Tuesday On Time Commute

Two for two with on time commutes so far this year as the p508 was on time to South Station this morning, arriving at 8:23 AM.

In other MBTA news, three former MBTA employees plead guilty to filing false time sheets at their MBTA construction/engineering jobs. In essence, they submitted time sheets and were paid for work they did not do because they never even showed up to the work sites. One of the former employees will spend a year in jail and have to pay a $10,000 fine. The other two received two year suspended sentences and two years' probation. Frankly, they should also have to pay back the money they made during this scheme.

Also, MBTA unions have been trying to stop changes to scaled back retiree benefits that were implemented under the new transportation law signed this past summer. The unions have been seeking an injunction on the changes that would reduce health care for retirees. A state judge has rejected the bid, stating that former contracts guaranteeing free health care for life no longer apply. This is a big step in reducing overall costs at the MBTA.

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.