STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE NUMBER of pedestrians and bicyclists involved in on-the-road accidents in Massachusetts is on the rise after record-lows in 2020, with the most pedestrian fatalities on record occurring in 2022. A recent Department of Transportation assessment on the safety of so-called vulnerable road users — those who use the roads but […]
Tracking Transportation
Posted inOpinion
How to put an end to bus bunching
ANYONE WHO RIDES a high frequency bus route regularly has probably seen a “bus bunch,” which is two or more buses on the same route driving together in a group. Bus bunching may appear to be a random fluke, but in reality it is a visible symptom of a bus system that is unreliable, makes […]
Posted inTransportation
Bus stops targeted to improve pedestrian safety
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FOLLOWING A PEDESTRIAN safety assessment that showed almost half of all Massachusetts pedestrian fatalities or serious injuries happened within 300 feet of a bus stop, the Department of Transportation is looking to use federal funds to make safety improvements at bus stops across the state. Pedestrian fatalities, serious injuries and cyclist […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA offering reading material on the Blue Line
THE MBTA is offering another enticement to drivers to get out of their cars during the Sumner Tunnel closure – free access to digital newspapers, magazines, audiobooks, and e-books at more than 50 subway, bus, ferry, and commuter rail locations. The T’s track record for on-time performance hasn’t been that strong of late, but the […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey backtracks on Green Line extension closure
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE GREEN LINE’S Union Square stop will remain open this summer after all. State officials on Wednesday announced they will postpone a Somerville bridge construction project until September, in the process scrapping plans to shut down trolley service between Union Square and Lechmere for 42 days. Gov. Maura Healey’s office announced […]
Posted inOpinion
Despite improvement, roads and bridges need more funding
AS THE HOUSE AND SENATE conference committee begins its work on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, the Construction Industries of Massachusetts respectfully asks the conferees to maintain the 50/50 split of the Education and Transportation Fund but allocate a considerable percentage of the funds to our bridges, pavement, and congestion. The Fair Share tax, also […]
Posted inTransportation
Short circuit blamed for 2022 passenger death at Broadway Station
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS have concluded that a short circuit on a Red Line train set off a chain of events in April 2022 that allowed a passenger trying to exit the vehicle at Broadway Station to get caught in the door and dragged to his death as the subway car accelerated and pulled away from the […]
Posted inTransportation
Eng mum on cause of slow zones, timetable for elimination
MBTA GENERAL MANAGER Phillip Eng on Monday touted progress in addressing slow zones on the subway system, but he declined to explain how the problem surfaced or provide a timeline of when it will be fully addressed. In a generally upbeat presentation to an oversight hearing of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, Eng reported “making progress, […]
Posted inState Government, Transportation
2 lawmakers urge Healey to focus now on next commuter rail contract Â
TWO KEY state lawmakers are urging Gov. Maura Healey to set in motion now the process for selecting the next operator of the state’s commuter rail system even though the contract with the current operator has another three years to run. In a letter sent to Healey on Monday, the House and Senate chairs of the […]
Posted inTransportation
Blue Line to be free during Sumner Tunnel closure
This story has been updated. WITH THE SUMNER Tunnel scheduled to close for most of July and August, state transportation officials are trying to reduce car travel in the area by making the entire Blue Line free and eliminating or reducing fares for ferries. The Blue Line in both directions will be free while the […]