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 NY Times Comes to Grafton

Both Train Rider and I have ties to the town of Grafton. Needless to say, I nearly died when I saw the Grafton, MA dateline in this article published in today's The New York Times. The article focused on the Question 1 Ballot initiative to repel the state's income tax. A number of area residents along with State Senator George Peterson (R-Grafton) and Grafton Town Selectman Brooke Padgett were interviewed.

While I do not like to see wasteful things happen with my hard-earned tax dollars, I am opposed to Question 1. I do not want to see funding in our state reliant on property taxes. I would rather pay a consistent tax then see my property taxes fluctuate to support my town's services. Not to mention, our state's already tapped transportation infrastructure will be hard hit if this Ballot Initiative passes.

Since we fortunately live in a democracy, you can read about why some people want Question 1 to pass. Although, in really thinking a bout New Hampshire, I don't see a whole lot of companies opening up shop up there. If anything, it seems like a lot of people live in NH but work in Massachusetts.

Honestly, I really do not dig ballot initiatives. We live in a state with a full-time legislature. They should be working out these issues.

Association for Public Transportation Urges Rail Infrastructure Investment

According to an article in today's Telegram & Gazette, former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis is frustrated that the Commonwealth's public transportation system is not as adequate as it could be.

Not wanting to say, "I told you so," but certainly implying that, Dukakis was quoted as saying:

"Twenty-five, thirty years ago, it was obvious that we were heading for this."

What's this, you might ask? Well it is the rising cost of gas that is causing residents to seek alternative transportation options which aren't as robust as they could be.

Dukakis was the keynote speaker at last night's Association for Public Transportation's annual meeting. The article noted the following:

The former governor and his wife, Kitty, recently visited Europe, a trip that
reminded him that the United States has “underinvested” in rail. “You come back
to the United States and it’s embarrassing,” he said.

I know that Mr. Dukakis is not just a big advocate, but he follows what he preaches. Back in 2005, I ended up on the same flight that Mr. Dukakis and his wife Kitty were on. We were flying from Madrid to Amsterdam. Assuming that most people with anytime of celebrity cred would fly first class turned out to be just that - an assumption. Mr. Dukakis, his wife and the other couple they were traveling with sat behind me in plain old regular coach.

The article continued to mention the challenges in extended commuter rail service between Worcester and Boston because the tracks are owned by CSX. As we all know, the state is trying to purchase the rail tracks that are between Worcester and Framingham.

While last night's meeting focused on commuter issues, the attendees also noted that transit agencies must work with freight companies to be successful.

Transportation infrastructure is aging, increasingly congested, and unable to
accommodate the current population,” said keynote speaker Frank J. Busalacchi,
secretary of Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation. For decades, public funds
for transportation have been devoted to highways, but that model no longer
works, he said.

“We need the same commitment to mass transit as we make to highways,” he said. “It’s going to be very costly.”

In other news, there was another fatality on the tracks yesterday. Last night an outbound Fitchburg commuter rail train struck and killed a person on the Concord-Lincoln town line.

Finally, WickedLocal-Boxborough published an article about the MBTA's funding issues.

Massachusetts Moves Badly in Transportation-Related Issues

The Boston Globe published an editorial this morning about the state of transportation in Massachusetts titled "Mass. moves -- badly."

Massachusetts Transportation Investment Coalition, a coalition of public-spirited groups, issued a report yesterday about transportation in Massachusetts.

According to a report commissioned by the Massachusetts Transportation Investment Coalition, 585 bridges in the state are structurally deficient, the most heavily traveled being the Interstate 95 span that crosses the Newburyport Turnpike in Lynnfield. A stretch of North Road in Westfield is number one on the list of deteriorated highways. There may be no immediate safety hazard, but with truck and automobile transportation essential to the state economy, no highway should linger in substandard condition.

With the spike in gas prices, ridership on public transit has increased markedly, and the MBTA has worked hard to accommodate all its riders. Years of inadequate investment, however, have meant that 82 percent of the transit rolling stock is in poor or marginal condition, and 84 percent of commuter rail coaches are in similarly poor shape. Continual repair keeps most of them going, but the threat remains of unreliable service.

