Tracking Transportation

Keeping track of transportation

Commuters weary of road and transit problems

Poll says voters support new funding to address challenges

By Sarah Betancourt 0 Comments Apr 24, 2019

MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS ARE feeling stressed over crowded roadways and unreliable public transit systems, and express little optimism that situation will improve in coming years, according to a new poll. More than half of full-time workers who commute by car say they’ve been late for work because of traffic in last few months, while 63 percent(...)

Uber: 10,000 customers petitioned Massport

Complain about plan to hike fees, move pickup-dropoff location

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Apr 23, 2019

UBER SAID 10,000 of its Massachusetts customers signed a petition to Massport over the last 24 hours complaining about a proposal to hike fees on ride-hailing apps at Logan International Airport. Uber also said it was launching a radio ad Tuesday to put more pressure on Massport in advance of a planned vote on an(...)

T notes: Fare gates coming to 3 commuter rail stations

Agency hires new administrator, commuter rail chief

By Bruce Mohl and Andy Metzger MBTA 0 Comments Apr 22, 2019

ESTIMATING THE MBTA’S COMMUTER RAIL operation lost between $10 million and $20 million last year due to fare evasion, the transit authority said on Monday that it plans to install fare gates at the South, North, and Back Bay stations next year. Officials said the gates would be capable of reading all fare media, including(...)

Baker comes up with South Coast Rail financing

Completion date moved back a year to late 2023

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Apr 22, 2019

This story was updated at 5:50 p.m. GOV. CHARLIE BAKER followed through on a first-term campaign promise on Monday by dedicating more than $1 billion in state bond funds to the South Coast Rail project, which is now expected to be completed after his second term ends. The funding commitment followed three cost and schedule(...)

T hires new administrator and commuter rail chief

Panagore and DiAdamo both have experience locally

By Andy Metzger chief administrator, David Panagore, hires, MBTA, Rob DiAdamo 0 Comments Apr 22, 2019

DAVID PANAGORE, WHO has described his career in government as a “theater director” and worked on turnaround efforts in Chelsea and Springfield, will now take a role backstage for Boston area transit riders as chief administrative officer of the MBTA. A lawyer who has studied engineering, politics, philosophy, and physics in addition to theater, Panagore received(...)

Uber customers urged to lobby Massport

Follows Lyft in pressing for changes in anti-congestion plan

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Apr 22, 2019

UBER followed the lead of Lyft on Monday, urging its Boston customers to send emails to Massport opposing the agency’s anti-congestion plan, which targets ride-hailing apps with higher fees and less convenient pickup and drop-off locations at Logan International Airport. With the Massport board scheduled to vote on the plan this week, Uber reached out to(...)

Lyft sics its Boston customers on Massport

Wants agency to back off its anti-congestion plan

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Apr 19, 2019

LYFT BEGAN MOBILIZING its customer base on Friday to pressure Massport to back off a series of proposals that would hike fees on rides to Logan Airport and steer pickups and drop-offs to a location in the central parking garage 5 to 10 minutes away from the terminals. In emails and online postings that went(...)

Don’t blame Uber and Lyft for congestion

Higher fees could limit mobility

By Christina Fisher congestion pricing, fees, Logan, Lyft, Uber 0 Comments Apr 12, 2019

NOT LONG AGO, many of us who live and work in Boston had to plan our days around times the T would run, hope that a taxi scheduled the night before would show up in the morning to help us catch an early flight, or coordinate rides from the nearest train station to visit loved(...)

Uber, Lyft trips to airport keep rising

Massport officials pushing ahead with congestion plan

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Apr 12, 2019

MASSPORT OFFICIALS said Uber and Lyft vehicle trips to and from Logan International Airport are up 29 percent so far this year, and indicated on Friday they are determined to deal with the congestion by moving ahead with a plan to hike ride-hailing fees at the airport and concentrate all pickups and drop-offs in the(...)

T cleaning contract déjà vu all over again

Union official: Situation shows privatization doesn’t work

By Timothy W. Lasker MBTA 0 Comments Apr 11, 2019

THE RECENT STORY about the MBTA’s plan to redo the station cleaning contract by adopting the performance-based contracting approach employed by Massport is a perfect example of why the MBTA’s pursuit of privatization creates unnecessary problems. I can’t believe it has been almost six years since the station cleaning contract first became a huge issue. In 2013,(...)