General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

TheRatmeister said:
It could be for anything that's not track. Signal work or station maintenance are the ones that immediately come to mind.
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Could also be the flyover/under on approach to JFK. The split between the Ashmont and Braintree tracks happens just north of the southbound flyunder and when I last went down to Ashmont after the track work it was still a 10mph slow zone. The speed restrictions dashboard only start the Braintree v Ashmont distinction at JFK and south otherwise everything on the southbound side is labeled "Braintree" so it could be to tackle that.
 
Koopzilla24 said:
Could also be the flyover/under on approach to JFK. The split between the Ashmont and Braintree tracks happens just north of the southbound flyunder and when I last went down to Ashmont after the track work it was still a 10mph slow zone. The speed restrictions dashboard only start the Braintree v Ashmont distinction at JFK and south otherwise everything on the southbound side is labeled "Braintree" so it could be to tackle that.
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If it was just that though I'd assume they'd just run a shuttle train between Ashmont and JFK.
 
Koopzilla24 said:
Could also be the flyover/under on approach to JFK. The split between the Ashmont and Braintree tracks happens just north of the southbound flyunder and when I last went down to Ashmont after the track work it was still a 10mph slow zone. The speed restrictions dashboard only start the Braintree v Ashmont distinction at JFK and south otherwise everything on the southbound side is labeled "Braintree" so it could be to tackle that.
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TheRatmeister said:
If it was just that though I'd assume they'd just run a shuttle train between Ashmont and JFK.
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As I understand it after a conversation this morning, to kill power to that stretch they have to kill the power to the whole Ashmont branch.
 
During the MBTA Board of directors meeting, some news:

Increased frequency on the Fairmount Line, including on weekends.

Restoration of express train to Worcester

Extension of the Blue Lune shutdown until May 1st.

Weekend service for the Lynn ferry during the summer.

Board Meeting | MBTA Board of Directors | Events | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
 
The April 25 2024 edition of the Track Improvement slides is already comically outdated.

1. The Lechmere slow zones were fixed ages ago
2. The Cleveland Circle fall 2024 diversion was cancelled since they did it in the winter shutdowns.
3. The Blue Line diversion at Wonderland is a single diversion, yet it is displayed as 2 diversions (The Bowdoin diversion is a separate diversion that was done as early access)
4. The Orange Line shutdown for June is in the first week of the month, starting after Memorial Day, and it extends to Wellington, not Sullivan.
5. The March diversion of the Orange line started at North Station, not Haymarket.

These changes were made over a month before today's MBTA board meeting. https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-04/7. f. TIP Update Full Board 04.25.2024b.pdf

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Aprehensive_Words said:
The 2025-2029 CIP project list is out:

The Current Capital Investment Plan (CIP) | MBTA Budgets and Financials | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
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My personal highlights:
  • "Conceptual planning activities to investigate scenarios for the future state of Alewife Station, including a feasibility assessment for the deconstruction of the Alewife Garage."
  • "Study to determine the feasibility of the construction of a new Commuter Rail station in North Andover."
  • "Blue Line’s extension from its terminus at Bowdoin Station to Charles/MGH Station, connecting the Blue and Red Lines. Funded for planning and 30% design only and includes funds allocated through the State's FFY24 budget." Sounds like we're waiting for the state to fund it, basically.
 
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First action on this since the 2004 North Shore Transit Improvements study gave it a highly recommended rating!
TheRatmeister said:
  • "Study to determine the feasibility of the construction of a new Commuter Rail station in North Andover."
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Discussed here. It's just a state grant match to a locally-funded study. Probably not going anywhere, since the site they zeroed in on has some challenges.
 
Delvin4519 said:
During the MBTA Board of directors meeting, some news:

Increased frequency on the Fairmount Line, including on weekends.

Restoration of express train to Worcester

Extension of the Blue Lune shutdown until May 1st.

Weekend service for the Lynn ferry during the summer.

Board Meeting | MBTA Board of Directors | Events | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
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Also a minimal (3 RT) reactivation of South Attleboro. I'm presuming that'll be single-tracked to the parking lot side.

Also this curious statement under the Fairmount item. . .
The Readville lower platform will also reopen to riders, offering more transfer options for the Franklin, Foxboro, Providence, Stoughton, and Fairmount Lines.
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Does that mean the NEC platforms might be getting some use???
 
RandomWalk said:
Everything old is new again. The Siemens cars are the fifth generation of cars on the Blue Line. I guess they are planning for their inevitable replacement.
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I didn't see it before but apparently the plan since 2021 has been to replace the 94 Type 5s 25 years into their life (seems short for the T) with 130 Type 6s
 
Koopzilla24 said:
I didn't see it before but apparently the plan since 2021 has been to replace the 94 Type 5s 25 years into their life (seems short for the T) with 130 Type 6s
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Huh, I guess that means there actually will be a Type 6 other than the mockup at Seashore, even if it's not actually a Green Line one...

