THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ordered the MBTA on Wednesday to immediately address a series of “serious safety issues” that couldn’t wait until a final report on safety problems at the T is completed this summer. The FTA’s five directives, dealing with staffing levels in the MBTA’s control center, general safety operating procedures, delayed critical maintenance, […]
Tracking Transportation
Posted inTransportation
MBTA officials say train derailments trending downward
MBTA OFFICIALS said on Monday that the number of derailments has been trending downward over the last few years, falling by more than 50 percent since 2019. According to figures released at the safety, health, and environment subcommittee of the MBTA board of directors, the total number of derailments declined from 32 in 2019 to […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA nearing its day of reckoning
A LITTLE OVER a year ago, US Rep. Stephen Lynch and the state’s congressional delegation hammered away at the MBTA for implementing a series of cuts designed to save money and bring service levels more in line with the COVID-reduced ridership. “That doesn’t work for us,” said Lynch, who insisted the T should use the […]
Posted inTransportation
MassDOT setting aside $20m to help recruit engineers
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ADD CIVIL ENGINEERS to the list of public-sector jobs in high demand these days. With Department of Transportation workers heading to the exits in larger numbers than usual, officials are poised to roll out a $20 million package of raises, bonuses, and other employee benefit tweaks aimed at recruiting and retaining […]
Posted inTransportation
Transit Ambassadors complain about working conditions
SOME OF THE MBTA’S Transit Ambassadors, the people in the red shirts who assist passengers at train stations, are not that thrilled with their working conditions and rumbling about forming a union. The roughly 200 ambassadors work for a third-party company called MyDatt Services of Nashville, which serves as a hiring agency for the T, […]
Posted inTransportation
T looking closely at operator error on Green Line crash
MBTA GENERAL MANAGER Steve Poftak said there is no evidence that vehicle, signal, or track issues played any role in the collision Wednesday night of two Green Line trains at Government Center. Poftak on Thursday said the T is looking closely at the possibility of operator error, but he stressed that the investigation is still […]
Posted inTransportation
East-West rail ‘elephant in the room’
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A PASSENGER RAIL extension into western Massachusetts looms as one of the most impactful projects on the table now that Gov. Charlie Baker and federal officials have identified a “path forward” for it, but lawmakers still will not say what — if anything — they will do in the next two […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t forget the poetry of public transit
WHEN ACADEMICS and advocates talk about transit, they talk about the importance of things like access, agglomeration effects, sustainability, and mobility efficiency. It’s often through the lens of these attributes that planners make decisions about where and how to invest in transit and rail systems. They each can be measured, offering something tangible to support […]
Posted inOpinion
Double decker buses skirting the rules
BOSTON CONSISTENTLY ranks among the top 10 tourist destinations in the United States. From the Freedom Trail to Fenway Park to Faneuil Hall, the “Hub of the Universe” offers a cornucopia of experiences to travelers from near and far. For more than 40 years, guided tour operators have played a lead role in Boston’s tourism […]
Posted inTransportation
Seeking clues on rebid of Quincy bus garage contract
THE MBTA says its decision to reject the bids for construction of a new Quincy bus and maintenance garage because they came in much higher than expected is only the second time that has happened in the last four years. The other time came last year, when a contract for the installation of new fiber […]