General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[Matthew]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

It's insane. Bet those same "clergy" drive around in Mercedes-Benz. Doubt that they are protesting that company for something that happened 70 years ago and didn't involve any living persons.

 

[Arborway]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

WELCOME TO BOSTON

First impressions for visitors don't get much better than this.

 

[Matthew]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I think that they probably figured out our third world status after a few moments on the Silver line.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Do you mean there should not be a barrier at all, or that it should be made of something other than these fences?

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Do you mean there should not be a barrier at all, or that it should be made of something other than these fences?

I think he's referring to the potholes strewn throughout our underground, climate-protected crown jewel of a 10-year-old busway.

 

[found5dollar]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'd say the crown jewel is more Courthouse station than South Station for the Silverline.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I think that they probably figured out our third world status after a few moments on the Silver line.

You mean their 15-minute one-seat direct trip from their airport terminal (on the other side of a body of water) to the CBD? Compare to the +hour-long journey taking the NYC MTA from JFK (or even LGA) to downtown or CTA from O'Hare.

 

[Matthew]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

15 minute? That must have been a record run, from Terminal E. No, I was thinking more like the 10-15 minute wait for a crowded bus to show up, squeezing your bags in the limited space, and then ~25 minute trip around. Bonus, if the driver fumbles with the trolley pole trying to switch sources. Then, the fun realization that your destination is not along the Red Line.

Logan is close. I don't think anyone holds it against Tokyo that Narita is a 45 minute train ride away, and much longer by car. Distance is distance.

 

[Arborway]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Do you mean there should not be a barrier at all, or that it should be made of something other than these fences?

I think he's referring to the potholes strewn throughout our underground, climate-protected crown jewel of a 10-year-old busway.

I still can't believe that this is still an issue after so many years.* It was in bad shape as early as 2007, and crumbling to dust no later than 2009/2010.

* That's a lie. I can believe it.

 

[winstonoboogie]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

15 minute? That must have been a record run, from Terminal E. No, I was thinking more like the 10-15 minute wait for a crowded bus to show up, squeezing your bags in the limited space, and then ~25 minute trip around.

The travel time from A to E has improved considerably since Massport opened the consolidated rental car garage back in October and eliminated all of the private car rental company shuttles. That freed up enough platform space at each terminal to give Massport shuttles, the Silver Line, Logan Express, and the private carrier (P&B, Peter Pan etc) buses their own berths with a lot less jockeying for position between bus drivers. That combined with the all door boarding, and it is considerably faster going around the airport than it was when it first started.

It will be interesting in March to see how many people switch over to the Silver Line when Government Center closes for two years. If you are traveling to the airport from a Green Line location, Green to Red to Silver is going to be a lot more appealing than Green to Orange to Blue to shuttle bus. Massport is going to be running their own Back Bay/Copley to Logan bus, but I believe they have said the fare will be $5.

 

[cozzyd]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The only other city in the US that might have better transit access to the airport is DC (and only to DCA). Yes the silver line can be improved, but because it's so short, it wouldn't save that much time. It's already free so dwell times are low, and the headways are pretty good even off peak.

 

[Matthew]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Just balancing out the 15 minute (how?!) estimate.

Really, if a person is that picky, they're probably taking a cab or Uber from the airport anyhow. Airport transit is overrated.

Meanwhile the free (thanks MassPort, one of the few sensible decisions) Silver Line does draw tourists away from the Blue Line, making my life easier.

They still need to figure out a long term solution for the whole Silver Line way/D street/power-switching fiasco. It's Rube-Goldbergesque at the moment.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I think this is a bit unfair.

(1) If a person does not know what line their destination is on it is likely that they will also not know how far away Logan is from the city. So a 25 minute ride is not bad at all.

(2) Public transportation is crowded. I just returned from Paris and London and the RER was crowded, and so was the Underground. I don't think anyone expects differently.

(3) Having the destination not be on a direct line connected to the airport is possible in other major cities where the public transportation is better. For example, going from CDG to Place d'Italie.

(4) The Silverline from the airport is FREE. And if you're not transferring to a bus, that means your ride from the airport is free. That's great.

