands of crumbling railroad ties, was greeted with a degree of conciliation by the transit agency?s new general manager, Richard A. Davey Jr., who said he would travel to Braintree to meet with Sullivan tomorrow.

Davey will be taking the Red Line, not the commuter rail, and will travel to Braintree from Cambridge after investigating a rusted and crumbling section of ceiling that has become a pigeon haven at Alewife Station. In Braintree, Davey said that he will listen to the mayor and residents, but that the cash-strapped T cannot offer the town ? or other disgruntled communities and T riders ? a discount for disappointment.

?What I would say is this: We?re not in a position to be reducing assessments,?? said Davey, a former head of commuter rail operations who last month was appointed to run the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

And fare cuts?

?No,?? Davey said. ?That?s not something we?re going to be doing.??

Sullivan, a former state representative and chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said that the Old Colony line has become a scourge for riders and that those riders should now be compensated.

?Those who access public transportation should have the full availability of it, and if that?s reduced, then I think the fares [and town assessments] should be as well,?? Sullivan said. ?I think municipalities, as well as fare payers, should be recognized in a way if there is a reduction of service.??

And there has been a reduction in service on the Old Colony lines. In December, just 15 percent of trains on the Middleborough/Lakeville branch ran on time, compared with 85 percent across the commuter rail system. Even after the schedule was rewritten to acknowledge speed restrictions and delays, the Middleborough and Kingston/Plymouth branches have continued to lag.

The culprit? Faulty ties between the rails that the T plans to fix over the next two years. And the replacement work will cause even more significant delays and service interruptions.

Davey said the T is taking a variety of measures to minimize the effects of the faulty ties and replacement work on commuters and communities.

The construction will be performed on weekends and between daytime rush hours during the week.

That way, the T can keep the trains running for the majority of customers who use them in the morning and evening, even if the faulty ties cause slower speeds.

During weekdays at off-peak hours, the T will operate buses ? at no charge to commuters ? on affected lines to bring them to a northern point where they can pick up Red Line service for $2 or $1.70 with a CharlieTicket or CharlieCard.

But on weekends, when ridership is lighter, there will be no bus replacements for the temporarily discontinued trains.

Davey said the T considered working at night ? which would not interrupt train service ? but thought neighbors would not welcome the disruption.

The T estimates that it will cost $91.5 million to replace 147,000 faulty ties along 57 miles of track. The agency is in negotiations with the manufacturer, Rocla Concrete Tie Inc., in an effort to get the company to cover the cost of the replacements and labor.

The work will not begin until August, and some areas will not be affected until 2011.

?To the extent that folks thought the T waited to the last minute to deliver bad news . . . we?re trying to get out ahead of it now, so people know there may be impacts upon them,?? Davey said.

Old Colony fares range from $4.25 in Braintree to $7.75 farther south.

The assessments the MBTA?s 175 member communities pay to help cover the T?s annual operating costs vary and are determined by a complicated formula that takes into account population, proximity to Boston, and other factors.

Braintree this year is supposed to pay $704,000.

Davey said the T needs the money from fares and municipal assessments to maintain service.

?I think that?s what passengers want, too. ?Fix the problem, MBTA, don?t give me a break in my fare,? ?? he said. ?That?s what we?re intending to do.??

Davey noted that riders on trains that run 30 minutes or more behind schedule can seek fare reimbursements by filling out forms, available online and at select stations, as guaranteed by the T?s Customer Bill of Rights.

Eric Moskowitz can be reached at emoskowitz@globe.com.
? Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...ming_braintree_mayor_says_t_should_cut_fares/

 

[Shepard]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Is the CR really worth 3x the red line fare from Braintree to South Station?

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Just in case no one has lurked over at railroad.net to see the drama, put on FOX25 or something.

Fire at Downtown Crossing, possibly Park St. Smoke is coming up at least at Park, Boylston, DTX, State, and the Silver Line is only surface-stopping so I assume South Station has smoke, too.

Red Line service is being diverted to substitute shuttle buses between Harvard and Broadway stations due to fire department activity at Downtown Crossing Station. 4/29/2010 10:06 PM

Orange Line service is being diverted to substitute shuttle buses between North Station and Back Bay Stations due to fire department activity at Downtown Crossing Station 10:27 PM

Green Line service is being terminated at Arlington Station. Please use the Orange shuttle buses between Back Bay and North Station due to fire department activity at Downtown Crossing Station 4/29/2010 10:28 PM

Silver Line service will be bypassing the transitway and will make street level stops between World Trade Center and South Station 4/29/2010 10:31 PM



Updates: Kenmore loop being put into action:

Green Line service is being terminated at Kenmore Station. Please use the shuttle buses between Kenmore and Haymarket Stations due to fire department activity at Downtown Crossing Station 4/29/2010 10:28 PM


Update 2: We knew it was coming...

Blue Line is being diverted due to fire department activity in the downtown area. Train service will omit State Street, Government Center and Bowdoin. 4/29/2010 11:26 PM