Slight Delays

After a week of on time commutes, both the commuter rail and the Silver Line were slightly delayed this morning ... the p508 arrived to South Station at around 8:30 (7 minutes off of the scheduled arrival time) and the Silver Line was backed up as well,

I think the Silver Line delays were due to the fact that people would not move out of the way for a handicapped person to get on the bus. That's really unacceptable, have some common courtesy. I didn't try to jam myself on that bus, I waited for the next one to come.

I've noticed that the MBTA has increased the number of Silver Line buses during peak times in the morning and evening. Kudos for recognizing that it was needed. I'm not sure how it will be impacted though if the service cuts come into effect.

As the fiscal crisis looms around both the MBTA and the Mass Pike, the state Senate passed a bill yesterday aimed at changing the overall transportation landscape in Massachusetts. The bill calls for the elimination of both the MBTA and the Mass Pike Authority, but doesn't really describe how any of the services will be paid for (in lieu of toll hikes, fare hikes or gas tax hikes). Full details can be found here.

Better Get a Fast Lane

I've had a Fast Lane transponder for so many years, I actually do not know when I originally got it. Since I used to commute to work on the Pike, a transponder made a lot of sense. I don't understand why so many daily Pike commuters don't opt for the transponders.

If the reports from this morning actually materialize into reality, I can see many regular commuters signing up for a Fast Lane transponder. A new proposal is circulating that Fast Lane account holders can avoid Mass Pike toll hikes if/when the toll hikes happen. Check out the news on the BostonChannel.com and The Boston Herald.

An editorial from today's The Boston Globe floats a dual idea for fixing the budget woes plaguing the Mass Pike, MBTA, etc. The Globe's editorial staff think that a gas hike is the fairest way to generate revenue for Massachusetts transportation entities. This way everyone across the state would contribute. However, The Globe doesn't think the money should just be raised without fixing the transportation system in the Commonwealth.

Mass Pike Driving

Train Rider drove to Boston today. I've heard from many people that this morning's commute was not a pleasant one for anyone who took the Mass Pike in from Central Mass/Metro West.

Since we're on the driving topic, for now, I wanted to pass along some information a friend of mine shared with me. This is about some additional changes to the Fast Lane transponder program:

As of January, you will no longer receive a Fast Lane paper statement. (For those of us trying to be greener, this is a good thing).

If you want to continue to receive one, it will be $2/mo for residential and $5/mo for commercial. You must log on the Fast Lane website to request this option.

And, they are no longer offering the "post paid" option. Anyone who had it is grandfathered in, but if you have any issues with your payment method and they can't collect, you'll lose it and get pushed to pre-paid.

This happened to me and now they're threatening to charge $50 if I use my Fast Lane tag before they process my "pre-paid" paperwork (won't let me do it online.)

You can log/set up an account at www.mtafastlane.com

I've read some articles about how the Mass Pike is going to charge a monthly fee for Fast Lane users (I believe $.50 per month per transponder), but I haven't heard the news my friend shared with me. The $.50 per month per transponder fee is a bit irking for those of us who have already paid a transponder fee. I get the fact that the state is in a financial crisis, heck it seems like the whole world is right now. But I don't understand why they can't grandfather those of us who have paid a fee for our transponder and start charging us when our transponder fee doesn't cover the the monthly fee anymore. Then again, I do "get" why they won't do this - most Fast Lane users have already paid the monthly fee, so there wouldn't be any revenue to collect.

In today's Boston Globe there is an article about the federal economic stimulus plan. Only 5% of the $819 billion plan is earmarked for infrastructure things such as rapid transit and roads: $12 billion for rapid transit/trains and $30 billion for roads. This means that funding for MBTA-related projects and road improvements could be difficult to obtain.

Train Rider is Back

Hello Train Riders!

My apologies for being offline for a few days. I had to drive to work on Friday, which proved to be fortuitous as I ended up going home early because I was sick. You will never believe this - I got sick from the E. coli bacteria in my town's water. It sure wasn't a fun way to spend the weekend.

Due to some post-work commitments, I also drove in this morning. Just think - supposedly by Friday we'll think that today's balmy temps are like a heat wave.

I did take the P508 to work yesterday. The train was on time - we arrived at South Station around 8:21 a.m. I noticed last night that the old train signs in South Station are gone. I wonder if anyone ever bought them on eBay? The new board with departure times is in its place. I'll miss the sound of the time changing - there is something very nostalgic about the clicking noise.

Commute-a-holic has been tied up with projects at work and thus unable to post articles. Here are some of the transportation related things in the news:

Before I get into the news round-up, can I just say that I'm thrilled that Jim Rice has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Woo-hoo!!

Two articles in today's Boston Metro: one about the continued increase in T ridership and the other about how parking revenue is up, even though the number of cars parked is down. AJ's comment about parking from last Friday was very observant. Here's a snippet of it:

Speaking only for the Grafton lot, the parking fare increase has definitely effected the amount of people who park their cars in the lot. Not necessarily ridership, but people who use the lot.

