MBTA Winter 2015: Failure and Recovery

[cden4]

"128 add-a-lane that eliminates the breathtaking insanity of breakdown lane travel"

That can also be eliminated for far less money by simply posting signs that breakdown lane travel is no longer permitted.

 

[mass88]

"128 add-a-lane that eliminates the breathtaking insanity of breakdown lane travel"

That can also be eliminated for far less money by simply posting signs that breakdown lane travel is no longer permitted.

The addition of a 4th travel lane between 24 and route 9 was a necessary project.

 

[Matthew]

Huntington Ave really should be only one general travel lane in each direction all the way from Northeastern to Riverway. They shoehorned the 2+2 travel lanes that do exist today, and it really shows. In many places along the street, the sidewalks are hideously small. Literally 3 feet wide. It's shameful. There's simply not enough space. Widen the sidewalks, and instead of trying to cram four awful travel lanes, just do two lanes with decent shoulders/bike tracks. Then continue the MBTA reservation at least until Riverway.

Honestly they should get rid of the street parking on S. Huntington and continue the reservation there too. Yeah, people will scream, but what's so great about parking your car in a place where idiot reckless drivers are constantly skidding on the tracks and crashing?

Unfortunately Huntington was redesigned most recently during the "big road" era of the 90s (like the Seaport), so it may be a while before they get around to fixing all of its problems.

 

[datadyne007]

Here's the complete Commuter Rail Snow Plan that Keolis submitted in October:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/256899798/Snow-Plan-2014-15

The operator is required to produce this document before the winter each year. Some interesting operational stuff in this document including a breakdown of who is responsible for each station.

 

[FK4]

well, huntington from brigham to brookline is a different road, historically - part of tremont st. so it's much older than the rest of huntington.

the inbound traffic on that stretch (really, Fenwood + Brigham) is beyond painful. not sure how much of that is attributable to the sharing of lanes for trains and the 39/66. Im not especially confident that reducing to one lane would be helpful but eliminating parking would certainly not be a bad idea - they could widen sidewalks, maybe put in a cycle track that connected Brigham to the Riverway parks (since Rt 9 under the bridge could unquestionably be narrowed).

 

[bigeman312]

Keolis GM bails as rail flails

The general manager of the Bay State’s problem-plagued commuter rail service stepped down yesterday on the eve of a key meeting between Gov. Charlie Baker and top Keolis executives who flew in from France in a bid to turn things around at the flagging train service, according to several sources.

“The governor has made clear to Keolis that their lack of performance is unacceptable, has directed significant resources to assist in their recovery and looks forward to checking in on their progress” today, Baker spokesman Billy Pitman said.

Thomas M. Mulligan, a retired passenger operations director for Amtrak and Union Pacific railroads, who served as an Omaha, Neb., city councilor before joining Keolis in July as its GM, will be replaced by Gerald Francis, who will take over as acting general manager, sources said. Mulligan did not return several messages.

...

The article goes on to explain that the 40 Motive Power locomotives "have been out of commission undergoing repairs to faulty traction motor bearings."

Once those are in service, which I really hope happens soon, the Commuter Rail should be running much better. They blamed the snow on why its taking so long, but didn't commit to a timetable of delivery.

Also, regarding the now coaches:

“We anticipated having all 75 completed by the end of February but due to the severe weather, the schedule has slipped a few weeks,” MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said yesterday of the problem-plagued Hyundai Rotem train cars, which the South Korean manufacturer delivered to the MBTA 30 months late.

They have to get these coaches and locomotives in service soon. The system is completely crippled and many normal commuters can not use it to get to work. At this point, with Boston having received two inches of snow in the past four days, three inches of snow in the past six days, and only six inches of snow in the past 10 days, it's clear that the Commuter Rail will be unable to operate full-service until these deliveries are made.

 

[George_Apley]

■ Make stabilizing the existing system the top priority and put all expansion projects such as the $2.2 billion South Coast rail proposal on hold until the patient receives a clean bill of health. To divert funds to new projects, pulling money away from upkeep, would be financially irresponsible.

