“For the purposes of a smooth transition, it’s important that when there’s a departure of someone so senior that we be able to call upon that person,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “So it’s normal. You see that in a lot of departures.”
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Wu plans to extend fare free bus pilot
The MBTA confirmed the agency is in discussions with the city on extending the pilot, but Wu’s spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the extension and how it would be funded. The city has been using $8 million in federal funds to pay for the first two years.
Posted inOpinion
EV charging can get very complicated
There are many factors that make EV charging infrastructure much more complicated than refueling a car with petrol or diesel. One simply cannot draw parallels between the two.
Posted inOpinion
Why is EV adoption slowing down in the US?
Let’s start with a simple and obvious reason for the EV sales slowdown. Electric Vehicles still cost a lot. Despite a rash of EV price reductions in 2023, EVs still have a hefty price premium.
Posted inOpinion
A need for speed on MBTA, transportation funding
We cannot wait until the crisis of lost gas tax revenue is upon us. Now is the time to consider what will replace this unpopular tax and whether that replacement revenue will come from one or from multiple sources.
Posted inOpinion
MIT students propose better ways to connect Kendall Sq. and Logan
Students taking my Urban Planning and Policy class at MIT this fall were given an assignment: come up with a viable plan to improve travel between Kendall and Logan via some form of public transportation.
Posted inOpinion
My advice: Go fast, go farther, and go quickly
Just imagine if you could get to Springfield from South Station in 45 minutes. This would be transformative. Suddenly you could work in downtown Boston and be home in Springfield—a place you can afford to live—in time for dinner.
Posted inOpinion
Amtrak doesn’t make it easy for its customers
The problem, far too often, is not with the ride, but with managing to get on the train and in your seat in the first place.
Posted inOpinion
MBTA should scrap trains, go with robot buses
Be done with this nonsense. No more tracks, switches, rail cars, or outrageous repair costs and delays. Throw it all in the trash and start anew.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Remote work declining, traffic is not
When a new poll for the
Barr Foundation asked those surveyed to name the top transportation issue facing Massachusetts, 39 percent cited issues with the existing public transportation network. That was the clear top item, followed by traffic congestion at 21 percent.
Posted inNews Analysis
Healey polling lower than Baker on transportation
For her handling of the T specifically, about as many gave Healey a D (17 percent), or an F (13 percent) as gave her an A (6 percent) or B (24 percent).
Posted inTransportation
Red Line slow zones gone, but unpredictability is not
RED LINE PASSENGERS on Monday said 16 days of repairs on the stretch of track between the Ashmont and JFK/UMass stations eliminated slow zones and dramatically improved service, but the […]
Posted inTransportation
Blue Line ridership disappointing during and after tunnel closure
THE SUMNER TUNNEL shutdown on July 5 prompted an increase in MBTA passenger levels on subways, buses, ferries, and commuter rail, but the increase wasn’t as big as expected and […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA bus network redesign put off until end of 2024
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AFTER PAUSING the campaign due to a shortage of drivers, MBTA officials are hopeful they can revive an effort to overhaul and expand the bus network […]
Posted inTransportation
GLX repairs could take 14 days
THE MBTA is considering a proposal to slightly widen the tracks on most of the Green Line extension to Somerville and Medford by shutting the system down early for 10 […]
Posted inTransportation
T suggests GLX rail ties manufactured incorrectly
THE MBTA says it intends to hold its contractor responsible for fixing rail ties placed too close together on the Green Line extension to Somerville and Medford, but the transit […]
Posted inEducation, Government, Opinion, State Government
Push for electric school buses faces procurement bump in the road
THE COMMONWEALTH HAS established itself as a national leader in addressing climate change by setting an aggressive goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A host of strategies […]
Posted inOpinion
I’ve seen the T recover twice in my lifetime
WITH DAILY NEWS of shocking and unacceptable conditions for T riders, there is a danger that people will conclude that failure is inevitable. However, I have seen the MBTA recover […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA says all GLX slow zones are eliminated
THE MBTA reported on Wednesday that all of the slow zones on the Green Line extension have been removed – good news that was surprisingly buried in a MassDOT press […]
Posted inPolitics
Short takes: Wu, Campbell on different pages
THIS WEEK’S VOTE by the Boston City Council to sign off on $3.4 million in state grants for the Boston Police Department’s intelligence unit was a big win for Mayor […]
Posted inEnvironment
Advocates press Healey to scrap Hanscom expansion
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN A NEW SURGE of opposition, advocates are calling directly on Gov. Maura Healey to stop the expansion of the publicly owned airfield in Bedford that […]
Posted inTransportation
Eng follows ‘script’ on GLX slow zones
AT THE MBTA board of directors meeting on Thursday, General Manager Phillip Eng followed what has become a familiar script, focusing on the process of getting the T where he […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA employee indicted 6 years ago pleads guilty
An MBTA EMPLOYEE who was indicted and suspended six years ago for leveraging his job as a buyer to solicit kickbacks and illegal gifts pleaded guilty on Monday and was […]
Posted inTransportation
Wu names Mary Skelton Roberts to MBTA board
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu went the safe route in picking the city’s representative on the MBTA board of directors, selecting Mary Skelton Roberts, a knowledgeable transportation expert who leans very […]
