Tracking Transportation

Keeping track of transportation

Doubts raised about the T’s bus redesign plan

Advisory board question's agency's ability to hire drivers, meet schedule

By Colin A. Young MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 26, 2023

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the MBTA Advisory Board on Thursday gave T overseers an earful, telling the T board that MBTA host communities are concerned that the agency won’t be able to pay for, hire enough new workers for,T and actually follow through on its plan to redraw the system’s bus(...)

MBTA opens up about crippling subway car delivery delays

Gonneville paints dire picture; T board asks no questions

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 26, 2023

THE MBTA pulled back the curtain a bit on Thursday about what’s causing crippling delays in the production of new Red and Orange Line trains by a Chinese manufacturer and its assembly plant in Springfield. Jeffrey Gonneville, the T’s interim general manager, said the Chinese company, CRRC, was supposed to deliver all 152 new Orange(...)

MBTA to pay for New Bedford pedestrian bridge

$21m span designed to connect with commuter rail station

By Michael P. Norton MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 24, 2023

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NEW BEDFORD OFFICIALS say the city will not be on the hook for any construction costs associated with a $21 million pedestrian bridge that will provide a link to a new downtown inter-city rail station. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell’s office reported Tuesday that after more than a year of talks,(...)

Special treatment considered for revenue from millionaire tax

Economists, lawmakers favor socking away portion of tax money

By Bruce Mohl Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Legislature, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 24, 2023

TOP BUDGET OFFICIALS from the Legislature say they intend to abide by the will of the voters and make sure all revenue from the new millionaire tax goes to “new initiatives” in transportation and education. Exactly what would qualify as a “new initiative” hasn’t been decided yet (is a new bus or subway car a(...)

MBTA stepping up efforts to halt Green Line speeding

Agency to start installing some anti-collision tech in 2024

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 19, 2023

FACED WITH a long delay before anti-collision technology can be fully installed on the Green Line, the MBTA is moving ahead with interim measures designed to avoid collisions and refining efforts to discourage and eventually prevent speeding. MBTA officials say they are already cracking down on speeding and planning to install technology to avoid collisions(...)

Gonneville promises T board a briefing on train manufacturer

Acting GM says he is focused on building trust, transparency

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 19, 2023

MBTA OFFICIALS said they have narrowed their investigation into the latest safety problem with new Orange Line vehicles and plan to brief the transit authority’s board starting next week on strategies for dealing with the manufacturer. The manufacturer, the Chinese company CRRC MA, is facing pressure from the T to produce new Red and Orange(...)

Getting Boston on board with e-bikes

Research shows city, state investments in 2-wheelers pay off

By Jonathan Timm Transportation 0 Comments Jan 11, 2023

IT’S THE AGE of the e-bike — but Boston is behind the curve. By making biking easier, faster, and more sweat-free, electric bikes (e-bikes) have shown to be a hit. Americans bought nearly 500,000 in 2020, compared to less than half that number of electric automobiles (popularly referred to as electric vehicles, or EVs). “The(...)

Feds blame driver for 2021 Green Line collision

Report reveals lengthy delay in overdue safety feature

By Chris Lisinski MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 5, 2023

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS identified a Green Line operator’s “loss of situational awareness” as the likely cause of a July 2021 Green Line collision, and their report about the incident published Thursday also appeared to reveal a lengthy delay to an overdue MBTA safety feature that could have prevented the crash. Two and(...)

Baker making last-minute appointments as he exits

Fills MassDOT, MBTA board vacancies, elevates Dooley

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jan 3, 2023

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is making some last-minute appointments to boards and commissions as he prepares to leave office. Last week, the governor named outgoing state rep Timothy Whelan of Barnstable and retired transportation executive Joseph Beggan to the 11-member Massachusetts Department of Transportation board and extended the terms of Leominister Mayor Dean Mazzarola and Timothy(...)

Orange Line service cut due to electrical arcing problem

Nine vehicles taken out of service; 'root cause' still unknown

By Chris Lisinski MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Dec 30, 2022

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ORANGE LINE riders should expect slow commutes with gaps of about 15 minutes between trains after the MBTA pulled nine cars from service because of unexpected “electrical arcing,” the agency announced Friday. MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston said in a statement shortly before 2:30 p.m. that a T engineer “identified a failure(...)