MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) discussion

[jis]

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/04/13/trains-nearly-hit-mbta-employees-four-times-in-past-month/
A breakdown in safety communication at the MBTA led to four “near misses” in the past 30 days, incidents where employees were almost struck by trains.
Chief Safety Officer Ron Ester said Thursday that two near misses in March occurred when employees were working on the tracks without authorization, and a third incident involved a train operator who disobeyed a flag-hand signal to stop and instead picked up speed when T workers were in the right of way.

Another near miss occurred earlier this month when the final eastbound Green Line train, which had been delayed and thus was late, unexpectedly passed through an area where employees were working on the tracks, Ester told the T’s safety subcommittee.

So MBTA has now descended to a level of safety protocol non-adherence that is not even seen in most third world countries. Good thing that the train operators still appear to obey the color light signals controlling their movement.

 

[BlackDiamond]

So MBTA has now descended to a level of safety protocol non-adherence that is not even seen in most third world countries. Good thing that the train operators still appear to obey the color light signals controlling their movement.

At least that makes them safer than Greece
I don't get the workers who were supposed to be working on Sullivan Square and and up at State Street. How does that happen?

 

[Fenway]

 

[Fenway]

I am mystified by how the Blue Line has deteriorated

 

[Fenway]

I think we are getting closer to the Feds shutting everything down

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/feds-threaten-ban-track-workers-mbta-subway-lines

 

[Fenway]

T officials sat largely silent as the voicemails, which were played at the start of the board meeting as part of public comment, expressed the deepening helplessness some riders feel as they recount how their daily commute was ruined — again — by dysfunction.

This week’s voicemails were isolated and posted online, earning hundreds of likes from locals on social media. Commenters said the callers captured their own growing anger.



Entire meeting

 

[Tlcooper44]

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/0...ned-maura-healey-says-to-expect-more-changes/

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/0...ned-maura-healey-says-to-expect-more-changes/

This is great news. Next take away their parking passes and make them ride the MBTA to work every day.

 

[Fenway]

Newly obtained video surveillance from aboard an MBTA Green Line trolley shows the moment that flooring at the vehicle's central hinge buckled while passengers rode through downtown during the Boston Marathon.

After an investigation, MBTA officials said Friday that the issue was caused by a misalignment of the metal flooring inside the Type 9 vehicle.

 

[Fenway]

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/0...ned-maura-healey-says-to-expect-more-changes/

oops

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/ooops-t-might-have-problems-managers-living

 

[Tlcooper44]

oops

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/ooops-t-might-have-problems-managers-living

The article I posted was from the Herald. Did they and the Globe both get these names wrong?

 

[Brian Battuello]

That's just embarrassing. The Globe is good for puff pieces on the alleged best lobster roll, but I wouldn't count on them for any serious journalism. For that I still read the NYTimes.

 

[Fenway]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-wellington-fare-collection-system/43755284

 

[Tlcooper44]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-wellington-fare-collection-system/43755284

I know these things costed a lot, but this is one time where I don’t care and think it’s worth it.

Having to buy a separate ticket is a huge hassle, and is often a reason why I opt to not take a bus. Getting this system rolled out is crucial IMO.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Meanwhile, the sky is falling...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05...y-falling-support-brace-harvard-mbta-station/

 

[Fenway]

Meanwhile, the sky is falling...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05...y-falling-support-brace-harvard-mbta-station/

It never ends

 

[BlackDiamond]

I know these things costed a lot, but this is one time where I don’t care and think it’s worth it.

Having to buy a separate ticket is a huge hassle, and is often a reason why I opt to not take a bus. Getting this system rolled out is crucial IMO.

I agree. It drives me crazy that everywhere else in society you can pay by credit card often just tap and go but with transit you are suddenly in a time warp back to the 1980s with special fare cards. That is not the case in other places such as London.

 

[jis]

The article I posted was from the Herald. Did they and the Globe both get these names wrong?

Doesn't say anything positive about Gayla Cawley's competence and raises the possibility that she has just been copying stuff from Mail or vice versa.

I agree. It drives me crazy that everywhere else in society you can pay by credit card often just tap and go but with transit you are suddenly in a time warp back to the 1980s with special fare cards. That is not the case in other places such as London.

Only certain Transit Agencies have failed to stay up with the times and deployed 20th Century systems in the 21st Century (way too many for comfort in the US I am afraid). There are others that did the right thing deploying an Open System that accepts almost all NFC instruments at fare gates. New York initially fell for that when they deployed the Metrocard while places in Asia were already deploying NFC systems. But back then there were no NFC Debit and Credit Cards in wide circulation either. Bu then New York did the right thing and its OMNY is one such example. But even there since there are significant groups of customers that do not necessarily have a NFC instrument handy, the Transit Agency has to provide one for Transit use, e.g. the OMNY Card in NY. I have acquired one only as a souvenir with no intention to ever use it.

Meanwhile, the lesser said about SEPTA the better.

 

[Fenway]

The box that became dislodged was part of a 2011 pilot program led by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and funded by the Department Homeland Security, to house sensors capable of detecting and identifying biological agents," the MBTA said in a statement. "As part of MIT's testing and evaluating of the new technology, the boxes were installed at Harvard, Porter and Davis Stations. The boxes have served no purpose since the pilot program ended in 2013.

 

[allanorn]

I agree. It drives me crazy that everywhere else in society you can pay by credit card often just tap and go but with transit you are suddenly in a time warp back to the 1980s with special fare cards. That is not the case in other places such as London.

You can imagine how amazed I was when I went to Prague in 2018 - they had a contactless-only fare machine on the trams. You could walk on to the tram without a ticket, place your payment card on the reader, and it would print out a fare ticket that's already validated. (I think you could also select if you wanted a 30-minute or 90-minute fare prior to payment.)

Meanwhile in the USA I have to ensure I have cash (and sufficient quarters!) on hand before boarding, and have to look on a Web site to determine if it's better to buy when boarding or somewhere specific for day passes, reloadable cards, or download yet another app for payment (which may require an account or not to use). MTS here in SAN lost the ability to use Apple Pay to add fare to their contactless cards, but I blame that on purchasing a system from Cubic and bad app developers.

 

[joelkfla]

The box that became dislodged was part of a 2011 pilot program led by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and funded by the Department Homeland Security, to house sensors capable of detecting and identifying biological agents," the MBTA said in a statement. "As part of MIT's testing and evaluating of the new technology, the boxes were installed at Harvard, Porter and Davis Stations. The boxes have served no purpose since the pilot program ended in 2013.

It's amazing how much forgotten junk is out there, just waiting to cause trouble.

When I was a WDW bus driver, all bus service was suddenly suspended in the middle of an afternoon, and the underside of each of our 300 buses had to be inspected with mirrors. A mechanic had found an unidentified device attached to a bus. Turned out it was a leftover from a trial of an early bus tracking system that nobody remembered.

 

[Fenway]

The local NBC Station looks at another long term problem

https://www.nbcboston.com/investiga...ors-remain-out-of-service-for-months/3038035/

 

[Fenway]

Governor Healy is dumbfounded at how the T was allowed to fall apart in the first place.

https://www.boston.com/news/politic...ations-but-says-mbta-is-safe/?p1=hp_secondary

 

[Brian Battuello]

Uh, maybe because it was a cesspool of patronage jobs where the less you did, the more likely you could keep your cushy position?

 

[Fenway]