TransitBoston

For a new rider on the commuter rail, one of the most basic questions is “where do I stand” to wait for the train?  There are long areas astride the tracks for boarding and disembarking. The areas typically are long enough to accommodate a maximum-length train of six or maybe even more cars, at eighty-five [...]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about one of several buses that emitted clouds of smoke from places other than the tailpipe.  I noted observations about one particular bus and recalled that it was not an isolated occurrence. In an interesting twist, at a recent MBTA Rider Oversight Committee meeting (which are open to the [...]

The transit rights-of-way page has been updated with some great railroad and trolley maps circa 1910 and earlier.  The trolley map is particularly striking; today we are told that rail electrification is infeasible, but the map shows that nearly every main street in eastern Massachusetts had an electric trolley in 1910.  Amazing.

The 57 bus.  What can I say?  Forty-five stops in five-and-a-half miles of Brighton, Allston, Newton, and Watertown.  One stop for every 650 feet.  In traffic.  It isn’t exactly the kind of ride that anyone really looks forward to. But the 57 gets riders.  Lots of riders.  One might think that would prompt the T [...]

Why would anyone wait for the walk signal at the typical Boston-area crosswalk?  It’s a fair question.  I don’t have a good answer.  The signals often are elusive and pointless. When the crosswalk button works — and often it does not work at all by design or accident — the walk signal takes a long [...]

In the 1970s, the federal government instituted automobile regulations to increase vehicle fuel efficiency — in part by decreasing vehicle weight.  The initiative, called “CAFE” or “Corporate Average Fuel Economy,” has been renewed and enhanced as recently as 2007.  Heavier vehicles tend to be safer vehicles, but Congress and the President have judged that the [...]

Recently, I saw bus 0462 (marked in the picture for route 504) belching fumes.  That itself is not remarkable.  Some buses just stink.  Bus this bus stunk in a peculiar way.  See in the picture to the right how there is an exhaust pipe up high to the left of the bus, strategically above the [...]

How loud is that diesel (or natural gas) city bus?  Too loud: about 93 decibels (peak volume) measured from a bus stop when the bus is pulling away from the curb.  On the sound scale, that is more than four times louder than a vacuum cleaner (70dB) and more than twice as loud as an [...]

One of the fascinating things about the T is how it shapes riders’ views of the world.  If you rely on the T to get around, you know that many of the stops on the T are places that you can travel without much effort.  And there is a netherworld of gauzy space that is [...]

I don’t begrudge the MBTA for charging fares for its services.  Actually, I think it is very important that the T get its fare structure right. Unfortunately, the T never has gotten one particular aspect of its fares right: monthly passholders pay full fare in cash when they ride on a higher-level service.  A pass [...]

Governor Patrick’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to the MBTA yielded a slick, graphics-laden book report.  The “independent” special committee of four “authors/researchers” released their bombshell conclusion that … wait for it … someone else should make another study of the MBTA.  Preferably that someone will be more important than the four “authors/researchers” who wrote this report.  They [...]

Turns out the T doesn’t need a fare hike this year after all!  Last month the T announced that it would increase fares again — subway fares would break a 28-year inflation-adjusted record to set an all-time high of $2 per ride.  Around the same time, I noted that the last two occasions when fares [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

A change in the law governing bicycles recently was in the news.  In January, the Massachusetts legislature adopted a regime of traffic-ticketing to enforce existing laws that require bicyclists to, for example, stop at red traffic lights. The Legislature was wise to insist that bicyclists err on the side of safety and caution.  Someone on [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

The Suffolk District attorney charged former Green Line conductor Aiden Quinn of gross negligence in the control of “a railroad train,” according to published reports.  Quinn was at the controls on May 8 in Government Center when his trolley struck another.  His trolley, not his train. The criminal charge apparently stems from a Massachusetts law [...]

Last week the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the nation to raise the gas tax.  The Chamber reasoned that the federal gas tax is too low because it was set years ago as a fixed number of cents per gallon; inflation has eaten away much of its value.  A higher gas tax [...]

The NTSB released its analysis of the May, 2008 Green Line collision in Newton.  Such is the sorry state of affairs at the MBTA that the mishap must be identified by both date and location so as not to be confused with others recently such as this one, this one, this one, this one, and [...]

Last week the T proposed to increase subway fares to $2.00 and local bus fares to $1.50.  From just 85¢ in 2000, the proposal would more than double subway fares in just nine years. What is really interesting about this is it also would put subway and bus fares at their highest levels in Boston [...]

