IN LATE MAY, Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan, whose city has been hit hard by the COVID pandemic, launched an effort to aid the reopening as restrictions were lifted and businesses looked for ways to get back on track. Under the “Brockton Open For Business” initiative, city staffers are reaching out to businesses to see how […]
Transportation
Mass. needs to prioritize shovel-worthy projects
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN marks a huge opportunity for our state and country. These funds, in addition to those provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), could bring a transformational investment to the Massachusetts transportation system, which for too long has focused on moving cars instead of people. Like states across the country, Massachusetts is preparing […]
Worcester commuter rail line targeted for upgrades
THE FRAMINGHAM-WORCESTER commuter rail line, which could become a lifeline into Boston if the I-90 Allston project gets launched, is getting some major improvements. The MBTA is planning two major projects on the line from Newton to Framingham – adding handicap accessible, double-sided platforms at the Newtonville, Newton, and Auburndale stations and a third track […]
5 ways to make buses more reliable
THE REMARKABLE RESILIENCE of bus ridership through even the worst months of the pandemic has underscored the critical importance of this surface transportation mode to provide access to jobs and opportunities, especially for those not privileged to be able to work from home. Buses disproportionately carry low-income, essential workers who tend to have inflexible work […]
T notes: New subway cars still in limbo
MBTA GENERAL MANAGER Steve Poftak said the new Orange and Red Line cars will remain in limbo for the time being as the T continues to try to reach consensus on what caused a derailment in March and what can be done to remedy the problem or problems. Two weeks ago the deputy general manager, […]
Members of T control board say goodbye
THE MEMBERS of the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board bid a final farewell on Monday as lawmakers on Beacon Hill continued to trade proposals about what a successor board should look like and how it should operate. The current five board members, including three who have held their voluntary positions for the past six […]
GLX to come in under budget, opening slightly delayed
MBTA OFFICIALS say the $2.3 billion project extending the Green Line into Somerville and Medford will come in under budget and be finished slightly later than expected, with the Union Square branch opening in December instead of October and the opening of the Medford branch pushed back from December to May 2022. John Dalton, the […]
Requiring masks on public transit makes no sense
THERE ARE FACTS and there are perceptions. These are often very different things. And when you are trying to guide and inform human decision-making, perceptions often matter more than facts. Many years ago, in the midst of a typically combative election in my East Boston neighborhood, a political wise guy said to me, “What’s important […]
COVID’s impact on transportation ridership uneven
THE PANDEMIC depressed travel on most modes of transportation, but the impact has not been the same everywhere. On the MBTA, ridership remains way down on the bus, subway, and commuter rail systems, but some routes and lines have done better than others. The number 16 bus, which serves Dorchester, is back to 87 percent […]
Uber, Lyft rides plunged to record lows in 2020
THE NUMBER of Uber and Lyft rides in Massachusetts plunged to record lows during the pandemic of 2020, with the total number of rides across the state falling to 35 million, down 62 percent from 2019, according to state figures released Monday. With the drop in rides, there was also a sharp downturn in revenue for […]