End Week Commutes and MBTA News Round Up

I can't believe how nice it is outside today. I'm really sad that we're supposedly getting rain over the weekend.

My outbound commute was on time last night. The P529 arrived at Grafton around 7:20 p.m. (7:19 p.m. is the scheduled on-time arrival time). This morning the inbound P508 got to Back Bay Back Bay at 8:12 and South Station at 8:21. Both stops were ahead of schedule.

I read in today's The Boston Globe about how 17-year old Stuart Spina presented 9-months worth of research to the MBTA Board yesterday. Stuart's research: how the T can fix its bus service.

How sad is it that a 17 year old kid has to do something like that. And you know what is even sadder this comment from the article about how the bus drivers and inspectors are under so much stress:

"I'd heard so much about the bus system," said Spina, a West Roxbury resident who attends the Commonwealth School. "I'd experienced it myself, late buses, crowded buses. . . . Surprisingly, the drivers and inspectors are under just as much stress."

He cited snowed-in bus stops and schedules that promise a 25-minute trip will take only 6 minutes.

Shame on the T for not even supporting their own employees!

Boston City Councilor Charles C. Yancey wants to have a public hearing to address the safety issues detailed in the Globe's article published earlier this week about the buses.

In other news, yesterday the MBTA's board approved a budget that will borrow $20 million from the T's $55 million rainy day fund. While there will not be fare hikes in 2009, the T has refused to rule out the possibility of fare increases for 2010.