Thursday, May 9, 2013
There have been 28 reported assaults on MBTA employees during the first four months of 2013.
The MBTA wants the public to know that if they attack a driver while working, there will be serious consequences. The MBTA’s new “Don’t Touch The Driver” public relations campaign features posters on the ceilings and backs of chairs inside buses depicting hands in handcuffs and messages warning that an attacker will be sought after, arrested and prosecuted. “Violence toward a bus driver is against the law,” one poster says. “We will prosecute.” The campaign, which includes a new recorded message issued by T General Manager Beverly Scott at T stations issued, follows the most recent attack, which took place in Dorchester where a group of teenagers flagged down a bus and then proceeded to attack the driver. There have been 28 reported …
Monday, April 15, 2013
Some T stations in the downtown area have been temporarily suspended.
MBTA T service in downtown Boston is in varying stages of suspension as emergency crews respond to the aftermath of at least two explosions at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. The MBTA’s Green Line service between Kenmore and Park Street stations has been shut down as of 3:30 p.m. today, although Green Line service will continue to run between Lechmere and North Station, according to MBTA.com. Both the Green Line's B and C services have been temporarily suspended, and the D line is only running from Riverside to Fenway. The Green Line's E service is still running between Northeastern and Brigham Circle. Customers who need service between Brigham Circle and Health Street are being asked to use the Route 39 bus. In addition, the …
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
At the hearing, State Transportation Secretary Richard Davey outlined some aspects of Gov. Deval Patrick’s 10-year transportation budget plan, and included the need for new revenues.
The state transportation secretary answered legislator’s questions regarding the Green Line Extension and South Coast Rail projects, MBTA infrastructure and maintenance issues and how an ambitious 10-year budget plan will handle all of it. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey testified before the Joint Committee on Transportation Tuesday morning. He was there to more formally present Gov. Deval Patrick’s 21st Century Transportation Plan which calls for a $13 billion investment over the next decade. The hearing focused on finding new revenue that could be put toward ailing infrastructure, and sought after rail projects. “People want more, not less, of our product,” Davey began, “but the current system…
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Fare hikes and service cuts are a few options T officials proposed in an effort to close the $130 million budget deficit in 2014.
MBTA officials have proposed service cuts and fare increases if there is no increase in funding, based on a $130 projected budget deficit in fiscal year 2014. Director of Strategic Initiatives for the MBTA Charles Planck said at a MBTA finance committee meeting that in order to close the budget gap, T fares would need to go up 33 percent, which means subway fares would move up from $2 to $2.60, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. There was also talk at the meeting of a 15 percent fare increase coupled with the possible elimination of up to 30 bus routes, according to the Globe. Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled an ambitious transportation plan in February that would potentially raise $1.02 billion per year for the next 10 years, some of which, …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan, which outlines the state’s budgetary needs over the course of the next 10 years and beyond.
With infrastructure in need of repairs and the major city transit system steeped in billions of dollars of debt, the state may need to increase revenue from car registrations, license renewals, taxes and tolls. The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan Monday, which calls for a $13 billion overall investment in state transportations systems over the next decade. The breakdown is as follows, according to a statement associated with the plan released by Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey: To raise the necessary funds these recommendations will include an increase in the gas tax, payroll tax, sales tax or income tax; a new green fee on vehicle registrations; a …
The board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan, which outlines the state’s budgetary needs over the course of the next 10 years and beyond.
With a debt-ridden public transporation system needing repairs, the state will likely need to increase revenue from car registrations, license renewals, taxes and tolls, according to a new report. The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan on Monday, Jan. 14 which calls for a $13 billion overall investment in state transportations systems over the next decade. Included in the report are several ideas to pay for public transportation needs including an increase in the vehicle registration fee by $53 to $103, an increase in the vehicle inspection fee by $19 to $48, boosting the state sales tax from 6.25 percent to 7.75 percent, increasing the gas tax by 30 cents per gallon to 51…
Monday, December 31, 2012
The subway lines will run a modified schedule on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The MBTA has announced its New Year's Eve schedule. Some highlights include:
Thursday, December 27, 2012
According to figures released Wednesday, MBTA ridership increased for the 20th time in 22 months, with specific increases on subway lines.
People continue to use the MBTA despite mid-year fare hikes. According to figures released by Beverly Scott, general manager of the MBTA, monthly ridership increased for the 20th time in the last 22 months in November. Daily ridership for November increased by 1.3 percent over November 2011, and averaged 1.329 million passenger trips per weekday, according to an accompanying MBTA statement Wednesday. The increase “continued the MBTA’s trend of modest ridership growth despite the fare increase implemented in July,” Scott said in the statement. There was marked growth on the Red, Orange and Blue subway lines, which grew 5.6 percent in November. Originally, MBTA officials projected subway ridership to drop of 5.3 percent, the statement said…
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick plans to ask lawmakers to raises taxes to make up for the shortfall in Massachusetts' transportation system. What options should they consider — and what is off the table?
Would you be willing to pay more at the pump, have a tracking system on your car that taxes you by the mile, or see tolls on state highways? Those are just some of the possibilities looming as Massachusetts looks to erase the state's transportation system's deficit. The Boston Globe reported that Gov. Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to raise taxes in order to pay for a transportation system—from the MBTA to roads and bridges—that continues to operate in the red. The administration will present a specific proposal by Jan. 7. One option is raising the gas tax, a route Patrick sought in 2009 only to be rebuffed by the legislature. Patrick sought a 19-cent hike, while business groups endorsed a 25-cent increase. Ultimately, the state Senate …
Andrew Sylvia
9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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