I called the "customer service" line. I was at least able to learn that the P515 will be going all the way to Worcester, and the P519 will be making the Newton and Wellesley stops.I don't know if other trains are impacted, but I sure hope this information helps.
They didn't have a list of the changes; he just had to compare the two schedules and identify the differences. There could be more than the two I listed!
The MBTA and train operator MBCR used to be one of the best with responding to information requests: We’d ask for on time performance numbers for the Worcester line for a certain time frame, and get a response; usually within a few hours, occasionally within a day. How times have changed. In November, we emailed Joe Pesaturo at MBTA, asking him for October data. He told us it wouldn’t be ready until December. On Monday, we emailed MBCR spokesman Scott Farmelant, who told us he was out until Wednesday. On Tuesday, Pesaturo told us to email Farmelant; when we told him Farmelant was out, he responded he had forwarded our request to the railroads operation staff. We’re still waiting on the numbers.Governor Patrick - since you've made a lot of people unhappy with your selection of James Aloisi as the new Transportation Secretary, perhaps you can hold the MBTA/MBCR accountable with providing on-time performance results of the commuter rail lines IMMEDIATELY after the month closes, not months later. Lt. Governor Tim Murray - you seem interested in transportation - what about holding some people accountable?
The MBTA today announced its service schedule for the upcoming holiday period. To accommodate customers traveling to and from Logan Airport, Silver Line service will be enhanced on Thursday, December 18, Friday, December 19, and Monday, December 22. Logan-bound Silver Line vehicles will depart from South Station every eight (8) minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. each day. The one-way fare with a CharlieCard is just $1.70. In addition, schedule adjustments to Worcester Commuter Rail service will be made to accommodate customers departing Boston early on Wednesday, December 24.
When you go to read about the Commuter Rail, you just find this:
Commuter Rail
Commuter rail trains will operate on a normal weekday schedule.
Hmm. I wonder how many people it took to approve this press release?
If anyone has any idea what the Wednesday commuter rail schedule for the Worcester line is, please feel free to email either worctrainrider AT gmail.com or commuteaholic AT gmail.com.
Maybe the Worcester line is just the MBTA's/MBCR's "B*tch" (for lack of a better term). It was not a good morning on the Worcester line (or, really, anywhere else on the MBTA for that matter). Anonymous at 1:35 PM wrote the following in a "Reimbursement Request" about commuting on the P504 today.
Subject: I've really had it with you guys
Today's commute was a nightmare. I was willing to give you guys a little slack on account of the weather and the upcoming holidays.However several things happened that I think were inexcusable:
This all comes in the wake of major delays over the past two weeks, and a 20% back-door fare hike via the additional $2 a day on parking ostensibly to avoid having to "reduce service," though frankly this is happening anyways. Your system is broken.
- you didn't notify passengers about a 20 minute delay (to start, we ended up being almost an hour late at South Station) until the train was already ten minutes late. If we had known we could have been waiting in our cars or at home.
- when the train actually did arrive 25 minutes late it was smaller than usual - 6 singles rather than the usual 5 doubles, and because it arrived at the regularly scheduled time for the P506 that meant less equipment for twice the volume of people.
- you blame the overall problem on CSX. I'm sorry but that just doesn't fly. It doesn't explain why you sent us inadequate equipment for the P504. And with the storm over yesterday evening you had plenty of time to make sure things were ready for the Monday commute. CSX's role is irrelevant. You are responsible for our safe and reliable service.
- There was inadequate snow removal at Framingham. There was no way to get from the parking lot to the train without trudging through a foot of snow.
You have to fix this. As fuel and environment issues are on the rise public transportation is a key issue in the coming years.
Thank you.
Meanwhile, Sarah J had this to say:
Today's commute was an absolute NIGHTMARE!!Tomorrow is Festivus. May all commuters, but especially the embattled Worcester line commuters, have good commutes. If you feel the need, you could always air your MBTA/MBCR commuter horror stories here at "The Airing of Grievances."Love,
- Missed my usual P502 train out of Worcester due to poor plowing. Didn't it stop snowing at 9:00 last night? Way to go city of Worcester.
- Went to park in my usual parking lot but the box for the money was missing. All that was left of it was it's metal legs.
- Drove to a different lot that was completely covered in snow (bonus because I didn't have to pay the fee since I couldn't see the number).
