General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[chmeeee]

What systems? Those like St. Louis where the trains don't have to stop at lights? MetroLink doesn't have great frequencies and may not go where you want, but they have gates and don't put up with this nonsense that cars can have priority over light rail.

It rarely shows up, when it shows up, it doesn't go where you want, and DAMN it gets there fast.

Sounds awesome.

Yes, we could do better. See London/Paris/everywhere else in Europe. Baby steps.

 

[Arlington]

What systems? Those like St. Louis where the trains don't have to stop at lights? MetroLink doesn't have great frequencies and may not go where you want, but they have gates and don't put up with this nonsense that cars can have priority over light rail.

It rarely shows up, when it shows up, it doesn't go where you want, and DAMN it gets there fast.
Sounds awesome.

Dwash's only error was being too modest. MetroLink does just fine in coverage: serves St Louis' Downtown, Convention Center, its "Logan", its "UMass Boston" and its "Hanscom". If it doesn't go where you want, I'd say your problem is with St Louis, not MetroLink. But getting back to the point. Boston operates the largest light rail system in the US (soon to be passed by LA) but has no signal priority on the surface, and antiquated fare collection (vs basically all others)

Boston's is a top system, but it is losing it its edge in both size and sophistication.

 

[Wash]

This question has been briefly discussed here before and it's probably common knowledge, but I'm still curious so here goes.

What is the "floating slab project" the MBTA is working on? What is being fixed and how did it break/deteriorate over time?

 

[whittle]

This question has been briefly discussed here before and it's probably common knowledge, but I'm still curious so here goes.

What is the "floating slab project" the MBTA is working on? What is being fixed and how did it break/deteriorate over time?

They're replacing rails and concrete slabs which have suffered water damage. They're also fixing some of the leaks.

http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=22956

http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/T_Projects/T_Projects_List/Harvard to Alewife.pdf

 

[Jouhou]

I feel like all of the people that whine about the T haven't actually tried to use other American transit systems that aren't NYC.

Seriously, I've learned to dread west coast cities due to their reliance on cars. Phoenix feels like an endless strip mall, and the roads don't even have sidewalks.
Vegas also felt bizarre to me. No one else seemed to be a fan of the bus system, which felt fragmented as hell and the strip was barely walkable, although at least there was a sidewalk and foot bridges over the roadway.

New Orleans is the furthest west I've gotten where I've felt the transit to be acceptable, although not great.

Mind you I haven't been to San Francisco or Seattle, which supposedly have reasonable transportation available.

Public transportation in Taiwan was incredible, I found Sweden had busses into rural farmland... I feel the usa has a whole lot of room for improvement.

The mbta sucks by Asian standards, but blows most of the US out of the water. They just really need to keep up with maintenance.

 

[KentXie]

Ever ride the E line passed Brigham where you have to ring the bell for your stop and for some reason the second car's bell doesn't ring and you have to wait until someone in the first car rings the bell for it to stop?

Yeah the T is absolute trash.

And yes I have ridden transit systems outside of NYC (Hong Kong, Tokyo, SF's BART and Muni, DC, Chicago, Philly, Montreal, Seattle, and Honolulu) in case people think I don't have perspective on the different levels of competency of transit systems.

 

[Charlie_mta]

Mind you I haven't been to San Francisco or Seattle, which supposedly have reasonable transportation available.

I go to Seattle often, and it is a nightmare of gridlocked traffic. There is only one light rail line in the entire metro region, and it runs just a few miles north and south of downtown. They have plans for an eastern route running across Lake Washington but the NIMBYs are trying to kill it; too many fears of undesirables from Seattle ravaging their pristine neighborhoods.

 

[Jouhou]

Ever ride the E line passed Brigham where you have to ring the bell for your stop and for some reason the second car's bell doesn't ring and you have to wait until someone in the first car rings the bell for it to stop?

Yeah the T is absolute trash.

And yes I have ridden transit systems outside of NYC (Hong Kong, Tokyo, SF's BART and Muni, DC, Chicago, Philly, Montreal, Seattle, and Honolulu) in case people think I don't have perspective on the different levels of competency of transit systems.

I don't think anyone was specifically going after you. And like I said, the T suffers from decades of inadequate maintenance. If it had been taken care of and treated as a historic gem in the city, it would be such a different story.

 

[KentXie]

I don't think anyone was specifically going after you. And like I said, the T suffers from decades of inadequate maintenance. If it had been taken care of and treated as a historic gem in the city, it would be such a different story.

I know. I'm just ranting because I find it absolutely incredible that you can't even get off the train because of a problem with the stop request button. Had the lead car not have someone ring the bell, I would have ridden it all the way to Heath St. What's the point of having a transit system where you can't request to stop?

 

[Arlington]

I know. I'm just ranting because I find it absolutely incredible that you can't even get off the train because of a problem with the stop request button. Had the lead car not have someone ring the bell, I would have ridden it all the way to Heath St. What's the point of having a transit system where you can't request to stop?

I'd fret more about the stop request button if the T used blind trailers (no driver), but your car had an operator, didn't it? How about you ask (verbally) that driver for help?

You may not be among those who think a driver is needed on each streetcar (in most POP/Modern systems, only the front car has a driver), but as long as we're paying for one, being able to directly ask for help is definitely a valid advantage of having each car staffed, something Boston has and other places do not.