The coalition comprises 21 groups ranging from the American Automobile Association, Conservation Law Foundation, Construction Industries of Massachusetts, and the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. Its members will spend the next few months going around the state explaining the extent of the problem. The coalition's findings ought to encourage legislative candidates to make transportation finance an issue this fall.

The Globe noted that this is a hard sell topic, due to the cost. Last year, the Legislature said it would cost $15 to 19 billion to fix all the transportation-related issues plaguing the Commonwealth. Increases in gasoline tax could fund the fixes, but then voters might become angry. That leaves increasing transit fares or toll hikes, which would be a few commuters would be contributing revenue to be used for state-wide transportation issues.

In other news, two consecutive commentaries published by The Salem News about commuter rail-related issues. Yesterday the paper wrote an editorial about attempts made on the North Shore back in 1978 for extending commuter rail options. If only you could go back in time, huh? The idea 30 years ago was to build electric LRVs to run along existing commuter rail and Blue Line tracks to move people from the North Shore to Boston. The editorial also touched upon the bad experience many North Shore residents had last week in attempting to use public transportation to get into Boston for the Celtics parade.

Today's editorial was about the lack of parking at the MBTA's Beverly Station lot. There is a lack of parking at the commuter rail system's second busiest (Salem) and third busiest (Beverly) stations. However, new stations have been built in Lynn and Lawrence. Yet these stations are not busy and the demand for parking is not as great.

It seems like the T was trying to satisfy some urban communities while ignoring some other suburban/urban areas. Where's the leadership? Who is making the decisions? Will we always have to ask these questions?

On a lighter note, be on the lookout for wrapped commuter rail trains. Boston Daily wrote about the unveiling of the first-ever wrapped commuter rail train we mentioned last week. The newly wrapped train was unveiled yesterday. We'll try to find some coverage about the event.

Hot Worcester Line Tracks = Slow Commute

Yesterday's Boston Sunday Globe's "Starts and Stops" column contained a lead story about when the weather heats up, rail tracks can cause a slow down - especially on the Worcester line. Why is only the Worcester line impacted? Well, that's because CSX owns the rails that comprise the Worcester line. Sometimes the Providence line is impacted, because their tracks are owned by Amtrak. But Amtrak has higher speed limits than CSX.

No doubt, this column certainly resonated with frustrated riders of the Worcester line:

Regulars on the Framingham-Worcester commuter line have it rougher than almost anyone who depends on the rails to get to work in Massachusetts. They have suffered a history of delays and, more recently, were subject to changed schedules built around chronically slow service.

Add this to their lament: hot tracks, the scourge of summer traveling.

Earlier this month, when regional temperatures hit the 90s, Framingham-Worcester passengers were stuck with four days of speed restrictions that did not affect other commuter lines. Those slowdowns added 20 minutes to a commute to Worcester that routinely takes more than 1 1/2 hours.

Since we're now officially in summer, Worcester commuter rail riders can expect more hot track delays - especially between the hours of 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on those super steamy days. The past two summers there have been nine days of temperatures in the 90s.

The "Starts and Start" column also had an update about the Blue Line construction.

That wasn't all the news in yesterday's Globe. There was a cornucopia of transportation related stories.

The front page ran a story about Boston-area residents who are selling their homes to move closer to their offices. Even though this is a pretty bad real estate market, some people want to cut down on their commutes. This may cause them to reduce the size of their home.

The Boston Globe Magazine published an article about some of the short-sighted transportation decisions our Commonwealth has made over the years. One was the new U-turn they added to the Pike in Boston. Another was the Greenbush commuter rail line. New big-budget transportation projects could ultimately make sense, but our state's transportation leaders need to consider if spending billions of dollars is ultimately worth it.

Along the same lines, The Boston Herald ran an article yesterday about how Massachusetts' poor roads and bridges are costing the average drive $156 in repair costs, increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Yikes~

When Gas Gets Expensive, Americans Use Public Transportation

So it looks like our first heat wave of 2008 might have broken. It feels a lot better today than it has over the past few days.