- Received text from my brother who was on the P502 out of Worcester. Said I didn't miss much because it became a local. Also, they were just inching along most of the way.
- Asked conductor about the P502 being a local. Response, "I don't know. The local must have broken down. We're working on getting out of here on time. I'll let you know".
- Still sitting at Union Station at 6:10AM, making us 5 minutes late already.
- Announcement that our breaks aren't working properly. "We apologize for the delay."
- Finally leave at around 6:17AM.
- Inch along.
- Start going backwards. The train passed the Westborough stop and had to back up.
- At the Natick stop, people were packing themselves in like sardines. All cars were single level.
- Waited a long time at each stop to pack more people in.
- At the Newton stop people were denied boarding because there wasn't enough room.
- The P504 finally reaches South Station approximately 20-25 minutes after the P502 train.
- Get another coffee because it's already a hell of a day.
- Sister-in-law calls the city of Worcester about the parking lot missing it's pay box and no one believes her.
- I call the city of Worcester about the pay box at 10:00AM, left a message and still haven't heard back. great.
A Disgruntled Worcester/Framingham Line Commuter.
"As much as I'm angry at the MBTA, their website stated that the delays were due to CSX not clearing the switches. The snow stopped last night. Can't switches be cleared by the morning commute. We live in a snowy climate and these things should be taken care of. It was an upsetting commute and coming on top of all the other bad ones during December, this doesn't bode well for the MBTA."
"What I found irksome about this morning's commute is that this storm, and the snow and ice, was not a surprise. It wasn't a go to bed with clear skies and wake up to snow and a messy commute. It's been snowing for 3 days. Everyone at the MBTA/MBCR should have known what the track conditions would be like and should have been out there at 3am, not 4:30am, digging out the switches. They knew what the situation was before the last train run last night."
“They’re taking the seats out and making people stand up, that’s not a transportation plan,” Menino said during a legislative hearing on tolls this morning. Menino said MBTA officials should come up with another way to handle the increased ridership.
The Bostonist takes a page from San Francisco's MUNI Manners by advising on T-appropriate etiquette. If you have an idea for what consists of good manners on the T, email The Bostonist at tips AT bostonist.com. Here are the first two:
Level with people. Many of today's woes can be traced to conflict avoidance - underestimating the cost of the Big Dig; giving in to unrealistic demands by public employees; dealing with spiraling costs by deferring maintenance and borrowing more money.How true. Many, many of the complaints logged here on Train Stopping result around communicating. Tell the truth - even if it hurts - instead of telling tall tales. I hope MBTA GM Dan Grabauskas and his communications team read that last paragraph closely. We're not a bunch of gullible children - we're adults. We're taxpayers. Tell the truth instead of just a bunch of outlandish fairy tales.
You missed another abhorrent commute this morning. The P508 pulled into South Station at around 8:58. This marks the 4th time out of the last 7 morning commutes on the P508 that have been delayed by 30 minutes or more.This is pretty serious and it is something that has impacted people who rely on the trains. I'm not sure what the solution is. No doubt, someone will blame Kidney Stones for being whiny or complaining. What should he do - start driving into work? Stop buying a monthly pass and winging it? For the latter, if the train is late, no biggie (other than possibly losing your job or causing your marriage to implode), you've only spent $4 getting into the city if passes aren't checked.
I am at my wit's end with the MBTA. This is absolutely inexcusable, and downright unacceptable.
I would like to make a list of the areas of my life that have been negatively affected by the MBTA. This list is by no means comprehensive:
- The MBTA has negatively affected my finances. First, it is an absurd $250 a month to commute to Boston from Worcester on a train that is routinely late. Secondly, the recent parking hike to $4 a day makes it REALLY tight financially, as we are in the middle of a recession.
- The MBTA has negatively affected my job security. By arriving extremely late last Monday, last Tuesday, Friday, and today, I look like I don't care about my job. This is especially bad in these hard economic times.
- The MBTA has negatively affected my sanity. It is literally TORTURE to sit on a non-moving train for 30-40 mins with vague announcements. All commuters know this first hand.
- The MBTA has negatively affected my marriage. Since I've been getting in so late, I must stay later at night, taking away dinner time with my family--something I value greatly. My wife is quite frustrated, and this often causes petty arguments between us. I blew up at her last week over something STUPID, when in reality I was simply frustrated at the trains.