Almost three years ago, I regularly parked in the 2nd isle for the P508 train. As winter takes away a good number of spots, I move back to the 4th isle. This past spring, as gas prices rose, my regular spot stayed in the 4th isle. The summer saw a move back to the 6th. This was unprecedented! The week that parking fares rose, I was back to the 2nd isle. After that, I could actually find spots in the 1st isle as well.

AJ also explained why he is now not parking at the Grafton lot.

Progressive Railroading also reported on the T's increase in riders.

Today's Boston Herald reported that the Governor is serious about gas hikes as an alternative to Mass Pike toll hikes. Stop the Pike Hike is still actively campaigning and protesting toll hikes.

A press release posted on Saturday to TradingMarkets.com focuses on tonight's meeting to discuss environmental issues related to a project on the Fitchburg commuter rail line.

According to Sunday's Boston Globe, the Worcester line is not the only commuter rail line that has massive delays. The Fairmont line is also plagued by issues. Sunday's "Starts and Stops" column also reported on the Green Line extension, how much revenue the T is losing because the Pats didn't make it to post-season play, and that the Pike is now going to keep the West Newton entrance open (instead of closing it to test the traffic flow). Finally, there was an article about how the Pike may need to repay UBS $400 million due to a risky investment that went south.

Friday afternoon's Worcester line commuter rail delays were due, unfortunately, to a death on the tracks.

Train Commute was Better than Driving to the Grafton Station

My commute on the P508 was fine this morning. We were at South Station by 8:22 a.m. I almost missed my train, though, due to road conditions. It was a slow drive to the Grafton Station because the roads were still slick from yesterday's ice/rain storm. All that water froze overnight.

Due to the slow driving, I had to spring from the parking lot to the platform, which was a feat in and of itself. Try sprinting when the lots are icy. I'm sure I looked like a nut.

I suppose I could always write a rant about the parking lot and how my parking dollars just aren't used to maintain the lots, but why wreck a good day?

The Boston Herald wrote about how East Boston, South Boston and North End residents are upset that they didn't renew their Mass Pike discount memberships. Many are claiming they never received a notification.

Yesterday's Bostonist wrote about how some people just don't move their bags on the trains. This is something that Anonymous at 7:38 AM alluded to.

Sleety Icy Work from Home Day

Due to the weather conditions in Central Massachusetts, I'm working from home today. If anyone has updates about today's MBTA/MBCR commutes, feel free to share them as comments or email either myself (worctrainrider AT gmail.com) or Commute-a-holic (commuteaholic AT gmail.com).

From today's The Boston Globe, an article about the state's transportation situation. There is a real possibility that Mass Pike tolls, T fares and gas taxes will increase in 2009. It might be one increase, say just a gas tax increase, or increases across the board. Our transportation system is broken.

Also in today's Globe, an article about how the T is still showing a strong increase in the number of riders. The article mention that more riders are evident on the MBTA's/MBCR's commuter rail lines. Across the country, transit systems have noticed an increase in riders. Transit experts say it is too soon to say if Americans have undergone a paradigm shift and are moving towards mass transit.

With all the information about the increase in ridership, it would be nice if the MBTA/MBCR could publish their on-time performance stats for the commuter rail lines. I would love to see information about the commuter rail performance for 2008 and also a monthly breakout.

Silver Line Backup

My commute on the P508 was fine today, we were at South Station for 8:22 a.m. However, the commute wasn't drama free. A weird thing happened on the Silver Line. There was a backup on the platform and the first bus that came through was a SL1 for Logan Airport. So a bunch of us get on the bus, then a MBTA manager starts yelling at us that "the bus is too crowded and it is only going to Logan, so anyone not going to Logan had to get off." Hardly anyone moved and then the bus stopped at the Courthouse and the World Trade Center. The whole Silver Line bus thing has been effed up lately in the morning.

Today's Boston Metro ran an interview with MASSPIRG regarding Massachusetts' transportation infrastructure. MASSPIRG, which published a study about the Bay State's transportation infrastructure back in the fall, released a press release yesterday praising Governor Deval Patrick's administration for wanting to use $233 million of a requested $783 million recovery package to repair and rehabilitate existing roads. Here's a snippet from the press release:

But Massachusetts looks the best compared to other state requests. According to the MASSPIRG report, the Executive Office of Transportation has presented a good balance of public transportation improvements, bike and pedestrian projects, money for ports and aviation, and road and highway maintenance.

“Governor Patrick and his state agencies have put forward the most comprehensive request, with more than half of the proposal dedicated to modes of transportation that encourage people to get out of their cars,” said Bourassa.

Massachusetts is also the only state requesting its entire road and highway funds for repair and maintenance, with no new roadways funded under the plan

Our roads desperately need some repairs. Commute-a-holic relayed a story yesterday about travels on the Pike between Worcester and Springfield this past Sunday. Commute has never seen potholes on the Pike as large as the ones encountered during Sunday's drive. Some of the potholes could literally swallow a car.