How did everyone's commutes go last night in the horrendous heat?

Due to a post-work meeting tonight, Train Rider did not take the commuter rail into Boston this morning.

At the risk of dating myself, I would like to reference the 1992 movie "Singles." In this movie, about a bunch of 20-somethings living in Seattle in the early 90s, actor Campbell Scott portrayed Steve Dunne. Steve worked as a transportation architect and he was pitching the idea of adding a monorail line to the city of Seattle. The city decided they didn't want to add a monorail line.

Now if "Singles" were real life and Seattle still decided to pass on funding a monorail line in the early 1990s, I bet if they could roll back the clock and fund it now, they would. Because guess what, Americans not only want mass transit, they're using it. And our municipalities are having a tough time funding our transportation systems and keeping up with the demands of new riders.

With the rising cost of gas, it seems like public transportation is becoming an emerging issue. Too bad so many metropolitan areas never made public transportation an important service. That is probably because tax payers didn't see the need to fund it. MSNBC ran an interesting article this morning about "Jammed transit systems running on fumes."

Boston/Massachusetts was mentioned in this article.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, mass transit ridership is at its highest point in 50 years. Why? It has become too expensive to drive. This is a trend that is happening coast-to-coast. For the first three months of 2008, Americans took 85 million more trips via bus, subway, commuter rail, and light train rail than during the same period in 2007.

The American Public Transportation Association is concerned that our nation's public transportation systems may not be handle the rising amount of passengers.

While some metropolitan areas have been investing in their public transportation infrastructure, other areas have not. Now that there is an increased demand for public transportation, the infrastructure to provide it might not be there.

“We’re seeing it in a lot of other metropolitan areas where there just [aren’t] viable transit options — places like Indianapolis, Orlando or Raleigh,” said Robert Puentes, a transportation and urban planning scholar with the Brookings Institution, a public policy association in Washington. “They haven’t put the money into it. They haven’t put the resources into it.”

“There are major challenges in most of the older, established transit systems, places like New York or Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston — places that are really starting to show their age,” he said.

The article even mentioned that Washington, DC's Metro system (which I think is one of the best transit systems in this country), is one of the systems showing its age.

For the first time since 1980, the number of miles driven last year fell. This is the point of public transportation - to get cars off the roads.

The rising cost of gas can impact public transit in another way beyond more additional riders. Many transit systems are funded through gasoline taxes. If fewer drivers are filling up, that could mean less money for transportation systems. Some states are increasing their gas tax to help fund their public transit operations. Plus, with more riders, it costs more money to fuel the buses, trains, etc. that the public is using.

It all adds up to a conundrum for government officials — high fuel prices send passengers to mass transit but drive down tax revenue and strain fuel budgets.

Answers aren’t expected any time soon, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. He added:

“We need a dramatically different energy policy for our country, and that’s not going to happen overnight.”

Wow!

Marathon Monday Commuter Wasn't On Time

What a beautiful Marathon Monday it turned out to be. Did anyone catch the 112th Boston Marathon zip by their office? Commute-a-holic was there for the start.

Well today is Patriots Day here in Massachusetts. Normally, the MBTA would be running a holiday schedule, however even though Patriots Day is a state holiday it isn't a MBTA-recognized holiday. Why you might ask - well of course today is the Boston Marathon and since many roads are shut down and there are a lot of spectators, the T was running a regular commuter rail and subway schedule (buses are on a holiday schedule).

The P508 train ran a bit behind schedule today. It was five minutes late arriving to Grafton. We got to Back Bay Station at 8:19 a.m. and South Station at 8:28 a.m.

Mass. Congressional Committee Stands Up to CSX and a Letter to the Editor

According to an article from today's The Boston Globe, all twelve members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation have sent a "strongly worded letter" to CSX "threatening legislation if the rail-freight giant continues to insist that it should not be held liable for the human cost of train accidents, even when it is at fault."