- The MBTA has negatively affected my social interactions with both friends and customers that I deal with. This morning, for example, when I finally got in the office, my phone rang. I literally stared at it and let it go to voicemail. I was so heated, that I probably would have said something I'd later regret.
Bottom line is, THERE IS NO MINIMUM LEVEL OF SERVICE WITH THE MBTA.
“The breakdowns last week were unacceptable,” Mr. Farmelant said.While the MBCR said the November on-time performance for the Worcester line was 90%, for the first two weeks in December that performance is now 84%. This is considered an improvement over last year, when only 57% of the Worcester line trains arrived on-time. The article also noted the following:
The state has taken steps to improve train service over the past year. Three new inbound and two new outbound trains were added to the Worcester line in late October. State officials are still negotiating to purchase the Worcester track from CSX, with the goal of adding more trains in the future.Yesterday's The Boston Herald contained an article about the state's transportation woes. Lt. Governor Tim Murray was interviewed. The Lt. Governor is blaming past gubernatorial administrations for the current transportation crisis. Per the media speculation yesterday, State Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen did resign yesterday. His resignation is effective January 2, 2009. According to The Boston Globe, the Governor is considering James A. Aloisi, Jr. as Cohen's replacement. Aloisi was on the short list to be Transportation Secretary two years ago, but he was passed over due to his ties to the Big Dig. This is what The Globe had to say:
The new leader will take over at a crucial time for the millions of people who rely on the state's roads and transit systems each day. The financial crises at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the MBTA, which are both facing crushing debt and yearly deficits, have pushed the transportation debate to the top of Beacon Hill's agenda as commuters worry about large toll hike proposals this year and the potential for heftier transit fares that could follow. Legislators have complained that Patrick has dragged his feet in delivering a specific reform plan, which he first promised more than a year ago.
Last night, Cohen did attend the Mass Pike public meetings. Read about it in today's The Patriot Ledger.
Today is the Stop the Pike Hike protest. If you use the Pike, the Stop the Pike Hike group requests that you don't use your Fast Lane transponder and you pay using inconvenient currency.
“The positive feedback we’ve received from commuters who are using Wi-Fi on the trains has been fantastic,” Murray said in a statement. “It became clear early on in the pilot that this service should be expanded to all commuter rail trains, and is just one way we can improve commuter services in the commonwealth. I commend the MBTA and General Manager (Daniel) Grabauskas on their efforts to expand this program.”Under the expansion project, 258 of the MBTA’s 410 commuter rail coaches will be equipped with Wi-Fi service. Installation of the units began Dec. 1, and will produce 30 Internet capable coaches per month. A Wi-Fi logo will be posted on the exterior of coaches with wireless access.
"Embattled transportation chief a no-show"Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen didn't show up at a scheduled press conference this morning. His no show could mean that Governor Deval Patrick may be replacing Cohen. Deputy Secretary Thomas Cahir replaced Cohen at the previously announced press conference. Cohen's spokesperson directed reporters to Governor Patrick's office. Lt. Governor Tim Murray was at the press conference, but wouldn't confirm if Cohen is being replaced.
“I think it’s premature for speculation,” he said, when asked about it. “If and when, I’m sure it’ll be announced.”Murray said the entire state has “real challenges” with its transportation system and that fixing it is not about “any one person or individual. This is a team.”
The article goes on to detail some reasons, beyond just the massive transportation mess, that could cause Cohen to be replaced.
Joe Pesaturo, the MBTA spokesman, said the lots are not staffed overnight, and parking is prohibited in those hours for liability reasons. He said overnight parking is allowed in several subway garages and ferry yards, which could work for passengers such as Fraser if she is willing to take the Quincy ferry directly to Logan, the Red Line from Braintree, or some other route with an overnight option.
Joe - let me ask you a question - have you actually been to a MBTA commuter rail lot? Guess what - most of them aren't staffed during the daytime. Does that mean we shouldn't park our cars there?
Good grief - what stupid answer.
Considering how much it is to park and pay tolls at the airport, you would think more people would be encouraged to use other means to get to Logan. Logan Express may not be handy to a lot of people, so why not be able to take the train. Also, what if you want to take Amtrak to NYC? Unless you park at the Route 128 lot, you really can't. So I couldn't get on a Worcester line train and either take it inbound to Boston or outbound to Worcester to hop onto an Amtrak train if I needed to park my car overnight. That's nuts, huh?