In a minature version of the Easter 2009 turnpike toll fiasco, insufficient staffing at the Riverside Green line terminal in Newton at noon on Sunday jammed traffic all the way back onto I-95/Route 128.  Red Sox faithful arrived at the station early for the 1:35pm afternoon start … and most still needed all of the [...]

The MBTA’s vaunted three-year-old electronic fare system keeps revealing its quirks. Last month I purchased an express bus pass from a vending machine and got a surprise. The machine does not sell a monthly pass into the contactless stored value card, but it will print flexible plastic passes that are electronically encoded and printed on [...]

Unless you were in seclusion the last few months, you probably heard that all the creative finance from Wall Street went to dust last fall.  What does that have to do with public transit?  Very little one would hope. Think again.  Several transit agencies participated in a wacky “sale and leaseback” arrangement involving their trains, [...]

What does a crowded platform mean?  Is it a sign of success or a sign of failure?  When the MBTA compiles its ridership statistics, do they record the situation in the picture to the right as a roaring success?  Do they simply say “there were like a thousand people who boarded that train at South [...]

The Minuteman Bikeway is an 11-mile, “year round” asphalt pathway occupying a former rail line in Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford.  It is supposed to provide “an easy way for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel to subway and bus lines, serving to reduce automobile traffic in the area.” How does that translate to reality? In [...]

Ever seen the red levers on the Green Line trains?  Ever wonder what happens when you pull the lever?  The train stops, right then and there.  No matter what it was doing before; 20mph to zero in a flash. When is the lever supposed to be used?  “In Emergency.”  The T attracts all kinds of [...]

The South Coast rail project was discussed in January in the Boston Business Journal.  The Commonwealth is considering reactivating some combination of rail lines from Boston to two cities on the south coast, Fall River and New Bedford.  Some homeowners who live near railroads that potentially will be reactivated would prefer the project die a [...]

Some days, riding on the T is such an adventure. February 12 was just such a day. I took a picture. Can you see what’s wrong with that picture? First, the train is in the station and the doors are open. When that happens everyone is supposed to board for a quick ride into the [...]

Bus No. 1131.  Silver Line, inbound.  Logan Airport, Terminal E.  8:35 a.m. Bus stops, one passenger boards, and then the dozen or so riders watch the bus driver … turn off the bus and walk away.  Says nothing.  Just walks away.  Dude!  Where’s my bus driver?! One rider picks up his cell phone.  “I’m hoping [...]

The Boston Globe reported today that the T canceled its purchase of 28 new locomotives!  Bittersweet news.  Bitter because the T’s contractor, MBCR, can’t seem to run its trains on time.  Outdated locomotives are part of the problem.  Sweet because the order shouldn’t have been for an all-diesel fleet in the first place.  A big [...]

Boston has been scrubbed clean over the years of its miscellaneous unused transit infrastructure.  In particular, the elevated railroads nearly all are gone.  Most recently, the sun shined on Causeway Street.  In the summer I stumbled onto one of the pieces of unused transit infrastructure that hasn’t been removed. Tunnel This tunnel entrance is located [...]

I boarded a Green Line “D” train a few months ago at Longwood station.  The station was in the midst of yet another renovation, and there were several workers around.  One of them handed me a flyer.  Turns out that the MBTA is running a passenger survey.  They wanted to know my origin, destination, mode [...]

The transit right or way project page has been updated.  Click here or use the tabs at the top to check it out!

The blog is up and running at it’s new and (hopefully) permanent location!  TransitBoston.com  Thanks for putting this together Dan & Heather.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pennsylvania short line tour railroad, the Strasburg Rail Road.  The road is barely five miles and it was sold to enthusiasts in 1959 after storms damaged a section of track.  And the road probably was utterly unprofitable.  The story goes that the folks started hitching rides through [...]

I love the new digital displays in the commuter rail stations at Back Bay and South Station.  The old, fuzzy, monochrome television displays were due for retirement.  For now the systems display side-by-side. But that creates an unexpected dilemma.  With two displays apparently feeding from two separate computer systems, riders are left with the very [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

I boarded the special so-called “Patriots Train” on Friday to see the 7:30 p.m. football exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. I was looking for good transit and railroading adventure. I found some adventure. As for good transit, there’s no shortage of promise — but the execution leaves something to be desired. Much like our pre-season [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

In about fifteen years of riding mass transit in the Boston area, I’ve accumulated more than my share of thoughts about how transit is implemented, and how things ought to be. The idea behind this blog is to share, a sort of MBTA-unfiltered. Over the next few weeks and months I’ll be sharing — sharing [...]

