General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[omaja]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Tonight's commute home on the B Line seemed particularly frustrating -- might be the long week or perhaps a perfect case of there-needs-to-be-something-done-yesterday to make the whole Green Line more efficient.

We were rolling along at what seemed like a snails pace from Blandford all the way to Packard's Corner when I first notice a train directly behind us. We kept chugging along at our pace until Warren when the train was expressed all the way to BC.

A 3-car train pulls up right after only to have ANOTHER train backed up waiting directly behind it. I think that 3-car train was eventually expressed to BC after Washington as well.

It begs the question, who the hell is monitoring this? Clearly the train I was on was WAY behind schedule before hitting even Packard's Corner. Talk about a waste of resources.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Tonight's commute home on the B Line seemed particularly frustrating -- might be the long week or perhaps a perfect case of there-needs-to-be-something-done-yesterday to make the whole Green Line more efficient.

We were rolling along at what seemed like a snails pace from Blandford all the way to Packard's Corner when I first notice a train directly behind us. We kept chugging along at our pace until Warren when the train was expressed all the way to BC.

A 3-car train pulls up right after only to have ANOTHER train backed up waiting directly behind it. I think that 3-car train was eventually expressed to BC after Washington as well.

It begs the question, who the hell is monitoring this? Clearly the train I was on was WAY behind schedule before hitting even Packard's Corner. Talk about a waste of resources.

Sounds like a question for F-Line

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

VIDEO: MBTA film goes underground, after hours

STEVE ANNEAR/METRO
BOSTON
Published: February 07, 2012 8:19 p.m.
Last modified: February 07, 2012 10:07 p.m.

While most people are asleep in bed, MBTA workers scout the transit system like night owls making sure everything is in safe, working order for the morning commute.

And they only have a small window of time to get it all done.

A new documentary set for release this week highlights the operations of MBTA employees who work odd hours ensuring the T runs as smoothly as possible for millions of transit riders each day.

The mini-movie, “Boston Under: After Hours,” follows workers around from 1:30 a.m. until 5 a.m., over the span of several months, while they conduct emergency maintenance work and tend to track repairs.

“I’m amazed some days when I see what they accomplish in such a short window of time,” said Pat Kineavy, director of physical infrastructure and maintenance. “No matter how long I’ve done it, I still go out there and get chills watching them work.”

Kineavy is featured in the 44-minute documentary, which delves into the depths of the tunnels, explores the troubles on the tracks and introduces riders to the faces behind the late-night fixes.
“At the end of the night, [the work] is done, the lights go on and no one pays attention to it,” said Kineavy. “But all of the crews are very connected. … It’s that sense of accomplishment and camaraderie, working together when the clock is ticking.”

While diligence plays a major role during work hours, Kineavy said safety is the T’s top priority.
“Safety is number one, and giving service back to the public,” he said.

Riders can watch the documentary on YouTube and on the T’s website.

The film was produced by the MBTA and volunteers from the media department at the Department of Revenue. It took eight months to finish the project at no cost to the T.

It’s the T’s turn to talk

Riders constantly air their grievances when it comes to the T, but now it’s going both ways: A portion of the film lets MBTA workers vent about things passengers do that are frustrating or unsafe.

People walking too close to the Green Line tracks, cars cutting in front of above-ground trains, riders over-packing doorways and intoxicated persons acting aloof underground were just some of the annoyances discussed in the documentary.

Follow Steve Annear on Twitter @steveannear

http://www.metro.us/boston/local/article/1091605--video-mbta-film-goes-underground-after-hours

The video is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPWxs8FVSJM

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Tonight's commute home on the B Line seemed particularly frustrating -- might be the long week or perhaps a perfect case of there-needs-to-be-something-done-yesterday to make the whole Green Line more efficient.

We were rolling along at what seemed like a snails pace from Blandford all the way to Packard's Corner when I first notice a train directly behind us. We kept chugging along at our pace until Warren when the train was expressed all the way to BC.

