Commuters Still Upset Over Increased Parking Fees

We've known that the new parking fees will be going into effect this Saturday. That doesn't mean this is a dead story. Regional editions of The Boston Globe printed three separate stories today about the increased parking fees. Heck, even this blog got a mention in one of the articles!

"Grumbles greet hike in T lot fee" focused on commuters using the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line. Commuters are frustrated that the parking costs are rising, especially since some lots do not have enough spaces and other lots leave a lot to be desired from a maintenance perspective. On top of that, the service and experience riding the commuter rail trains leaves a lot to be desired.

Towns along the commuter rail line are fielding calls from citizens who are frustrated at yet another increase to the cost of their daily life. For commuters who take the train from Framingham, consider using the town owned parking garage near the commuter rail station. You can purchase monthly passes that are less expensive than the daily MBTA parking rates.

The T answers with their same canned response. Frankly, I just do not think they get it. If they got it, they would say "no perks for us - no cars, no lunches, nothing outside of our salaries and our operating budgets." But I think the T works in Fantasy Land and the rest of us are stuck working in Reality World.

Spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an e-mail that commuter-rail parking rates have been unchanged for six years, that the median cost of parking in downtown Boston is $33, and that the agency had to find a way to cover part of the money it owes workers who were recently awarded $53 million in back pay, among other funding needs. Already shackled by $8 billion in debt, Pesaturo said, the transit agency can't borrow its way out of the situation, and has to raise the money from other sources.

"The decision to ask customers to pay more for parking was very difficult," Pesaturo stated. "The MBTA . . . has been left with the unenviable choice of seeking fee increases or reducing services."

The "Commuters balk at T parking rate increases" spoke to commuters along the Fitchburg, Haverhill and Lowell lines. In this article, Joe Pesaturo said the T is "facing its most daunting challenge" in 9 years. Hey Joe - why do you still cater your board meeting lunches? Why aren't fares collected? Why does the T just list excuse after excuse after excuse. Be honest - parking rates aren't going to help the lots be maintained, this is extra money to cover your losses.

I think we're all angry. Over the past 2 months we've seen a lot of institutions ask for bailouts. T riders are now bailing out the MBTA by handing over more money to park. A 100% increase is drastic.

Finally, "Maine balks at the cost of bridge repair" takes the Northern New England point of view on the parking rate increase.

Even Suffolk University's The Suffolk Journal wrote an article about how the increase in parking fees will affect students, faculty and staff.

In an Op-Ed piece also from today's Globe, the Governor outlines how he'll change mass transit and transportation here in the Commonwealth. Governor Patrick cuts right to heart of one of the issues that plagues both the T and the Mass Pike: patronage. These authorities were notorious bastions of places where politicians could get jobs for their supporters. Perhaps that wasn't the best way to run two very important state agencies. The Governor also said our transportation system is "broken" from an infrastructure standpoint. He is proposing some drastic steps to realign transportation in Massachusetts:

1. Consolidation of agencies.
2. System-wide planning and financing of transportation needs.

The first step will be the elimination of the Mass Pike. Within two years tolls on the Pike west of Route 128 will be removed. Massachusetts will explore advanced toll collection technologies. The Big Dig Debt will be restructured.

In a counter-point article, The Boston Herald's editorial staff doesn't think the Governor's proposal will work.

For customer service news, Fox 25 ran this report on Monday about how people are really unhappy riding the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail. "Late trains, unresponsive customer service, bad signage, poor infrastructure, and increased fees" are just a few of the things people don't like about relying on the commuter rail. They even showed the fare boxes that people use to pay for their parking. Fox 25 report Jim Armstrong has a blog where you can read the transcript of Monday's report and see viewer's comments.

Finally, blogger innismir wrote a post that captured just how dysfunctional the T really is. At innismir's parking lot, the T actually had two different signs explaining the parking rate increase. innisimr took some photos, so you can see for yourself. This made my blood boil. I've worked in corporate communications. You are supposed to proof things before you send them to the printer. In this economy, the T doesn't have any more money to waste. Dan and Joe - how much did the misprinted signs cost us?

