WITH RIDERSHIP PLUMMETING, the MBTA said it would reduce most subway and bus service to Saturday levels and eliminate ferries starting on Tuesday. “These changes are being made based on guidance from public health professionals and have been developed according to several criteria that seek to protect the health and safety of MBTA employees and […]
MBTA
Posted inOpinion
New T rail cars built on backs of children
AS CO-CHAIR of the MBTA Caucus, I would like to share and expand on concerns readers may not be fully aware of involving CRRC, the Chinese state-owned enterprise that is manufacturing new rail cars for use by the T. CRRC claims to operate in accord with the highest standards for manufacturing and Buy America rules, […]
Posted inTransportation
T forgot raises for top 2 officials
THE MBTA FAILED to give its top two officials pay raises they were owed and no one, including the officials themselves, noticed the error until a reporter asked about them. Under the three-year contract General Manager Steve Poftak signed with the T in January 2019, he received a starting salary of $320,000 and automatic raises […]
Posted inTransportation
Track info to disappear 1 minute before departure
SOUTH STATION commuters who leave themselves little time to get to their platforms may soon need to change their habits or risk missing their trains altogether. Starting on March 18, display boards inside South Station will remove track information for trains one minute before their scheduled departures. Any passenger who arrives within that range will […]
Posted inTransportation
T notes: Boston congestion ranked worst in US again
FOR THE SECOND YEAR in a row, Boston was ranked the most congested urban area in the United States by the transportation analytics firm INRIX. The company, which relies on data gathered from a variety of sources, including smartphones and GPS devices, said Bostonians spend 149 hours a year sitting in congestion, primarily at rush […]
Posted inTransportation
T budget raises sustainability questions
A KEY MEMBER of the MBTA’s oversight board raised concerns on Monday that spending at the authority is rising at an unsustainable pace. Brian Shortsleeve, a member of the Fiscal and Management Control Board who previously served as general manager of the T, pointed out during a presentation on the upcoming fiscal year’s budget that […]
Posted inPolitics
Lyons has votes to remain Mass. GOP chair
THE MASSACHUSETTS GOP released unofficial results on Friday indicating conservative Jim Lyons should have enough support on the 80-member state committee to continue as chairman of the state Republican Party. The state committee races were unusually contentious and bitter this year, with undisclosed amounts of money pouring in to the campaigns. Forces allied with Gov. […]
Posted inTransportation
House OKs $18b transportation bond bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A DAY AFTER VOTING to raise taxes and fees by as much as $600 million per year, the Massachusetts House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a roughly $18 billion bond bill authorizing spending on transportation projects and infrastructure over 10 years. Before adopting the bill on a 150-1 vote, the House without […]
Posted inTransportation
House passes transportation bill with minor tweaks
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE of Representatives approved a major tax bill Wednesday night that Democratic leaders say will generate more than half a billion dollars for transportation infrastructure by increasing taxes or fees on gasoline, corporations, ride-hailing services, and vehicle purchases by rental car companies. Lawmakers voted mostly along party lines in […]
Posted inOpinion
In transportation debate, don’t forget low-income fares
IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE to riders and elected officials alike that our public transit systems are in need of transformative change. But often lost in the conversation about fixing the MBTA and regional transit authorities is the burden of transit costs on people who already struggle to make ends meet. Our region has high poverty […]