Yesterday's Boston.com The Green Blog ran two different yet interesting posts. One was about why there are so many announcements on MBTA trains. This was a pick-up of the Boston Metro's weekly Q&A with our favorite GM, Dan Grabauskas.

Also posted yesterday to The Green Blog, information about a new $20 per month reimbursement available to bicyclists who commute. This new program launched January 1st and it is available to bicyclists either as a cash reimbursement or a pre-tax deduction if their employer participates.

Goodbye Holidays, Hello Delays

The holidays are over. Everyone is returning to reality today. I took a few days off before and after the New Year, so this is my first commute of 2009.

So what was the first Monday commute of 2009 like? For a lot of folks, it wasn't that great. On the Worcester line the P502, P504 and P506 were all running at least 15 to 30 minutes late, according to T Alerts and news reports. The P508 arrived on time to Grafton, but it was slow going most of the way into Boston. We got to South Station at 8:48 a.m., about 25 minutes late.

I've also heard that the outbound trains on the Worcester line were also delayed.

Another thing made this morning's commute not so great. The parking lots were super icy. I saw a handful of people slip and fall in the Grafton lot today. Not good, not good at all.

I'm sort of dreading Wednesday morning. Supposedly we're going to have a snow/ice storm. This should make the commute extra fun.

The MBTA/MBCR wasn't really in the news the last few days of 2008/first few days of 2009.

The Blue Mass Group blog published an interview with Governor Deval Patrick on his selection of James Aloisi as the state's Secretary of Transportation.

Bostonist ran a cute column on being nice while riding on the MBTA. Anything "manners" related always reminds me of Muni Manners.

Yesterday's Boston Sunday Globe "Starts & Stops" column focused on where MBTA buses drop off passengers. The column also noted that the new Secretary of Transportation, James Aloisi, is a few weeks away from officially starting his new role. The Mass Pike is going to run an experiment from January 12th through January 23rd. During this time, eastbound passengers will not be able to use Exit 16 in West Newton to get onto the Pike. Pike engineers believe that people using this exit are causing traffic backups. Exit 16 is one of the free access points onto the Pike.

According to the Globe, street entertainers are having a tougher time earning a living. Many of these entertainers are posted throughout the MBTA's subway system.

Yesterday's Globe also ran an article about Massport. Mass Pike critics are not thrilled with the prospect of Massport taking over the Pike in downtown Boston.

On the Pike front, the Stop the Pike Hike group currently has more than 8,300 members. They are about 1,700 members away from their goal of signing up 10,000 concerned commuters. The final public hearing about the Pike's toll hike is this Wednesday, January 7th in Worcester. If you're interested in attending, the meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Worcester City Hall, which is located at 455 Main Street in downtown Worcester. The Stop the Pike Hike group believes that the final toll vote will take place on either January 15th or January 22nd.

Finally, I have heard that state employees who had a state vehicle that they could take home needed to turn in this vehicle on January 1, 2009. I believe the only exceptions to the rule are those in law enforcement. I would love to know if the 60-odd MBTA employees who have MBTA vehicles were included in this rule. Again, there is no reason why Dan Grabauskas and senior managers of the MBTA need to have a MBTA car 24/7. Does anyone know if this rule is being applied to the MBTA?

Mass Pike Public Hearing in Framingham Tonight

We received the below announcement from Stop the Pike Hike. Since many of our readers live in MetroWest, we thought this could be of interest.

Public Hearing in Framingham
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Framingham Memorial Building
Nevins Hall
150 Concord Street
Framingham, MA 01702
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
RALLY STARTS AT 5:45

Attending tonight's hearing will be State Senator Scott Brown (R), MTA Board Member Mary Z. Connaughton and Chairman Framingham Board of Selectmen Jason Smith.

If you want to attend the public hearing, you can speak at it. The hearing allows for the public to give up to a three minute speech. You can contact info AT stopthepikehike.org if you want to speak.

Stop the Pike Hike has some recommended speaking points including:

• Explain how life will be changed for you and your family because of the increase in tolls. Bring in a chart showing how the increase in tolls will affect your family budget.

• If you own a business, explain how much this will cost you and what cuts you will have to consider making?

• Ask why it costs 79 cents in overhead for every dollar taken at the tolls, when the average state spends only 40 cents per dollar taken at their tolls?

• How will this alter your commute?

• Bring a bag of change showing how much the increase will cost you over the course of a week or a month.

• Have there been any studies done on what the ramifications will be if this toll hike is enacted? The traffic in communities such as Everett, Chelsea, Somerville, Charlestown, Medford, Newton, Brighton, Allston, Brookline, Wellesley, Natick, and many more may become unbearable, as gridlock will take over local roads.

• Has anyone considered the costs that the upkeep and maintenance of local roads will have on local government?

• The Real Estate Values in these aforementioned communities will be severely impacted in a negative way.

• Local Businesses will also suffer greatly due to lost revenues and increased costs.

• The MBTA on certain routes, which are already overcrowded, will hit breaking points.

• The Turnpike board claims to eliminate the tolls would cost 100 million dollars.