Statements like this are frustrating because they make out all expansions as being equally problematic. Yes, put SCR on hold for restudy and modification. But putting "all" expansions on hold would presumably include GLX; which is an important load balancer for the whole light rail system. Expansion =/= bad waste of money. Some expansions are needed for the patient to receive a "clean bill of health". Red/Blue being the big one.

 

[bigeman312]

Statements like this are frustrating because they make out all expansions as being equally problematic. Yes, put SCR on hold for restudy and modification. But putting "all" expansions on hold would presumably include GLX; which is an important load balancer for the whole light rail system. Expansion =/= bad waste of money. Some expansions are needed for the patient to receive a "clean bill of health". Red/Blue being the big one.

+1

 

[underground]

Not to mention that "cheap" expansions like Silver Line to Chelsea, the Fairmount Build out, and DMUs to Lynn are exactly the types of things the T should always have been prioritizing over things like SCR and Greenbush. They're high bang per buck projects to high density under-served populations that also help alleviate current capacity issues. They're no where near the same category as SCR.

 

[Matthew]

Maximize fare revenue by installing proper controls eliminating the “rush-hour” payment honor system, reducing the number of commuters that ride for free. Closing this “cheater gap” could increase fare revenue by over $20 million annually.

This is moronic. There's no way that it's $20 million -- that number is pulled out of his ass. And collecting any money lost would cost FAR more than it would gain. We're talking about trains and buses that are so full to bursting that people are nearly falling out. If they tried anything then the delays would stack up so badly that scheduled 35 minute commutes would regularly stretch out to over an hour, causing massive bunching and revenue loss due to delays.

The absolute sheer irresponsibility of this suggestion is yet another black mark against the Boston Globe. They clearly do not ride the T.

Minor correction: the opinion piece was written by Mark T. Williams, a professor at BU's SMG. Clearly a total asshole too. He probably has never ridden the Green Line, even though the crush-load mess emerges right in front of his building.

But I still think the Boston Globe doesn't give a shit about T riders. I know that Brian McGrory couldn't care less.

 

[Semass]

Fare collection is a very real problem for the T, regardless of the Green Line. For instance, fare gate were malfunctioning at back bay the other day so they just opened 'em up and let everyone in. The commuter rail hasn't collected fares all month. This is not new and not even snow related. This has been a problem for years. They need to be collecting every fare, every time, no matter what. If they don't, the rest of us pay.

 

[Arlington]

This is moronic....If they tried anything then the delays would stack up so badly that scheduled 35 minute commutes would regularly stretch out to over an hour, causing massive bunching and revenue loss due to delays.

You are right, of course, because what the armchair critics miss is how valuable average speed is to a transit system: the faster vehicles go, the more people they carry for the same costs. Conversely, the more bogged down they are, the more vehicles you have to procure, mortgage, maintain, and staff to sustain the same rush hour.

Not to mention that the faster they go, the more people will want to ride at all times.

In a big, expensive fleet of vehicles that we own, capital efficiency and ROI both dictate that everything should be done to shorten curb dwell time rather that chase down that suburban/non-rider boogeyman the fare beater.

(And they want us to overlook the signal priority becuase it would unmask/inconvenience a real boogeyman...the single-occupant vehicles that are congesting everything because their road and parking are underpriced)

- Proof of Payment (barrier-free boarding)
- Multi-door boarding
- road signal priority.

Huge finance/capital/ops/rider wins just sitting there.

The hope is that Charlie Baker understands cost-of-capital/capital efficiency in a way that most lawyers, real estate agents, and insurance brokers (e.g. most of Beacon Hill) totally miss. And that Stephanie Pollack is perfectly positioned to stop her ears to the Globe's nonsense, and deliver both financial wins and mobility wins.

 

[HenryAlan]

We've been down a lane on Huntington inbound from S Huntington to Brigham for a few weeks now and though there is a lot of traffic, it's actually similar to the average traffic. Perhaps that's an indication that we can add a bus/trolley only lane, even if in only one direction.

