TRAFFIC FATALITIES HAVE gone up in Massachusetts in recent years, but is anyone tracking road rage incidents? There have been a few notable ones in the last few months and weeks. In Danvers last month, a 33-year-old woman from Gloucester duked it out with a 64-year-old Beverly woman on the roadway of Route 128, leading […]
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Where did Baker stand on Massport congestion plan?
This story’s headline and some of the wording was changed to clarify the governor’s position. NEWS OUTLETS reported on Wednesday that Gov. Charlie Baker supported Massport’s aggressive anti-congestion proposal at Logan International Airport, but on Thursday the Massport board that is filled with his appointees voted to modify the proposal to make it less onerous […]
Posted inTransportation
Under Uber, Lyft pressure, Massport scales back anti-congestion plan
IN THE FACE of strong opposition from Uber and Lyft, the Massport board scaled back its anti-congestion plan at Logan International Airport on Thursday by reducing the proposed fee hike on ride-hailing trips and allowing drop-offs at the curb for a large number of passengers. The board lowered the proposed fee for ride-hailing pickups and […]
Posted inOpinion
Making all cities ‘smart cities’
WHAT DOES THE future hold for cities? Proponents of “smart cities” have made many ambitious promises and proclamations. Fleets of autonomous vehicles will replace traditional forms of public and private transportation. Sensor systems will report conditions on every street corner in real time. Predictive algorithms will anticipate events and community needs before they happen. Indeed, many […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker: New taxes not needed to address congestion
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FACING BLAME from Democrats for mounting public frustration with clogged roads and public transit problems, Gov. Charlie Baker touted his administration’s plan to pour more money into transportation over the next five years than “in any five-year period outside of the Big Dig,” but said the state doesn’t need to raise […]
Posted inTransportation
Commuters weary of road and transit problems
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS ARE feeling stressed over crowded roadways and unreliable public transit systems, and express little optimism that situation will improve in coming years, according to a new poll. More than half of full-time workers who commute by car say they’ve been late for work because of traffic in the last few months, while 63 […]
Posted inTransportation
Uber: 10,000 customers petitioned Massport
UBER SAID 10,000 of its Massachusetts customers signed a petition to Massport over the last 24 hours complaining about a proposal to hike fees on ride-hailing apps at Logan International Airport. Uber also said it was launching a radio ad Tuesday to put more pressure on Massport in advance of a planned vote on an […]
Posted inTransportation
T notes: Fare gates coming to 3 commuter rail stations
ESTIMATING THE MBTA’S COMMUTER RAIL operation lost between $10 million and $20 million last year due to fare evasion, the transit authority said on Monday that it plans to install fare gates at the South, North, and Back Bay stations next year. Officials said the gates would be capable of reading all fare media, including […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker comes up with South Coast Rail financing
This story was updated at 5:50 p.m. GOV. CHARLIE BAKER followed through on a first-term campaign promise on Monday by dedicating more than $1 billion in state bond funds to the South Coast Rail project, which is now expected to be completed after his second term ends. The funding commitment followed three cost and schedule […]
Posted inTransportation
T hires new administrator and commuter rail chief
DAVID PANAGORE, WHO has described his career in government as a “theater director” and worked on turnaround efforts in Chelsea and Springfield, will now take a role backstage for Boston area transit riders as chief administrative officer of the MBTA. A lawyer who has studied engineering, politics, philosophy, and physics in addition to theater, Panagore received […]