• Have any public officials: Mayors, City Councilors', or Elected officials been consulted regarding the effects of the toll increase?

• Has the board considered any other solutions to the problem, such as the Christy Plan?

• Why did the proposed toll increase jump from 70 million dollars to 100 million dollars on the morning of the vote?

If you can't make the hearing, but you still want your voice to be heard, the Stop the Pike Hike recommends you call Governor Deval Patrick at 1-888-870-7770.

Changes Ahead

For the second day in a row, I had to drive into work. Today, my team is having our holiday party - a pot luck lunch. So it is a lot easier to bring stuff into work in my car then hauling a lot of things on the train.

I still cannot get over last week's ice storm. It is utterly amazing, when you think about it, that the Blackstone Valley was virtually untouched. Yet, many parts of Worcester and towns west and north of Worcester are still cleaning up. Some towns still do not have school today. Luneburg has canceled school through the New Year. Crazy, huh?

Thinking about all of the destruction the ice storm has caused, I was pretty surprised to see an article in today's Telegram & Gazette about last week's commuter rail delays. According to the MBCR, the Worcester line is back on track - yesterday the morning commutes were 100% on-time.

So why were things so messed up last week? Well, before December 8th, delays were due to speed restrictions put into place by CSX. "Significant mechanical problems" combined with cold temperatures caused the delays last Monday through Wednesday. The ice storm caused flooding on the tracks in Natick and Wellesley and caused a felled tree on the tracks in Worcester. Due to these issues, the inbound tracks (I'm assuming inbound to Worcester) didn't open until 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Mechanical problems on Friday also delayed 12 trains, with five of them delayed for at least 1 hour or more.

The ice storm also caused a lot of damage to the Fitchburg line. Even the MBCR's spokesperson acknowledge that last week's mechanical issues were too much:

“The breakdowns last week were unacceptable,” Mr. Farmelant said.

While the MBCR said the November on-time performance for the Worcester line was 90%, for the first two weeks in December that performance is now 84%. This is considered an improvement over last year, when only 57% of the Worcester line trains arrived on-time. The article also noted the following:

The state has taken steps to improve train service over the past year. Three new inbound and two new outbound trains were added to the Worcester line in late October. State officials are still negotiating to purchase the Worcester track from CSX, with the goal of adding more trains in the future.

Yesterday's The Boston Herald contained an article about the state's transportation woes. Lt. Governor Tim Murray was interviewed. The Lt. Governor is blaming past gubernatorial administrations for the current transportation crisis. Per the media speculation yesterday, State Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen did resign yesterday. His resignation is effective January 2, 2009. According to The Boston Globe, the Governor is considering James A. Aloisi, Jr. as Cohen's replacement. Aloisi was on the short list to be Transportation Secretary two years ago, but he was passed over due to his ties to the Big Dig. This is what The Globe had to say:

The new leader will take over at a crucial time for the millions of people who rely on the state's roads and transit systems each day. The financial crises at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the MBTA, which are both facing crushing debt and yearly deficits, have pushed the transportation debate to the top of Beacon Hill's agenda as commuters worry about large toll hike proposals this year and the potential for heftier transit fares that could follow. Legislators have complained that Patrick has dragged his feet in delivering a specific reform plan, which he first promised more than a year ago.

Last night, Cohen did attend the Mass Pike public meetings. Read about it in today's The Patriot Ledger.

Today is the Stop the Pike Hike protest. If you use the Pike, the Stop the Pike Hike group requests that you don't use your Fast Lane transponder and you pay using inconvenient currency.

Could Have Used a Train Nap

Due to a post-work commitment this even, I had to drive in this morning. I was sad to not be on the train today. I'm so tired from the weekend, I could have used a train nap.

Yesterday's Boston Sunday Globe ran an article about how the MBTA is approaching dire financial straits. Due to the T's financial situation, fare increases and service cuts are very likely to occur sometime over the next 12 to 18 months. The T's budget deficit is expected to be about $142 million during the 2009-2010 budget year.

One project that may not see the light of day is the last phase of the Silver Line. This project was touched upon in both the main Globe article and in yesterday's "Starts & Stops" column. Since the T is essentially broke, the Federal Transit Administration does not want to grant matching funds, so the T won't be able to move this project to a final design until it can prove it has the money to support it.

An interesting inquiry was raised in yesterday's "Starts & Stops" column: the inability of transit riders to park at a MBTA lot and take the commuter rail to Logan. Basically, since you can't park in a T lot overnight, if you want to park your car and (to crib the slogan of a famous NY-NJ Port Authority commerical) "take the train to the plane." In reading why you can't park overnight, I'm thinking that sometimes the T should just not answer questions. This is why you can't park overnight:

Joe Pesaturo, the MBTA spokesman, said the lots are not staffed overnight, and parking is prohibited in those hours for liability reasons. He said overnight parking is allowed in several subway garages and ferry yards, which could work for passengers such as Fraser if she is willing to take the Quincy ferry directly to Logan, the Red Line from Braintree, or some other route with an overnight option.

