MBTA Winter 2015: Failure and Recovery

[George_Apley]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

Huh. So that part of the train is briefly disconnected from the rail as it crosses the street? Interesting. And off topic I guess. Great tour of Chitown btw!

 

[Mongo]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/massachusetts_senate_reluctant.html

This is the scariest part to me:

"But Republicans said there are things lawmakers can do other than raising taxes. State Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, urged Democrats not to turn transportation into "a political football." He said Republicans have offered solutions that do not raise taxes, such as limiting expansion of the MBTA until maintenance needs are addressed."

Sen. Hedlund has (along with other Republicans, I'm sure) latched on to a comment the Governor made about this without understanding it at all what it means (frankly, I don't think the Governor does, either). Operating and capital funds do not come out of the same bucket. Large expansion projects are paid for by Federal grants as well as other means that are unavailable to address maintenance needs.

The trade-off is between large capital projects to expand service and other capital projects to address longstanding deficiencies in equipment, such as track, signals, and rolling stock. Presenting it in this disingenuous way gives the impression that the MBTA has expanded at the expense of maintenance. That's not true. The MBTA has invested at the fringe (such as, say, IN THE SENATOR'S OWN DAMN DISTRICT) instead of investing in the core, and that's what needs to be corrected.

Conservatives here are trying to obscure the fact that this. agency. does. not. have. enough. money. That's it. There is no solution to be found simply by blaming a "wasteful" agency and denying it money.

GLX is a done deal at this point and it would be incredibly stupid to turn that back now.

If what he's saying is "we kill south coast rail and use the money to fix things" then I am for it.

 

[393b40]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

GLX is a done deal at this point and it would be incredibly stupid to turn that back now.

If what he's saying is "we kill south coast rail and use the money to fix things" then I am for it.

Never underestimate the stupidity of our politicians. It wouldn't surprise me to see GLX get axed somehow even if they're legally required to do it.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

MBTA

Along the C branch on Beacon Street, limited trolley service will run in both directions between Cleveland Circle and North Station.

Service returns to the C Branch after having been disrupted since Saturday night. Before that, as with the rest of the MBTA, there was no C Branch service last Monday night or Tuesday.

5 total days of disrupted service over an 8 day period on the C Branch. Even that's better than the B, E, and parts of the Red, Orange, and Commuter Rail.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

Sorry Matthew. Looks like B is down for the count THROUGH next week.

http://www.universalhub.com/2015/b-line-could-be-out-service-through-next-week?nocache=1

Also major props to State Sen. William Brownsberger for even bothering to ask the T what the hell is up.

 

[belmont square]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

Never underestimate the stupidity of our politicians. It wouldn't surprise me to see GLX get axed somehow even if they're legally required to do it.

If they're able to kill GLX even though it's a legal commitment wouldn't that be a sign of competence, not stupidity?

 

[deh74]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

If they're able to kill GLX even though it's a legal commitment wouldn't that be a sign of competence, not stupidity?

No, it's stupid because GLX was originally intended to be finished and running by now, and killing it is just going to leave the area it's meant to serve without rapid transit.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

No, it's stupid because GLX was originally intended to be finished and running by now, and killing it is just going to leave the area it's meant to serve without rapid transit.

Not to mention that South Coast Rail is more expensive and meant to serve fewer riders, so canceling GLX due to cost, but not canceling SCR would show complete ineptitude.

 

[belmont square]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

No, it's stupid because GLX was originally intended to be finished and running by now, and killing it is just going to leave the area it's meant to serve without rapid transit.

So that would make this corridor similar to chelsea, roxbury, dorchester, and mattapan. But actually not so similar, because in those other places there are multiple bus routes operating over capacity, whereas in Somerville there are not. Check out the t spider map with the key routes overlay - always seemed odd that rapid transit would be extended into the one section of the urban core that doesn't support high frequency bus service...

Another way Somerville is different - the corrodor is already largely gentrified while the key bus route corridors serve many more people without other options to get around.

