TRANSPORTATION

From the MBTA and regional transit authorities to road and highway projects and policy, CommonWealth Beacon delves into the web of current public and private transportation challenges and proposed solutions to keep the Bay State moving.

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Healey: T will ‘take care of business’ in short term, TBD on revenues

On GBH, governor says MBTA GM Eng’s slow zone plan is needed first step

Bringing the MBTA up to state of good repair comes with a hefty price tag – $24.5 billion, according to a stunning announcement in mid-November – but Gov. Maura Healey says she’s confident in the agency’s assessment that riders won’t need to wait for an allocation of that size to see improvements. 

What commuter rail ridership gains mean for Boston

Many workers returning to office on hybrid schedules

RIDERSHIP ON THE MBTA’s commuter rail system continues to rebound strongly, providing an interesting data point in the debate over whether Boston in the post-COVID era will face an office space glut that will make the city feel like a ghost town of empty buildings. When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, ridership on commuter rail…

MBTA says two-thirds of assets are beyond useful life

Cost to bring assets into state of good repair estimated at $24.5b

Roughly two-thirds of the MBTA’s assets are beyond their useful life and would cost $24.5 billion to bring  into a state of good repair, according to a new analysis of the transit authority’s infrastructure.

Why did MassDOT hang T employees out to dry?

MBTA spokesman was told to ignore Globe’s questions

A Boston Globe story on employees working long-distance at the MBTA had 4 corrections. The employees who were incorrectly targeted and the reporter who lost her job were victims of a state bureaucracy that failed to stand up for its workers.

MBTA plans to eliminate all 191 subway slow zones by end of 2024

‘It’s years and years of disinvestment that we’re tackling in one year,’ GM says

MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng outlined a plan on Thursday to eliminate all 191 slow zones on the subway system by the end of 2024 and restore service to regular speeds.

Short takes: Extended hunt for SJC justice

Legend, Wu team up; MBTA vision barrier retool

“Third time’s the charm” is a proverb, not necessarily a legal doctrine. Even so, the team tasked by Gov. Maura Healey to help fill an upcoming vacancy on the state’s highest court is again extending the application deadline for people interested in becoming a justice on the Supreme Judicial Court.

Red Line slow zones gone, but unpredictability is not

Improvements undercut by a train that had to be removed from service

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 ride remained unpredictable as one car during the afternoon experienced problems and had to be pulled from service. “Absolutely awful experience once again,” said Alanya…

Blue Line ridership disappointing during and after tunnel closure

Orange Line and weekend travel showed surprising strength

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 there’s little evidence that people who tried public transit during the closure remained riders after the reopening on August 31. According to a presentation to…

GLX repairs could take 14 days

Eng stresses system is safe to use now

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 to 14 days starting November 1. General Manager Phillip Eng  told the MBTA board of directors on Tuesday that the T’s contractor has proposed shutting…

Short takes: Retired reporter’s scoops keep people clicking

Worcester business super PAC; re-released MBTA podcast blues

EVEN BEFORE TWITTER changed hands to its current owner, who insists on calling it by another name, the social networking site was in a state of decline. What used to be a real-time news ticker is overrun with anger and misinformation. But some feeds are still worth following, and that’s the case with @GlobeFPhillips, operated…

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