I boarded the special so-called “Patriots Train” on Friday to see the 7:30 p.m. football exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. I was looking for good transit and railroading adventure. I found some adventure. As for good transit, there’s no shortage of promise — but the execution leaves something to be desired. Much like our pre-season [...]

I love the new digital displays in the commuter rail stations at Back Bay and South Station.  The old, fuzzy, monochrome television displays were due for retirement.  For now the systems display side-by-side. But that creates an unexpected dilemma.  With two displays apparently feeding from two separate computer systems, riders are left with the very [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

The Minuteman Bikeway is an 11-mile, “year round” asphalt pathway occupying a former rail line in Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford.  It is supposed to provide “an easy way for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel to subway and bus lines, serving to reduce automobile traffic in the area.” How does that translate to reality? In [...]

The Suffolk District attorney charged former Green Line conductor Aiden Quinn of gross negligence in the control of “a railroad train,” according to published reports.  Quinn was at the controls on May 8 in Government Center when his trolley struck another.  His trolley, not his train. The criminal charge apparently stems from a Massachusetts law [...]

A change in the law governing bicycles recently was in the news.  In January, the Massachusetts legislature adopted a regime of traffic-ticketing to enforce existing laws that require bicyclists to, for example, stop at red traffic lights. The Legislature was wise to insist that bicyclists err on the side of safety and caution.  Someone on [...]

The Boston Globe reported today that the T canceled its purchase of 28 new locomotives!  Bittersweet news.  Bitter because the T’s contractor, MBCR, can’t seem to run its trains on time.  Outdated locomotives are part of the problem.  Sweet because the order shouldn’t have been for an all-diesel fleet in the first place.  A big [...]

The transit rights-of-way page has been updated with some great railroad and trolley maps circa 1910 and earlier.  The trolley map is particularly striking; today we are told that rail electrification is infeasible, but the map shows that nearly every main street in eastern Massachusetts had an electric trolley in 1910.  Amazing.

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

The MBTA’s vaunted three-year-old electronic fare system keeps revealing its quirks. Last month I purchased an express bus pass from a vending machine and got a surprise. The machine does not sell a monthly pass into the contactless stored value card, but it will print flexible plastic passes that are electronically encoded and printed on [...]

Last week the T proposed to increase subway fares to $2.00 and local bus fares to $1.50.  From just 85¢ in 2000, the proposal would more than double subway fares in just nine years. What is really interesting about this is it also would put subway and bus fares at their highest levels in Boston [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

Turns out the T doesn’t need a fare hike this year after all!  Last month the T announced that it would increase fares again — subway fares would break a 28-year inflation-adjusted record to set an all-time high of $2 per ride.  Around the same time, I noted that the last two occasions when fares [...]

I don’t begrudge the MBTA for charging fares for its services.  Actually, I think it is very important that the T get its fare structure right. Unfortunately, the T never has gotten one particular aspect of its fares right: monthly passholders pay full fare in cash when they ride on a higher-level service.  A pass [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

Last week the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the nation to raise the gas tax.  The Chamber reasoned that the federal gas tax is too low because it was set years ago as a fixed number of cents per gallon; inflation has eaten away much of its value.  A higher gas tax [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

Turns out the T doesn’t need a fare hike this year after all!  Last month the T announced that it would increase fares again — subway fares would break a 28-year inflation-adjusted record to set an all-time high of $2 per ride.  Around the same time, I noted that the last two occasions when fares [...]

Governor Patrick’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to the MBTA yielded a slick, graphics-laden book report.  The “independent” special committee of four “authors/researchers” released their bombshell conclusion that … wait for it … someone else should make another study of the MBTA.  Preferably that someone will be more important than the four “authors/researchers” who wrote this report.  They [...]

Last week the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the nation to raise the gas tax.  The Chamber reasoned that the federal gas tax is too low because it was set years ago as a fixed number of cents per gallon; inflation has eaten away much of its value.  A higher gas tax [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

I boarded a Green Line “D” train a few months ago at Longwood station.  The station was in the midst of yet another renovation, and there were several workers around.  One of them handed me a flyer.  Turns out that the MBTA is running a passenger survey.  They wanted to know my origin, destination, mode [...]