Joe - let me ask you a question - have you actually been to a MBTA commuter rail lot? Guess what - most of them aren't staffed during the daytime. Does that mean we shouldn't park our cars there?

Good grief - what stupid answer.

Considering how much it is to park and pay tolls at the airport, you would think more people would be encouraged to use other means to get to Logan. Logan Express may not be handy to a lot of people, so why not be able to take the train. Also, what if you want to take Amtrak to NYC? Unless you park at the Route 128 lot, you really can't. So I couldn't get on a Worcester line train and either take it inbound to Boston or outbound to Worcester to hop onto an Amtrak train if I needed to park my car overnight. That's nuts, huh?

The Stop the Pike Hike protest tomorrow has been altered. Instead of not using the Mass Pike, the organizers have asked participants to not use their Fast Lane transponder and to pay in cash instead. They recommend paying with coins. Read all about it in this report from WBZ.

Boycott the Pike, Boycott the T?

In a protest against the proposed Mass Pike tolls, Stop the Pike Hike is calling for a boycott of the Mass Pike on Tuesday, December 16th, according to The Boston Globe. Tuesday is the 235th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Since service has been beyond dismal on the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail, the subway lines and the MBTA buses this week, perhaps mass transit commuters should also consider making a statement and not using public transportation on Tuesday. Wouldn't that create a cluster of traffic beyond belief here in the Commonwealth?

Here is the link to the Boston Metro Q&A with MBTA Big Pubah Dan Grabauskas that Train Rider mentioned in a post from yesterday. A commuter from North Andover asked about the 100% parking rate increase. Dan gave a typical canned answer, but EA Silver raised some excellent points. It seems pretty obvious that the T is dismal at strategic planning. If they actually cared about the parking experience, long ago they would have instituted systems beyond just shoving dollar bills into an "honor box" that has a hole barely big enough to get your dollars into. Plus, when the trains are late (such as this week), how can people obtain a refund for not parking? Honestly, the parking lots just seem another way for the T to generate "free money." It is really sickening.

Earlier this week, The Bostonist actually asked if the T did something sensible. That seems like a crazy question to ask, huh?

Funding for the Silver Line expansion could be in jeopardy, according to this article from today's The Boston Globe. Duxbury and Marshfield now have bus service provided by the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA).

WickedLocal Wellesley reports on efforts by State Rep. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) to obtain community feedback on transportation-related issues. There are some interesting suggestions about ways to fund transportation.

Are Cancelled Trains a Sign of Winter's Arrival?

Train Rider is away on a business trip today. Perhaps this is a good thing, as it appears that the P508 train was cancelled this morning. Thanks to Anonymous at 7:39 a.m. and Anonymous at 9:37 a.m. for the updates posted to Train Stopping. AJ posted a comment to The Greater Grafton Blog (which has a lovely photo of the platform at the Grafton MBTA station).

With the Thanksgiving holiday and heavy workloads, neither Train Rider nor I have been able to post some updates from readers. We'll start with news from Grafton Train Rider. The week of Thanksgiving was not a good one, commute wise, for Grafton Train Rider.

Grafton Train Rider started with the following message: "As we approach Thanksgiving, it sure has been a back week on the Worcester line. Tuesday night, P529 was delayed departing South Station due to a signal problem so we arrived in Grafton about 10 minutes late. Wednesday morning, P520 was delayed at least 15 minutes (stopped in Framingham and Allston then slow travel in between). The conductor thought that the cause was due to flooding."

On Tuesday, November 24th, both the P502 AND the P504 were cancelled. Grafton Train Rider submitted the following to the MBCR's Commuter Rail Customer Service:

Subject: No updated signage, invalid date.

It's bad enough to cancel the express train but waiting in the cold with a sign that says "All trains operating on or near schedule 11/11/08" is even worse when the date is 11/24/08. I arrived at work 45 minutes late. I submitted for the cancelled P502 and hope my refund is forthcoming. If not, I will write back to complain on that as well.

Here's some feedback Grafton Train Rider received regarding the malfunctioning LED sign:

I appreciate that you brought this information about the LED board to my attention. Unfortunately, our communications department, tries to ensure that all boards are running with the appropriate information, however until someone informs us that it is not running properly, we have no way of knowing there is a problem. I have forwarded this information on to our communications department, asking that they further review this information.Unfortunately, this department does not handle the issue of fare reimbursement. This request is handled through the MBTA's website. If you have any trouble regarding your request, you may contact them by calling 617-222-3200 and asking for the Revenue Department. Thank you for taking the time to bring this concern to my attention, I appreciate it.

Meanwhile, Fitchburg Train Rider expressed some concerns regarding the recent announcement about the removal of seats on some MBTA Red Line trains.