A 3-car train pulls up right after only to have ANOTHER train backed up waiting directly behind it. I think that 3-car train was eventually expressed to BC after Washington as well.

It begs the question, who the hell is monitoring this? Clearly the train I was on was WAY behind schedule before hitting even Packard's Corner. Talk about a waste of resources.

I used to hate taking that route to get out to BC. When stuck in traffic the trains always stack up like that. That's one of the downsides of Light rail, esp. with at grade crossings. It can't travel any faster than the surrounding road traffic. Similarly it can't speed ahead, as eventually it hits the next traffic light (again) allowing the following trains to catch up. Speedy service means trains are closer together on the tracks so inevitably you'll witness stacking somewhere.

They could always run fewer BC line trains to help prevent the stacking you witnessed? ,-)

Still to this day, I try to avoid even applying for or working at any businesses along that corridor. The trains on that route really need to be placed at a separate grade of the car traffic.

 

[bbfen]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

and intoxicated persons acting aloof underground

The sentence made sense right up until there ...

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I used to hate taking that route to get out to BC. When stuck in traffic the trains always stack up like that. That's one of the downsides of Light rail, esp. with at grade crossings. It can't travel any faster than the surrounding road traffic. Similarly it can't speed ahead, as eventually it hits the next traffic light (again) allowing the following trains to catch up. Speedy service means trains are closer together on the tracks so inevitably you'll witness stacking somewhere.

They could always run fewer BC line trains to help prevent the stacking you witnessed? ,-)

Still to this day, I try to avoid even applying for or working at any businesses along that corridor. The trains on that route really need to be placed at a separate grade of the car traffic.

signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...


Can't knock it till they've tried it. Traffic lights on the C and E (up to Brigham) are wired for it. T's not interested in mounting the sensors to activate it. They won't even accept Brookline's offers to meet with them for a discussion about all those pre-wired signals on Beacon that the town installed.

But...they are spending $1M to "study" it for the priority bus routes study-for-studying-a-study's-sake. So...


...um, yeah.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I don't understand what's up the T's ass about signal priority. Didn't Brookline say they'd even pay the MBTA for 100% of the cost?! What's the deal, is there any reason whatsoever? Must everything have a "study" for years?

 

[bbfen]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I don't understand what's up the T's ass about signal priority. Didn't Brookline say they'd even pay the MBTA for 100% of the cost?! What's the deal, is there any reason whatsoever? Must everything have a "study" for years?

A government employee that's privately much more cynical than myself recently suggested to me that the T is delaying signal prioritization as long as possible because of accrued overtime due to the current inefficiencies. That is, if the T makes it as efficient to travel the surface lines as the Central Subway, operators will no longer get overtime from the inevitable delays on the last runs of their shift. On a single day, that's not much ........ but over a year, it equals real dollars. And management just doesn't want the hassle from the hack shop.

Now, I don't even know if they do get overtime when the T finally dispatches the lsat train some 30 mins after it was supposed to go, but on the surface it makes sense. I can imagine lots of bitchy people who slurrp the T dry at the gravy train and don't want to give it up.

 

[jass]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

That's one of the downsides of Light rail, esp. with at grade crossings. It can't travel any faster than the surrounding road traffic. Similarly it can't speed ahead, as eventually it hits the next traffic light (again) allowing the following trains to catch up. Speedy service means trains are closer together on the tracks so inevitably you'll witness stacking somewhere.
.

Thats simply not true. Giving trolleys preference at traffic signals is trivial, and allows them to run without unnecessary stops. Management that's not idiotic would allow the trains to run at their full speed, instead of 3-10mph.

 

[Lurker]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Eliminating unnecessary stops and starts would also significantly reduce the wear and maintenance required on the fleet.

 

[Shepard]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

A week or so ago I was on an outbound C train that had the rare distinction of being expressed from Kenmore to Coolidge Corner. The stars also aligned to make every single light green along the way. I'm hardly exaggerating when I say that this typically 10-15 minute stretch was covered in 3.

