Take Your Bike to the Train

Everyone who commutes on the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail trains is riled up about this coming Saturday's parking lot increase. This includes our own Grafton Train Rider.

This is how Grafton Train Rider will be dealing with the parking lot increase:

Dear Train Rider,

I only live 2.5 miles from the Grafton station, but I don't want to leave a bike locked there. I noticed that the bicycle rack is woefully inadequate anyway. So, I kept checking Craiglist for folding bikes and ended up purchasing a nearly new version of this model

http://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?product_category_id=1&product_id=7

I plan on riding most days (weather permitting), bringing the bike on the train and riding over to my workplace in Cambridge as well. I don't mind being a bit chilly to save $4/day, and my car will be safely locked in my garage rather than worrying about potential vandalism at the station.

Feel free to post.

Grafton Train Rider

Grafton Train Rider found a great way to accomplish a few really wonderful things:

1. Avoid giving the MBTA more hard earned money.
2. Work in some exercise and commute at the same time.
3. Lower a carbon foot print by not using a car and saving some gas money to boot.

I wish I lived closer to the Grafton train station. I'm too far to bike to it and I live way too far away to walk. But I do encourage anyone who can walk, bike or carpool to their respective train station to do it. This is not the way for the MBTA to build their budget.

As Grafton Train Rider pointed out, if the MBTA is in such dire financial straits, why do they still serve catered lunches at their board meetings? This isn't private industry. Heck - most private or publicly traded companies that used to serve food have either cut down or stopped that perk. And these are companies that do not have the deficit that the T has.

In fact, thanks to Grafton Train Rider's sharp eyes, the WBZ I-Team report on the MBTA's Board lunches was filmed on the same day that they voted in the parking lot increase. I could say some words that would be like #&$% @&$&. Well, you know what I mean.

Seeing the deficit the state is in and noting the Governor's mandate, you think Dan Grabauskas would have the backbone as the HEAD of the MBTA to tell the board "no free lunch." Or is it that Dan is scared to do the right thing, make an unpopular decision because the board ultimately decides if he gets to keep his job? Dan - your no leader - a leader would be willing to stick their neck out on the line. It really does seem that you do a fantastic job managing your budget. If you're in such a deficit, doesn't every budget cut help?