Good grief!

The T Desires to Play the Role of Emily Post or Miss Manners

A bit of a change with this morning's commute. I decided to take the P512 train, which departs Grafton at 7:49 a.m. I barely made it to the station on time. There were police officers all over Grafton this morning, so commuters were driving super slow. The commute was fine. We arrived to South Station at 9:05 a.m. or so, a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Commute-a-holic saw our favorite friend, MBTA GM Dan Grabauskas, being interviewed this morning on Fox 25's morning news program. Commute said that Dan provided a better workout, as he was his swarmy self on the interview. For whatever reason, Fox 25 does not provide code so bloggers can post or share video, so here is a link to the video segment with Dan's interview. You may wonder "Why was Danny G. being interviewed by Fox 25 this morning." Well, it is because the T announced a new marketing campaign - aimed at making riders more polite.

Can you believe it? The T, which is basically bankrupt, is spending money to communicate to their passengers that they need to be more polite while using the T. Good grief!! You know, Muni Manners already does this and they probably do it better. So why couldn't they just save the money and link to the Muni Manners blog off of the T's website? I am incredulous that the T is spending money on this campaign. This is utterly absurd.

Here's an idea - maybe if the T ran its services on time and actually had clean trains/buses, people wouldn't be as pent up as they are. I'm not advocating that riders have poor manners, but sometimes tempers flare because commuters are just frustrated.

It is stuff like this that causes people to want to see things like Question 1 go through.

If you don't feel like seeing Danny G. smirk in the video, you can read all about the T's latest marketing campaign in this article from today's Boston Metro.

Moving on. The Boston Globe ran an article today about the proposed Silver Line III project. Funding that project and other transit initiatives is the focus of two separate articles in today's Boston Metro. The Metro articles pick-up on the MASSPIRG report, announced over the weekend. One article is about how "Funding will decide the fate of Mass. transit," while the other focuses on "Shaping the MBTA for the 21st century." We all know that funding for mass transit and other transportation issues in Massachusetts is in dire straits. Here are some data points that the MASSPIRG report noted:

• 93,000,000 - amount of hours wasted in traffic delays in the greater Boston area during 2005.
• $4.3 billion - Massachusetts residents spent $4.3 billion more on gas in 2007 compared to 1998.
• 57% - the increase in vehicle traffic in the Commonwealth from 1980 to 2007.

SouthCoastToday.com also published an article about the MASSPIRG report.

Finally, Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D - 7th Middlesex District) wrote a guest op-ed piece for today's The MetroWest Daily News. Rep. Sannicandro details the pending purchase of the CSX tracks. His article states that this purchase will "will lower commute times and vastly improve the overall effectiveness of the Commonwealth's commuter rail program. The most dramatic and immediate changes of the plan will be enacted on Oct. 27 when the number of daily trains leaving Worcester will increase from 10 to 13, and the number of daily trains leaving from Boston to Worcester will increase from 10 to 12."

Yes, when we first heard the news that more trains were being added to the Worcester line, we were initially excited about this. But then when we saw the schedule, we noticed that essentially trains just got moved around.

From what I want and from what I've gathered from other commuters on the Worcester line, riders would like to see the following:

• More express trains from Worcester: Frankly, it would be great if trains could run express from Ashland to Boston.
• More express trains from Framingham: Commuters who live in Framingham and points East do not want to have to rely on the regular trains for their commutes into Boston.
• More train options for off-peak commutes: This includes riders who commuter from Boston and points west and more afternoon trains leaving Boston for Worcester-Framingham riders who may need to leave the office early.

I am hopeful that these changes will happen. However, I do not want to see our elected officials just rest on their laurels because they were able to purchase the tracks from CSX. Acquiring the tracks is one thing. Implementing a more vibrant train schedule is another.

