General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[JoeGallows]

For those who might be interested, TransitWorks in conducting a survey about station conditions system wide. Since the T posted it on the front page of their website, they might actually look at the results. You can take it here:

http://www.transitworks.org/survey.htm

 

[Beton Brut]

Let's see who's reading their mail -- just sent this pissy little missive:

The station as a whole is an embarrassment and a disgrace. It doesn't need to be cleaned, it needs to be replaced.

I have repeatedly requested (in writing and over the phone) a T-sponsored community discussion in the Orient Heights neighborhood with members of the T's senior management (NB: not someone from the Public Affairs office).

I attended a T-sponsored community meeting in 1989, where T officials assure the community that a new station would be constructed in Orient Heights prior to the fourth quarter of FY 1994. By my watch, the T's running a little behind schedule.

 

[statler]

T gives music a test run

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | October 11, 2007

The roar of subway cars and chords of amateur musicians at the T station will now face competition from Neil Diamond songs, 1970s trivia, and live playoff updates from Fenway Park.

It comes from T-Radio, an experiment that began yesterday at three stations and may someday broadcast on every subway platform in Eastern Massachusetts. Disc jockeys and media personalities will mix in light news, weather, entertainment tips, and the like. If it proves popular enough to go full time, commuters will be subjected to eight to 10 minutes of commercials per hour.

MBTA officials say they want to break up the humdrum experience - some call it peace and quiet - of waiting for a train.

"People are pretty sick of hearing my voice drone on," said Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the MBTA, whose recorded safety warnings have long been the closest thing to official entertainment on the platform.

During yesterday's launch at North Station, he made a halfhearted comparison to the dawning of the MTV era. Then he gave a signal, and T Radio played its first song: "Charlie on the MTA," the 1959 Kingston Trio hit that is the pride of transportation zealots in Greater Boston.

"It could be good, but it could also be obnoxious," said Paul Falconer, a therapist from Salem who was reading on the North Station platform when the music started yesterday. "We have enough noise in our environment."

The volume went up and down erratically in the first few minutes, drowning out conversation. But Grabauskas promised a discreet radio station that would allow people to talk and think if they so choose. He said microphones that will be installed throughout the system can pick up ambient noise levels and adjust the broadcast volume accordingly.

Most sports updates will not come live from the field. But programmer Ed McMann said Friday night's playoff game will be an exception because "we love our Red Sox."

The rest of the play list: top 40, Motown, classic rock, Latin pop. In between, local reporters and personalities, including one reporter from the Globe, will offer celebrity gossip, suggestions for tourists, dining tips, and advice for the weekend.

Programmers are considering enlisting the eclectic group of performers who already play at T station platforms to broadcast systemwide.

But don't expect to hear any news about the state's transportation financing woes or violence on the streets. McMann said the station doesn't have the money for a complete news report, and he does not want a half-baked effort.

Pyramid Radio, owned by former Boston radio station magnate Rich Balsbaugh, is running the pilot program without a contract from the T, Grabauskas said.

If it proves popular during the test run at the North, South, and Airport stations, the MBTA will go through government purchasing procedures to sign a contract, he said.

Grabauskas said he does not know how much profit, if any, the MBTA would reap in the deal. Pyramid radio, started two years ago, has been piping music into Logan International Airport and big box retail stores in recent months.

Students from Emerson College will spend the next couple of months gathering feedback from riders. Riders can also respond at MBTA.com.

Judging from the first day, however, the reviews may be mixed.

"It's great," Paula Welander, 31, said as she boarded a train. "It's not so quiet. There's something to listen to."

But Jessica Grant, an 18-year-old college student, found it "kind of cheesy" for the same reason.

"If I wanted to listen to music, I would take an iPod or a Walkman with me, instead of listening to Top 40," she said.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.

Link

Riders now can track down tunes, gossip on T-Radio
By Jason Millman | Thursday, October 11, 2007 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage

Instead of having to listen to the clatter of trains, passengers at select MBTA subway stations will now be soothed by the sound of music, comedy and even gossip.

MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas announced the launch of T-Radio, a new station playing over subway loud speakers , yesterday at North Station.

?We?ve got a little something for everyone,? said radio personality Ed McMann.

The pilot program also features Cambridge comedian Lenny Clarke, musician Livingston Taylor, former Bruin Lyndon Byers, restaurant critic Billy Costa and the Herald?s Inside Track, dishing daily gossip.

T-Radio, now in its pilot stage and funded by Pyramid Radio, debuted at North Station, South Station and the Airport station yesterday. It?s the first program of its kind in the nation, Grabauskas said.

Minutes after T-Radio launched - the first song appropriately enough was ?Charlie on the MTA? - riders said they generally supported the idea.

?It?ll pass the time,? said Kevin Mullen, 52, of Quincy. ?People get antsy.?

On the other hand, college student Alicia Ardin, 20, said T-Radio ?could be a distraction for people who like to read.?

Link

Sounding off on T-Radio
Pilot's launch sparks concern

BOSTON. A new MBTA pilot radio program will belt out music, entertainment and sports news and service alerts at three T stations throughout the day, though some musicians who perform throughout the subway system are worried expanding the program would drown them out and eventually drive them away.

Yesterday at 2:15 p.m., officials flipped the switch to launch T-Radio, which will broadcast over the PA systems at North Station, South Station and Airport from now until Thanksgiving. The station, designed by Pyramid Radio, Inc., will provide news updates on a variety of topics, including entertainment, lifestyle, weather and sports.

The music selection will cover many genres, from ?60s Motown to today?s chart toppers. Local celebrities and TV personalities, such as comedian Lenny Clarke and WBZ?s entertainment reporter Joyce Kulhawik, will provide the voices to much of the content.

MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas said rider feedback will play a large part in whether the program is expanded or scraped. In addition, through a partnership with Emerson College, a team of students will survey riders over the next few weeks to get their thoughts on the project. The T will also add an icon on its Web site tomorrow or Monday to specifically comment on T-Radio.

?We want to make this something that people want, and if we can do that, we?ll be more than thrilled to roll this out to the rest of the MBTA system,? Grabauskas said yesterday.
However, some musicians who perform in the T stations have raised concerns that T-Radio would eventually replace their live performances.

?I think if the radio came on here, live music would be gone forever,? said Paulo Pereira, who?s been playing cello at Harvard station for three years.

At Park Street, another performer, who declined to give a name, expressed frustration over the new effort. ?It?s the atmosphere. It?s a long time tradition,? the musician said of subway performances.

But Grabauskas responded to those concerns by saying T-Radio isn?t meant to replace live performances, and that the T has even considered featuring those performers on the radio to give them greater exposure.

?I hope not,? Grabauskas said of T-Radio potentially forcing out live musicians. ?I think the performers in our stations add life, color and richness to the MBTA system.?

Greg St. Martin

Link

 

[statler]

And now for something completely different:

Poll: Riders like the T
More than 70 percent would keep riding if given another option
Glen Cooper | BostonNOW
Galen Moore
Fed up with the T? It looks like you're in the minority.
More people who ride the T said the MBTA does "above average" or better at managing public transportation in the Boston area, according to BostonNOW poll results obtained last week.

Among Eastern Massachusetts residents queried in the poll,

* 40.2 percent rated the MBTA "excellent" or "above average."
* 32 percent rated the T "poor" or "below average."
* 70.2 percent said they would continue riding the T even if they could get around without it.


"It's encouraging," said General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas of the results. "You'll always hear the complaints when we fall down on service," he said, "but when you put together all the things we've been trying to do, I guess I'd like to believe more people still think we do a good job."

The MBTA's approval rating was consistent across respondents who said they ride the T "very often," to those who said they ride it "not much if at all."
The results are surprisingly good for the T, pollster Gerry Chervinsky said. "Generally, when you ask people about a public service institution or agency, they don't get good marks."