 

[sm89]

I'd fret more about the stop request button if the T used blind trailers (no driver), but your car had an operator, didn't it? How about you ask (verbally) that driver for help?

You may not be among those who think a driver is needed on each streetcar (in most POP/Modern systems, only the front car has a driver), but as long as we're paying for one, being able to directly ask for help is definitely a valid advantage of having each car staffed, something Boston has and other places do not.

Also, it's front door only after Brigham, so one would be standing practically next to the driver. I've been on a train where they "forgot" to stop. They just stopped a few yards after the stop when I said something.

 

[KentXie]

I'd fret more about the stop request button if the T used blind trailers (no driver), but your car had an operator, didn't it? How about you ask (verbally) that driver for help?

You may not be among those who think a driver is needed on each streetcar (in most POP/Modern systems, only the front car has a driver), but as long as we're paying for one, being able to directly ask for help is definitely a valid advantage of having each car staffed, something Boston has and other places do not.

I did. I told the driver the bell wasn't working and his response was

Driver: Really? It was working before.

Then promptly looks at me through the rear view mirror after the bell rings after going by my stop as though he's saying "see I told you it works" but that's because if someone in the first car rings the bell, the second car's bell also ring. Utterly useless.

Remember, I was in the second car. The driver in the second car can't stop the train. It's the driver in the first car that does and if the bell doesn't ring, the driver in the first car isn't alerted and the train doesn't stop.

 

[KentXie]

Also, for anyone riding the Southbound Orange Line, does anyone encounter the situation where it seems like the Orange Line train engages the emergency breaks several times as it leaves Tufts medical center station? 9 out of 10 times when I ride the Orange Line past Tufts, the train would do this. Does anyone know what the cause is?

 

[DrFreewind]

Also, for anyone riding the Southbound Orange Line, does anyone encounter the situation where it seems like the Orange Line train engages the emergency breaks several times as it leaves Tufts medical center station? 9 out of 10 times when I ride the Orange Line past Tufts, the train would do this. Does anyone know what the cause is?

not a daily rider but ive experienced this at mass ave more than once

 

[JeffDowntown]

Also, for anyone riding the Southbound Orange Line, does anyone encounter the situation where it seems like the Orange Line train engages the emergency breaks several times as it leaves Tufts medical center station? 9 out of 10 times when I ride the Orange Line past Tufts, the train would do this. Does anyone know what the cause is?

I have commented on this before. Never got an answer.

Happened several days ago at Downtown Crossing as well. That was new. The issue leaving Tufts has been going on for more than a year!

 

[Jahvon09]

Also, for anyone riding the Southbound Orange Line, does anyone encounter the situation where it seems like the Orange Line train engages the emergency breaks several times as it leaves Tufts medical center station? 9 out of 10 times when I ride the Orange Line past Tufts, the train would do this. Does anyone know what the cause is?

If you ask me, those trains do that anywhere along the line, and it is pure-d aggravating! Especially when you're trying to get to work, home from work or an appointment.

The old Blue Line trains did that also, just outside of Maverick Station, heading into town! They were all made be Hawker Sidley (now Bombardier), and they are pretty old, dating back to the late '70s for the BL and early '80s for the OL.

 

[FK4]

Also, for anyone riding the Southbound Orange Line, does anyone encounter the situation where it seems like the Orange Line train engages the emergency breaks several times as it leaves Tufts medical center station? 9 out of 10 times when I ride the Orange Line past Tufts, the train would do this. Does anyone know what the cause is?

Is that when the train sort of starts getting going and then abruptly stops and you hear a big hissing noise? That happens on the orange everywhere.

Also, what's up with the huge humps in the racks when approaching ruggles headed outbound? Sometimes it's prettty violent how much the train rises.

 

[falcon42]

Is that when the train sort of starts getting going and then abruptly stops and you hear a big hissing noise? That happens on the orange everywhere.

Also, what's up with the huge humps in the racks when approaching ruggles headed outbound? Sometimes it's prettty violent how much the train rises.

Happens all the time on the OL. Or the sign will say "1 minute" for over 10 minutes. Just a terrible experience generally.

 

[KentXie]

Is that when the train sort of starts getting going and then abruptly stops and you hear a big hissing noise? That happens on the orange everywhere.

Yes. I always thought that it's caused from overheating of the train causing some kind of pressure that builds up which trips up the emergency brakes (too much pressure on the braks) and that's why the train has to release the pressure (the hissing sound) before it can proceed (or something something with the pressure valve I don't know what I'm talking about). Either that or there's a bad connection with the third rail that trips up the power of the train. Any train experts here know if that's how the the train's emergency brakes work?

 

[winstonoboogie]

Yes. I always thought that it's caused from overheating of the train causing some kind of pressure that builds up which trips up the emergency brakes (too much pressure on the braks) and that's why the train has to release the pressure (the hissing sound) before it can proceed (or something something with the pressure valve I don't know what I'm talking about). Either that or there's a bad connection with the third rail that trips up the power of the train. Any train experts here know if that's how the the train's emergency brakes work?

It is propably a dropped track circuit in the signal system resulting in no speed code or fluctuating speed codes. That will result in an automatic brake application.