Despite repeated criticisms of its no-fault arrangements with Amtrak and passenger rail services in other parts of the country, CSX has demanded the same deal as a nonnegotiable part of a proposed sale of its tracks running between Worcester and Framingham.

Massachusetts officials, who are eager to buy the tracks and expand passenger rail service linking Worcester and Boston, have termed the provision outrageous and have labeled it a deal-breaker. Now federal lawmakers have stepped in and are threatening hearings and legislative remedies.

Under the proposed no-fault arrangement, if one of the MBTA's commuter-rail trains crashed and CSX were determined to be at fault, the company would be liable for train and track damage, but not for passenger injuries or deaths. Critics say the provision would protect CSX even if one of its employees was found to have been drinking or using drugs on the job.

"That is a stupid deal to get into," said US Representative James McGovern. "It's nuts."

The letter, sent by Senator John Kerry and signed by the entire delegation noted:

"Expansion of commuter rail service is enormously important to us and our constituents, and we believe that an agreement can be reached without the need for federal interference. However, in the event that no progress is made in the short term, we are prepared to consider congressional action, including potential legislative solutions mandating what is acceptable in freight-commuter rail contracts."

Why is this important? Well, for riders of the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line, if this issue can resolve it could mean more service between Worcester and Boston.

State officials, led by Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, are pushing to double the number of commuter trains serving Worcester, Grafton, Westborough, Southborough, and Ashland. The Worcester-to-Framingham corridor, however, is one of the few stretches of track used by the MBTA's contractor, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., that is not controlled by the state.

In other news, also from The Globe, a Lynn resident sent in a "Letter to the Editor" about the April 6th Globe article on the proposed Blue Line expansion.

Deja Vu Commutes

Last night's commute started the same way as Tuesday night's commute. This morning's commute was the same as yesterday morning's commute. So it is a "deja vu" commute.

Again, all of the doors, except for the ones on the first car were locked when we got to South Station for the P529 outbound train. They announced the train, still the doors were locked. There was a conductor on the track, just walking back and forth. Finally, the majority of us standing on the platform, went through the front door and then back through the cars to get to a seat. While we were walking down the aisles, one of the conductors was coming through and getting angry (p*ssed) that the conductors couldn't get up the aisle. I said, "well, this wouldn't happen if all of the doors were open." Not sure they appreciated that! We got to Grafton at around 7:19 p.m., so right on schedule.

This morning, the P508 inbound train was on time as well. We arrived ahead of schedule to Back Bay Station at around 8:12 a.m. I got off and took the Orange Line to my office. The Orange line was packed! Thankfully I didn't notice any disgusting public displays of affection on the Orange line. When I was on the Orange line the other day, a couple was really going at it. "Get a room," it is way too early in the morning to view that type of behavior. The T shouldn't be Skinamax.

The only drama during today's commute involved the parking lot at the Grafton station. I
I slipped this morning in the parking lot. I think they didn't sand well yesterday and it was cold overnight, so whatever is underneath the inch of snow now is icy.

It just goes to show how inflated the new schedules are. Yesterday The Daily Worcesteria blog posted a comparison of the "new" Worcester-Framingham commuter rail schedule. I encourage everyone to check this comparison out. Daily Worcesteria is absolutely right in that the new schedule amounts to lower standards for the trains. It's so infuriating as a commuter.

In other news, I missed this "Letter to the Editor" published in Monday's Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Since it appears that the T&G archives their articles after 14 days, here is the letter in it's entirety:

MBTA should be held accountable

The MBTA continues to demonstrate a remarkable lack of interest in improving service on the Worcester line or communicating effectively with customers. On Feb. 19, I arrived at the Westboro station for my usual train after being away from home on a business trip for a week. Imagine my surprise to discover that not only had my train (the 6:23 a.m.) been moved over 20 minutes earlier, but that the next available express was not until 7:14 a.m. These changes were made without meaningful advance notice or opportunity for comment. The 6:23 a.m. train that I have been using was consistently full and clearly well used. In addition to the inconvenience on Feb. 19, the new schedule, with Worcester express trains leaving over an hour apart at the height of the morning rush, doesn’t serve my work schedule well and will lead to a much heavier reliance on my car.