Ever seen the red levers on the Green Line trains?  Ever wonder what happens when you pull the lever?  The train stops, right then and there.  No matter what it was doing before; 20mph to zero in a flash. When is the lever supposed to be used?  “In Emergency.”  The T attracts all kinds of [...]

Unless you were in seclusion the last few months, you probably heard that all the creative finance from Wall Street went to dust last fall.  What does that have to do with public transit?  Very little one would hope. Think again.  Several transit agencies participated in a wacky “sale and leaseback” arrangement involving their trains, [...]

In a minature version of the Easter 2009 turnpike toll fiasco, insufficient staffing at the Riverside Green line terminal in Newton at noon on Sunday jammed traffic all the way back onto I-95/Route 128.  Red Sox faithful arrived at the station early for the 1:35pm afternoon start … and most still needed all of the [...]

The NTSB released its analysis of the May, 2008 Green Line collision in Newton.  Such is the sorry state of affairs at the MBTA that the mishap must be identified by both date and location so as not to be confused with others recently such as this one, this one, this one, this one, and [...]

The Suffolk District attorney charged former Green Line conductor Aiden Quinn of gross negligence in the control of “a railroad train,” according to published reports.  Quinn was at the controls on May 8 in Government Center when his trolley struck another.  His trolley, not his train. The criminal charge apparently stems from a Massachusetts law [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

The Boston Globe reported today that the T canceled its purchase of 28 new locomotives!  Bittersweet news.  Bitter because the T’s contractor, MBCR, can’t seem to run its trains on time.  Outdated locomotives are part of the problem.  Sweet because the order shouldn’t have been for an all-diesel fleet in the first place.  A big [...]

In the 1970s, the federal government instituted automobile regulations to increase vehicle fuel efficiency — in part by decreasing vehicle weight.  The initiative, called “CAFE” or “Corporate Average Fuel Economy,” has been renewed and enhanced as recently as 2007.  Heavier vehicles tend to be safer vehicles, but Congress and the President have judged that the [...]

The transit right or way project page has been updated.  Click here or use the tabs at the top to check it out!

Boston has been scrubbed clean over the years of its miscellaneous unused transit infrastructure.  In particular, the elevated railroads nearly all are gone.  Most recently, the sun shined on Causeway Street.  In the summer I stumbled onto one of the pieces of unused transit infrastructure that hasn’t been removed. Tunnel This tunnel entrance is located [...]

The South Coast rail project was discussed in January in the Boston Business Journal.  The Commonwealth is considering reactivating some combination of rail lines from Boston to two cities on the south coast, Fall River and New Bedford.  Some homeowners who live near railroads that potentially will be reactivated would prefer the project die a [...]

The Minuteman Bikeway is an 11-mile, “year round” asphalt pathway occupying a former rail line in Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford.  It is supposed to provide “an easy way for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel to subway and bus lines, serving to reduce automobile traffic in the area.” How does that translate to reality? In [...]

The transit rights-of-way page has been updated with some great railroad and trolley maps circa 1910 and earlier.  The trolley map is particularly striking; today we are told that rail electrification is infeasible, but the map shows that nearly every main street in eastern Massachusetts had an electric trolley in 1910.  Amazing.

I boarded the special so-called “Patriots Train” on Friday to see the 7:30 p.m. football exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. I was looking for good transit and railroading adventure. I found some adventure. As for good transit, there’s no shortage of promise — but the execution leaves something to be desired. Much like our pre-season [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

I love the new digital displays in the commuter rail stations at Back Bay and South Station.  The old, fuzzy, monochrome television displays were due for retirement.  For now the systems display side-by-side. But that creates an unexpected dilemma.  With two displays apparently feeding from two separate computer systems, riders are left with the very [...]

The transit right or way project page has been updated.  Click here or use the tabs at the top to check it out!

The Boston Globe reported today that the T canceled its purchase of 28 new locomotives!  Bittersweet news.  Bitter because the T’s contractor, MBCR, can’t seem to run its trains on time.  Outdated locomotives are part of the problem.  Sweet because the order shouldn’t have been for an all-diesel fleet in the first place.  A big [...]