For Sale: $350 million in Bonds Owned by the MBTA

Today's The Boston Globe reports that next week the MBTA is going to try to sell $350 million in bonds to help pay off short-term debt and fund its capital program. If the T can sell the bonds on the credit market, they plan to allocate the money as follows:

• $202 million would fund the MBTA's capital program.
• $100 million would let the T pay off their short-term paper debts.
• $37 million would be deposited into the account the T uses to pay down its debt.
• Anything left over would cover the cost of issuing the the bonds.

Overall, the T has $8 billion in debt.

Yesterday's Boston Metro reported that state and national transportation officials met in Boston on Wednesday to discuss the challenges facing federally funded transportation programs. A six-year federal transportation bill is up for re-authorization in 2009, but US Rep Michael Capuano said the House and Senate may not even get to this next year.

The T's Green Line extension and Urban Ring projects are both slated to receive federal funding.

Overall, the state's current transportation structure could cost $19 billion to maintain, which doesn't account for any new projects.

Even though the T has incurred a great deal of debt, today's Boston Metro reports that the transit authority is planning on building out the pilot WiFi program throughout the commuter rail line. Today, the T's Board of Directors will be asked to authorize $1.39 million to equip 258 train coaches with WiFI. This would include upgrading equipment on 50 Worcester line cars. If approved, this project will begin in December and the plan is to upgrade 30 coaches a month.

Call me crazy, but if the T is running out of money shouldn't the use whatever money they have to improve the on-time performance of their trains? Does the T ever listen to commuter feedback? Train Stopping has received a lot of comments this week from Worcester line riders who are frustrated with the "new" schedules. For commuters who's trips originates in Worcester through Ashland, they would like to see more express trains. For commuters who ride in from Framingham and points East, they would like to see express trains remain that originate in Framigham. And riders who do the "reverse" commute would like to see other options. Sure, some more trains were added, but in the scheme of things the schedule was just shuffled around. The Worcester-Framingham riders continue to be frustrated by their how much longer their trips take today compared to 2 or 3 years ago.

Finally, WickedLocal Hingham reports that the T's plans to cut the commuter boat service are currently on hold.

Massachusetts to Purchase Rail Tracks from CSX

Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line passengers take note. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has reached an agreement with CSX to purchase the tracks between Worcester and Framingham. Read all about it in today's The Telegram & Gazette.

FIVE - that's right - FIVE additional trains will be added to the Boston to Worcester route later this month. The new trains are scheduled to start service on October 27th.

In addition to the Central Mass-MetroWest tracks, the state will also be purchasing tracks in three other sections of the state, including the South Coast. The state will spend $100 million for this purchase - $50 million for the Worcester portion alone.

Six more daily trains may be added to the Worcester line over the next four years.

Starting October 27th, the plans are to add two morning trips and two evening trips to the Worcester line. The details of this agreement are expected to be announced today at a press conference this morning at Worcester's Union Station. The exact trip times for the new trains have not been determined.

“Study after study has shown we have got to do a better job of cross-pollinating our housing and workforce needs, and rail is one of the best ways to do that. Linking up the two largest cities and points in between in a way that is affordable and environmentally friendly makes absolute sense,” Mr. Murray said.

The agreements provide for the state to undertake the elevation of highway bridges to allow double-stack freight trains between Interstate 495 and the New York state line, while the state also has agreed to help CSX with possible future relocation of a major Boston freight yard to one or more locations in Central Massachusetts, including Worcester. Together, Mr. Murray said, it could make Worcester “the new rail hub of New England.”

The news about the Mass Pike is not as positive. Two articles in this morning's The Boston Globe. One was about how the Pike has been conducting more road maintenance during the day, to conserve costs. The other is about Governor Deval Patrick's proposal to dismantle the Pike and merge it into other state agencies.

Along the Line - Worcester Haunts

This is an off-transportation post about fun things "along the line" so to speak. Of course, I'm speaking about things along the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line. Feel free to contribute some suggestions.

I live in the 'burbs, the Worcester suburbs. Worcester has changed a lot - I think it is a much better city today than it was back in the 1980s. There is a good vibe in the city and a lot of wonderful places to go out for a bite to eat. I know Train Rider and I have both waxed poetic about The Corner Grille.

