Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

Single-tracking Lowell must be a no-go... there's too much traffic.
 
Someone on Reddit is on the GLX Working Committee and wants advice:

I am on the GLX Working Committee, and MassDOT has asked us for cost-saving/re-design ideas to help the GLX become more afforable. I would love to get community feedback that I can send back next week.

Please recognize that my role is only to solicit community feedback and represent that voice back to MassDOT and other relevant parties. I am not part of any fiscal process, nor any contract selection process, or any decision making process at all really. I recognize how many of you are frustrated, myself included, but I would ask that you try to keep comments constructive. Thanks!

https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/453226/i_am_on_the_glx_working_committee_and_massdot_has/
Click to expand...

Now's your chance to get your words and ideas before MassDOT thru this person.
 
Use non-union labor and exempt the project from the prevailing wage job. There are plenty of non-union contractors who could do parts of the job cheaper.

Eliminate the bloat associated with the project and just build the train project. For example, the community path as previously proposed for removal from the project.

Consider selling air rights to developers with bonus FAR and zoning.
 
The responses on the Reddit page is asking the same questions as I also thought. Not to mention how many pages on this thread too.

As a semi-tangent, I never put my two cents, but I noticed there are three (though it looks like two) directions in that discussion. Part of it it kept going because two of the sides have valid points.

That said, the reddit comments reraised the same points as here. If the overruns are price gouging, then the solution is just to replace the contractor who will not (or price gouge less at least). The feature cutting, if used, should bring the price below $2BN not merely bring it to $2BN dollar budget line as denoted to go forward. If this tactic is done in combination and only get it down to $2BN, then the logic says the new contractors are then still making out more than they should get while still not using the budget go as far at it should.
 
Scalziand said:
It could be okay if it's just temporary. It wouldn't be that much different from the inner Worcester line.
Click to expand...

Only if they actually do widen the ROW as needed sooner than later... in that case, I don't see how it's a cost saving. Maybe I'm fundamentally misunderstanding the proposal.
 
Use non-union labor and exempt the project from the prevailing wage job.
Click to expand...

Let's pay them like Walmart workers, and then act surprised when we get Walmart quality.
 
underground said:
Let's pay them like Walmart workers, and then act surprised when we get Walmart quality.
Click to expand...

I would love our public transit system to resemble Wal-Mart (cheap, dependable, etc). Heck, there are reasons Wal-Mart has been way more successful than mom-and-pop shops over the past half century. Cheap labor is one of those reasons. If the MBTA was like Wal-Mart, and its opening indicated that other modes would fail because they can't compete, I would be ecstatic!

It's public transportation, not a limo. Let's keep the analogy going. Give me a decent pair of jeans for $10, rather than a fancy brand name for $100.

EDIT: I am not a fan of Wal-Mart itself. I would just love if the model of cheap, dependable service at the expense of extravagance and highly compensated employees was the model for our public transit system.

DOUBLE EDIT: And often open 24 hours/day!
 
bigeman312 said:
I would love our public transit system to resemble Wal-Mart (cheap, dependable, etc). Heck, there are reasons Wal-Mart has been way more successful than mom-and-pop shops over the past half century. Cheap labor is one of those reasons. If the MBTA was like Wal-Mart, and its opening indicated that other modes would fail because they can't compete, I would be ecstatic!

It's public transportation, not a limo. Let's keep the analogy going. Give me a decent pair of jeans for $10, rather than a fancy brand name for $100.

EDIT: I am not a fan of Wal-Mart itself. I would just love if the model of cheap, dependable service at the expense of extravagance and highly compensated employees was the model for our public transit system.

DOUBLE EDIT: And often open 24 hours/day!
Click to expand...

Sorry, but this post is the most fucking absurd thing I have ever read on this board. Wal*Mart's low prices are the result of not just cheap labor & low quality, but massive government tax breaks as well as not giving their employees proper benefits that are instead subsidized by the American tax payers through our safety net social welfare programs. We shouldn't strive for anything to be "like Wal*Mart."
 
Last edited:
bigeman312 said:
It's public transportation, not a limo. Let's keep the analogy going. Give me a decent pair of jeans for $10, rather than a fancy brand name for $100.
Click to expand...

Your "decent" $10 pair would be poorly made, have cheap material and last a half dozen wears before falling apart. Terrible analogy. This could be satire?
 
underground said:
Let's pay them like Walmart workers, and then act surprised when we get Walmart quality.
Click to expand...

Non-union labor and exemption from prevailing wage law does not mean low quality. There are quality workers who build quality buildings with non-union labor.
 
There's a lot to admire about economies of (larger) scale, data analytics, advanced logistics, and (don't forget) beating corporate suppliers down on price in exchange for high volumes. Let's adopt those parts.
 
Scalziand said:
It could be okay if it's just temporary. It wouldn't be that much different from the inner Worcester line.
Click to expand...

No, it wouldn't. The Lowell Line is much too busy and would have immediate scheduling problems. If this were just GLX bullying the commuter rail in an in-house spat they could probably force it, but there's two external tenant RR's here in Amtrak and Pan Am complicating the picture. Likelihood of Downeaster delays and DOBO/BODO (i.e. the huge Boston Sand & Gravel freight job) delays would get both carriers filing joint protests with the Surface Transportation Board, since this is a complete contradiction to what they signed on for re: Memorandum of Understanding for GLX construction impacts. T's chances of prevailing in such a dispute are poor (in addition to kneecapping RR capacity just being a stupid idea in general).

Nonstarter.
 
My analogy fell flat because everyone was caught up on WalMart (a company I do not like). But, the point remains: finding efficiency and cost-savings by using non-union labor is a good thing. We need to build more cheaply. WalMart builds/manufactures more cheaply. End of analogy.

How much savings can be achieved should be analyzed. My assumption is that there isn't much savings to be had through labor changes. It's still an avenue worth exploring, though!
 
Arlington said:
There's a lot to admire about economies of (larger) scale, data analytics, advanced logistics, and (don't forget) beating corporate suppliers down on price in exchange for high volumes. Let's adopt those parts.
Click to expand...

Sure, but the original comment was about wages and absurd anti-Union axe grinding.
 
datadyne007 said:
Sorry, but this post is the most fucking absurd thing I have ever read on this board. Wal*Mart's low prices are the result of not just cheap labor & low quality, but massive government tax breaks as well as not giving their employees proper benefits that are instead subsidized by the American tax payers through our safety net social welfare programs. We shouldn't strive for anything to be "like Wal*Mart."
Click to expand...

Chill. We shouldn't be anything like WalMart? Try to convince me public transit shouldn't be affordable. Or back off of your hyperbole.

There are aspects of WalMart that shouldn't be mimicked, yes. But cmon. Your hyperbole is useless.
 
underground said:
Sure, but the original comment was about wages and absurd anti-Union axe grinding.
Click to expand...
Bingo.

bigeman312 said:
Try to convince me public transit shouldn't be affordable.
Click to expand...

By using cheap materials & low wages? It wouldn't be affordable in that case. It would just be cheap. I want my money to be spent for quality (materials, labor, etc) & something that will last.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top