I heard on Channel 7 news this AM, that Red Line is going to RIP OUT ALL SEATS except for a few for handicapped and elderly. They claim to many riders. Now this is MORE THAN OUTRAGEOUS. Instead of

1. better seats
2. better customer service
3. more cars added to the Red Line if more passengers
4. more scheduled subways to accommodate the increase in ridership,

the MBTA, in all their infinite wisdom, decide to:

1. rip out seats
2. make present riders VERY MAD
3. make the Red Line now very unsafe, and probably unlawful
4. worsen their already bleak customer service reputation

Upset, Fitchburg Train Rider contacted the MBTA. Here is an excerpt of what the T had to say:

If I could set the record straight, the MBTA is testing two cars aspart of a pilot program where thy have removed the seats and these two cars would be put in the middle of a six car train. Currently the MBTA is operating 28 six car trains and starting on Monday one train will have two cars with the seats removed to address the over crowding the Red Line has experienced. Customers will be given the option to either utilize any of the cars with the seats or opt to board the train with the seats removed. The MBTA has added additional grab handles and straps for customers to hold onto during their commute. The Red Line had already added two additional trains beginning in the Fall to help address the overcrowding and we are responding to the still overcrowding conditions that still exist. Transit Agencies around the Country who have experienced similar problems removed seats as a way to increase ridership during peak periods.

The removal of the seats on the Red Line is a pretty controversial topic in Boston mass transit at the moment. Today's Patriot Ledger published an op-ed on this experiment. This well written editorial calls for the state to create a public transportation plan that will lessen our dependence on individual vehicles. The Ledger's editorial team makes some outstanding points about the logic of the T's experiment with removing Red Line seats. In the editorial staff's opinion, only 27 more riders will be able to get into Boston for about the cost of a gallon of gas. Do people really want to stand for a 1/2 train ride into Boston? Even a Tufts University blog has weighed in on this. We will have to see if this experiment works.

Now for some good news related to a follow-up story. Westborough Train Rider, who received mixed messages about paying daily parking fees with a personal check, sent this update:

They did indeed cash my check, see attached. Good news, they finally came back saying that paying by check is acceptable even though they have posted signs saying that paying by check is not an acceptable form of payment. Tomorrow will be my first test since 11/19. I'm curious to see if after paying by check I get back to the parking lot to find a slip on my vehicle stating I owe $5.

My aim is to let people know they can pay by check. People should know they have that option even though some station parking lots post that is not an acceptable form of payment, especially with it getting colder out there.

Thanks to Grafton Train Rider, Fitchburg Train Rider and Westborough Train Rider for sharing your experiences!

While the subject of parking is still top-of-mind, here are reports from WBZ-TV.com and the Brockton Enterprise about how a zoning conflict may not enable people to park at a private business in Kingston.

A Letter to the Editor in today's The Boston Globe about portable bikes, written by the executive director of MassBike. We actually missed this story - it ran in the November 30th edition of The Sunday Boston Globe. Folding bikes are used by some commuters to augment their transit commutes.

Finally, in case you didn't see or hear this, the Mass Pike reportedly saved $31.6 million thanks to budget cuts since January 2008. This is twice the amount that the Executive Director thought they would save in 2008.

Weird Way to Collect Tolls

Train Rider drove to the office today for two reasons - an early morning meeting and, more importantly, because of the Dan Band concert tonight.

Since my commute to work is much closer to home, I always drive to work. I live close to my office and my home/office are located in areas where there are no public transportation options. However, this morning, I had to drive into the Route 128 area for a quick meeting. Driving back to my office, I got off at the Route 9 Mass Pike Exit (Exit 12). Can you say "cluster." This has always been a very popular exit - Bose and Staples headquarters are located right near the exit, along with a bunch of other office buildings. In the brilliant strategy that is the Mass Pike, there are only two Fast Lane toll booths, with three cash-only toll booths. Of course, most commuters use a Fast Lane, so those exits were super backed up. If you paid with cash, you could zip through. I still don't understand why the Mass Pike seems to be the only toll road system that doesn't do more combo cash/Fast Lane (rather E-Z Pass) toll booths? Nuts!

Looks like the MBTA did some PR media relations outreach. Most Boston media outlets either aired or ran a story about how commuters are still using the MBTA and the MBCR commuter rail even though gas prices are dropping.

I'm not sure who The Boston Globe spoke to, but in their article about T usage, someone was quoted as saying that parking lots don't seem to be any emptier. Train Stopping readers who use the Worcester and Providence commuter rail lines actually have observed that the lots do seem less crowded since the parking rate increase went into effect. MBTA GM Daniel Grabuaskas was quoted in the article. I wonder if he is still driving his MBTA vehicle to work? This comment made to the Globe article cracked me up because you can see the truth in the remarks:

Of course Grabauskas will take credit for this, telling us all how great they are, but the truth is we take the T DESPITE its performance, not because of its performance. Late, dirty trains; rude, uncaring workers; overpriced parking (when you can find a spot) ... the T is awful, but driving is far worse.

The Boston Herald's take on the increase in the T's ridership had a different slant. The T is removing seats on the Red Line to accommodate more riders. This is being discussed at today's MBTA board meeting. If the seats are removed on some cars, it will cut the available seating in half. The article T will mark the "high capacity" cars with the removed seating and they will run a promotional campaign. WCVB-TV Channel 5 also reported on this.

