THE MBTA IS HOPING to spend $870 million on capital projects this fiscal year, which is 17 percent more than the agency spent last year but still $330 million short […]
Tracking Transportation
Keeping track of transportation
Posted inTransportation
Orange Line trains turn around faster
MBTA OFFICIALS ON MONDAY said they have found a way to speed up their aging Orange Line trains as they wait for newer, faster vehicles to start arriving in late […]
Posted inTransportation
T hires GLX manager at $280,000 base salary
THE MBTA ANNOUNCED on Monday that it has hired a Chicago-based construction official to oversee the $2.3 billion Green Line extension into Somerville and Medford, paying him a salary that […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
MBTA is trying to plan for 2040
A $7.3-BILLION BACKLOG in critical state of good repair investments, a century old system plagued by performance and reliability failures, major investments delayed and/or facing cost overruns…and then over 100 […]
Posted inTransportation
Business unusual at the T
IT’S A MANTRA spoken so often these days it could be a bumper sticker. “The MBTA is open for business,” Brian Shortsleeve, the agency’s chief administrator and acting general manager, said […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Bridj offers MBTA late-night service
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A private transit company that already shuttles people around greater Boston during the daytime has proposed to do the same at night, in a partnership with […]
Posted inTransportation
T officials: No new revenue needed now
MBTA OFFICIALS GATHERED in public on Friday to brainstorm a strategic plan for the future, and they quickly concluded that new revenue to fund capital improvements is not the answer […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
US needs a mobility moonshot
Fourth in a series THERE WAS A BRIEF PERIOD, in muscular, post-war, auto-centric America, when the Democratic nominee for president would officially commence the general election campaign with a large […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Transportation investments needed one way or another
AS THE OLD saying goes, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” But here in Massachusetts, despite a growing chorus of support for increasing investment in infrastructure, we are not demonstrating […]
Posted inTransportation
Walsh talking with Baker on T privatization
BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH appears to be working behind the scenes to find common ground between MBTA unions and Gov. Charlie Baker on privatization efforts at the transit agency. At […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Moulton pitches N-S rail link
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLOSING THE 1.2-MILE VOID between Boston’s North and South stations is the final puzzle piece to a unified northeast rail corridor and would better connect the […]
Posted inTransportation
Union: T overstates privatization savings
THE UNION REPRESENTING EMPLOYEES in the MBTA’s cash collection and counting operation said on Monday that privatization of the work will yield savings of $330,000 in the first year, not […]
Posted inTransportation
T officials target Green Line derailments
MBTA OFFICIALS ON MONDAY said they are taking a number of steps to reduce Green Line derailments, of which there have been 10 since the beginning of 2015. Jeff Gonneville, […]
Posted inTransportation
T board green-lights fare collection bid process
THE MBTA’S OVERSIGHT BOARD on Monday gave the transit agency’s staff a green light to put out a request for proposals for companies to design, build, finance, operate, maintain, and […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker: ‘Acts of God’ justify fine waivers for Keolis
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said waiving the fines against Keolis for “acts of God” during the brutal winter of 2015 was the right thing to do but insisted the commuter rail […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
Which way on VMT?
MAYBE THE STATE Department of Transportation didn’t get the memo. In August, Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed a provision in a transportation bond bill directing the Transportation Department to seek federal […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA privatization comes with tradeoffs
MORE THAN 20 state, federal, and Boston lawmakers rallied with MBTA union leaders at Faneuil Hall on Wednesday to protest privatization, with several officials lamenting the transit agency’s decision to […]
Posted inTransportation
Green Line extension getting close
THE $2.3 BILLION GREEN LINE EXTENSION project is not quite a go yet, but it’s getting close, MBTA officials reported to the agency’s oversight board on Thursday. Andrew Brennan, director […]
Posted inTransportation
T board privatizes money collection work
UNRUFFLED BY MOUNTING UNION ANGER, the MBTA’s oversight board on Thursday swiftly approved a contract to dismantle the transit agency’s cash collection and money counting operations and turn the work […]
Posted inTransportation
T says hiring Brink’s would save millions
THE MBTA IS PREPARING to turn over its cash collection and money-counting operations to Brink’s Inc., the first major privatization move at the agency under special authorization granted by a 2015 […]
Posted inTransportation
T cleaning contract creates political divide
THE MBTA’S CURRENT CLEANING CONTRACT with two private vendors illustrates how the administrations of Gov. Charlie Baker and former governor Deval Patrick are both alike and different when it comes […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Pollack wants to step up climate-change efforts
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLIMATE CHANGE WILL BECOME a “huge focus” of the Baker administration’s transportation efforts, according to a top state official who said the old method of building […]
Posted inTransportation
T janitors say private vendors cut health benefits
JANITORS FOR THE private vendors contracting with the MBTA, who could go on strike on Friday if no agreement is reached, told alarmed members of the Fiscal and Management Control […]
Posted inTransportation
Advocates push T to restore late-night service
MBTA OFFICIALS CONTINUED to take a slow approach to rebooting late-night bus service over concerns about cost despite a detailed plan from advocates and pleas from state and local officials […]