The problem in that location is the merge. The design is terrible, and the Riverway off-ramp feeding in makes for a nearly untenable circumstance, as the cars turning off that ramp have to cross multiple lanes of traffic to avoid being routed on to South Huntington. To be honest, I think the best fix would be to close that exit, requiring inbound drivers that want Huntington Ave. to get there via Byner/S. Huntington.

 

[bigeman312]

Fare collection is a very real problem for the T, regardless of the Green Line.

Agreed.

For instance, fare gate were malfunctioning at back bay the other day so they just opened 'em up and let everyone in.

Same thing happened at Davis last year. This is a problem.

The commuter rail hasn't collected fares all month.

Blatant lie at worst, drawing absurdly false conclusions from anecdotal evidence at best. I have had my fare collected multiple times by the commuter rail this month.

This is not new and not even snow related. This has been a problem for years. They need to be collecting every fare, every time, no matter what. If they don't, the rest of us pay.

Attempting to reach perfection is a foolish resource drain. There have been quite a few number of times that I have boarded a bus in the past year and the driver was refusing to collect fares. I'm unsure if this is because of malfunction equipment or an irresponsible bus driver. Either way, THIS is what should be addressed, not the couple of people who manage to sneak on a very crowded bus/trolley occasionally.

 

[Arlington]

. They need to be collecting every fare, every time, no matter what. If they don't, the rest of us pay.

See my post. You are bogging down billions worth of rolling stock and every single rider every day at every stop just to chase down a few fare beaters. It isn't worth it.

And it works in the USA. It is how VRE and Norfolk Tide and other "new" systems work.
- Easy pass purchase program
- Large employers buy passes for 100% of staff/students at super discount
- Random inspections with scary fines

The real problem is that the big systems have too much thinking invested in "turnstile" thinking.

Your goals as a transit manager are:
- Maximize peak hour throughput (via vehicle speed/frequency)
- Maximize share of trips (via vehicle speed/frequency)
- Maximize revenues (via wide usage & wide sponsorship)
- Minimize cost of collection (favoring contactless & barrier free, like open-road tolling)

It is a total Willie Horton red herring to think the problem is fare beating. The goal is mobility maximization and revenue maximization.

Its what barrier free tolling on the Tobin is all about, too. There's going to be a certain number who never pay their paper bills, but we mostly win on throughput, travel speed, and cheap, barrier-free collection.

And time-variable pricing. There's also a strong case that the T should be free from opening until 6:30am when low-wage people make their trips to their early-start service jobs, not unlike the variable tolls going to zero on dynamically-tolled roads.

Also part of what's wrong with the GLX is its Taj Mahal headhouses, much of which (maybe $200m...10% of the project) is upsizing/sheltering to feed/funnel/protect the faregates...sheesh)

 

[George_Apley]

Not to mention that "cheap" expansions like Silver Line to Chelsea, the Fairmount Build out, and DMUs to Lynn are exactly the types of things the T should always have been prioritizing over things like SCR and Greenbush. They're high bang per buck projects to high density under-served populations that also help alleviate current capacity issues. They're no where near the same category as SCR.

Yup. Transit advocates can't let expansions become the boogieman. Smart expansions are just as essential to smooth operations and regional transportation efficiency as maintenance and management are.

 

[Semass]

RE: My every fare, every time comment. I am talking about what seems to be a widespread, systemic failure to prioritize fare collection. I too have had bus drivers cover the fare box. I have been waved through gates, and been completely ignored by conductors. It is not because I'm cute. And, true story, the commuter rail has done a horrific job collecting fares. Is it because the service sucks so much? I don't know but don't do me any more favors, I already paid. Once those aisles fill up, conductors just don't bother.

Look. PoP would be awesome and effective. Rush hour fares, surcharges like DC would be important too. I'll pay. I get it that there will always be gate jumpers. This seems bigger to me. It seems like it is not a priority for the system and leadership. For a system that pays more in debt service than it receives in fare revenue, collecting what it can needs to be a huge priority.