Earlier this summer, Train Stopping received a comment about KJ Baaron's (I think Grafton Train Rider left it, but I don't know for sure).

KJ Baaron's is a fun wine & spirit shop located at 220 Summer Street in Worcester, directly across the rotary from Union Station. They host periodic tastings for things beyond just wine, including a Monday night Whiskey Witch whiskey tasting. If you come off the train some night and you want to try something interesting, go into KJ Baaron's. I don't think it will disappoint.

At tonight's Whiskey Witch tasting, KJ Baaron's was also featuring cupcakes made by The Sugar Girls. Sugar Girls is new . . . so new they don't have a website. They may not need a website because their cupcakes are that good. Yes. The cupcakes Are. That. Good. Utterly amazing. I'm having a small party in a few weeks and I will be ordering some cupcakes from the Sugar Girls. The flavors are out of this world and I really should know, as I consider myself a connoisseur of the cupcake. If you're interested in ordering cupcakes, they can be reached at sugargirlcupacakes AT yahoo.com.

Rounding out some downtown Worcester fun, we capped off our evening at Armsby Abbey. This place was fantastic. It is only a few weeks old and it was opened by the team who operates The Dive Bar on Green Street. Armsby Abbey has an extensive menu of artisan beverages, not just artisan beers but artisan spirits too. And the food menu features locally grown produce. The place, located at 144 North Main Street (so there is a lot of available street parking) is a really great joint. Amazing atmosphere, great service, a fantastic menu, and great cocktails. Check it out - especially after a bad commute, Armsby Abbey will make you smile.

So that's it for the first Along the Line post. We'll be covering other haunts that we like.

All About the Tolls

It is close to the end of the day and I'll be heading out on my own (thankfully toll free) commute. But I wanted to share this article from today's MetroWest Daily News about the recent toll discussion. In the catchy-titled "MetroWest: For whom the commute tolls" the bane of MetroWest (and West) drivers is addressed.

Yup, those of us who live West of Boston are footing the bill for the Big Dig project. I don't think the I-93 drivers who live North and South of the city are thanking us. We're not martyrs, but maybe we should be.

The announcement comes to the chagrin of people like Mary Z. Connaughton, who has served on the Mass. Turnpike Authority's toll equity working group since last fall.

Connaughton, who lives in Framingham, sees the Mass. Pike tolls as an unfair fee structure that places a disproportionate fiscal burden on MetroWest commuters. Expanding the tolls to I-93, both north and south of Boston, is a proposal she would like to see fleshed out.

Through tolls, MetroWest commuters have shouldered the brunt of projects like the Big Dig and supported Turnpike infrastructure outside of the region for too long, Connaughton said.

The article noted that someone driving from Framingham to Boston during the work week could incur toll costs of $1,400.00 annually. Of course, MetroWest commuters could take the commuter rail, but it isn't an option that works for everyone. And not every commuting using the Pike is taking it all the way into downtown Boston. A lot of people have the unfortunate circumstances of working for companies located along Route 9 (TJX anyone) or 128. If you work along 128, it is either drive or try to telecommute.

In a May letter to the Turnpike Authority, Paul Matthews, executive director of the Westborough-based 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, wrote Pike tolling options should be reviewed and tolling strategies should be developed where daily commuting cost is "more equitable from all directions."

I don't buy the North Shore's seemingly powerful or motivated reps who feel that adding tolls on I-93 would require federal approval. Why? Because, when you get to the heart of it, the Mass Pike IS a federal road. I-90 is part of the great Interstate Highway. And have these same public officials been up to New Hampshire anytime in the past 25 or so years? Guess what - as soon as you cross over into New Hampshire, on Federal roads, you hit a toll booth.

This is a good time for state reps and senators representing Central Mass and Metro West to step up and demand equal parity for transportation costs!