The South Coast rail project was discussed in January in the Boston Business Journal.  The Commonwealth is considering reactivating some combination of rail lines from Boston to two cities on the south coast, Fall River and New Bedford.  Some homeowners who live near railroads that potentially will be reactivated would prefer the project die a [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

Governor Patrick’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to the MBTA yielded a slick, graphics-laden book report.  The “independent” special committee of four “authors/researchers” released their bombshell conclusion that … wait for it … someone else should make another study of the MBTA.  Preferably that someone will be more important than the four “authors/researchers” who wrote this report.  They [...]

For a new rider on the commuter rail, one of the most basic questions is “where do I stand” to wait for the train?  There are long areas astride the tracks for boarding and disembarking. The areas typically are long enough to accommodate a maximum-length train of six or maybe even more cars, at eighty-five [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

I boarded the special so-called “Patriots Train” on Friday to see the 7:30 p.m. football exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. I was looking for good transit and railroading adventure. I found some adventure. As for good transit, there’s no shortage of promise — but the execution leaves something to be desired. Much like our pre-season [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

I love the new digital displays in the commuter rail stations at Back Bay and South Station.  The old, fuzzy, monochrome television displays were due for retirement.  For now the systems display side-by-side. But that creates an unexpected dilemma.  With two displays apparently feeding from two separate computer systems, riders are left with the very [...]

I boarded a Green Line “D” train a few months ago at Longwood station.  The station was in the midst of yet another renovation, and there were several workers around.  One of them handed me a flyer.  Turns out that the MBTA is running a passenger survey.  They wanted to know my origin, destination, mode [...]

Boston has been scrubbed clean over the years of its miscellaneous unused transit infrastructure.  In particular, the elevated railroads nearly all are gone.  Most recently, the sun shined on Causeway Street.  In the summer I stumbled onto one of the pieces of unused transit infrastructure that hasn’t been removed. Tunnel This tunnel entrance is located [...]

Bus No. 1131.  Silver Line, inbound.  Logan Airport, Terminal E.  8:35 a.m. Bus stops, one passenger boards, and then the dozen or so riders watch the bus driver … turn off the bus and walk away.  Says nothing.  Just walks away.  Dude!  Where’s my bus driver?! One rider picks up his cell phone.  “I’m hoping [...]

Some days, riding on the T is such an adventure. February 12 was just such a day. I took a picture. Can you see what’s wrong with that picture? First, the train is in the station and the doors are open. When that happens everyone is supposed to board for a quick ride into the [...]

Ever seen the red levers on the Green Line trains?  Ever wonder what happens when you pull the lever?  The train stops, right then and there.  No matter what it was doing before; 20mph to zero in a flash. When is the lever supposed to be used?  “In Emergency.”  The T attracts all kinds of [...]

What does a crowded platform mean?  Is it a sign of success or a sign of failure?  When the MBTA compiles its ridership statistics, do they record the situation in the picture to the right as a roaring success?  Do they simply say “there were like a thousand people who boarded that train at South [...]

Unless you were in seclusion the last few months, you probably heard that all the creative finance from Wall Street went to dust last fall.  What does that have to do with public transit?  Very little one would hope. Think again.  Several transit agencies participated in a wacky “sale and leaseback” arrangement involving their trains, [...]

The MBTA’s vaunted three-year-old electronic fare system keeps revealing its quirks. Last month I purchased an express bus pass from a vending machine and got a surprise. The machine does not sell a monthly pass into the contactless stored value card, but it will print flexible plastic passes that are electronically encoded and printed on [...]

In a minature version of the Easter 2009 turnpike toll fiasco, insufficient staffing at the Riverside Green line terminal in Newton at noon on Sunday jammed traffic all the way back onto I-95/Route 128.  Red Sox faithful arrived at the station early for the 1:35pm afternoon start … and most still needed all of the [...]

Last week the T proposed to increase subway fares to $2.00 and local bus fares to $1.50.  From just 85¢ in 2000, the proposal would more than double subway fares in just nine years. What is really interesting about this is it also would put subway and bus fares at their highest levels in Boston [...]

The NTSB released its analysis of the May, 2008 Green Line collision in Newton.  Such is the sorry state of affairs at the MBTA that the mishap must be identified by both date and location so as not to be confused with others recently such as this one, this one, this one, this one, and [...]

