Tracking Transportation

Keeping track of transportation

Video: Pyrotechnics preceded June derailment

Red Line lumbered on, car lurched, then crashed into sheds

By Andy Metzger derailment, flash, June 11, MBTA, motorperson, Red line, sparks, video 0 Comments Jul 3, 2019

A VIDEO OF the Red Line derailment on June 11 from the vantage point of the JFK/UMass Station shows the Braintree-bound train coming into view around a slight curve when a big flash occurs toward the rear of the train. It’s not clear in the grainy footage what caused the flash but the train doesn’t(...)

Baker: RMV failed to do part of its job

Priority now is on the ‘back of the house’

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Transportation 0 Comments Jul 2, 2019

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER and Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack took responsibility on Tuesday for the failure of the Registry of Motor Vehicles to process thousands of out-of-state violations by Massachusetts drivers, but the governor indicated Pollack still has his confidence and the problem will quickly be addressed. Baker and Pollack disclosed on Monday that the RMV(...)

Baker feels the love on South Coast

Rail service plan makes him a hero to the region

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, MBTA 0 Comments Jul 2, 2019

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, who has been facing heat for his oversight of the MBTA since a Red Line derailment June 11, traveled to the South Coast on Tuesday to bask in the adoration of a region thrilled he is finally bringing commuter rail service to them. At a ceremonial groundbreaking in Freetown, complete with a(...)

RMV ignored out-of-state violation notices

After discovering them unopened for a year, state suspends 546 MA licenses

By Andy Metzger Charlie Baker, Transportation 0 Comments Jul 1, 2019

OFFICIALS LAST WEEK DISCOVERED a giant backlog of paperwork sent to the Registry of Motor Vehicles about infractions committed by Massachusetts drivers in other states that had been sitting untouched for more than a year, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack announced on Monday. Among the unread messages from other states were more than 600 notifications about(...)

Why Red Line commute is taking longer

Human workaround subbing for broken signals, switches

By Bruce Mohl MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jul 1, 2019

YOUR RED LINE COMMUTE is taking up to 20 minutes longer these days because a team of roughly 50 MBTA employees is filling in for automatic switches and signals severely damaged during a derailment June 11 at the JFK/UMass Station. The fairly expensive human workaround runs from Fields Corner to Broadway on the Ashmont branch(...)

Wu and other pols seek to organize T riders

Call for more taxes and more bus-only lanes

By Andy Metzger 0 Comments Jul 1, 2019

BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR Michelle Wu had a captive audience Monday morning as she tried to mobilize a group of people who spend too much time stuck on MBTA platforms and trains. “I practically live on here,” said Carshena Berry who commutes almost the entire length of the Red Line from Ashmont to Davis and spoke(...)

Crowded T cars can mean unwanted touching

Sex harassment should be part of MBTA's safety assessment

By Christa Kelleher MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jun 30, 2019

CROWDED SUBWAY CARS AND PLATFORMS can mean more than disruption for T riders. They have the potential to produce an environment ripe for sexual harassment. With a review panel now established to address derailments and other important safety concerns, it is imperative that the MBTA also renew its commitment to ensuring a safe public transit(...)

Wieland gets nod for Massport CEO post

Current port director tapped for top post

By Andy Metzger John Nucci, Lew Evangelidis, Lisa Wieland, Massport, Stephanie Pollack 0 Comments Jun 27, 2019

LISA WIELAND WAS selected to be the next chief executive of the Massachusetts Port Authority, taking over from the longtime stewardship of Tom Glynn, who retired last year. A divided Massport board of directors, which is almost entirely made up of Gov. Charlie Baker’s appointees, chose Wieland over the only other finalist, Brian Golden. John(...)

Will Baker get on the T revenue train?

Chorus of voices grows in call for more urgent action

By Michael Jonas Charlie Baker, MBTA, Transportation 0 Comments Jun 26, 2019

FOR CHARLIE BAKER, when you’ve lost Bob DeLeo and Marty Walsh, along with leading business voices, those infernal MBTA countdown clocks that can’t give Red Line riders a clue to when the next train is coming are instead flashing a big warning to you that time’s up. And so it came to pass, after a surreptitious(...)

State registrar resigns amid NH crash probe

Agency should have terminated license of driver accused of killing 7

By CommonWealth Staff Charlie Baker, Transportation 0 Comments Jun 26, 2019

ERIN DEVENEY resigned as the state’s registrar of motor vehicles on Tuesday after it was discovered that the agency failed to act on information supplied by Connecticut that would have triggered the revocation of the commercial driver’s license of the man accused of driving the truck that plowed into and killed seven motorcyclists in New(...)