General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

omaja said:
Completely agree about the front door policy - it is so poorly thought out I can't even believe they rolled it. As you've noted, the operator has discretion to open all doors if platforms are too crowded or too many people need to exit. It makes for a very unpredictable service pattern outside of rush hour (especially the time immediately before and after the designated rush hour periods) that can make or break a train's dwell times.
Click to expand...

Yup, people have no idea if they need to rush to the front because their door wont open or not.

We dont need people crowding forward while the train is in motion because the MBTA is incapable of installing card sensors at every door like any transit agency that purchased equipment after 1980.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Step:1 Raise fine for fare evasion to $1,000
Step:2 Install card readers and hi-res security cameras at the rear door
Step:3 Instate an all doors policy and periodically have transit police bust fare evaders.

The high fines would pay for the equipment/security staffing and with the presence of cameras would be enough to deter most fare evasion.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Lurker said:
Step:1 Raise fine for fare evasion to $1,000
Step:2 Install card readers and hi-res security cameras at the rear door
Step:3 Instate an all doors policy and periodically have transit police bust fare evaders.

The high fines would pay for the equipment/security staffing and with the presence of cameras would be enough to deter most fare evasion.
Click to expand...

$50-$60 would be more appropriate. The Germans get by with a 40€ fine and periodic random checks by police on their street-running LRV. They don't even require proof of purchase to board.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

One issue with any proof-of-payment system on the T, that I have seen mentioned before: Unlike some other transit systems, a pay-per-ride CharlieCard/Ticket can be shared among multiple riders traveling together. What happens if several passengers board together with one card, and then split off? All but one of the group will have no proof they actually paid a fare.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

^ Is that a common enough occurrence among regular riders of the T to warrant consideration? Seems to me that most people doing that are tourists/day-night trippers who'll travel together anyway. If city residents are doing that then it will encourage more people to get Charlie Cards.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

BussesAin'tTrains said:
^ Is that a common enough occurrence among regular riders of the T to warrant consideration? Seems to me that most people doing that are tourists/day-night trippers who'll travel together anyway. If city residents are doing that then it will encourage more people to get Charlie Cards.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter how regular an occurrence it is. The current T fare policy allows for a situation where a passenger could have legitimately entered the system but later has no way to prove that a fare was paid.

Or, better yet: The Silver LIne is now free from the airport, so anyone who boarded at Logan and transferred at South Station would also have no proof of having legitimately entered the system.

T management could have incorporate a true proof-of-payment with the Charlie rollout. It chose not to.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Even though stored value is popular the T can make a windfall by eliminating it and forcing everyone towards a pass - which greatly helps with POP as well. For example:
1.5 hour pass: $3
24 hour pass: $6
7 day pass: $25
1 month pass: $80
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

BU does run special shuttles during commencement, at the very least. The T is stuck in a "everybody-goes-downtown" mindset. They are also stuck in a "punish-your-customers" mindset.

As for catching back-door fare evaders without implementing full POP -- which would necessitate everyone having a receipt (as is done in SF), my suggestion is to post the officers in the back of random Green Line trains on the surface, and allowing them to snag anyone they see boarding in the rear. As has been done in the past.

And changing the fare structure to make passes a no-brainer is something I've seen in other cities. In Montreal the single ride is $3, but the monthly pass is almost the same cost as here. In Austin the single ride is $1 and the day pass is $2.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Lurker said:
Step:1 Raise fine for fare evasion to $1,000
Step:2 Install card readers and hi-res security cameras at the rear door
Step:3 Instate an all doors policy and periodically have transit police bust fare evaders.

The high fines would pay for the equipment/security staffing and with the presence of cameras would be enough to deter most fare evasion.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter how much the fines are, there are no penalties for not paying them if one doesn't have a Mass driver's license. The lack of consequences is much like traffic violations on bicycle, or getting caught with a joint. There won't be any money to pay for more enforcement until the state legislature agrees to put teeth into evasion penalties.

Out of state or country BU students can keep riding for free.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

In Berlin, they will mail your fine anywhere in the world. The Tarif Kontrollen do not mess around.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

datadyne007 said:
In Berlin, they will mail your fine anywhere in the world. The Tarif Kontrollen do not mess around.
Click to expand...