The Suffolk District attorney charged former Green Line conductor Aiden Quinn of gross negligence in the control of “a railroad train,” according to published reports.  Quinn was at the controls on May 8 in Government Center when his trolley struck another.  His trolley, not his train. The criminal charge apparently stems from a Massachusetts law [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

Turns out the T doesn’t need a fare hike this year after all!  Last month the T announced that it would increase fares again — subway fares would break a 28-year inflation-adjusted record to set an all-time high of $2 per ride.  Around the same time, I noted that the last two occasions when fares [...]

Governor Patrick’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to the MBTA yielded a slick, graphics-laden book report.  The “independent” special committee of four “authors/researchers” released their bombshell conclusion that … wait for it … someone else should make another study of the MBTA.  Preferably that someone will be more important than the four “authors/researchers” who wrote this report.  They [...]

I don’t begrudge the MBTA for charging fares for its services.  Actually, I think it is very important that the T get its fare structure right. Unfortunately, the T never has gotten one particular aspect of its fares right: monthly passholders pay full fare in cash when they ride on a higher-level service.  A pass [...]

One of the fascinating things about the T is how it shapes riders’ views of the world.  If you rely on the T to get around, you know that many of the stops on the T are places that you can travel without much effort.  And there is a netherworld of gauzy space that is [...]

How loud is that diesel (or natural gas) city bus?  Too loud: about 93 decibels (peak volume) measured from a bus stop when the bus is pulling away from the curb.  On the sound scale, that is more than four times louder than a vacuum cleaner (70dB) and more than twice as loud as an [...]

Recently, I saw bus 0462 (marked in the picture for route 504) belching fumes.  That itself is not remarkable.  Some buses just stink.  Bus this bus stunk in a peculiar way.  See in the picture to the right how there is an exhaust pipe up high to the left of the bus, strategically above the [...]

The 57 bus.  What can I say?  Forty-five stops in five-and-a-half miles of Brighton, Allston, Newton, and Watertown.  One stop for every 650 feet.  In traffic.  It isn’t exactly the kind of ride that anyone really looks forward to. But the 57 gets riders.  Lots of riders.  One might think that would prompt the T [...]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about one of several buses that emitted clouds of smoke from places other than the tailpipe.  I noted observations about one particular bus and recalled that it was not an isolated occurrence. In an interesting twist, at a recent MBTA Rider Oversight Committee meeting (which are open to the [...]

For a new rider on the commuter rail, one of the most basic questions is “where do I stand” to wait for the train?  There are long areas astride the tracks for boarding and disembarking. The areas typically are long enough to accommodate a maximum-length train of six or maybe even more cars, at eighty-five [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

For a new rider on the commuter rail, one of the most basic questions is “where do I stand” to wait for the train?  There are long areas astride the tracks for boarding and disembarking. The areas typically are long enough to accommodate a maximum-length train of six or maybe even more cars, at eighty-five [...]

Why would anyone wait for the walk signal at the typical Boston-area crosswalk?  It’s a fair question.  I don’t have a good answer.  The signals often are elusive and pointless. When the crosswalk button works — and often it does not work at all by design or accident — the walk signal takes a long [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

The Boston Globe reported today that the T canceled its purchase of 28 new locomotives!  Bittersweet news.  Bitter because the T’s contractor, MBCR, can’t seem to run its trains on time.  Outdated locomotives are part of the problem.  Sweet because the order shouldn’t have been for an all-diesel fleet in the first place.  A big [...]

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pennsylvania short line tour railroad, the Strasburg Rail Road.  The road is barely five miles and it was sold to enthusiasts in 1959 after storms damaged a section of track.  And the road probably was utterly unprofitable.  The story goes that the folks started hitching rides through [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

Boston has been scrubbed clean over the years of its miscellaneous unused transit infrastructure.  In particular, the elevated railroads nearly all are gone.  Most recently, the sun shined on Causeway Street.  In the summer I stumbled onto one of the pieces of unused transit infrastructure that hasn’t been removed. Tunnel This tunnel entrance is located [...]

Some days, riding on the T is such an adventure. February 12 was just such a day. I took a picture. Can you see what’s wrong with that picture? First, the train is in the station and the doors are open. When that happens everyone is supposed to board for a quick ride into the [...]

What does a crowded platform mean?  Is it a sign of success or a sign of failure?  When the MBTA compiles its ridership statistics, do they record the situation in the picture to the right as a roaring success?  Do they simply say “there were like a thousand people who boarded that train at South [...]