One other thing to mention, though. There was a video made some time back - I couldn't find it just now - showing movement of Green Line trains throughout the day through the system (anybody know where this is?) The striking thing about the video is that at rush hour trains seem to move quite a bit faster on the surface branches than they do in the congested central subway.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I don't understand what's up the T's ass about signal priority. Didn't Brookline say they'd even pay the MBTA for 100% of the cost?! What's the deal, is there any reason whatsoever? Must everything have a "study" for years?

My guess is that they fear a domino effect. If the C-line were to suddenly become more efficient, half of the cars normally stored erm running on Beacon St. would instead be in the central subway. Can you imagine what that would do to the rest of the system?

 

[whighlander]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Eliminating unnecessary stops and starts would also significantly reduce the wear and maintenance required on the fleet.

Lurk -- these kind of fixes need to all be on the table before the "kick the can down the road" aproach of raising fares and cutting services are even considered

What is really needed is a top to bottom review of the T -- led by someone brought in from a transit system with a top-notch rating and conducted by a globally-experienced consultant

I'll bet that many many missions are wasted in T operations that could be easibly recovered if the Governor and Legislature were willing to take on the feather-bedding unions and equally wastefull management of the T

 

[mass88]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Is signal priority eventually coming to the C line? To go from the Summit Ave stop to St. Paul Street, a total of 2 stops, the trains have to cross through 5 intersections that have lights.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The video is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPWxs8FVSJM

Urb -- Where is davey's head -- this is fanta$$$tic stuff

The T should do a better production version and take it to one of the Cable Networks

2 -- 30 minute episodes per week -- Boston Undahhhh: T-men

it should be right up there with Hililly Hand Fishin, Cajun... with some good artitistic camera work on the dark places, enough track grinding and other macho things it could compete with Swords, Ice-road Truckers or even Axe-men

This show should be easily able to make-up for the $ that the service cuts are supporsed to save

 

[statler]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Ya know? That ain't a bad idea.

I'd watch a weekly reality show of T (or any transit auth) workers doing their thing.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Ya know? That ain't a bad idea.

I'd watch a weekly reality show of T (or any transit auth) workers doing their thing.

Stat -- let's see what F-Line thinks of it

Aftrer looking at the whole thing -- I think there should be equal billing for the macho women

perhaps the the two episondes:

Boston Undahhhhh: -- T-Men -- Mondays
Boston Undahhhhhh: -- T-gals -- Fridays

PS: for the Ceasar Millan crowd some of the episodes could feature Bomb sniffing dogs and T-police German Sheppards

 

[found5dollar]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston Undahhhhh: -- T-Men -- Mondays
Boston Undahhhhhh: -- T-gals -- Fridays

i would just like to point out that in the gay community the prefix "T" stands for "trans." Therefore many people may think your hypothetical shows are about people getting sex changes. Id still watch it either way hehehe

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...
signal priority...


Can't knock it till they've tried it. Traffic lights on the C and E (up to Brigham) are wired for it. T's not interested in mounting the sensors to activate it. They won't even accept Brookline's offers to meet with them for a discussion about all those pre-wired signals on Beacon that the town installed.

But...they are spending $1M to "study" it for the priority bus routes study-for-studying-a-study's-sake. So...


...um, yeah.

Ahhhh! That could work too... Good suggestion. I have to wonder why they don't look at it then. *shakes fist at MBTA* j/k
Since there are several GPS enabled train/apps I suspect someone in the private sector might even be able to pull together something which measures mile by mile efficiency on E line vis a vis B or C. The D line itself is moot, and maybe could be the control since it doesn't really have at-grade crossings. If as you say is correct, and the E is outfitted, then a case might be shown that the E is operating better than the B / C on a mile by mile basis since E line is shorter. The MBTA upper echelon would have to recognise those findings or poke a hole in why it fails.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

i would just like to point out that in the gay community the prefix "T" stands for "trans." Therefore many people may think your hypothetical shows are about people getting sex changes. Id still watch it either way hehehe

Found$ -- some of those gals have shoulders like East German Olympic swimmers - Gronk should have such shoulders