That's nice. What then if I just throw the notices in the trash? If I try to re-enter Germany, what happens? Do they catch me at the border and deny entry until I pay?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Kind of reminds me of the time I was driving through Louisiana and I got a speeding ticket. When I got back to Boston I called the DMV and asked where I should mail the check to. The lady said they don't take checks and that I needed to pay in person at one of the Louisiana DMV branches. I told her that I wasn't planning to pay then. And she said, "That's fine. Most people from out of state don't pay. Our computer systems aren't compatible with the other states so we won't even tell the Mass DMV that you're delinquent."
This was around 2000. No idea if that's still the case.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

AmericanFolkLegend said:
Kind of reminds me of the time I was driving through Louisiana and I got a speeding ticket. When I got back to Boston I called the DMV and asked where I should mail the check to. The lady said they don't take checks and that I needed to pay in person at one of the Louisiana DMV branches. I told her that I wasn't planning to pay then. And she said, "That's fine. Most people from out of state don't pay. Our computer systems aren't compatible with the other states so we won't even tell the Mass DMV that you're delinquent."
This was around 2000. No idea if that's still the case.
Click to expand...

It will ultimately catch up with you. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but interstate compacts are in place so that license suspensions are reciprocated among all states. When they do upgrade their notification systems - and they will, eventually - your Massachusetts license will get suspended. I'd pay it some time before that happens if I were you, the sooner the better.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Mark02474 said:
That's nice. What then if I just throw the notices in the trash? If I try to re-enter Germany, what happens? Do they catch me at the border and deny entry until I pay?
Click to expand...

You do not want to be held in the company of the German police for any duration of time. And yes, they will hold decades old stuff against you until it is dismissed in court.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Matthew said:
BU does run special shuttles during commencement, at the very least. The T is stuck in a "everybody-goes-downtown" mindset. They are also stuck in a "punish-your-customers" mindset.
Click to expand...

Not a day goes by that I don't feel punished by the absurd station spacing between Packard's and Kenmore. Closing half of the stops would still leave basically the entire BU campus within a 5-7 minute walk of an existing one. Even more frustrating than the hoards of students that cram into already-full trains is having to make stops at each station for a handful of people.

It's just insane that there hasn't been a real push for consolidating stops when an extra 1-2 minute walk to a destination won't make or break anything and people will adjust - like they did with the '04 closings of Fordham, Summit, Mt. Hood and Greycliff.

Talk about the biggest no-brainer in terms of streamlining service and reducing costs while being able to better serve existing passenger volumes.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I agree with you. But BU does not want to give up any, and like it or not, they have considerable sway.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Matthew said:
I agree with you. But BU does not want to give up any, and like it or not, they have considerable sway.
Click to expand...

People keep saying this, but wheres the proof?

The route 57 changes include consolidating some BU stops
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The proof can be found in projects scheduled for funding by the Boston MPO in the TIP listings. The next half mile of Commonwealth Ave headed outbound is on the list. It seems now that "other funding" of $4M is added to taxpayer's $12M. This is new. BU wasn't going to kick in any money before and I'm guessing they are now.

The actual reason for this project is realigning Comm Ave in order to widen station platforms by the MBTA ($5M more from their budget). Consolidating stations doesn't seem to be in the plan. BU has clout, making the previous Kenmore Square portion happen and now this next segment.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I ran across the changes for fare evasion. From Sen. Will Brownsberger's web site, included with MBTA / RTA funding taken from vehicle inspection fees:
"The legislation also increases fare evasion penalties to $75 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $350 for each subsequent offense. According to the bill, if a fine is not paid within 21 days, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended until it is paid."

So, still nothing to make out of state or foreign students pay fares, nor anyone riding the T because they don't drive. The thing we can take away is that the RMV is much more efficient than Mass court system, so the preferred enforcement tool for civil infractions.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

jass said:
People keep saying this, but wheres the proof?
Click to expand...

I don't have anything but word-of-mouth from managers at BU. I have heard from them that they are basically not interested in removing stations, although they did not say it directly, they hinted at it pretty strongly.

Unfortunately I don't have more solid evidence myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top