In other news, WickedLocal Somerville reports on the proposed Green Line extension.

Zippy Wednesday Morning Commute

Good morning. What a lovely, sunny day. Albeit, for those of us from the Worcester area, today will always be a sad day. This is the 9th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage fire. We will always remember the Worcester 6.

My commute this morning on the P508 train was zippy. We arrived to South Station at 8:21 a.m. It seemed crowded on the train, although I still think the parking lots themselves are not as crowded as they used to be. I know I would love to have an extra $10 in my wallet instead of paying to let my car sit in the Grafton lot all day long.

The Salem News reported that the Salem Parking Board voted to increase parking from $2 to $4, just like the T decided to do. Commuters are not happy.

The main story today is the Mass Pike. The Stop the Pike Hike rally is this afternoon. WHDH-TV Channel 7 aired a story about the Pike debate today, while The Boston Globe published an article about how lawmakers may consider leasing the Pike to a private entity. WBUR aired a similar report.

While it could make sense to lease something like the commuter rail system or the subway, I'm really not sure if leasing a highway makes a whole lot of sense. It seems like everyone is just running around like crazy because we are running out of money. I'm concerned a lot of bad decisions are going to be made to cover short-term budgets.

WBUR also aired an analysis of the future of the Mass Pike.

Stop the Pike Hike

I had to drive into the office this morning because I had an early morning meeting. There was lots of traffic on the Pike today. It took forever to get through the Newton tolls. You know it's a crazy traffic day when the cash lanes move faster than the Fast Lanes on the Mass Pike.

If you're concerned about the Mass Pike toll increases, listen up. According to today's The Boston Globe Mass lawmakers are scheduling hearings about the toll increases. WCVB-TV reported on a rally scheduled tomorrow by Michael Kelleher of East Boston to protest the proposed toll hikes. Michael is part of a group called Stop the Pike Hike. Tomorrow's rally will take place at 4 p.m. at the Ecco Restaurant & Martini Bar located on 107 Porter Street in East Boston. There is also an online petition and a listing of the public hearings scheduled across the state.

The toll increases directly impat East Boston. As Michael said in his interview with WCVB-TV, "it will actually be cheaper to drive to a Fenway game from the Bronx than from East Boston." Isn't that nuts?

Former Gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos wrote an op-ed about the Pike in today's The Boston Herald. Mihos thinks the Pike should be disbanded.

Now, onto train news.

Commute-a-holic and I have both been pretty busy at work. We have another update from Grafton Train Rider which we should hopefully be able to post later today.

Yet another article about the Salem garage, this time from WickedLocal Rockport. The Patriot Ledger reports on efforts by the town of Weymouth to have permanent signs installed near the new connector road near the Weymouth Landing MBTA commuter rail station. This has been a project that has been a year in the making. The town wants flashing lights installed to relieve rush hour traffic.

The Milford Daily News reported on how the Mass Highway Department will be closing an old bridge that runs over the MBTA/CSX tracks near the Franklin BJs. This bridge is a popular bypass into and out of the Franklin Forge Park commuter rail station.

Seemingly Speedy P508

My commute on the P508 was good. It seemed speedy. The train wasn't very crowded at all. We arrived to South Station at 8:20 a.m.

The big news this morning was the suspension of two T trolley crew members who were involved in separate accidents. You can read all about it in this article from today's The Boston Herald.

On the subject of accidents, WCVB-TV Channel 5 aired a report last night on how MBTA policy puts riders at risk. They even have the video running with the article.

The Salem News published a story yesterday about a petition circulating in Salem to ask the state to build a new parking garage at the MBTA station.

Today's Boston Globe ran this article about some concerns Massport's CEO Tom Kinton has over the Port Authority running the airport tunnels. If that doesn't cause your head to explode from information, this will. DiMasi wants a gas tax, the Governor wants a Pike toll increase and Murray wants a strategic plan. Three different leaders, three different ideas.

Finally, for MetroWest commuters seeking options to the commuter rail, My Southborough reports that the Southborough to Boston bus has not been cancelled. If you didn't know about this option and you are a Southborough-area commuter, you might want to go and check it out.

My First Day Paying $4 to Park

I'm back in the office today. It cracks me up when I travel out-of-town. I'm usually home earlier than I would be if I went into the office. My flight landed at Logan around 6:00 p.m. last night. Since traffic was light on the Pike, I was home by 7:15 p.m. That's usually when the P529 pulls into Grafton.

Today was my first day paying to park at the new $4 fee. Thus, I have a few commuter rail update/observations:

1. Capacity in the parking lot has definitely increased . . . there were many more open spaces. I would say the lot was less than half full this morning (in time for the P508 departing at 7:09 a.m. train). I saw less cars parked and the line for drop offs was three times as long as usual. I think people are saying enough is enough with the MBTA and aren't going to pay the increased rate.
2. It is impossible to fit four folded or rolled dollars into the slot. You have to fold two dollars together and then insert them twice. So, now it takes twice as long to pay.
3. The dollar coins do NOT fit in the slots. So, if you want to use coins, you have to feed 16 quarters into the slots.

