MBTA "Transformation" (Green Line, Red Line, & Orange Line Transformation Projects)

stefal said:
Is that actually the MBTA below? I don't think so..
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That's definitely Devonshire, and not right near any of the station entrances, so you may be on to something. Unfortunately we don't have a good map of the underground layout to be sure.
 
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Brattle Loop said:
That's definitely Devonshire, and not right near any of the station entrances, so you may be on to something. Unfortunately we don't have a good map of the underground layout to be sure.
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I'll finish that one someday...

Someone on twitter says it's the basement of 85 Devonshire, and I'm inclined to agree. There's not any part of the station that goes east of Washington between the Blue Line platforms and the Water Street entrance.
 
Wow, more than half of the request is for stuff not even related to the project.
 
W-4 said:
Wow, more than half of the request is for stuff not even related to the project.
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What would you call out as not related to the Orange Line transformation there? Seems like most of it is SOGR and reliability work, which, I think one could argue is part of the Orange Line transforming into something actually reliable.
 
bakgwailo said:
What would you call out as not related to the Orange Line transformation there? Seems like most of it is SOGR and reliability work, which, I think one could argue is part of the Orange Line transforming into something actually reliable.
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Same. It doesn't seem wilder than any typical state contract.
 
bakgwailo said:
What would you call out as not related to the Orange Line transformation there? Seems like most of it is SOGR and reliability work, which, I think one could argue is part of the Orange Line transforming into something actually reliable.
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They might be referring to the actual text of the RFQ.

Which spends 1.5 pages of it's ~3 page length, talking about all the different Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requirements and the multiple ways they'd like you to write essays about your commitments to those things. Further, from the criteria, it appears your score on how you answer those questions is as important to your proposal's scoring as "Relevant Project Experience" is.

I'm not opposed to those things being a factor, but when there's more text about those requirements than there is detail about what the project even is, I do think we could be going a bit overboard.
 
millerm277 said:
They might be referring to the actual text of the RFQ.

Which spends 1.5 pages of it's ~3 page length, talking about all the different Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requirements and the multiple ways they'd like you to write essays about your commitments to those things. Further, from the criteria, it appears your score on how you answer those questions is as important to your proposal's scoring as "Relevant Project Experience" is.

I'm not opposed to those things being a factor, but when there's more text about those requirements than there is detail about what the project even is, I do think we could be going a bit overboard.
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Two things I think. First, I believe a good bit of the DEI requirements are state law (or at least executive branch directives), meaning that while it's valid to question the degree and extent to which such elements are required and included in evaluations, it's also not necessarily something the T itself has control over (meaning, direct all concerns to the State House rather than 10 Park Plaza).

Second, the document appears to be referencing a federal standard form which does not include DEI materials as its own section (the "Section H" referenced is for "additional material"), and I'm no expert but I wonder if the need for that much space in the document explaining what to include is because that's additional to the otherwise-standard stuff in the form that doesn't need an explanatory section (at least in this document).

That said, even if it's all normal and un-objectionable on the merits (generally my default position), there is something a little surreal reading that document, at least as someone not involved in government contracting.
 
millerm277 said:
I'm not opposed to those things being a factor, but when there's more text about those requirements than there is detail about what the project even is, I do think we could be going a bit overboard.
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It's an RFQ, the point is for them to gather information about what firms and what teams are interested in the work and potentially qualified and meeting their requirements. The teams that are qualified will then be invited to submit bids in the RFP process, which will have more project specific information. RFQs are for exactly this, explaining what experience and background you're looking for in the potential teams, then selecting the firms that meet your requirements to continue to the bid phase.
 
millerm277 said:
They might be referring to the actual text of the RFQ.

Which spends 1.5 pages of it's ~3 page length, talking about all the different Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requirements and the multiple ways they'd like you to write essays about your commitments to those things. Further, from the criteria, it appears your score on how you answer those questions is as important to your proposal's scoring as "Relevant Project Experience" is.

I'm not opposed to those things being a factor, but when there's more text about those requirements than there is detail about what the project even is, I do think we could be going a bit overboard.
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Ah, I thought they meant the actual items being called out for bid. The rest just seemed like standard boiler plate for an RFQ to me - not even in the RFP phase. Then again it's been a decade+ since I have done any of that, and it was government contracting in a very different realm.
 
Who wants to take bets on how long the new Amory st station will sit unfinished? The grand opening was a month ago and they never put the end trim pieces onto the canopies, and only one segment onto the south edge. Just some fun plywood and pt wood blocking sitting there... Have been waiting daily to see them install this.

Photo from the wiki early last month:
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And the other side, trim is on the end bay, but missing the rest of the way down (not in view):

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Bananarama said:
Who wants to take bets on how long the new Amory st station will sit unfinished? The grand opening was a month ago and they never put the end trim pieces onto the canopies, and only one segment onto the south edge. Just some fun plywood and pt wood blocking sitting there... Have been waiting daily to see them install this.

Photo from the wiki early last month:
View attachment 19372

And the other side, trim is on the end bay, but missing the rest of the way down (not in view):

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I’ll take the under for a year from today. I’m feeling optimistic.
 
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Half-assed!! If that one is not completely finished, then Babcock Street probably isn't done either!! Water from rain will get in there, causing the thing to warp & get ugly, manifesting into an expensive monster that will have to be repaired!! :unsure:
 
Jahvon09 said:
Half-assed!! If that one is not completely finished, then Babcock Street probably isn't done either!! Water from rain will get in there, causing the thing to warp & get ugly, manifesting into an expensive monster that will have to be repaired!! :unsure:
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Wouldn't you love the MBTA to require every new build to have placards on various places in each station with the contractors number, saying something like "See something broken? Call [Contractors Number] to report problems." No more buck passing. Of course that would have literal buck passing implications, but as it is, the taxpayer gets billed for maintenance that doesn't happen! Nobody is solidly responsible once these things are built.
I've said it before, great societies aren't built, they're maintained.
 
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Bananarama said:
Who wants to take bets on how long the new Amory st station will sit unfinished? The grand opening was a month ago and they never put the end trim pieces onto the canopies, and only one segment onto the south edge. Just some fun plywood and pt wood blocking sitting there... Have been waiting daily to see them install this.

Photo from the wiki early last month:
View attachment 19372

And the other side, trim is on the end bay, but missing the rest of the way down (not in view):

View attachment 19373
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We're almost two years into punch list items for Mansfield mini-highs so its not looking good. Seriously, how does contract close out and punch list items take two years?
 
HelloBostonHi said:
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We're almost two years into punch list items for Mansfield mini-highs so its not looking good. Seriously, how does contract close out and punch list items take two years?
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If the issue is "minor part to finish thing is delayed due to production/supply chain chaos" - then pretty much indefinitely.

I do some tech ordering in my professional life. There's been plenty of orders flat-out canceled, sometimes even entire product lines are outright discontinued - even with you having an order in for them, direct with the manufacturer, who had previously quoted you a price and delivery timeline.

There's other stuff that you could get before the pandemic in a 1 week, at lead times approaching half a year. I've even seen quotes come through at over a year. Or with absurd minimum quantities or other restrictions on configuration.

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If something is missing a minor piece, I'll suggest the more likely scenario is that said minor piece is tied up in supply chain hell rather than the MBTA inexplicably having decided to do 99% of the job and then ignore the last component.
 
I think that this has been their slogan since 09-11; See something, say something. Why does that not apply to projects left undone?!! :unsure:
 
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