 

[Matthew]

RE: My every fare, every time comment. I am talking about what seems to be a widespread, systemic failure to prioritize fare collection. I too have had bus drivers cover the fare box. I have been waved through gates, and been completely ignored by conductors. It is not because I'm cute. And, true story, the commuter rail has done a horrific job collecting fares. Is it because the service sucks so much? I don't know but don't do me any more favors, I already paid. Once those aisles fill up, conductors just don't bother.

Because they're trying to stay on schedule!

Running the system on schedule is more important than fare collection. Yes, they should reform fare collection so it doesn't slow down operations. But until then, schedule adherence should be the priority!

Those bus drivers and conductors understand this point. Hopefully you will too soon.

 

[bigeman312]

Those bus drivers and conductors understand this point. Hopefully you will too soon.

Re: those bus drivers and conductors...like Semass, you are applying absolutes where they don't fit. While I agree with you much more, in some of these instances, fares are not being collected not due to schedule adherence, but rather faulty equipment (in the case of the buses, sometimes), or poor procedure (i.e. conductors who don't know who just got on the train at the last stop).

The point is that we are going after the wrong kind of "fare evaders."

Ensuring that fare gates function properly, at fare-gated stations: good.

Forcing everyone to board the front door of a trolley, to collect the fares from the couple of people who would try to sneak on: bad.

 

[datadyne007]

APOLOGETIC KEOLIS SETS MARCH 30 GOAL FOR FULL RAIL SERVICE
By Michael Norton and Andy Metzger
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, FEB. 26, 2015

Its customers hampered by prolonged train delays and cancellations that began during the recent wave of snowstorms, the company that runs the Massachusetts commuter rail system said Thursday it will operate at full service by March 30.

Keolis International CEO Bernard Tabary announced that under a plan approved by Gov. Charlie Baker, the commuter rail system, which feeds into suburbs south, west and north of Boston, will be operating at 78 percent passenger capacity by Friday.

In a statement, Tabary said the company, which is at the start of an eight-year contract with the MBTA, has brought in experts from around the world to assist with recovery efforts and said "we will do everything we can" to accelerate full restoration of train services.

"We feel confident about this plan and were pleased to receive the governor's endorsement of our strategy," Tabary said in a statement. "He did a deep dive into the recovery plan and asked tough questions. We appreciate his support and the support of his team."

Tabary also apologized to MBTA riders.

"To our passengers, we know this has been an incredibly frustrating time. You have endured cancelled or delayed trains, information snafus, and mechanical issues like doors that don't open," he said. "We know you've waited on cold platforms and been late to work or had a difficult time getting home at night. We know we haven't performed up to the high standards you have a right to demand - and that we demand of ourselves. On behalf of the entire Keolis team, I want to express our sincere apologies. We are dedicated to providing our passengers on the MBTA commuter rail system with outstanding service each and every day. In recent weeks, we have fallen short of that goal. I give him my personal commitment that we won't rest until MBTA commuter rail is once again operating as it should."

Confirming earlier reports, Keolis announced Thursday its general manager resigned "earlier this week for personal reasons."

Keolis has faced commuter anger and frustration from the Baker administration over unreliable service and what the governor deemed insufficient communication with riders.

The French company announced Gerald Francis will take over as general manager for Tom Mulligan. Franck Dubourdieu was named deputy GM.

Francis has held leadership positions at the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority and Herzog Transit Services and joined Keolis in January 2014 as deputy general manager. Dubourdieu has worked for Eurostar, which runs between Paris and London, and the French national railroad.

The announcement said the recent series of winter storms "crippled the service, blanketing rails and stations with snow, freezing switches and causing locomotive engines to fail, creating tremendous hardships for Boston area commuters."
Keolis operates in 15 countries and describes itself as "the largest light rail operator in the world" and incoming interim MBTA General Manager Frank DePaola on Thursday suggested "discounts" as an alternative to refunds for riders whose commutes were disrupted by spotty service.

"I realize we have to restore value. I'm not sure refunds is the way to go. There are other options we can use that people get some value back," DePaola said on his way to speak at a Senate oversight hearing Thursday.

"One of the issues is every dollar I give back is a dollar I can't invest in the system," DePaola told reporters.

END

02/26/2015

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