But local transit advocates disagreed as to whether the results should come as a surprise.
"Frankly, the T has gotten better," said Karen Wepsic, a member of the T Riders' Oversight Committee. "It used to be horrendous," she said.
Now, stations are cleaner, staff are more courteous, and people take pride in the system, but Wepsic thinks approval numbers would drop in a poll of bus riders specifically. "I don't think the T manages the bus system as well" as other modes, she said, adding the T should do more to ensure buses adhere to posted schedules.

T Rider's Union organizer Lee Matsueda said he hears a different perspective: from what he has seen, the T has gotten worse over recent years. "There's a lot of different folks who talk to us," riding every mode of transportation, he said. "By and large the experiences we hear are not positive ones."
Grabauskas admitted the T must do more to improve riders' experience. Although there's no "silver bullet," he said the most important area to improve is timeliness.

"There's 100 things," he said, "but the number-one thing is, do they get you there on time?"

Link

 

[ChunkyMonkey]

I have a newfound appreciation for the T after a weekend using London's Underground. I won't complain as much now

 

[PerfectHandle]

I hope they don't expand T-Radio across the system. I hate being forced to listen to music when I want ambient noise.

 

[touqen]

T Rider's Union organizer Lee Matsueda said he hears a different perspective: from what he has seen, the T has gotten worse over recent years. "There's a lot of different folks who talk to us," riding every mode of transportation, he said. "By and large the experiences we hear are not positive ones."

Simply because people who have a complaint are more likely to complain to the T Riders Union. If people are satisfied with their service, they generally aren't going to go around telling people about it.

Someone needs to teach this guy about self-selection bias.

 

[whighlander]

T and London UnerGround

I love the London Underground for its scale and complexity

On the other hand the T is small and simple and it generally works

The London Underground is broken so often that they regularly announce the list of non-working lines, closed stations, etc. However, these are typically only the planned outages. Beyond the scheduled shut downs there are any number of dead vehicles, vehicles without functioning lights, doors or PA's.

All in All the London Underground is a necessary evil and a vital aspect of an old and still vibrant uber Euro-city.

The T by comparison is mostly working and delivering its services mostly where they are needed in a more typically American-style city of Boston/Cambridge - -where the car is king.

Westy

 

[Beton Brut]

I hope they don't expand T-Radio across the system. I hate being forced to listen to music when I want ambient noise.

Wanna stop it -- sign this. I did.

 

[touqen]

I'm pretty sure that online petitions don't hold any actual value. If you really want to show your disapproval, get a real pen and paper petition going.

 

[snarl71]

I went to the MBTA website directly to comment on the T-Radio debate. They have (or at least had) a link where you could share your opinions/suggestions about it.

Apparently, T-radio hasn't been very popular as they've decided to silence the airwaves a month earlier than planned. This was the email I received this afternoon:

Dear MBTA Customer:

Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts on T-Radio.
As we stated at the launch of this pilot test, MBTA riders would determine the fate of T-Radio. We have heard from a number of riders on a wide range of issues including the content and style.

Consequently, as of Thursday, October 25th, T-Radio will be suspended.
While it is suspended, personnel from the MBTA and Pyramid Radio (the operator of the pilot program) will review and discuss the hundreds of
emails received. Following a sufficient period of consideration, MBTA
staff will present a recommendation on how the comments and suggestions might be addressed and whether a resumption of the pilot program is advised.

As always, we will continue to try and make your commute better through various means, and always ask for your feedback.

Thank you again for taking the time to write and have your voice heard.
Its appreciated.

 

[justin]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I just came back from my first visit to Boston in a while, and I must say that I was impressed by the accummulation of small improvements, instigated, I'm guessing, by Grabauskas: fresh paint in a number of places, better lighting, clear PA announcements of arriving trains, new black displays in stations which I assume will eventually give train info (anybody know when?), new maps in glass frames (easier to change than putting stickers on enamel) and uniform to boot, neighborhood maps at station exits.

