General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Commuter rail ridership counts are usually done by hand, with counters at station entrances. It might not be an exact science but that could be done on GLX to at least get anecdotal numbers. You could also get a ballpark on fare evaders.

These are all things you could do quite easily. My concern is with what’s actually being done.
 
Fairly certain we have had this discussion, and, no, one worker is not killed yearly in NYC during track work. And, sure, power rework and crossovers. The point is, it's possible and significantly less disruptive to passenger service as called out by the head of the MBTA himself.

Edit on the previous discussion of this:

Also - they tried this on the OL north of Sullivan for a while. I think they were shuttling Wellington to Sullivan or Wellington to Oak Grove. They stopped but it was never clear to me why.
 
Also - they tried this on the OL north of Sullivan for a while. I think they were shuttling Wellington to Sullivan or Wellington to Oak Grove. They stopped but it was never clear to me why.
Wasn’t it because one of the trains derailed on one of the crossovers?
 
So, not only did the Red Line train catch on fire, but the pipes to provide water for firefighters (that the T is apparently supposed to maintain)… didn’t work.

 
Some slides on the final CIP as presented today, more funding for Red-Blue and some early action projects on Regional Rail, including medium-term (?) plans for increased service on the inner parts of the lines
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Some slides on the final CIP as presented today, more funding for Red-Blue and some early action projects on Regional Rail, including medium-term (?) plans for increased service on the inner parts of the linesView attachment 40209
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Other highlights include Old Colony Lines double-track and Blue Hill Ave bus improvements.

I didn't expect the Lowell and Haverhill lines to be in the first phase, especially when the focus had been on the other lines (Fairmount, Beverly, Providence) previously.
 
Other highlights include Old Colony Lines double-track and Blue Hill Ave bus improvements.

I didn't expect the Lowell and Haverhill lines to be in the first phase, especially when the focus had been on the other lines (Fairmount, Beverly, Providence) previously.
Haverhill/Reading needs completion of the Wellington passing siding (the surface route is now active, but the old rails have been temporarily pulled from the Wellington tunnel), upgrades to the tri-track segment at Reading so there's a workable turnback and layover yard, and possibly some work to turn the Reading Jct. split with the Eastern Route from a 1 x 2 track split to 2 x 2 before Urban Rail :15 service can go to Reading. Plus ADA galore on the stations.

For Lowell you've still got West Medford ADA, and grafting on the west entrance to Anderson RTC, and some sort of decision on whether Mishawum is going to reopen (and if so, it needs its mini-high edges repaired so its ADA status isn't lapsed).


I would imagine this is just a wad-up of that pu-pu platter of minor items, since the total price tag (excepting the ADA station costs, since we can never seem to keep those in check) required to institute dense diesel service on those lines is pretty low.
 
before Urban Rail :15 service can go to Reading.
Looks like the first phase only plans for 30-min frequencies on Fairmount and inner Fitchburg/Lowell/Haverhill, as well as 20-min frequencies to Beverly. Of course, :15 will still be needed for later phases.
 
Looks like the first phase only plans for 30-min frequencies on Fairmount and inner Fitchburg/Lowell/Haverhill, as well as 20-min frequencies to Beverly. Of course, :15 will still be needed for later phases.
You'd still need the same bucket list, excepting maybe the Reading Jct. 2 x 2 split. Especially a wad of ADA level boarding on Reading, because the stop dwells at the inner stations drag the schedules a lot at rush hour.
 
There are fewer bus drivers today at the MBTA as of July, than in May. The headcount continues to decrease.

Therefore, at the current rate, there would be more service cuts and frequency reductions come the fall in late August and September. The MBTA will continue to cut service back and reduce transit access.

Vacancies have increased by 5.4%. The MBTA is down to 1611 filled positions, including inactive positions.


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I would imagine this is just a wad-up of that pu-pu platter of minor items, since the total price tag (excepting the ADA station costs, since we can never seem to keep those in check) required to institute dense diesel service on those lines is pretty low.

From the slide deck (now posted btw), only $18 million allocated in the new CIP toward the Commuter Rail “High Priority Stations Accessibility Improvements Program.” Seems low given the needs F-Line mentions on the Haverhill line inside 128 and West Medford station.

Also, how will the 30-minute headways work on the Fitchburg line? Where would be the Regional Rail turn back … Waltham or Brandeis?
 
Unfortunately, that's one of the new BEBs. They just haven't taken down the wires in the Seaport transitway, so it makes it look like a trolleybus.
While that might be an older photo, I have seen several years ago a bus in Offenbach that was the BEB. I'm thinking / hopeful this is what we are getting.

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