Also, having the wait times displayed as they now are alleviates the feeling of hopelessness when waiting 10-15 minutes for a bus.

Airport access in Boston is not so bad.

Public transportation airport access is not terrible. It's also not great compared to other cities. I use the Silver Line to the airport about once a month and it has room for improvement. But, public transportation airport access in Boston is better than in Los Angeles, Dallas (although that will soon change), Houston and Washington DC (although that will change in a few years).

Sadly, I see no way that Boston doesn't fall behind Dallas and DC in this respect over the next few years, while public transportation to the airport is already behind the likes of NYC, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and Atlanta. A people mover to and from Airport on the Blue Line would do a lot. It could be very similar to MIA Mover at Miami International Airport which opened in 2011 after 2 years of construction and $259 million, about half the cost of the Greenbush Line.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

The only other city in the US that might have better transit access to the airport is DC (and only to DCA). Yes the silver line can be improved, but because it's so short, it wouldn't save that much time. It's already free so dwell times are low, and the headways are pretty good even off peak.

I don't think we'll agree because you probably view the length of the trip to be a point in favor of how good the transit access is which I view as a symptom of how close it is, which I see as a separate point entirely.

Anyways, I really think Chicago has better public transportation to the airport. I'm not speaking from a theoretical point either as I am in Chicago at least once every two months and take public transportation on both sides of every flight. I also fly to O'Hare and Midway. If the T had an indoor walkway with signage leading to the Airport stop it would essentially be Midway's access with a shorter ride downtown. As is, though, you either need to walk a miserable, outdoor walk, or take a shuttle bus, to get to the T,or you need to ride a bus that takes you on the highway to get downtown. Neither of these options sets Boston apart from Chicago (direct L access to the terminals), NYC (direct people mover access from each terminal that connects you to multiple subway lines and the LIRR from JFK; direct monorail access from each terminal that connects you to NJ Transit and Amtrak lines from Newark) or Miami (direct people mover access from the terminals to the Metrorail).

 

[cozzyd]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Yes and no... you make the appropriate infrastructure to solve the problem. It's true that other airports have more expensive infrastructure, but the benefit for Logan would be marginal.

For NYC, I'd argue that La Guardia has the best transit access to downtown (shortest, cheapest trip and best headways) despite having the simplest infrastructure.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Yes and no... you make the appropriate infrastructure to solve the problem. It's true that other airports have more expensive infrastructure, but the benefit for Logan would be marginal.

For NYC, I'd argue that La Guardia has the best transit access to downtown (shortest, cheapest trip and best headways) despite having the simplest infrastructure.

Fair point.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I thought LaGuardia had no public transit access at all?

 

[jass]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Yes and no... you make the appropriate infrastructure to solve the problem. It's true that other airports have more expensive infrastructure, but the benefit for Logan would be marginal.

For NYC, I'd argue that La Guardia has the best transit access to downtown (shortest, cheapest trip and best headways) despite having the simplest infrastructure.

Theres wrong, and then theres gtfo the internet wrong

I thought LaGuardia had no public transit access at all?

It has the equivalent of the MBTA 66 bus. Takes an hour to go three, maybe four blocks, and the buses come in herds.


Newark has the best access. NJT service to Penn, or via transfer on PATH to Jersey City and WTC. Or a $15 private bus that runs like every 20 minutes 24/7.

 

[wicked]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Surprised no one is mentioning BWI here in terms of good access. Light rail right to the airport, short shuttle bus from the airport to Amtrak/MARC.

 

[cozzyd]

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Theres wrong, and then theres gtfo the internet wrong




It has the equivalent of the MBTA 66 bus. Takes an hour to go three, maybe four blocks, and the buses come in herds.


Newark has the best access. NJT service to Penn, or via transfer on PATH to Jersey City and WTC. Or a $15 private bus that runs like every 20 minutes 24/7.

Yeah, there's the M60 (which shouldn't take as long if you transfer to it from the N/Q in Queens), but there's also the new Q70 which provides express service to LGA from the LIRR, 7, E,F,M and R. Also, the M60 will be improved soon.