The Stop the Pike Hike protest tomorrow has been altered. Instead of not using the Mass Pike, the organizers have asked participants to not use their Fast Lane transponder and to pay in cash instead. They recommend paying with coins. Read all about it in this report from WBZ.Haha, the one morning I could have used a late train and it was right on time. I was a couple minutes late getting out this morning, and with the weather I guess my walk took a few more minutes longer than usual, too. So a 5 minute delay wouldn't have been the worst thing for me today, but alas, it was right on time, even with the weather conditions. So my hat goes off to the T this morning, and I guess this falls into the "be careful what you wish for" category, haha.
It has been a crazy week. First massive delays, now weird weather. I bet everyone is looking forward to the weekend.
The big news this morning is the pilot Park & Pay by Phone program.
Beginning today, the MBTA is running a pilot program for Kingston Line commuter rail customers and Quincy and Hingham commuter ferry commuters. Using the Verrus Park and Pay by Phone automated system, commuters will be able to set up an account for automatic payment. Once an account has been established, commuters will be able to dial a phone number, enter their station location number and enter their parking space number and the transaction will process. If the pilot is successful, this will be rolled out to other stations. This could alleviate the pain of shoving dollars into the honor boxes.
To Our Worcester Line Customers;
We have received many emails regarding the service experienced by our Worcester passengers this week, and understand that many of you have been affected on each train that you commute on. We want you to know that we are in agreement with the many letters and phone calls that we have received expressing your dissatisfaction with the current level of service; we concur, it is completely unacceptable.
We could provide you with chapter and verse on the reasons for each delay but we are certain that at this point it would be nothing more than an empty gesture when there is no way to justify being delayed daily. The problems are the result of a myriad of mechanical breakdowns. These issues have been raised to the highest level of management including, the General Managers from both MBCR and the MBTA. We have been assured that there will be a mechanical department management and technical presence at the Worcester facility both tomorrow and Friday to ensure that all locomotives are serviceable and ready to depart for their scheduled trips.
We are aware also that many of our customers have stated that the LED monitors at the various stations along this line were not displaying any indication of delays but rather that service was on or near schedule, which was clearly not the case. The communication logs have been thoroughly reviewed by our Chief Dispatcher which shows the times and updates for all train delays were indeed transmitted. That said we have a crew out in the field to determine why this information is not being displayed on the station monitors; this system is unquestionably outdated and in need of replacement. The MBTA is in the process of procuring a new GPS messaging system which will greatly enhance our ability to provide this information in real-time, without the glitches that has resulted in the current lack of information reaching its intended destination.
In closing, we want to assure you that MBCR will do everything in our power to restore the service on this line to a level that you can rely on.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with this explanation and apology and thank you for riding the commuter rail.
I really have no words to describe this morning's commute. So, rather than use words which would require me to wash my mouth out with soap, I'll just give the details.
The P508 never came, and was eventually cancelled. Worcester commuters like myself waited from approximately 6:45 AM until roughly 7:43 AM, when the train finally arrived. In addition to being nearly an hour late, the train then turned into a local, as it was really the 7:35 train and not the 6:55.
I would like to personally thank the MBTA for ruining my Christmas. I was supposed to set up and decorate my tree last night, but I got home too late (had to work late
because I arrived late). So I was going to do the tree tonight. Clearly, that won't be happening either.
I'd also like to thank the MBTA for increasing my chances of being fired. Being 30 mins late yesterday, and an HOUR late today really bodes well for my end of the year review. Had I not arrived this morning by 10 AM (thankfully arrived at 9:46ish), the company I work for would have lost 1.4 million dollars.
Think I could have sued Danny boy? Oh, that's right. They have no money anyway.
Subject: No updated signage, invalid date.
It's bad enough to cancel the express train but waiting in the cold with a sign that says "All trains operating on or near schedule 11/11/08" is even worse when the date is 11/24/08. I arrived at work 45 minutes late. I submitted for the cancelled P502 and hope my refund is forthcoming. If not, I will write back to complain on that as well.
