THE MBTA’S general manager and board of directors, who have come under fire for failing to acknowledge the deaths of Robinson Lalin and Peter Monsini, did so on Thursday in […]
Tracking Transportation
Posted inTransportation
W. Mass. showing clout on East-West rail
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, with the help of US Rep. Richard Neal, is starting to flex some muscle on the region’s holy grail of transportation — East-West rail. At a meeting in […]
Posted inTransportation
Neal, Baker strike deal on East-West rail
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FEDERAL AND STATE officials on Tuesday agreed on a path forward to extend passenger rail service west of Worcester to the cities of Springfield and Pittsfield, […]
Posted inTransportation
Keeping score on MBTA control board’s priorities
A NEW REPORT highlights where the MBTA is lagging behind goals set by its previous oversight board or in some cases moving in an entirely different direction. The report, prepared […]
Posted inUncategorized
Wu backs low-income MBTA fare
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu, who has made a fare-free MBTA one of her top priorities, on Monday said she supports passage of a law creating a reduced fare for low-income […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA goes out to bid for battery-electric buses
THE MBTA is beginning the process of electrifying its bus fleet, launching a long-awaited procurement that could lead to the purchase of 460 battery-electric buses over the next five years. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Lifting mask mandate is right thing to do
LET ME BEGIN by saying I believe in vaccines. I am fully vaxxed and double boosted. I believe in the value of wearing a quality, well-fitting mask in most indoor […]
Posted inTransportation
Court ruling lifts CDC’s transportation mask mandate
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASKS WILL no longer be required on MBTA vehicles and properties, Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday afternoon, a day after a federal judge in […]
Posted inTransportation
T board safety subcommittee offers condolences
MEMBERS OF A safety subcommittee of the MBTA offered their condolences on Thursday to the families of Robinson Lalin and Peter Monsini. Lalin of Boston died around 12:30 a.m. Sunday […]
Posted inThe Download
Bond rating firm not alarmed by gas tax suspensions
In Connecticut, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and the Democrat-controlled legislature responded to the sharp runup in fuel prices by passing a law suspending the state’s 25-cent excise tax on gasoline […]
Posted inOpinion
MBTA is missing big opportunity with commuter rail
A FEW WEEKS AGO I, along with hundreds of others gathered at the opening of the first phase of the Green Line extension, felt a huge sense of pride seeing […]
Posted inOpinion
When driving, get out of the bubble
IT’S NOT OFTEN that I get a warm fuzzy feeling while driving these days. With new cars that are designed to go faster, seal off the outside world, and are […]
Posted inOpinion
Senate plan puts too much emphasis on electric vehicles
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE on Thursday rolled out Senate Bill 2819, “An Act Driving Climate Policy Forward.” The bill was apparently meant to showcase the Senate as leading the way for […]
Posted inOpinion
Dealing with crowding on the Minuteman Bikeway
ON A WEEKEND in early March, the weather broke; the temperature was in the high 50s and New Englanders were out en masse walking, running, and cycling while we all […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wu wants to test electric school buses
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE BOSTON WILL ROLL in a small number of electric school buses next school year in a pilot program geared toward fully electrifying the city’s fleet in […]
Posted inTransportation
Quincy mayor skeptical on fare-free buses
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE LEADERS IN SEVERAL CITIES and towns around the region have been placing calls to explore their own fare-free bus options since Boston officials launched a high-profile […]
Posted inTransportation
Our legislation expands transit tax benefits
IN EXPLORING legislation to expand commuter transit benefits, we sought to save Massachusetts residents money and improve our environment. Then a global pandemic changed the entire transportation landscape. Presently, use […]
Posted inTransportation
Some but not all subway service resuming after garage collapse
MBTA OFFICIALS are resuming some but not all of the subway services that were shut down after a portion of the Government Center Garage collapsed on Saturday just above the […]
Posted inTransportation
T tells riders affected by tunnel diversions to stay home if they can
IN ANNOUNCING the shutdown of subway service running through the tunnels underneath the Government Center parking garage, the MBTA laid out ways for riders to get where they need to […]
Posted inOpinion
More T diversions coming, what about Zone 1A reform?
THIS WEEKEND, in a devastating demolition accident, the T came crashing down. A worker was tragically killed, the Government Center Garage partially collapsed, and shuttle buses are now replacing the […]
Posted inOpinion
The T should not be playing fiscal musical chairs
WE ARE HEADING for a massive MBTA operating budget deficit next year, and no one in power on Beacon Hill is doing anything about it. This is not a theory […]
Posted inOpinion
Suspending the gas tax doesn’t make sense
WITH GAS PRICES recently soaring as a result of unscrupulous foreign oil cartels, greedy oil companies, and a bloodthirsty Russian autocrat, the Massachusetts GOP has a solution for Massachusetts drivers: […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA ridership rebounding, particularly on commuter rail
MBTA PASSENGER LEVELS, which took a hit earlier this year when COVID levels shot up, have recovered their lost ground and appear to be picking up steam, particularly on the […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA in no big rush on electrification
THE MBTA is pushing ahead with electrification, but on its own terms. Transit advocates, climate activists, and many lawmakers are pushing the T to ditch its diesel buses and quickly […]