It is long past time that the MBTA was held accountable for its approach to planning and providing services on the Worcester line. Much has been written about the poor service, limited schedule and large number of late arrivals. The MBTA’s response this week was to reschedule trains without providing notice to its customers.

JOHN BUTTERWORTH
Auburn

Honestly, if I didn't have this blog (and if I didn't ask Commute-a-holic to post news updates), I would have been in the same boat as Mr. Butterworth. My first day back commuting after a two week business trip and a holiday was on the first day of the new schedule. I agree that there should be a formal process in place that requires the MBTA/MBCR to plan ahead of time new schedule changes. Announcing a new schedule 1 1/2 weeks before it goes live is not acceptable. Most commuters are used to formal schedule changes that occur at prescribed periods.

Mr. Butterworth also raises some key points that a lot of us have discussed concerning the amount of time in-between trains on the Worcester line.

When will our elected officials and business leaders start to work to improve mass transit in Massachusetts?

Is the "Realistic" Schedule Fair to Riders of the MBTA/MBCR Worcester-Framingham Commuter Rail Line?

Train Rider is still abroad. Due to airline schedules, Train Rider did not arrive back into the US last night. I do not have an ETA for when Train Rider will return to the states. My guess - sometime today (meaning Train Rider may not be riding the rails tomorrow due to the time zone changes).

Even though Train Rider is still away, there was a lot of news in today's papers about the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail.

"New" Worcester-Framingham Commuter Rail Schedule:
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette published an opinion piece in today's paper about the "new" MBTA/MBCR train schedule for the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line.

The new train schedule will go into effect on Tuesday, February 19th, the day after the President's Day holiday.

The T&G's editorial staff "agrees" with the new schedule:

We agree with MBCR officails who said the new schedule is "more realistic" and should help to decrease passenger complaints about on-time arrivals.

While the new schedule may be "more realistic" is it a fair compromise for riders? It looks like riders, especially those who live in the greater Worcester area, will face longer days. The trains are departing earlier in the morning for the trip into Boston and later in the evening for the return trip home.

Can the MBTA/MBCR deliver "on-time performance" results with the new schedule? That remains to be seen.

The editorial staff also noted the following:

The schedule changes are most welcome. The next step the MBTA must take is to bring the Worcester-Boston line to its long-promised full schedule of 20 round trips each weekday.

Central Massachusetts residents deserve reliable and efficient commuter rail service. Now is the time to work with elected officials to (1) establish "reasonable" schedules and (2) ensure that the commuter rail is an efficient service for the cities and towns located west of Boston.

MBTA GM Daniel Grabauskas Accuses Governor Deval Patrick of "Inaction" Over Inappropriate Emails

In today's Boston Herald, Casey Ross wrote a piece about how Grabauskas claims the Governor has been slow to react to a string of emails that used derogatory and obscene language to refer to Mr. Grabauskas.

A commuter rail rider turned to using derogatory language over the course of a seven-month period of contacting Grabauskas over the late service and other problems plaguing the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line. This rider works for the Department of Corrections and he has been placed on paid suspension.

While Train Stopping does not condone the tactics employed by this rider, we whole heartedly understand the frustration of increasingly poor service without any response from the MBTA. Once again, we think Mr. Grabauskas should commute for a period of time from Worcester to see how poor the experience is. Even with the new "adjusted" times, there isn't a lot of optimism about the effectiveness of the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line.

Honestly, I think a lot of people probably agree with the emails this rider sent in:

“Fire the (expletive) Grabauskas, as he is as useless as (expletive) on a bull,” Roberts wrote in one e-mail sent Jan. 14, according to a copy provided to the Herald.

In another message dated Dec. 11, 2007, he allegedly wrote, “Run the (expletive) trains on time or fire someone, how about starting with Grabauskas(?)”