To make matters worse, for those of us who live West of the city, in today's Mass Pike meeting the authority decided to eliminate discounts for Fast Lane users, according to WBZ. Yup, the one discount that benefited MetroWest / West drivers the most is going away. Really, the "discount" was only $.25 at the Allston-Brighton booth and $.50 at the tunnels.

Eliminating this discount will generate an extra $18 million to the cash-strapped Pike.

I suppose it could be worse - the Pike could have raised tolls across the system.

With that, I need to leave the office and drive home.

Slow Commute

My morning commute was slow today.

I took the P512 which departs Grafton at 7:49 a.m. We got into South Station at 9:17 a.m., which is about 11 minutes behind schedule.

I wonder if the delay was due to the weather? Something else? Who knows, as there was no official announcement. It was slow going from Framingham through the Wellesley's.

On a different note, last night's thunderstorms were CRAZY!!!! I'm ready to see this Florida/London weather move on to another place. Seriously - it is either humid like Florida or just damp and wet like London. I guess as long as it is nice over the weekend . . .

I won't be commuting in tomorrow morning. It will be a beach day instead.

P504 Late

As I was watching the morning news on WCVB-TV this morning at approximately 6:35 a.m., the SmarTraveler updated noted that the P504, which departs Framingham at 6:50 a.m., was running late. While it is great that they announced the train was going to be late, I wonder how many actual train riders heard this update? I would think that most people were already either at the station or driving to the station. Does anyone know why this train was late this morning? I hope the rest of the morning trains on the Worcester-Framingham late run on time.

The SmarTraveler update also said there would be delays on the Middleborough line. Boy, this line seems to experience a lot of delays too.

Editorials about the MBTA were published in today's Telegram & Gazette and yesterday's The Boston Globe.

I must say - the media loves MBTA GM Dan Grabauskas. I just don't get the love affair? Why are they so hard on other elected officials and public leaders, but they just give Dan softballs everytime?

The T&G closed their editorial with this . . .

We are confident that Grabauskas will explore every means of balancing the MBTAbudget. The public knows Grabauskas is capable of massive reform — witness theturnaround he made when faced with a similarly intractable situation at the
Registry of Motor Vehicles. Now we want to see him take on the T.

Seriously - whatever Grabauskas did at the Registry was in the past. As the head of the T, he really hasn't done anything to blow off anyone's socks.

The Globe sent this love letter to Grabauskas - belch!

It must have been frustrating for Grabauskas to watch the Massachusetts TurnpikeAuthority get help from the Legislature in the waning hours of this session.
After all, Grabauskas didn’t get in over his head with exotic market‘‘swaptions’’ the way the Pike did. Governor Deval Patrick broached a plan to let the Pike transfer a portion of its debt to the Commonwealth, where it could pay a smaller interest rate, and the Legislature added some much-needed oversight reforms. But unlike the Pike, the T’s credit rating is actually better than the state’s.

What about "it must be frustrating for commuters who rely on the T's services to not know if their train or bus will actually show up, be functional, have their fares collected, etc., etc." And what about other Massachusetts residents who don't necessarily use the T, but support it through gas tax and other financing methods. Aren't we owed an explanation about the vapid mismanagement?

In today's Globe there is an article about the state transportation bill approved last week. Also in today's Globe, Salem residents and businesses are trying to encourage commuters to use alternative methods to commute.

Even in the Rain, Today's Train Arrived on Time

My inbound commute on the P508 train was good this morning. We were on time, though I neglected to look at my watch so I don't have the exact time we rolled into South Station.

How sad about yesterday's fatality on the train tracks in Westborough yesterday. According to The Boston Globe, the man who was struck and killed by an Amtrak train committed suicide. This was the second accident this week on the Worcester line. Yesterday The MetroWest Daily News reported on injuries to a homeless man who was struck by a train in downtown Framingham on Monday. Yikes.

Following-up on yesterday's post about the "hefty" MBTA fare hikes looming, I wanted to mention that both AJ and Kidney Stones made some good comments about the fare hikes. Honestly, I'm in the same boat they're in. If my pass goes from $250 to $320, I am not taking the train anymore. With the delays and the impact to my schedule, it just doesn't become financially enticing to ride the rails. Not to be crass, but eff that!