I appreciate that you brought this information about the LED board to my attention. Unfortunately, our communications department, tries to ensure that all boards are running with the appropriate information, however until someone informs us that it is not running properly, we have no way of knowing there is a problem. I have forwarded this information on to our communications department, asking that they further review this information.Unfortunately, this department does not handle the issue of fare reimbursement. This request is handled through the MBTA's website. If you have any trouble regarding your request, you may contact them by calling 617-222-3200 and asking for the Revenue Department. Thank you for taking the time to bring this concern to my attention, I appreciate it.
I heard on Channel 7 news this AM, that Red Line is going to RIP OUT ALL SEATS except for a few for handicapped and elderly. They claim to many riders. Now this is MORE THAN OUTRAGEOUS. Instead of
- better seats
- better customer service
- more cars added to the Red Line if more passengers
- more scheduled subways to accommodate the increase in ridership,
the MBTA, in all their infinite wisdom, decide to:
- rip out seats
- make present riders VERY MAD
- make the Red Line now very unsafe, and probably unlawful
- worsen their already bleak customer service reputation
Upset, Fitchburg Train Rider contacted the MBTA. Here is an excerpt of what the T had to say:
If I could set the record straight, the MBTA is testing two cars aspart of a pilot program where thy have removed the seats and these two cars would be put in the middle of a six car train. Currently the MBTA is operating 28 six car trains and starting on Monday one train will have two cars with the seats removed to address the over crowding the Red Line has experienced. Customers will be given the option to either utilize any of the cars with the seats or opt to board the train with the seats removed. The MBTA has added additional grab handles and straps for customers to hold onto during their commute. The Red Line had already added two additional trains beginning in the Fall to help address the overcrowding and we are responding to the still overcrowding conditions that still exist. Transit Agencies around the Country who have experienced similar problems removed seats as a way to increase ridership during peak periods.
The removal of the seats on the Red Line is a pretty controversial topic in Boston mass transit at the moment. Today's Patriot Ledger published an op-ed on this experiment. This well written editorial calls for the state to create a public transportation plan that will lessen our dependence on individual vehicles. The Ledger's editorial team makes some outstanding points about the logic of the T's experiment with removing Red Line seats. In the editorial staff's opinion, only 27 more riders will be able to get into Boston for about the cost of a gallon of gas. Do people really want to stand for a 1/2 train ride into Boston? Even a Tufts University blog has weighed in on this. We will have to see if this experiment works.
Now for some good news related to a follow-up story. Westborough Train Rider, who received mixed messages about paying daily parking fees with a personal check, sent this update:
They did indeed cash my check, see attached. Good news, they finally came back saying that paying by check is acceptable even though they have posted signs saying that paying by check is not an acceptable form of payment. Tomorrow will be my first test since 11/19. I'm curious to see if after paying by check I get back to the parking lot to find a slip on my vehicle stating I owe $5.
My aim is to let people know they can pay by check. People should know they have that option even though some station parking lots post that is not an acceptable form of payment, especially with it getting colder out there.
Thanks to Grafton Train Rider, Fitchburg Train Rider and Westborough Train Rider for sharing your experiences!
While the subject of parking is still top-of-mind, here are reports from WBZ-TV.com and the Brockton Enterprise about how a zoning conflict may not enable people to park at a private business in Kingston.
A Letter to the Editor in today's The Boston Globe about portable bikes, written by the executive director of MassBike. We actually missed this story - it ran in the November 30th edition of The Sunday Boston Globe. Folding bikes are used by some commuters to augment their transit commutes.
Finally, in case you didn't see or hear this, the Mass Pike reportedly saved $31.6 million thanks to budget cuts since January 2008. This is twice the amount that the Executive Director thought they would save in 2008.
Of course Grabauskas will take credit for this, telling us all how great they are, but the truth is we take the T DESPITE its performance, not because of its performance. Late, dirty trains; rude, uncaring workers; overpriced parking (when you can find a spot) ... the T is awful, but driving is far worse.The Boston Herald's take on the increase in the T's ridership had a different slant. The T is removing seats on the Red Line to accommodate more riders. This is being discussed at today's MBTA board meeting. If the seats are removed on some cars, it will cut the available seating in half. The article T will mark the "high capacity" cars with the removed seating and they will run a promotional campaign. WCVB-TV Channel 5 also reported on this.