Commuter Rail Issues for Lines North of Boston

The Gloucester Daily Times reported on the meeting held earlier this week by the MBTA and local North Shore community officials for residents who rely on some of the northern commuter rail lines.

Riders in attendance at the meeting complained "about late and dirty trains, rising ticket prices and unresponsive officials." All the lines seem to have similar issues, huh?

"I pay $168 per month to travel into Boston from Salem, and I've seen nothing but poor quality," said Beth Curley of Peabody.

The everyday commuters at the meeting, however, did not accept MBTA officials' explanations for the more basic problems with train service. They said trains are regularly late, don't have enough ticket-takers and are filthy.

Mary Anne DiAnno of Beverly waved a written list of trains she said had arrived late. She said she was so fed up at the lack of response to her complaints that one day she walked into the Boston office of Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, the private company that runs the trains for the MBTA.

DiAnno said the woman she spoke with blamed everything on the MBTA.

"You guys are fighting each other. You're supposed to be working together," she said. "It's all lies and miscommunication. We're fed up."

Wow!

North Shore riders even complained that the South Shore seems to get all the new trains. The MBTA claims that 70% of the commuter rail's ridership is out of the South Shore. I wonder if that stat can be verified?

The Salem News published an editorial about how people have stopped riding the commuter rail because of issues ranging from parking to latent service.

There's one group MBTA officials failed to hear from when they came to Beverly Tuesday night to talk about service on the commuter rail lines. Those are the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who have given up on the train for lack of parking.

The result is that many potential riders — despite the complaints heard Tuesday, the train is generally a cost-effective and reliable means of getting into Boston — don't even bother trying anymore.

In recent years, political pressure has prompted the construction of large parking facilities in places like Lynn and Lawrence. Yet these stand empty, while commuters arriving at the Beverly or Salem depots after 7 in the morning are hard-pressed to find a place to put their vehicles.

There have been promises galore over the years, yet not a single shovelful of dirt has been moved for the construction of a new garage in either place. Yet such facilities could play a major role in both cities' downtown revitalization efforts, would yield new revenue for the T and might cut down on the number of cars using our overcrowded highways to get to and from work. Construction of these garages should be a priority

Perhaps the time is now for the Governor and state leaders to really take a look at mass transportation in Massachusetts. The problems are systematic. If the state could improve mass transit, especially the commuter rail system, more drivers would opt to take the commuter rail than drive on traffic congested highways.Publish Post

Happy Valentine's Day!

MBTA's Finances and More Charlie Card Complaints

The Eagle-Tribune out of Lawrence published an editorial today titled "Our view: T's finances as shaky as its bridges." This is their commentary on the announcement made last week by Massachusetts State Auditor Joe DeNucci.

BostonNOW published a report on the Charlie Card fiasco that occurred on February 1st.

I'm sure Train Rider is crushed that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl.

Feel free to share your commuter rail updates with me. I can be reached at commuteaholic AT gmail.com.

Editorial: Funding Mass Transit in Massachusetts

SouthCoastToday.com published an editorial today written by an advocate for MASSPIRG.

The editorial, Funding mass transit requires difficult choices, provides examples of why commuter rail service to South Coast communities (such as New Bedford and Fall River) is needed. As a voter, I do not understand why the Commonwealth pushed so hard (and for so long) to re-establish the Greenbush commuter rail line (which serves towns included Hingham and Cohasset) to an area that already had ferry and rapid transit service into Boston.

If I had been a state transportation leader, I would have established commuter rail service to Springfield and the South Coast and improved the service on the Worcester, Franklin and Fitchburg lines because that is where the population growth in Massachusetts is occurring and all of these communities are not near rapid transit lines (such as the Green Line and Orange Line trains).

The editorial calls on the Legislature to approve Governor Deval Patrick's transportation bond legislation.