By the way, I'm really enjoying Boston.com's The Green Blog. I'm not sure how long this blog has been around, but some of the recent article about transportation have been really enjoyable. Yesterday, they published a Q&A with our good "friend" Dan Grabauskas. There is even a video, see below. The Q&A generated 63 comments so far. Many of the comments are rational - people want to see new leadership, better management, and fare enforcement. Pretty logical, huh? I think this is a good point for our elected officials, including our Governor, to step up and get involve. This is a pretty big issue impacting a good segment of the general population.



Finally, The Greater Grafton Blog published another report on the plans to reinstate the Grafton & Upton railroad.

This Morning's P500 Never Showed Up

Thanks to Gary for sharing the following! The P500 originates in Framingham and normally departs each weekday morning at 5:40 a.m.

Below please find the email sent MBTA/MBCR Commuter Rail Customer Comment forum.

This morning's P500 train out of Framingham never showed up. I understand that delays and breakdowns happen, what I fail to grasp is why the MBTA continues to struggle with letting passengers know what is going on.

I arrived at the Framingham station just after 5:30 this morning and immediately knew something was up when the train wasn't sitting there waiting for us, however, the lovely scrolling red signs was promising "all trains on or near schedule" as usual - unfortunately, it applied to yesterday's trains.

I waited a few minutes and then used my Blackberry to check the MBTA website for any service alerts or advisories. Framingham was listed with nothing. No alerts, no advisories. As it was now just a few minutes past our scheduled departure, it didn't bother me too much... yet.

To cut to the end of the ordeal - as you know, the 5:40am P500 train never showed up. We were never given any indication of the problem either by the signs at the station or by the MBTA website. In fact, the first (and only) notice we were given of the problem was when we boarded the next train into Boston (the P502) at around 6:30. The funny part is, the announcement that was given was not even intended for those of us that had been sitting at the Framingham station for an hour - it was instead directed at the regular passengers of the usually express P502 explaining to them why we needed now to make all the local stops on our way into Boston. Apparently the P500 had broken down - who knew?

Again - I understand that mechanical failures happen from time to time and I can accept that. What I cannot accept is the repeated failure of the MBTA to make even rudimentary attempts at notifying its passengers of delays and cancellations. I have written in the past about these frustrations and the inability of the MBTA to not only update, but coordinate the information available on the signs at the stations and on the website only the receive back responses that boil down to "well CSX controls this and we control that, etc. etc. etc" but seriously - I cannot believe that in the hour that we were standing at that station that not even one of the outlets available to us as passengers could have been updated to fill us in.

Everyone Loves a Celtics Parade

In case you have been living under a bubble somewhere, the Celtics "Rolling Rally" is today. Hip hip hooray to the Celtics! That was a nice championship victory.

Altering my schedule a bit, I took the P512 this morning. Maybe that was a mistake. It was PACKED with Celtics revelers. Maybe it wasn't a mistake - who knows, my regular P508 may have been packed too.

The conductors gave up collecting passes around Framingham. I'm perturbed by this for a few reasons.

1. The MBTA needs the revenue.
   
2. It is unfair that some people had to pay for their train ride in and others didn't.
   
3. The T and the city have been promoting the use of the whole system as an alternative to driving in - why didn't they staff up for this? Could they not staff up? I mean - if you aren't going to collect the much needed fares, don't collect it for the entire ride in.

We got to South Station at 9:06 a.m., a few minutes ahead of schedule. It looks like it will be a fairly nice day for a parade - I hope the forecasted rain stays away until the parade is over.

Thank you Celtics for bringing home another championship to Boston!

On Time Train but the Silver Line Was Packed

The P508 was on time this morning. We arrived at South Station at 8:19 a.m. The Silver Line was mobbed, though. I had to wait for three full buses to pass before I could get on.

