Good morning. Train Rider is out of town on a business trip, so I do not have any commuter rail updates. As both WHDH-TV Channel 7 and The Daily News reported this morning, the new parking fees are a reality at MBTA station lots.
Did you see yesterday's Boston Sunday Globe front page article? It was all about how the Big Dig enhancement's have only pushed traffic bottlenecks farther outside of downtown Boston. As many of us unscientifically expected, the $15 billion spent on the Big Dig didn't eliminate traffic jams. Sure, while there may not be a lot of traffic jams in the downtown core, getting to and from Boston is just as difficult as ever. And it can take a lot longer.
The Big Dig is at the core of the funding problems plaguing mass transit in Massachusetts. In an editorial from today's Telegram & Gazette the different views of eliminating the Pike are presented. The Pike was also the focus of yesterday's "Starts & Stops" in the Globe. I encourage anyone who commutes on the commuter rail to read yesterday's "Starts & Stops." It really details the issues at hand that commuters face and it contains some fantastic comments.
In other news, according to this article from Saturday's Boston Globe, the Federal Transit Authority shot down the T's request to purchase commuter rail locomotives from a European company.
Finally, some Boston residents are trying to get the No. 39 and No. 55 bus stops on Boylston Street at Ring Road restored.
PATHs Not Taken
1 month ago
3 comments:
THE MBTA HAS LISTENED TO OUR COMPLAINTS!
Finally, they truly are an agency of the people! They fixed one of the key components of the parking rates that everyone is railing against!
Hate finding $4 in singles or quarters (or worse)?
Hate dealing with those slots?
No good at remembering your parking spot number?
Hate dealing with the line of people who can't figure out hold to fold money ahead of time?
THE SOLUTION: The .75¢ surcharge for not paying in advance is a thing of the past! It's now $1, so if you wait and pay later, it's an even $5! No fiddling with the slots, waiting in line or carrying ones! Just drop a crisp 5-Spot in the envelope and you're done!
Plus, you get the added bonus of knowing that you are doing more to help the MBTA than your other commuting friends, by pledging an extra dollar daily to the state! Congratulations to you, because that is a GREAT feeling!
My prediction turned out to be true, unfortunately. At the Southborough station, there was a long line of cars jammed from the platform all the way to the entrance as more people were dropped off. One gray BMW 3 series even stopped at the entrance to drop off his wife while a line of cars outside the lot honked impatiently, not that I blame them. Why stop your car at a chokepoint for your own convenience and at the inconvenience of others? Then at the pay boxes, there was a mad scramble as people were taking out bills and frantically folding them and stuffing them into slots. Imagine this as the P508 is approaching. I will never understand why people don't have their bills prepped beforehand. It takes all of half a minute or less and will save time for not only yourself but your fellow riders also. These are the folks, as my drill instructor used to say, who not only get killed in combat, but their entire squad as well.
I am glad I found this blog ...
Yes the parking fees hike is not fair. Are there other options for West Natick commuters? I am fairly new to this community and am looking for options.
It is no secret that you need to make it to the station by 6:40am to even look at a free space. And I have never once tried to park at Natick Center (I believe you need a pass but do not know the procedure).
Any tips for new W/Natick commuters would be highly appreciated.
Many thanks!
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