MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) discussion

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Tlcooper93 said:
here’s something interesting:
https://www.masstransitmag.com/mana...-strip-mbta-of-commuter-rail-ferry-operations
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The proposal is to split the various components off the MBTA into various new authorities. The T would keep subways and buses (and presumably, the Ride, special transit for disabled people.) The commuter rail and the ferries would each be under other, separate administration.

I'm not sure this would fix anything and it might disrupt the new administration's attempts to get the T under control. Unless the T itself or the DOT or DPU or the feds recommend a major intervention like this, I would wait at least several months before embarking on such a major reorganization. However it is probably not too soon to start thinking about it.

I've also read about a recent proposal to put ALL the state's regional transit authorities (mostly buses) under direct management of the DOT, i.e. consolidating everything instead of splitting it up even more than it already is.

There are lots of problems as well as benefits with any of these options (splitting, leaving things as they are, consolidating or reorganizing.) Needs to be studied for a couple of decades /s.
 
John Santos said:
I've also read about a recent proposal to put ALL the state's regional transit authorities (mostly buses) under direct management of the DOT, i.e. consolidating everything instead of splitting it up even more than it already is.
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That's basically what they have in Maryland, although some of the smaller outlying systems are run by county governments. Also, in the DC area, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County run more extensive bus services to supplement the WMATA Metrobus lines and connect to Metrorail.

Can't say that the MTA service in Baltimore is the greatest, but the buses seem to run reliably, and the one metro line runs reliably, and the light rail isn't too bad, certainly no foul-ups like what's going on in Boston. (Not to mention all the bad stuff that's happened with the WMATA Metro.) MARC is also pretty reliable (most of the time), it just needs more frequent service and a deal with Amtrak to let people use MARC tickets on the Northeast Regionals.
 
From a financial perspective however, it makes sense.

Unburdening the MBTA with the capital costs of electrification and procurement of rolling stock would alleviate their budget, especially given their shouldering of the Big Dig debt.
 
Upgrading the MBTA commuter rail system will cost billions and perhaps a state agency is the best way to do this. Also, I do know that SEPTA runs everything in Southeast Pennsylvania and, in my experience, works pretty well. However, they do not have to upgrade to electric on their rail lines.
 
Boston is procuring 20 electric school buses that will be delivered soon and operating -once tbe operators’ training is completed as well as maintenance training.

Just think of putting those buses on trucks and coupling five of the buses together making four train sets. Also, how big a deal is it to be putting out tons of solar panels around and along with the tracks to power the trains when they are stationary for a few hours.

I really like the idea of just thinking of a completely sustainable and renewable system to power our trains with zero reliance on fossil fuels. The carbon footprint of current batteries are problem, but in future generations of batteries that problem might get solved.
 
I don't know where to begin.

Massachusetts has too many regional transit authorities but they all share one common issue - they do not talk to each other with some exceptions.

When the commuter rail was restored to Newburyport in 1998 the MVRTA made no effort to adjust bus schedules and to this day there are issues. Paratransit connections are a nightmare between agencies.


1676012253133.png


Maybe the answer lies by looking at Chicago where you have the RTA watching over the CTA, METRA and PACE.

The MBTA is stubborn in revising bus routes many of which trace back to streetcar lines from 100 years ago. The 99 bus still terminates at a hospital that closed in 1999.

https://milesintransit.com/2016/05/24/99-boston-regional-medical-center/
In fairness, the T does have a plan to redesign the bus network but the rollout has been bumpy.

https://www.mbta.com/projects/bette...g-secondary&utm_source=homepage&utm_term=null
Short term the CRRC debacle does not bode well for the Red Line as at least all the Orange Line shells have been manufactured.

Commuter Rail? The state needs to go to Amtrak and have them run it as they did from 1987-2003. It wasn't perfect but it ran much better than the last 20 years under MBCR and Keolis

Something is wrong when Cubic claims their contract with the MBTA is the most challenging in their history.
.
 
Fenway said:
I don't know where to begin.

Massachusetts has too many regional transit authorities but they all share one common issue - they do not talk to each other with some exceptions.

When the commuter rail was restored to Newburyport in 1998 the MVRTA made no effort to adjust bus schedules and to this day there are issues. Paratransit connections are a nightmare between agencies.


View attachment 31334


Maybe the answer lies by looking at Chicago where you have the RTA watching over the CTA, METRA and PACE.

The MBTA is stubborn in revising bus routes many of which trace back to streetcar lines from 100 years ago. The 99 bus still terminates at a hospital that closed in 1999.

https://milesintransit.com/2016/05/24/99-boston-regional-medical-center/
In fairness, the T does have a plan to redesign the bus network but the rollout has been bumpy.

https://www.mbta.com/projects/bette...g-secondary&utm_source=homepage&utm_term=null
Short term the CRRC debacle does not bode well for the Red Line as at least all the Orange Line shells have been manufactured.

Commuter Rail? The state needs to go to Amtrak and have them run it as they did from 1987-2003. It wasn't perfect but it ran much better than the last 20 years under MBCR and Keolis

Something is wrong when Cubic claims their contract with the MBTA is the most challenging in their history.
.
Click to expand...
I don't have too much hope for the new
Fenway said:
I don't know where to begin.

