THE CHAIR of the MBTA board, apparently for the first time, indicated to lawmakers on Wednesday that the transit authority needs additional long-term funding to address safety and reliability issues. Betsy Taylor didn’t make a formal request and didn’t float an actual number, but in an exchange with lawmakers conducting a second MBTA safety oversight […]
Tracking Transportation
Posted inTransportation
DPU trying to double size of its MBTA oversight staff
THE STATE DEPARTMENT of Public Utilities, which is coming under fire for its poor oversight of the MBTA’s safety practices, appears to be trying to double the size of its transportation division. In a statement, the agency said it currently has eight positions, three of which are vacant. It also appears to be recruiting seven […]
Posted inOpinion
Heavier, faster e-bikes worry me
AS A PEDESTRIAN, I am worried city streets will get more dangerous now that faster, heavier electric bicycles or e-bikes have been officially recognized by state officials. This year’s state infrastructure bill, signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in August, designates two classes of e-bikes that can travel up to 20 mph and puts them in […]
Posted inTransportation
Poftak says T riders still riding but taking fewer trips
MBTA GENERAL MANAGER Steve Poftak said on Tuesday that nearly all of the transit authority’s riders are back riding the T, but traffic is off because they are not taking as many trips as they previously did. “We’ve gotten back most of our riders. We just haven’t gotten back the rides,” Poftak said at a […]
Posted inTransportation
Lawmakers plan hearing on DPU oversight of MBTA
A SECOND LEGISLATIVE committee plans to hold oversight hearings related to the MBTA – this time concerning the role the Department of Public Utilities plays in overseeing safety issues at the transit authority. The House and Senate chairs of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy — Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington and Rep. Jeffrey […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA board approves $811m contract for 102 new Green Line supercars
THE MBTA board of directors on Wednesday approved an $811 million contract to purchase 102 new Green Line vehicles that are each capable of carrying as many passengers as the 1980s-vintage, two-car trains they are replacing. The new supercars are expected to start arriving in the spring of 2027 with the last car’s delivery set […]
Posted inTransportation
No calls for Poftak’s removal, even from Healey’s campaign
THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION on Wednesday raised serious concerns about the safety culture at the MBTA, but no one is calling for the dismissal of top leadership at the transit authority, including Maura Healey, the frontrunner in the race to be the state’s next governor. The FTA, in its report and in remarks by a […]
Posted inTransportation
FTA safety analysis of T faults agency’s preoccupation with capital spending
THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION released a safety analysis of the MBTA on Wednesday that paints a picture of an overextended agency failing to balance the need for heavy capital investments in vehicles and infrastructure with spending on safety-critical day-to-day operations and maintenance. “This lack of balance is at the center of many of MBTA’s safety […]
Posted inTransportation
One week down, three more to go
We survived. That may be the chief takeaway as we near the end of the first week of the month-long Orange Line shutdown. After all the buildup and hype – by the media and state officials –the shutdown hasn’t been all that bad so far. There was definitely inconvenience and some hiccups here and there, […]
Posted inGovernment, Transportation
A Freakanomics debate about free fares
FREAKANOMICS RADIO is out with an interesting podcast on whether public transit should be free – and, not surprisingly, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is the headliner for those who say yes. Wu has called for eliminating all fare across the MBTA system, but on the podcast – a spinoff of the popular 2005 book of […]