right at the GL outbound platform, the maps at the platform still showed the GL ending at North Station… in January. This is not some little thing, and it’s not about the map per se. This is beyond inexcusable because it speaks to the fact that an area traversed by T employees every day was ignored, that it was considered acceptable, not a big deal, an ignoreable issue. This is the very essence of every problem at the T: screamingly obvious problems from large to minuscule are completely ignored because nobody in the organizational structure ever feels any urgency to fix them.
I don't have anything to comment on what the MBTA and its employees should do about its people, culture, or structure.
But the one example is worth thinking about. What's going on in this one aspect where such visible maps aren't being updated?
I can guess a few things. Like GLX Construction only have permission to put updated maps on the new stations. It is also notable a lot of older maps been losing stations which seems to make it less confusing (Arborway map most notable). And I imagine a lot of T employees are powerless to do anything - like the red coat T Ambassadors who actually works for a contracted company and other T-employee like a train operator still can't relay to anyone who can issues a command to print a new sign and install it.
Still, how do other transit systems is able to tell get one hand to tell the other hand to do something? A person assigned to a station with given "ownership" allowing them take action like ordering a new sign or even do it themselves and get reimbursed? Project Managers just more meticulous in their task managing? Even just a team who been empowered to take unilateral action as needed?