(The T's vehicle nomenclature continues to get weirder.)
 
Koopzilla24 said:
I didn't see it before but apparently the plan since 2021 has been to replace the 94 Type 5s 25 years into their life (seems short for the T) with 130 Type 6s
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Blue Line Transformation is looking at fleet increases so they can nail a 3-minute headway target. The 0700's are previous-generation technology so they would not be doing a supplemental order of work-alikes; it'd have to be something all-new which wouldn't be compatible with the Siemens fleet. Therefore, they're looking at retiring rather than rebuilding.
 
Full list of service changes here.

Maybe I'm feeling sentimental today, but I was surprised at how happy I was to hear about the 30 minute headways on the Fairmount Line. The Indigo Line concept has been around for something like 20 or 30 years, and, like, we've actually gotten amazingly close to its goals. New infill stations? Check. Fare integration with and free transfer to the subway? Not perfect, but I'll say check. Service seven days a week? Check. All-day service including off-peak? Check. Weekend service? Check.

And now we're getting 30 minute headways. We're not at the Indigo Line yet, but these are real and significant improvements, and, you know, dammit sometimes stuff actually does get better.

For comparison, here are some Fairmount Line schedules over the last 30ish years.

2023, 2019, 2015

2010:
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2005:
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2003:
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2000:
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1996:
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Why does the MBTA advertise the Track Improvement Program as "reducing travel times", when it is just "restoring normal speed travel times"?

I feel like it is just restoring the travel times that ran near/essentially-full speed pre-FTA inspections in spring 2022 (sans Orange Line in downtown that had it's slow zone near South Cove for ages). It's not like its going to increase the design speed of the tracks from 40 MPH (64 KMH) to 50 MPH (80 KMH). It's just lifting slow orders that prevents full speed operation, so it's restoring travel times, not reducing travel times. If Track Improvement Program were to raise the operating design speed of the tracks and trains from pre-pandemic 40 MPH (64 KMH) to a brand new higher 55 MPH (88 KMH), that would be "reducing travel times".

If it was going to reduce travel times, than I would expect travel times to be faster than any point pre-COVID (which seems possible for Orange, but I highly doubt Blue or Red will be faster than pre-COVID, but it would likely be the same as pre-COVID).

If it just restores the speeds from pre-pandemic than the TIP program should just be called "restoring tracks and restoring travel times".
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In addition, 6 weeks after the great Green Line shutdowns, the Green Line remains noticably slower than it was in the 2 months in early 2023 prior to the systemwide slow order, despite fewer slow zones today than January/February 2023. The Green Line isn't seeing reduced travel times (the fastest the Green Line ran prior to COVID-19 was in Spring 2018), and the T's Track Improvement slides from April 25 notes only 4 minutes (of the promised 28 minutes) were given back to riders on the Green Line after removing 95% of the Green Line's slow zones. If the Green Line is going to see "reduced travel times", then it should be as fast as May 2018. (There were spikes for the OL shutdown and Marathon Monday, but even when removing those spikes, speeds on the Green Line are still slower than even Spring-Summer 2023 after the systemwide slow orders were given. (Kenmore - Haymarket EB, Source: TransitMatters data dashboard)

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What we saw:
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What we expected from Track Improvement Program:
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Any idea what this means? Are they talking about the JFK-Harrison square split point or possible express tracks?

Also unrelated, what are the odds the new blue line trains have either CBTC or at least walkthrough trains (since it’s the global standard at this point)?
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CheapLeak said:
Any idea what this means? Are they talking about the JFK-Harrison square split point or possible express tracks?
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I think this is just referring to where and how they can get equipment onto the tracks. There's a separate item related to creating a hi-rail vehicle access point at Alewife, for example.
CheapLeak said:
what are the odds the new blue line trains have either CBTC or at least walkthrough trains
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I'd consider walkthrough trains to be more likely than not, CBTC could be in the cards to use the shortest line as a testbed.
 
Riverside said:
And now we're getting 30 minute headways. We're not at the Indigo Line yet, but these are real and significant improvements, and, you know, dammit sometimes stuff actually does get better.
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Yes, like you, I've been following the transition from the start, and it is great to see. The other thing that excites me about how close it has become to the original concept, is that it can now start to also serve as a model for transforming some of the other lines that run through EJ communities. We should be able to achieve something similar for the inner Newburyport/Rockport line, for example. And since it clearly works to increase ridership, why wait?
 
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