The whole thing is just ridiculous. You would think the MBTA would have come up with an easier way for commuters to pay their fee. It's so shortsighted on the MBTA's part and it shows they just don't understand their customers or the system they operate. Sure they need to raise money to pay for the back wages, but why not get rid of the WiFi that doesn't always work? Or how about making sure if you raise the parking fee, people can actually park? No, just inconvenience the customer instead.

Well, I think it's going to backfire. People are going to start driving again, especially since gas is near or below $2 a gallon now.

On a bright note, the P508 was 2 minutes early this morning, we rolled into South Station at 8:21 a.m.

This article from The Boston Herald, first published as an update late yesterday afternoon and then republished this morning, is interesting. With all the hi jinks over the past few weeks in Massachusetts' transportation, lawmakers are pushing for a 6-cent gas tax increase to help offset the assorted costs and deficits. Legislation has also been past to try to freeze toll increases until a comprehensive transportation plan has been unveiled. Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) had this to say:

“This proposal would cost the average Massachusetts motorist approximately 85
or 90 cents per week, and save commuters on the Massachusetts Turnpike and those who commute from the North Shore nearly $2,000 per year,” Linsky stated in an e-mail to colleagues.

Right on. I'm glad someone is looking out for those of us who live West and North of the city.

A front-page story from today's The Boston Globe focuses on how the toll increases could negatively impact the East Boston community. I've got to think that the new toll increases would also really impact Revere and Winthrop too. Overall, this isn't a good solution. Businesses and residents are impacted in a multitude of ways.

Columnist Yvonne Abraham wrote this fantastic commentary about the toll increase, also in today's Globe. She also feels the gas tax should be increased and she makes a solid case for why Massachusetts isn't "Taxachusetts" anymore. We rank 35th in the US for taxes in proportion to income, far behind neighboring Connecticut and New York.

New Day, New Parking Fees at MBTA Lots

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.

MetroWest and North of City Fund Mass Pike

In case you haven't seen the updates flying out from The Boston Globe/Boston.com and The Boston Herald: Massachusetts. The Mass Pike Board has voted. And MetroWest and North of Boston drivers who commute using the Pike or the tunnels, you get to pay off the Mass Pike's debt.

If you drive from North of Boston on I-93 or if you live on the South Shore and don't drive to Logan everyday, thank the good people of MetroWest and North of Boston because we're covering your debt. Not our debt - your debt. You benefit the most from the Big Dig, but we get to pay for it.

In a 4 to 1 vote, the Mass Pike Board approved plans to up tolls. The toll increases will go into effect in either February or March 2009, after some public hearings and a final vote. If you are upset about this, we urge you to contact your local state rep and your local state senator and voice your concerns.

The toll increases will be as follows:

• Tolls at Weston and Allston-Brighton increase from $1.25 to $2.00. If you have a Fast Lane transponder, your toll will only be $1.50.
• The Airport tunnels increase from $3.50 to $7.00. For Fast Lane users, the toll will be $6.00.

For those who pay cash at the tolls (which I really just don't get - go out and get a Fast Lane or EZ-Pass transponder), your tolls increase $.75 at Allston-Brighton and Weston and $3.50 for the airport tunnels.

People are enraged. Check out the comments on the Boston.com article.

I do live in MetroWest. To get technical, I live in the Blackstone Valley. I moved back to the Valley because it is my home. Also, for the most part, I've worked outside of the city. I did commute into Boston on the commuter rail, but I've also commuted to Waltham (on 128) and to Providence. Not everyone has a job in the city, so I'm sick and tired of listening to people say "you should move closer to the city." If I lived in Boston, I would have an extremely long and expensive reverse commute to MetroWest.

From a commuting standpoint, those of us who live West of the city really do get hosed. We either have to deal with an insane amount of traffic getting to jobs along 495 or 128 or we have to deal with unending train delays. There is no perfect system, but it would be nice to see transportation costs evenly distributed across the Commonwealth - at least to those communities North and South of Boston.

I think a gas tax makes sense, but I could see why it would be argued down. A lot of people live in Western Mass - is it really fair to ask them to pay for the Big Dig? The Big Dig directly benefited downtown Boston and surrounding towns.

I'm at the point right now where I think Fred Salvucci, the matermind behind the Big Dig, should be brought up on charges for deceiving a Commonwealth. This project was gross negligence. It artificially boosted our state's economy by causing an enormous amount of revenue from the project to come into the Commonwealth. Think about all the people the project employed, the cost of materials, etc.

The irony is - even with the Dig, traffic isn't any better. We spent all this money, got to see some cool engineering feats, and driving in and around Boston is still a cluster.

Why can't a gas tax on gas sold within the geographic area of the Big Dig come into play? Why aren't we seeing other solutions to this revenue problem?

South Shore residents and those North of the city who commute on I-93 are the big winners, along with New Hampshire and Rhode Island residents. For everyone else, I guess we know where we stand in this Commonwealth.