 

[novitiate]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

If we divide transit extensions into those done to widen the MBTA service area for political support, versus those done to serve communities in need of better service that will have the ridership to justify it, it's clear which pile SCR falls into, and which one GLX falls into.

Unfortunately, it seems like SCR has far more political push behind it than GLX does (thanks to the wider area served), so we'll see what happens.

 

[George_Apley]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

So that would make this corridor similar to chelsea, roxbury, dorchester, and mattapan. But actually not so similar, because in those other places there are multiple bus routes operating over capacity, whereas in Somerville there are not. Check out the t spider map with the key routes overlay - always seemed odd that rapid transit would be extended into the one section of the urban core that doesn't support high frequency bus service...

Another way Somerville is different - the corrodor is already largely gentrified while the key bus route corridors serve many more people without other options to get around.

GLX to Somerville is being done because it was politically and physically the easiest, believe it or not. Somerville begged for it. There are two existing ROWs wide enough to take RT alongside CR. There is no new tunneling or bridging over water that needs to be done. The hardest part about the GLX is the flying junction near Inner Belt, the retaining wall and widening existing road/rail bridges. That's pretty light fare politically and physically.

All those other communities you mentioned are either in a more difficult position. Rox/Dot are in a more difficult physical position with no good existing ROW for RT. Ditto for Chelsea, which is more isolated and requires a water crossing. Politics is harder for those areas too. Lower Roxbury? Needs a street-car or an El. Politics. Mattapan? Needs a RLX from Ashmont upgrading the "High Speed Line". Milton. Politics.

Weird as it sounds, GLX to Somerville/Medford was the path of least resistance.

And yes, it would be stupid to cancel the project now, especially as operations and capital expenditure budgets are separate.

If we divide transit extensions into those done to widen the MBTA service area for political support, versus those done to serve communities in need of better service that will have the ridership to justify it, it's clear which pile SCR falls into, and which one GLX falls into.

Unfortunately, it seems like SCR has far more political push behind it than GLX does (thanks to the wider area served), so we'll see what happens.

That's been the problem with MBTA expansion for years. The only politically "easy" extensions are the ones that are economic boondoggles in terms of $ spent/rider. But generally speaking CR extensions are cheaper, and they are what gets done. At the expense of the core system.

 

[Nexis4jersey]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

Huh. So that part of the train is briefly disconnected from the rail as it crosses the street? Interesting. And off topic I guess. Great tour of Chitown btw!

LIRR and MNRR have grade crossings along with the Southern Trains network in the UK...

 

[The EGE]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

They were attacking the Granby and Saint Marys crossings on the B yesterday with an army of front loaders and dump trucks, many of which appear to belong to NJ DOT. Even with the snow piles gone, the tracks are covered in ice.

There are bus shuttles running today, for the first time. I assume they were freed up when the Ashmont Branch resumed operations.

 

[Matthew]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

This is the first I've heard about bus shuttles. I haven't seen any yet. Would be nice if they made an announcement.

The pile of snow is still sitting on Carlton Street grade crossing.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

Situation on the E-Line right now in front of the MFA. Appears that the plow derailed and hit the power pole?

https://twitter.com/jonfrederick/status/568100887702458368

--

https://twitter.com/hijacked27/status/568106002790219776

 

[Matthew]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

Yup, third rail gap -- trains leap the gap. Same in LI. The signalling system is interesting -- there's a signal that tells the train operator when the gates are down. The "L" trains are pretty lightweight and nimble -- almost like they're streetcar replacements -- probably to get around the curves in the "Loop." Those gates must go down every 5 minutes or more, and on pretty busy roads too. Meanwhile we can't get 15-minute frequencies on the Grand Junction because "oh no, Mass Ave!" Sigh.