Say what you will about Dan Grabauskas; he is a political survivor.  The public servant who reformed the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned under pressure from Governor Patrick and his appointee James Aloisi today, nearly a year short of the end of his five-year term as general manager of the MBTA.  The Democratic governor [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

I recently bought a bicycle.  I decided on Sunday to ride it from Providence to Boston.  Awesome.  After a series of misadventures preparing for the ride — including a 40-minute late MBCR train to my starting destination — I was a little short of daylight, but still optimistic. So at about 8 p.m., here’s the [...]

I love the new digital displays in the commuter rail stations at Back Bay and South Station.  The old, fuzzy, monochrome television displays were due for retirement.  For now the systems display side-by-side. But that creates an unexpected dilemma.  With two displays apparently feeding from two separate computer systems, riders are left with the very [...]

I boarded a Green Line “D” train a few months ago at Longwood station.  The station was in the midst of yet another renovation, and there were several workers around.  One of them handed me a flyer.  Turns out that the MBTA is running a passenger survey.  They wanted to know my origin, destination, mode [...]

Ever seen the red levers on the Green Line trains?  Ever wonder what happens when you pull the lever?  The train stops, right then and there.  No matter what it was doing before; 20mph to zero in a flash. When is the lever supposed to be used?  “In Emergency.”  The T attracts all kinds of [...]

The MBTA’s vaunted three-year-old electronic fare system keeps revealing its quirks. Last month I purchased an express bus pass from a vending machine and got a surprise. The machine does not sell a monthly pass into the contactless stored value card, but it will print flexible plastic passes that are electronically encoded and printed on [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

One of the fascinating things about the T is how it shapes riders’ views of the world.  If you rely on the T to get around, you know that many of the stops on the T are places that you can travel without much effort.  And there is a netherworld of gauzy space that is [...]

For a new rider on the commuter rail, one of the most basic questions is “where do I stand” to wait for the train?  There are long areas astride the tracks for boarding and disembarking. The areas typically are long enough to accommodate a maximum-length train of six or maybe even more cars, at eighty-five [...]

Bus No. 1131.  Silver Line, inbound.  Logan Airport, Terminal E.  8:35 a.m. Bus stops, one passenger boards, and then the dozen or so riders watch the bus driver … turn off the bus and walk away.  Says nothing.  Just walks away.  Dude!  Where’s my bus driver?! One rider picks up his cell phone.  “I’m hoping [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

I boarded the special so-called “Patriots Train” on Friday to see the 7:30 p.m. football exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles. I was looking for good transit and railroading adventure. I found some adventure. As for good transit, there’s no shortage of promise — but the execution leaves something to be desired. Much like our pre-season [...]

Bus No. 1131.  Silver Line, inbound.  Logan Airport, Terminal E.  8:35 a.m. Bus stops, one passenger boards, and then the dozen or so riders watch the bus driver … turn off the bus and walk away.  Says nothing.  Just walks away.  Dude!  Where’s my bus driver?! One rider picks up his cell phone.  “I’m hoping [...]

What does a crowded platform mean?  Is it a sign of success or a sign of failure?  When the MBTA compiles its ridership statistics, do they record the situation in the picture to the right as a roaring success?  Do they simply say “there were like a thousand people who boarded that train at South [...]

It just became a little little easier to figure out if you can get there from here on the MBTA. Google Maps rolled out a new service that allows users to map directions on buses and trains operated by the MBTA.  The visual aspects of the Google service are a little easier to use; the [...]

In about fifteen years of riding mass transit in the Boston area, I’ve accumulated more than my share of thoughts about how transit is implemented, and how things ought to be. The idea behind this blog is to share, a sort of MBTA-unfiltered. Over the next few weeks and months I’ll be sharing — sharing [...]

Have you ever wondered how to communicate with an organization as unwieldy as the MBTA? I have. I’ve tried a few approaches; I’ve emailed. You need to be patient with that approach. Three months is roughly the average response time. I’ve spoken with station agents. Many are friendly and eager to help; others aren’t and [...]

The blog is up and running at it’s new and (hopefully) permanent location!  TransitBoston.com  Thanks for putting this together Dan & Heather.

The transit rights-of-way page has been updated with some great railroad and trolley maps circa 1910 and earlier.  The trolley map is particularly striking; today we are told that rail electrification is infeasible, but the map shows that nearly every main street in eastern Massachusetts had an electric trolley in 1910.  Amazing.