I'd be more impressed with TBMs in the ground, but even doing the obvious counts as progress on the T.

justin

 

[JimboJones]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The North Station Orange Line / Green Line terminal is quite nice.

Only complaints are: too many levels (I guess they had a small space in which to work?), meaning you have to navigate three or four staircases / escalators / elevators, and having the Green Line Outbound on a separate level from the other three seems kind of silly (again, I'm guessing they had to do so, since Outbound heads on up to Science Park).

Oh, and of course, the idea that you have to exit North Station to get on the subway is something I just can't comprehend ...

 

[Smuttynose]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

MBTA testing system that alerts commuters of delays

Article Date: Monday, November 26, 2007
BOSTON (AP) _ It won't prevent delays. But a new text message and e-mail alert system being tested by the MBTA aims to let commuters know about delays so they can better prepare.

The real time alert system is being launched this week for a test run among 3,000 riders.

It aims to let riders know specifically about delays or schedule changes on the routes they take.

MBTA general manager Daniel Grabauskas said the system is a customizable version of the alerts that appear on the authority's Web site.

He said the MBTA realized the alerts had to go mobile to fit the lifestyle of the average person.

The MBTA won't charge for the service. But commuters would face text message or data charges from their cellular service providers.

 

[statler]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^^ Do other cities offer this?

Could the T actually be leading the way in something or are they playing follow the leader from somewhere else?

 

[Smuttynose]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^It's relatively new, in North America anyway. Although, Washington and Toronto already has it and New York is in the process of implementing it.

 

[justin]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The North Station Orange Line / Green Line terminal is quite nice.

Only complaints are: too many levels (I guess they had a small space in which to work?), meaning you have to navigate three or four staircases / escalators / elevators, and having the Green Line Outbound on a separate level from the other three seems kind of silly (again, I'm guessing they had to do so, since Outbound heads on up to Science Park).

There really was no room: if they were to build a New-York style four track/two platform station, the outbound green line would have to swing under orange line tracks and then back west, which would be bloody expensive even if the central artery weren't on the other side of the platform wall. They did pretty well with the current layout - makes the transfer at Haymarket completely redundant.

justin

 

[ckb]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Makes the transfer at Haymarket completely redundant.

Which is good because that station is a complete maze between the two lines.

 

[statler]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

A year later, T riders see Charlie's good side

By Robert Preer, Globe Correspondent | December 23, 2007

The CharlieCard, which sparked widespread confusion when it was introduced a year ago, has found growing acceptance and even some affection among Boston-area transit riders.

Criticisms about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's venture into automated fare collection, which arrived about the same time as a substantial fare increase, have diminished.

"I don't hear people saying I wish we had the old tokens back," said state Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, a Boston Democrat who also represents part of Brookline. "I think people accept that we live in a new age of technology."

The T reports that complaints about CharlieCards are about half what they were six months ago. The website BadTransit.com, which chronicles the woes of the MBTA, has logged few complaints about the CharlieCards in recent months.

"Either the T has worked out the issues or riders have giv en up. I'm really not sure," said Mark Richards, editor of BadTransit.

The CharlieCard derives its name from the Kingston Trio song about a man who found Boston's subway system so maddening that he was unable to exit and had to ride the trains forever.

Most of the glitches that plagued the system in its early weeks - cards that froze in cold weather, values that disappeared, a dearth of vendors - have been fixed. Most riders are getting to trains and buses a bit faster than they did before.

"I think they're a great idea," said Lynn Christman, a Falmouth resident, preparing to board a Red Line train with several friends at South Station recently. "I really like the CharlieCards. We come up from the Cape once a month and ride all around the city."

While most of the bugs have been worked out, some larger issues with the MBTA's automated fare collection remain unsettled.

Although CharlieCards were introduced in part to allow seamless connections among different transportation modes, they still don't work on commuter rail or commuter boats. Expansion of automated fare collection to those heavily used services is probably at least a year away, say T officials.