This is a great statement:

When it comes to public transportation, the region's transit network must expand to keep pace with its growing needs. As growth has shifted outward, new passenger rail and other forms of public transportation provide a vital role in connecting people to their workplaces and communities. Public transit allows the clustering of people together around vital centers without choking that vitality in traffic congestion and parking hassles. Anyone lucky enough to use subway or commuter rail instead of being stuck on the roads during the first snowstorm of the season knows what I'm talking about. New England's character and quality of life will be strangled if future growth simply puts more cars on the road.

The editorial also mentioned that no plan is yet in place to balance the MBTA's massive $5.2 billion debt. A third of this debt (roughly $1.7 billion) was due to the Big Dig. Also. the Commonwealth's bipartisan Transportation Finance Commission recently found that the state faces $15 to 19 billion in a transportation funding gap over the next 20 years. That's crazy, huh?

The Transportation Finance Commission has proposed that Massachusetts remove the levy currently imposed on the state's gas tax (which has not seen an increase since 1991). If the state adds a 11.5-cent tax to gas, most Mass. drivers would only seen an additional $66 increase in their annual vehicle expenditures.

As a commuter rail rider, I would not be opposed to seeing the levy unfrozen. However, I have a feeling that my fellow citizens would be in an uproar. People are already complaining about the rising cost in gas over the past two years. An additional tax could send people over the edge.

That being said, it is imperative that the Commonwealth educate its citizens on why a functioning commuter rail service serving the entire state is important. Over time, our home property values and our business opportunities could be negatively impacted if we do not have a sound and reliable mass transportation system.

I hope this is a conversation that engages other Mass. residents in 2008.

MBTA Board Extends MBCR's Commuter Rail Contract

This just in . . . from Boston.com: MBTA board extends commuter rail contract despite train delays.

I'm not surprised. The news coverage from the past few days all but implied that the MBTA was going to renew the MBCR's contract.

Even though 3 out of 10 trains were late in October and November 2007, the MBCR is getting another three years to run the commuter rail trains in Massachusetts. The original contract was supposed to expire in July 2008.

A priceless quote:

The rail company has vowed to improve service and officials have said that many problems were beyond its control -- including delays on a set of tracks dispatched by another railroad company.

The MBCR is going to improve the commuter rail service? Really? What's their incentive? They performed less than mediocre in regards to the original $1.07 billion contract. So now they're actually going to try to "improve" the performance. I'll believe it when I see it.

This sounds like more of the same for Massachusetts politics. I'm really disappointed that the MBCR got to continue their contract, without firm improvement goals set into place. Well, if there are improvement goals, no one yet knows what they will be.

I really hope that the Patrick administration, the current Mass. state House and Senate, and federally elected officials hold the MBTA/MBCR accountable.

I also hope that I'm not going to be receiving a nice fare hike in 2008. That would not be optimal.

I'm sure there will be more news about the contract extension in tomorrow's newspapers.

Missed Editorial

I missed an editorial that ran in the Thursday, November 29th edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. This particular editorial suggests that the Worcester City Council work to promote an expanded commuter rail service.

I would agree with that and take it a step further - the Worcester City Council along with the town governments of area towns (such as Grafton, Sutton, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Westborough, Southborough, Northborough, Hopkinton, Upton, Northbridge, Auburn, and Boylston) should all be working in conjunction with state elected officials to demand that the commuter rail service on the Worcester-Framingham line (1) improve a dismal on-time performance rate and (2) increase the number of trips servicing this line.

This was the best quote from the editorial:

The Patrick administration has been fully occupied with the launch of commuter service Southeastern Massachusetts recently. Now, it should concentrate on concluding the long-running talks with CSX and providing Central Massachusetts and MetroWest commuters with the 20-train schedule they need.

I absolutely, 100% agree. As a Massachusetts tax payer, I have no idea why the Commonwealth focused so much on adding a commuter rail line to an area that (1) didn't want a commuter rail line and (2) ddn't need it.

Governor Deval Patrick certainly campaigned hard in Central Massachusetts. Why is he ignoring us now? And Lt. Governor Tim Murphy is a Worcester native and currently lives in Central Mass. What about doing something for Worcester and the surrounding towns?

Rail officials say service improving

An article from today's Boston Now about rail service in Massachusetts.

