THE MBTA’S commuter rail service operator is preparing to expand service this fall, adding late-night departures from Boston and more trains during peak periods on select lines to meet increased demand. The commuter rail operator, Keolis Commuter Services, already offers service at roughly one-hour intervals through most of the day. The new schedule, which begins […]
Tracking Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Reports find systemwide breakdown in MBTA track repair efforts
TWO NEW REPORTS trace the eruption of slow zones on the MBTA to a systemwide breakdown in track repair efforts brought about by poor communication between engineers identifying rail defects and the employees assigned to fix them. Phillip Eng, the T’s general manager, said policies and procedures have been put in place to address the […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey transportation secretary stepping down abruptly
This story has been updated. GOV. MAURA HEALEY said on Monday that Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca is stepping down after seven months on the job, with neither official offering an explanation for the abrupt departure. Speculation abounded over the weekend that Fiandaca was on her way out, but no one in the administration would confirm it. […]
Posted inState Government, Transportation
Eng confident Chinese subway car manufacturer will meet its obligations
THE CHINESE COMPANY building Red and Orange line trains for the MBTA faces a bleak future in the US market, but T General Manager Phillip Eng appears fairly confident the company will live up to its obligations. At a hearing of the MBTA board on Thursday, Eng reported that he, T Deputy General Manager Jeffrey […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA to shut down portion of Red Line for 16 days
WITH SLOW ZONES continuing to expand across the MBTA subway system, the authority is preparing to shut down a troubled section of the Red Line for 16 days in October to replace all of the track and do away with most of the speed restrictions that currently plague that section of the system. MBTA General […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey offers few details on I-90 Allston financing
A clarification has been added to this story. THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION filed a series of federal grant applications on Monday for four high-profile transportation initiatives, but withheld details about the financing package for the I-90 Allston project. A press release issued during the afternoon indicated the state was seeking a total of more than $2 […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service, Transportation
In pivot, Healey looks to feds for money to rebuild just one Cape bridge to start
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AFTER PREVIOUS EFFORTS to secure federal funding for replacement of both Cape Cod bridges stumbled, Gov. Maura Healey and her deputies will shift to a phased approach that first targets money primarily for the Sagamore Bridge. Healey’s office said the administration will submit applications in the coming weeks for a combined […]
Posted inOpinion
How long will Newton have to wait for accessible commuter rail stations?
AS WE CELEBRATE the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all of us have a stake in providing full accessibility. One in five people will experience a temporary or permanent disability. Almost everyone has a family member, friend, or colleague for whom accessibility is critical to full participation in the economy and […]
Posted inTransportation
Sumner Tunnel congestion called ‘manageable’
TRAVEL TIMES increased when the Sumner Tunnel shut down for repairs on July 5, but the congestion has been manageable so far, the state highway administrator said on Wednesday. At a briefing for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said trip times have lengthened, particularly during the morning hours, but congestion […]
Posted inTransportation
T officials say they have ‘reset expectations’ with rail car manufacturer
THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION is hustling to speed production of new subway cars, but the transit system is still years away from getting its full order filled. After a series of revelations about the Springfield plant where Chinese company CRRC is producing new Orange and Red Line cars, including a pause in delivery of new cars […]