Tracking Transportation

Keeping track of transportation

T notes: New Orange Line cars delayed again

Bus system overhaul has a lot of moving parts

By Bruce Mohl MBTA 0 Comments Mar 25, 2019

MBTA OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED on Monday that the rollout of new Orange Line vehicles is being delayed again, this time until sometime this summer. T officials say 10 Orange Line vehicles have already been delivered from the Chinese manufacturer and two more are due to arrive this week. Full rollout of all 152 vehicles is scheduled(...)

T vows ‘blitz’ will make stations look, smell better

Park Street to get major overhaul later this summer

By Bruce Mohl MBTA 0 Comments Mar 25, 2019

THE MBTA, concerned that efforts to improve service have not been visible to most of its riders, is launching a $25 million spring cleaning at several of the transit authority’s busiest stations and following that up this summer with the launch of a $65 million initiative to overhaul a number of stations. The first phase,(...)

T says warehouse vendor a big improvement

Officials cites big savings despite ‘bumps in the road’

By Andy Metzger Brian Shortsleeve, inventory, Jeff Cook, Mancon, MBTA, Mike Vartabedian 0 Comments Mar 25, 2019

DESPITE SOME “BUMPS in the road,” the MBTA’s outsourced inventory management system is performing much better at less cost than the old warehouse operation run by T staff, top transit authority officials said on Monday. “I think we’re heading in the right direction. And the key is we’re measuring our vendors. We’re measuring the warehouse on(...)

Inaction is not an option with TNCs

Massport poised to take meaningful action

By James Aloisi MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Mar 24, 2019

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK, and a good deal of concern, about the impacts of transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft on traffic at Logan Airport and in surrounding communities and roadway systems. Now, for the first time, we’ve moved from talk and concern to meaningful action. Acting Massport CEO John(...)

Fixing the Logan ‘donut hole’

How to cover late night, early morning transit needs

By Ari Ofsevit Transportation 0 Comments Mar 24, 2019

With congestion continuing to plague East Boston and the Logan Airport roadway system, Massport has proposed changes to the fees charged for ride-hailing companies (Uber and Lyft) for pickups and dropoffs at the airport. Leveraging these fees, Massport will beef up Logan Express coverage, adding a new route to North Station as well as additional(...)

Should the state follow Massport’s lead?

Many are pushing an increase in ride-hailing fees

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Mar 21, 2019

MASSPORT OFFICIALS on Thursday proposed a hefty increase in fees on Uber and Lyft as part of a broader response to congestion at Logan International Airport, and the question now for state policymakers is whether they should follow suit. Airport officials say the ride-hailing apps are starting to overrun the airport, and the limited available(...)

Massport proposes major response to congestion at Logan

Big hike in Uber, Lyft fees, centralized pickups/drop-offs, Logan Express expansion

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Mar 21, 2019

TO REDUCE CONGESTION at Logan International Airport, officials at Massport are proposing much higher fees and new dropoff and pickup procedures for Uber and Lyft passengers as well as a series of new policies to double ridership on Logan Express buses from downtown and suburban locations to 4 million passengers a year. At a meeting(...)

T’s privatized warehouse system falling short of promises

Union rep: ‘The public was sold something that they’re not receiving’

By Andy Metzger MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Mar 20, 2019

THREE YEARS AGO, the MBTA made the case for privatizing the transit authority’s inventory management system by arguing that the existing staff-run operation had broken down on almost every level. One of the biggest problems was that parts could take around three days to arrive at work benches, far longer than the industry standard of(...)

T notes: Submerged Blue Line back online

Alert: Lane shutdowns coming on Route 1, Turnpike

By Bruce Mohl Transportation 0 Comments Mar 18, 2019

STATE TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS are hailing the efforts of transit authority staff to get the Blue Line’s Orient Heights station back online Monday morning following a Friday evening fire at an adjacent building that was put out with water that ended up flooding the track area. Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said she was impressed that T(...)

Task force urges carrot-and-stick approach with RTAs

Increase funding, but tie it to individualized performance goals

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Transportation 0 Comments Mar 18, 2019

A correction has been added to this story. A TASK FORCE IS RECOMMENDING that state funding increase next year for the 15 regional transportation authorities as long as each authority commits to personalized targets for ridership and financial performance. Last year, the Department of Transportation distributed $82 million to the authorities under a pre-set formula,(...)