Read the following article in today's MetroWest Daily News regarding how the state plans to balance the needs of the commuter rail commuters with the needs of automobile drivers in high traffic areas such as the intersections of Routes 126 and 135 in Framingham. Framingham officials are concerned that increasing the number of commuter rail trains will only increase the bottleneck situation that occurs in some areas along the rail line.

Some Worcester line commuters were quoted in the article:

Grafton resident Kevin McCarthy, who takes the commuter rail to his job in Boston, correlated the train's occasional tardiness with the CSX ownership of the tracks.

CSX freight takes precedence over the commuter train, which sometimes throws the train's schedule out of whack, said McCarthy.

"They always put themselves first," he said. "It never runs early, I'll say that much."

Robert Van, a 44-year-old jeweler from Hopkinton, who uses the commuter rail to get to his job in Boston, concurred.

"(CSX) should work with the MBTA," he said.

In other news, Governor Deval Patrick was recently on the North Shore, where he made some announcements regarding the Beverly Depot commuter rail station project, according to the Gloucester Daily Times.

Finally, major upgrades are planned for the Rockport commuter rail station, according to WickedLocalGloucester.com.

My Friday Train Pulled In On Time

Happy Friday!

At times, hasn't this week's commutes seemed long? There have been a lot of responses to different blog posts this week about delayed trains. Check out Jennifer's update about yesterday's P504 train on the Worcester-Framingham line. AJ has also added in some feedback for the lack of announcements for some of the stoppages this week.

Today's commute was a good one. We were on time. There was no random stopping on the Allston/Brighton border or sitting on the tracks for 10 minutes without any announcements. The P508 arrived at South Station at approximately 8:21 a.m.

Missed My Train So I Took the P512 Train to Work Today

So I missed the P508 train this morning. I waited for the P512, which departs Grafton at 7:49 a.m.

What a cluster "eff." Initially, my commute seemed fine. However, when we got to Framingham, the P510 had not even left yet, so everyone waiting in Framingham got onto the P512. Then at the Natick and Wellesley stops, it seemed like we just sat on the tracks while they kept on making the same announcement that "our train was the Express train, etc." over and over again. Thankfull, due to the new train schedule, we were only two minutes behind once we got to Back Bay Station. We pulled in at 8:04 a.m. instead of the scheduled 8:02 a.m. time.

Blah! Not for the time we pulled into Back Bay but for the drama of today's commute.

My Super-Early Super-Long Delayed Commute This Morning

This has been a busy week at work. I needed to get into Boston early this morning.

I got up early (which is something Train Rider loathes to do) to get ready so I could take the P506 train in. The P506 train departs Grafton at 6:39 a.m. Much to my surprise, the P506 was canceled. When the next train, the P508, showed up it was two cars short. The P508 departs Grafton a 1/2 hour after the P506 at 7:09 a.m.. So after waiting more than a 1/2 hour, I had to ride on a train that was two cars short that needed to accommodate the riders from two trains.

Once I boarded the train, I noticed that passes were not checked and tickets were not created. Around Ashland, the conductors made an announcement that they spoke to dispatch (CSX I presume?) and obtained permission to have the train go express from the Framingahm station. So, even though the train was packed, it worked out well from a time perspective because we didn't have to stop at West Natick and Natick and deal with even more passengers.

We arrived to Back Bay Station at the P508's scheduled time of 8:17 a.m. I jumped off the train to take the Orange Line to work.

It is really sad when you've already had a long day and it isn't even 8:30 a.m. At least it is nice outside. The question is - will I be able to step out from my endless meetings to enjoy today's taste of spring?

P510 Inbound Broke Down - Still On the Train

Today will most likely be my last inbound commute for a few weeks. I'm slated to be traveling for business. Right now, my trip is on. But there is a chance it could get postponed due to the Internet outage plaguing some parts of the world including the Middle East and India. I guess a transcontinental cable got cut when a boat's anchor was dropped on it.

Back to my real time commute this morning on the Worcester-Framingham line. I'm still on the train.