Massachusetts has too many regional transit authorities but they all share one common issue - they do not talk to each other with some exceptions.

When the commuter rail was restored to Newburyport in 1998 the MVRTA made no effort to adjust bus schedules and to this day there are issues. Paratransit connections are a nightmare between agencies.


View attachment 31334


Maybe the answer lies by looking at Chicago where you have the RTA watching over the CTA, METRA and PACE.

The MBTA is stubborn in revising bus routes many of which trace back to streetcar lines from 100 years ago. The 99 bus still terminates at a hospital that closed in 1999.

https://milesintransit.com/2016/05/24/99-boston-regional-medical-center/
In fairness, the T does have a plan to redesign the bus network but the rollout has been bumpy.

https://www.mbta.com/projects/bette...g-secondary&utm_source=homepage&utm_term=null
Short term the CRRC debacle does not bode well for the Red Line as at least all the Orange Line shells have been manufactured.

Commuter Rail? The state needs to go to Amtrak and have them run it as they did from 1987-2003. It wasn't perfect but it ran much better than the last 20 years under MBCR and Keolis

Something is wrong when Cubic claims their contract with the MBTA is the most challenging in their history.
.
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I have little faith in the MBTA transforming their bus network. For instance take a look at the latest proposal map from the link and low and behold the 99 bus still terminates at the same abandoned hospital. The regional bus routes for the most part haven't changed in over a hundred years. It's as if the buses are locked into the old trolley tracks that the MBTA ripped out decades ago.
 
https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/0...nt-of-problems-with-china-train-deal-exposed/
Minutes from closed-door meetings held last year reveal an escalating number of defects with the new Orange and Red Line cars and repeated criticism by the MBTA that its Chinese contractor was taking a lackadaisical approach to resolving them.

These documents, obtained by the Herald through a public records request, show that CRRC only delivered nine of the 34 two-car Orange Line train sets it promised in January 2022, reused safety-critical hardware on trains, and submitted “approval to proceed” forms to bypass inspections where cars were missing materials.

MBTA Interim General Manager Jeffrey Gonneville said last month that the T expects CRRC, which hasn’t delivered any new train sets since July, will miss its latest deadlines of December 2023 and September 2026 for the remaining Orange and Red Line cars, respectively.

The company is already nearly two years behind schedule for the Orange Line and three years behind schedule for the Red Line, based on the respective dates set in the initial contract: January 2022 and September 2023.
 
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March MBTA planned disruptions:

Shuttle buses will replace parts of Red Line service on two weekends, March 4-5 and 25-26 between Harvard and JFK/UMass stations, and on evenings beginning at 9 p.m. from March 20-23 between Braintree and North Quincy stations.

Orange Line service will be suspended between Ruggles and North Station during the weekend of March 11-12 and in the evenings beginning at 9 p.m. from March 27-30 between Wellington and North Station.

Green Line trolleys will be replaced with shuttle buses between North Station and Government Center, from March 11-12.

Buses will replace Mattapan Line trolleys on weekday evenings beginning at 9 p.m. from March 6-9, to remove a broken staircase at Milton station.

Commuter rail service will also be replaced on the Newburyport/Rockport Line between Swampscott and North Station from March 20-28, and on the Haverhill Line between Haverhill and Reading stations from March 4-12.
 
joelkfla said:
To Rep. Stephen Lynch:
Good luck "keeping the supply chain in the United States" for railcars.
Click to expand...

The T has an astonishing record of blowing off vendors.

The Bombardier cars for the Red Line built in 1993-1994 have performed well. They were assembled in Vermont but the major issue with them today is the onboard computers were designed by Digital which was a powerhouse 30 years ago but no longer exists. Getting parts is a problem.

The Siemens cars for the Blue Line were built in 2007-2009 and while there were delays the cars have performed exceptionally well.

What is now CRRC submitted an astonishing low bid for the Orange Line cars and agreed to build a factory in Massachusetts and would later get the Red Line contract.

The Red Line is the workhorse of the T running 17.5 miles between Alewife and Braintree and the rolling stock is not in great shape. The 1500 and 1600s should have been retired a decade ago but 60 cars are still active.

I don't see an easy fix.

​

 
And the Red Line has yet another unscheduled outage:

From WBUR:

Shuttles are replacing all downtown Red Line service this morning — from Harvard to Broadway — after a piece of "track work equipment" derailed in the tunnel just south of Park Street station around 4 a.m., according to MBTA officials. A single six-car train running back and forth between Harvard and Alewife stations is the only thing providing Red Line service north of the closed off stretch. And it's unclear how long it will take before normal service resumes. So, prepare yourself for a slow commute.
 
Brian Battuello said:
And the Red Line has yet another unscheduled outage:

From WBUR:

Shuttles are replacing all downtown Red Line service this morning — from Harvard to Broadway — after a piece of "track work equipment" derailed in the tunnel just south of Park Street station around 4 a.m., according to MBTA officials. A single six-car train running back and forth between Harvard and Alewife stations is the only thing providing Red Line service north of the closed off stretch. And it's unclear how long it will take before normal service resumes. So, prepare yourself for a slow commute.
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They are back to normal (more or less) as of 8:07 AM. At least what passes for normal on the MBTA :rolleyes:
 

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