STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ADD THE TOBIN BRIDGE to the list of aging, congested spans that state officials are eyeing for replacement. Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt informed state officials at a meeting Wednesday that the Healey administration is beginning to plan for the “eventual replacement” of the Tobin Bridge, one of the most highly […]
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
FTA issues new near-miss warning to MBTA
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FEDERAL REGULATORS once again ordered the MBTA to make immediate changes after a series of incidents in which employees narrowly avoided being struck by trains, a repeat of the same “near miss” issue that landed the T in the spotlight earlier this year. Warning that “a combination of unsafe conditions and […]
Posted inTransportation
How dissatisfied are riders with the T?
A NEW POLL indicates MBTA riders are not happy with the transit authority’s service, with the slow-zone plagued subway and trolley system receiving the worst marks. The poll of 1,000 Massachusetts residents in the MBTA service area found that nearly two-thirds were unimpressed with the subway and trolley system – 27 percent said its service […]
Posted inTransportation
T’s commuter rail adding late night, peak service
THE MBTA’S commuter rail service operator is preparing to expand service this fall, adding late-night departures from Boston and more trains during peak periods on select lines to meet increased demand. The commuter rail operator, Keolis Commuter Services, already offers service at roughly one-hour intervals through most of the day. The new schedule, which begins […]
Posted inTransportation
Reports find systemwide breakdown in MBTA track repair efforts
TWO NEW REPORTS trace the eruption of slow zones on the MBTA to a systemwide breakdown in track repair efforts brought about by poor communication between engineers identifying rail defects and the employees assigned to fix them. Phillip Eng, the T’s general manager, said policies and procedures have been put in place to address the […]
Posted inTransportation
Cape lawmakers push regular ‘non-tourist’ rail service
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE YOU’VE HEARD of the soon-to-launch South Coast Rail HD4555and the long-sought East-West Rail into the western reaches of the state. But how about what we’ll call the Cape Connector? A group of lawmakers from Cape Cod and the islands want to make their region the next hub for regular passenger rail […]
Posted inTransportation
Wu taking unusual approach with MBTA board appointment
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu is taking an unconventional approach in appointing a person to represent Boston on the MBTA board of directors. The Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey approved a fiscal 2024 budget in August that expands the T board from seven to nine members, adding a representative from Boston appointed by Wu and another […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey transportation secretary stepping down abruptly
This story has been updated. GOV. MAURA HEALEY said on Monday that Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca is stepping down after seven months on the job, with neither official offering an explanation for the abrupt departure. Speculation abounded over the weekend that Fiandaca was on her way out, but no one in the administration would confirm it. […]
Posted inState Government, Transportation
Eng confident Chinese subway car manufacturer will meet its obligations
THE CHINESE COMPANY building Red and Orange line trains for the MBTA faces a bleak future in the US market, but T General Manager Phillip Eng appears fairly confident the company will live up to its obligations. At a hearing of the MBTA board on Thursday, Eng reported that he, T Deputy General Manager Jeffrey […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA to shut down portion of Red Line for 16 days
WITH SLOW ZONES continuing to expand across the MBTA subway system, the authority is preparing to shut down a troubled section of the Red Line for 16 days in October to replace all of the track and do away with most of the speed restrictions that currently plague that section of the system. MBTA General […]