Sunday, May 19, 2013
The new system will provide more detailed service alert information via text and email.
The MBTA is rolling out an entirely new alerts system next month which includes changes from the details provided in alert messages to a visual website enhancement. Through the new system, which goes into effect June 4, users can opt to receive email or text alerts for a late bus or train or a service interruption, much like the old system. However, the new alerts “will be clearer and more detailed with additional information regarding specific trip times, service schedule changes, and distinct directional, branch and station communications,” according to an MBTA press statement released Thursday. MBTA Deputy Press Secretary Kelly Smith further explained the new system in an email to Patch: "It’s built around a core of GTFS data. GTFS, or…
Monday, May 6, 2013
Suspension starts west of here in June, and make its way to Concord beginning in August.
Improvement projects on the Fitchburg line will result in weekend service suspensions along the commuter rail this summer. According to the latest schedules, service to Concord will be affected beginning the weekend of Aug. 3 through late November. Excluding Labor Day weekend, when the trains will run as usual, there will be neither train service nor alternate bus service west of the Brandeis/Roberts stop for the other 16 weekends during that four-month span. Service suspensions west of Concord—from the Littleton/Route 495 stop out to Fitchburg—are scheduled to begin in June. Trains will originate and terminate at South Acton during that time. The weekend track outages are required as the result of ongoing MBTA improvement projects on the…
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Without additional funding, MBTA officials are forced to make difficult choices.
MBTA riders could see fares go up in the not-so-distant future if legislators don’t accept Gov. Deval Patrick’s ambitious funding plan. T General Manager Beverley Scott said Tuesday the T will likely hold off on spending $45 million for preventative maintenance and hike fairs to close a projected budget gap of $117 million, factoring in increased ridership and advertising this year, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. Director of Strategic Initiatives for the MBTA Charles Planck said at a March 5 MBTA finance committee meeting that fare increases could go up 33 percent under the proposal, which means subway fares would move up from $2 to $2.60. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey testified before …
The MBTA is looking for a sponsor to upgrade their WIFI system at no cost to the T.
The MBTA wants to upgrade its wireless Internet service, but without spending precious tax dollars. The Boston area transit system is seeking sponsorship proposals to provide upgraded wi-fi service on commuter rail cars, ferries and select commuter rail stations, according to an MBTA press statement in early March. “The MBTA’s goal is to upgrade the current WIFI service to a system wide, state of the art standard, at no cost to the MBTA and its riders,” the statement says. The sponsorship opportunity would provide the sponsor with marketing rights such as “signage and advertising in commuter rail stations, cars and ferry facilities; corporate presence on MBTA commuter rail system maps and schedules; control of a WIFI landing page; links on…
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
State Transportation Secretary Richard Davey said at a hearing last week that the 75 double-decker coaches are “severely late,” but they will be worth the wait.
In 2008, the MBTA bought 75 new commuter rail cars from the Korean-based Hyundai Rotem, in 2013, the MBTA is still waiting for the cars to be delivered. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey said at a statehouse oversight committee hearing Tuesday the state is still waiting on 75 double-decker coaches for the commuter rail. The MBTA bought the coaches in 2008 from Korean company Hyundai Rotem. “They are late, severely late,” Davey said. He added, however, that MBTA engineers are satisfied with the quality of the cars. Philadelphia and Los Angeles are in front of Boston in terms of waiting for the cars, but transit engineers in both cities are satisfied with the cars as well, Davey said. “At this point …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Authorities expect to be clear from the scene soon.
Commuter rail trains to and from the Concord stations are experiencing 45-60 delays due to a "police investigation," according to the MBTA Transit Police blog. According to the MBTA Police, a train on Fitchburg-South Acton line struck and killed a male tresspasser near mile marker 24 at around 3:55 p.m. Transit Police are investigating the incident. The man was described as being about 20-25 years-old and was struck by an inbound train. Specifically, trains 468 inbound and 467 outbound are delayed. First responders should be clear form the scene soon, according to an MBTA spokesman. Police in Concord confimed the incident occurred in ACton, and police in Acton deferred comment to transit officials.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Regularly scheduled service should resume by Monday, according to MBTA.com.
Looking to take the Green Line or the commuter rail into Boston? Well, you may want to keep shoveling out that car (or call a cab). As crews continue to dig out from the blizzard, MBTA service in Concord will remain suspended Sunday. In the city, starting at 2 p.m., limited subway and bus service will run on the Red, Orange and Blue lines between Orient Heights and Government Center, and the Green Line between Kenmore and Lechmere, according to MBTA.com/weather. Limited bus service will also operate on the 1, 23, 28, 39, and Silver Line Washington Street only. However, customers are encouraged to stay home and "use service sparingly," if possible, the website said. Commuter rail routes will remain suspended through Sunday. The MBTA weather…
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A new device will be distributed to conductors on MBTA conductors that will give them real-time information about trains all across the rail system.
A new pilot program being dubbed “Conductor Companion” is being unveiled on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s commuter rail system, putting complete details about train services across the system in the hands of conductors. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), the contractor that runs the commuter railroad for the MBTA, made the announcement on Monday, Jan. 14. Essentially, it is a unique mobile application that will allow conductors on the MBTA commuter rail system to receive real-time information about service for the first time. “The speed of technology today demands an application that gives conductors the information they need and that customers want,” said Gillian Wood, MBCR’s chief customer service officer…
The board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan, which outlines the state’s budgetary needs over the course of the next 10 years and beyond.
With infrastructure in need of repairs and the major city transit system steeped in billions of dollars of debt, the state may need to increase revenue from car registrations, licence renewals, taxes and tolls. The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan Monday, which calls for a $13 billion overall investment in state transportations systems over the next decade. The breakdown is as follows, according to a statement associated with the plan released by Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey: To raise the necessary funds these recommendations will include an increase in the gas tax, payroll tax, sales tax or income tax; a new green fee on vehicle registrations; a …
