See Something, Say Something

Today's commute on the P508 was a few minutes behind schedule ... we arrived at South Station at 8:25 AM, two minutes off the scheduled mark.

There's a lot going on on the MBTA front:

• The MBTA has postponed their annual vote to determine funding for replacing old machinery (train cars, buses and tracks). Usually, the MBTA borrows the money necessary for maintenance, but given their current fiscal situation, further leveraging themselves is not in their best interest.

• Transportation Secretary James Aliosi is downplaying the article in the Globe (and reported on TrainStopping) regarding service cuts across the subway, bus and commuter lines. He insists that noting has been decided and that any recommendations will go through a "robust, public vetting."

• Governor Patrick is unhappy with the transportation plan offered by the state legislature, saying that it's not good enough. The main bone of contention seems to be the gas tax hike, with the governor's recommendation being 19 cents per gallon, but the Legislature only agreeing to 10 cents or under per gallon.

It will be an interesting few months to say the least.

This morning at South Station, member of the MBTA Transit Police were touting the "See something, Say something" program in order to encourage riders to take an interest in their own safety and others while riding on the subway, bus or commuter rail. The pamphlet encourages you to speak up if you see unattended bags, passengers behaving strangely, groups operating in a "rehearsed or orchestrated manner," or anything suspicious. A few months ago, I was waiting for a red line train at South Station and I saw someone walking on the tracks into the tunnel. I did report it to an MBTA official who promptly took action.