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 …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Regularly scheduled service should resume by Monday, according to MBTA.com.
Updated 10:48 a.m. Looking to take the the commuter rail in Reading? Well, you may want to keep shoveling out that car (or call a cab). As crews continue to dig out from the blizzard, MBTA service will remain suspended Sunday, including the commuter rail. Starting at 2 p.m., limited subway and bus service will run on the Red, Orange and Blue lines between Orient Heights and Government Center, and the Green Line between Kenmore and Lechmere, according to MBTA.com/weather. Limited bus service will also operate on the 1, 23, 28, 39, and Silver Line Washington Street only. Customers are encouraged to stay home and "use service sparingly," if possible, the website said. The MBTA weather update says regularly scheduled MBTA service will resume …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A new device will be distributed to conductors on MBTA conductors that will give them real-time information about trains all across the rail system.
A new pilot program being dubbed “Conductor Companion” is being unveiled on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s commuter rail system, putting complete details about train services across the system in the hands of conductors. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), the contractor that runs the commuter railroad for the MBTA, made the announcement on Monday. Essentially it is a unique mobile application that will allow conductors on the MBTA commuter rail system to receive real-time information about service for the first time. “The speed of technology today demands an application that gives conductors the information they need and that customers want,” said Gillian Wood, MBCR’s chief customer service officer in …
Monday, December 31, 2012
The subway lines will run a modified schedule on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
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Monday, December 31, 2012
The MBTA has announced its New Year's Eve schedule. Some highlights include:
Friday, November 23, 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's 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 increase while business groups endorsed a 25 cent increase. Ultimately, the state …
Monday, October 29, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick said Monday night that the MBTA will resume service on Tuesday and state offices will open at 10 a.m.
State offices will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Gov. Deval Patrick said in a Monday evening update on Hurricane Sandy from the bunker at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Framingham. On his Twitter account, Patrick said that all RMV Class D drivers' tests on Tuesday had been cancelled. Patrick also said non-essential state employees should show up for work at 10 a.m. and he is leaving it up to individual school districts to determine whether they will be open on Tuesday. On Sunday night, Patrick urged all school districts to close on Monday. The worst of the storm is expected to last through 11 p.m. and there is a high tide at about midnight. The MBTA said in an alert issue at about 9 p.m. on Monday that it will …
Friday, June 29, 2012
It will cost more to ride the T starting this weekend.
July, and the MBTA's fare increases, are almost here. Beginning Sunday, train riders will need to pay more to board trains and buses. The rate for a one-way trip to Boston from the Reading station, in Zone 2, will go from $4.75 to $9. But the same ride will cost $12 if a rider does not get on board with a ticket or pass in hand - even though you can't buy a ticket in town. Here is a look at the new bus and subway prices: There are other fare changes to THE RIDE. For a complete list of changes taking place on the MBTA system beginning Sunday, visit here.
Friday, June 22, 2012
In addition to the MBTA commuter rail rate hikes that start July 1, riders will have to pay $3 more for a ticket to Boston if they do not buy a ticket in advance or use a pass.
Commuter rail riders getting onboard at Reading station will pay an additional $3 for a ride to Boston unless they buy a ticket or pass ahead of time, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority announced on this week. On July 1, the rate for a one-way trip to Boston from Reading station, in Zone 2, will go from $4.75 to $9. But the same ride will cost $12 if a rider does not get on board with a ticket or pass in hand - even though there's nowhere to buy a ticket in town. The move is designed to reduce the amount of time that conductors spend collecting fares. Previously, the T charged $1 more to buy a ticket onboard during off-peak times and $2 during peak times if riders did not purchase a ticket beforehand. But that fee was always waved if …
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Three state senators want to create a control board for the MBTA.
Three state senators want the authority of the MBTA to rest in a control board made up mostly of individuals who do not live within the transit system's reach. State Senators Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, Gale Candaras, D-Wilbraham and James Welch, D-West Springfield, want to amend legislation aimed at resolving the T's financing woes to include a control board, according to a joint press release. The board would consist of the Secretary of Transportation, the Chairman of the MBTA's Board, and three individuals who do not reside within the MBTA service area appointed by the state's finance secretary, the release said. The board would have all the authority of the MBTA's board and advisory board, and would have the ability to amend budgets, …
Friday, February 24, 2012
Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that his administration is considering using excess snow and ice removal funds to help the T.
The lack of snow this winter could help provide a short-term solution to the MBTA’s budget woes and limit the severe cuts in service proposed by the cash-strapped authority. According to the State House News Service, Governor Deval Patrick’s administration is considering the use of excess snow and ice removal funds to help limit the service cuts that threaten to potentially end bus service between Reading and Boston, as the T attempts to deal with a projected budget gap of $161 million. “It’s one we’re thinking about. It’s February. You know how New England is,” Patrick said. “We’ve had a good and calm and relatively snow-free winter so far. If the winter continues as it has been, there will be unspent snow and ice budget. That may be part…
Andrew Sylvia
9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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