Regarding GLX: that project is not only essential to Somerville it's also essential to the entire Green Line. So I was glad to see that the Pioneer Institute mostly focused on the boondoggle commuter rail expansions. It's really true that the MBTA has sacrificed the well-being of the rapid-transit core in favor of ridiculous, almost useless commuter rail expansions like Greenbush and soon-to-be SCR.

 

[bigeman312]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

Regarding GLX: that project is not only essential to Somerville it's also essential to the entire Green Line. So I was glad to see that the Pioneer Institute mostly focused on the boondoggle commuter rail expansions. It's really true that the MBTA has sacrificed the well-being of the rapid-transit core in favor of ridiculous, almost useless commuter rail expansions like Greenbush and soon-to-be SCR.

+1

To add to this point: the GLX is also essential for the entire core system. Many people who currently use the congested core transfers for Red-to-Blue or Red-North End/North Station (Park to Government Center and beyond on the Green Line and DTX to State and beyond on the Orange Line) or traveling from Red to the North End/North Station area, will now be able to use the GLX instead, freeing up the most congested sections of our transit system. Short of the Red-Blue Connector, GLX is the best project for freeing up our congested core.

 

[choo]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

^Yes, its a total farce when people say the MBTA shouldn't expand and think has anything to do with the core rapid transit base. 1 new infill station in 20 years and a long delayed, legally enforceable extension into the densest city in the region, which won't be done for 5 years and half paid by the feds.

Now the MBTA can certainly use reform and better preventative maintenance. But let's not pretend its all about cost-cutting or lack of knowledge. The red line cars are 40+ years old and run everyday. You don't need to be a transit booster or engineer to know that 40 years of running something in the elements everyday is pushing the limits. The T should have been jumping up and down for years for new investments. They got decent baking from gov. Patrick, who installed Davey to get the purchase rolling and then done under Scott. But we should've bought them under Romney and be sitting in them now, but no matter what the T did, that wasn't going to happen because suburban legislatures like Hedlund wouldn't vote to 'give' that to Boston and would harp on the T finances when they make it build and run half empty trains through a tunnel in Hingham!

/rant

 

[winstonoboogie]

Re: MBTA & Regular Driving May Be Shut Down During Coming Snowstorm!

Situation on the E-Line right now in front of the MFA. Appears that the plow derailed and hit the power pole?

[]

As I mentioned in another thread, those "lead sleds" are weighted down to try to avoid derailments, however the size of that snow pile is enormous and should have been reduced with a front end loader before hitting it with the plow.

 

[kevtron2000]

Re: Dr. Beverly Scott resigns

That's honestly just the 100% required closing of an enormous mid-year budget deficit that the government is constitutionally required to close. A democratic governor would have had to make similar cuts across all the agencies. The DOT/MBTA cuts are pretty much all unfilled open personnel spots and administrative largesse.

I'm waiting to pass judgement on the governor's intentions until he releases his own budget for the coming fiscal year.

My concern is more with the lack of communication between Scott, Pollack and Baker. Ultimately the onus falls on Baker to get information from his subordinates. It's a weird failure that just looks sloppy every time he says "I haven't heard..."


Seems like the outgoing administration chronically underestimated (whether willfully or not) the impact of the botched HealthConnector roll-out. Much of that deficit is from covering everyone who couldn't sign up before the deadline last spring on MassHealth. I definitely could see the true cost being slow-walked for political purposes during the election year.



Has not pretty much every incoming governor had deficit issues for the last couple decades? Seems to me that it's a systematic problem that stems from tax cuts, which never translated to permanent cuts in the budget. The legislature has been too cowardly to deal with problem by refusing to structure reform as is needed to have a sane fiscal policy. They either need to axe a fair bit out of the budget for the medium term, or they need to find new sources of revenue (or some combo). They're also hamstrung by a voting populace that wants increasing services but doesn't want to pay for them. It's not just an MBTA issue, it's a general issue.

Agreed. Though, this problem is the result of balanced budget amendments. Nobody votes for more revenues politically because it looks bad, even though businesses do occasionally try to raise revenues.