The article's lead was that commuter rail trains have had three consecutive months of "worsening" service. Indeed!

But the best part of the article: "However, state transportation officials say they want results, not excuses. At an MBTA Board of Directors meeting Monday, officials say they plan to seek a commitment from MBCR to meet specific standards of service."

Let's hope the state pushes the MBTA and the MBCR to improve the commuter rail service.

Supposedly performance for the later part of November 2007 improved slightly for the commuter rails.

The Worcester-Framingham line had a 48.4% on-time performance rate for October 2007, while the November 2007 on-time performance rate increased slightly to 58.1%.

Sure, the on-time performance rate increased in November, but it didn't even increase by 10%. Plus I wonder if the low-volume of rider traffic on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving and Black Friday contribute to the increase? And does it matter that November has one less day than October?

In reviewing the stats in the Boston Now article, it looks like the Lowell line's riders have it the best. Their on-time performance rate for October and November was 93.0% and 88.0% respectively. The Lowell line was the best performing line in both months. What I wouldn't give for on-time performance stats like Lowell's.

Still, not one line even reached the MBTA's/MBCR's guaranteed performance rate of 95%.

So which line was the worst performing line? Surprise, surprise, it wasn't the Worcester-Framingham line (which came in 3nd). It was the Franklin via Fairmount line with a dismal 36.2% which gets the honor for October, while the Needham line (with a 47.3% performance rate) earns the victory for November.

It looks like the Needham line's issues have been resolved. The MBTA/MBCR needsd to resolve the issues for Worcester-Framingham, along with Fairmount, Fairmount via Franklin and Fitchburg lines.

Hmm. Is this some type of Central Massachusetts conspiracy? How come the Central Mass. lines are in the bottom of the heap from a performance standpoint? Our towns are all paying the requisite MBTA fees. So give us better service!

Commuting in Massachusetts

From MassPIRG's Transportation agenda:
74% of commuters drive to work alone in Massachusetts, while only 10% take public transit.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has 15 regional transit authorities that provide public transportation to 231 cities and towns across the state. While public transportation extends across the Commonwealth, I've noticed that within Massachusetts more and more businesses seem to be moving to the suburbs. I have quite a number of friends who live in metro-Boston but work in the suburbs. They've said that commuting on the Mass Pike to the Western Suburbs (including Waltham, Framingham, Hopkinton and Westborough) has become more and more difficult. Unfortunately, most of the suburban office parks are not located near commuter rail stations. And the commuter rail schedule is far too limited to encourage "reverse" commuters.

MassPIRG also noted that the MBTA is facing a downward spiral in which the transportation authority cannot generate the revenue necessary to achieve a state of good repair. This means that the T is unable to improve the service and quality needed to retain and attract riders and increase revenue over time.

No wonder I seem to maybe make it ontime to the office 2 out of 5 days during the week (on those weeks when I am only taking the commuter rail).

Welcome

Perhaps there isn't a better day to launch a blog about the trials and tribulations of commuting by commuter rail in Massachusetts than on the busiest travel day of the year.

I've been commuting into Boston on the Worcester-Framingham-Boston Commuter Rail line for close to five years. And I'm tired of the delays. I'm tired of paying $250 a month for what amounts to second class service. If I could only get paid back the time and the money spent traveling into Boston on the Pike, sitting in traffic - perhaps I wouldn't have to commute into Boston anymore.

This morning I read two articles that have angered me and inspired me. The Boston edition of the Metro confirmed what I have known for months - that the commuter rail employees are actively waging a silent strike (http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2007/11/21/02/5337-72/index.xml).

The second article, from today's Boston Globe, published yet another article on commuter rail delays (http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/21/commuter_rail_delays_are_worst_in_a_year/).

I'm tired of waiting on delayed trains or sitting in traffic in my attempt to get into work. I'm motivated to take action and I hope I can inspire some of my fellow commuters to engage in a conservation that will improve commuter rail service in Massachusetts.

Happy Thanksgiving and here's to finding a blissful commute.

Train Rider!