The P510 inbound train (which originates in Framingham and hits every station between Framingham and South Station except for Yawkey Way) broke down. Since I took the P512 (which runs express from Framingham to Back Bay Station), my train became a local train and we have been stopping at every station between Framingham and Boston.

I'll write more about this morning's commute later. The train is packed!

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Device

Today's Worcester-Framingham Line's P512 Commuter Rail Virtually On Time, But the P500 Was Not

I'm back in the office today and back on the train.

I took the P512 train into Boston this morning. My train was fairly on time today. We got to Boston at 9 a.m. (the train is supposed to pull into South Station at 8:59 a.m., so we were close enough).

But I guess the early trains on the Worcester-Framingham line were not so punctual. I noticed a comment posted to the UniversalHub's blog about the P500 train. This train is a local train that just goes from Framingham to Boston. Check out this:

"Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester #500 (6:05am inbound) experiencing over 60-70 minute delay. #502 (6:06a inbound from Worcester) will tack on to #500 and push to Boston, resulting in 40-45 minute delay for #500. All other inbound trains will be delayed 35-45 minutes 1/10/2008 8:13 AM"

Well I guess whatever situation that caused the early trains to be delayed was rectified by the time I boarded the P512 in Grafton. I can't believe I lucked out so much and didn't get stuck on a delayed train.

Worcester-Framingham Line Inbound P508 Continues to Not Provide On Time Service

I was home sick on Friday. So I didn't have to commute in on the last Friday in 2007.

But I'm feeling better and even with the light snow fall, prepared to go into Boston for work today.

So, I get to the Grafton train station at 7:00 a.m., I check the T website with my Blackberry to make sure the train was on time. Even with the snow, the P508 train was running on time (as of 7 a.m.).

At around 7:30, the train still hadn't come, so I checked the website again and it said the P508 (which departs at 7:19 a.m. from the Grafton station) was canceled and that the next train (I take the P512 b/c the P510 does not service any of the Worcester-area stations) was running 25-30 minutes late!!!

So I said eff that and came home. I am now working from home on the last day of the year. Thankfully my boss is very understanding (as my boss also has to endure the commuter rail dramas, albeit on a different line).

For the last day of 2007, thus far the Worcester-Framingham line's performance is NOT on-time.

I can't wait to see what the December on-time performance rate is. It can't be good!!

Friday, 12/21 Outbound P529 Worcester-Framingham Commuter Rail

I have been off for the Christmas holiday since Thursday, December 19th. I heard through friends that Friday's evenings outbound commuter rail trains running on the Worcester-Framingham line were extremely delayed.

The P529 train which normally leaves South Station at 6:05 p.m. was at least delayed 1 hour. Some of my friends had spouses (or parents or friends) pick them up from Wellesley and other towns along the commuter rail line.

Since a lot of people were off for the Christmas holiday on Friday and since the weather was normal, I have no idea why the evening trains were so delayed.

If anyone had to commute on the trains on either Friday, Monday or yesterday, please feel free to contact me with updates (both good and bad).

Now it is back to work for me!

Monday's Commute

Another Monday in Massachusetts, another day of inclimate weather.

Last night's rain turned into freezing rain this morning. The roads weren't too bad ... the worst one was my driveway and the T parking lot. I nearly fell flat on my face at the Grafton station's parking lot, it was so icy. Nice job sanding there T staff!!

Why do I have to pay for parking if the parking lot can't be maintained? Plus, with the icy roads, more people rely on the train because they don't want to drive unless they really have to.

Oh, the train was LOVELY today ... NOT.

Let's see ... we got stuck behind another train out of Framingham, so we were practically crawling through MetroWest .... we got to South Station at 9:35 (for a 9:00 arrival).

Oh well, at least another $15.50 in reimbursements will be coming my way.

At least I won't be taking the train again until Thursday. I have a business trip in NYC tomorrow. Let's see - will the Shuttle get me to NYC faster than the commuter rail gets be to Boston? We'll just have to wait and see.