Also, unlike the rechargeable cards used by many stores today, CharlieCards cannot be managed online by cardholders. And unless you purchased your card through a corporate program, if you lose it, you're out of luck.

"Making them work on commuter rail and being able to manage them online are still needed," said Paul Regan, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, which represents communities served by the T. "If they can accomplish those two things it will be a clean sweep."

Some critics argue that the MBTA could do more with CharlieCards to make transit more efficient. With the cards in widespread use, the T could implement variable fares - perhaps charging more for longer trips or less for rides in off-peak hours.

"Even though the CharlieCard is great, it's a missed opportunity in Massachusetts," said Richard Arena, president of the Boston-based Association for Public Transportation.

Martin Wachs, director of RAND Corp.'s transportation program, who served for nearly a decade on the Transportation Research Board, said that with automated fare collection, transit agencies can develop frequent rider programs, like the airlines do. Measures like this, as well as lower off-peak fares, could boost ridership, Wachs said.

"In the end, the biggest benefit is that it enables transit operators to think about different fare structures," he said.

T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said charging more for longer rides or less for off-peak hours would clash with the T's commitment to "value pricing."

He said "customers value our core bus and rapid transit system in terms of whether it gets them to their destination safely and efficiently - not in terms of the distance or time of day they traveled or the connections they made."

The MBTA considers the CharlieCard a success, in large measure because of the high percentage of riders who use them instead of the paper Charlie tickets or cash on buses. In October - the most recent month for which data were available - 88 percent of subway riders and 83 percent of bus riders used the cards.

The T discounts fares for card users - 30 cents for the subway and 25 cents for buses. It also has promoted CharlieCards heavily, and it gives them away. Many transit agencies charge for the cards.

"We made the business decision we were going to hand the cards out for free, and we are continuing to do that," said Daniel A. Grabauskas, T general manager.

Implementation of the system cost about $192 million. There was no significant reduction in staff because fare collectors were reassigned as customer service agents, who help riders navigate the transit system.

The introduction of the cards coincided roughly with a 25 percent fare increase, which was intended to close a budget deficit of about $70 million last year.

Although the T does not tout CharlieCards as money savers for the agency, the automated collection system should produce some long-term financial benefits. When patrons add money to their cards, the T gets paid in advance.

"It's an obvious advantage to any agency to hold the money up front," said Regan.

Grabauskas said automated fare collection has made the system more efficient. Riders no longer have to fumble with change or tokens. A simple tap of the card opens the gate.

"I don't know if it's a money saver, but it's a time saver," Grabauskas said.

When the cards were introduced in December 2006, the machines and menus were vexing and counterintuitive to many riders.

"The front end was designed by computer people, and that's a dangerous thing to do when you are dealing with riders who have different languages and different skills," said Richards.

The MBTA reports that complaints about the cards have fallen significantly. In November, the agency received 160, down from 310 in July.

While smart cards are not a new technology - businesses have been using them for more than two decades - public transportation agencies have been slow to adopt them. Automated fare collection can be costly to install and there is no quick payoff for a public agency.

The MBTA was among the first wave of big transit agencies to switch. The T is seeking a vendor to implement the cards' use not only on commuter rail and boats, but also at T parking facilities.

The agency also is working to make the CharlieCards work as cash cards for authorized merchants, so that a rider could tap the card when picking up a cup coffee before the morning ride.

"The vision for the CharlieCard and the investments we have made should make the card your passport for the whole system," Grabauskas said.

Link

 

[JimboJones]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I have a question and a comment (the article doesn't discuss either, unless I missed something).

Question: has the MBTA collected more money this year because of the CharlieCard and/or has ridership increased or decreased and can this be tied to the CharlieCard?

Comment: Too many people are still being allowed on-board without paying, mostly because drivers just wave them on, when there's a line. This is on the Green Line, of course, where the stops are above ground and riders can get on at any door.