Hey, there! Log in / Register

Walsh: T might have to shut this weekend, but he really hopes not

Mayor Walsh today issued a statement to clarify his statement yesterday that he thinks the T might have to shut down due to the anticipated weekend blizzard: He was being descriptive, not prescriptive:

The MBTA has faced incredible difficulties over the past few weeks due to the historic amount of snowfall and increasingly cold weather, coupled with an aging system. Closing the T for the weekend would pose an incredible hardship to workers and people living throughout Boston. We have another big storm coming our way Saturday night into Sunday and I hope that our public transportation system can safely remain running to keep Boston open, support our local economy and get people to work.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

The forecasters scared the beejebus out of everyone and it totally killed Valentines day for bars,restaurants and hotels. We ended up getting very little snow in the end.

up
Voting closed 0

Instead of having an economy where bars, restaurants, and hotels are so dependent upon a useless made up "holiday", they should focus on a more sustainable revenue stream instead.

up
Voting closed 0

2007. The year 75% of all bars and restaurants went bust because of a snow storm and those stupid made up holidays.

up
Voting closed 0

If you rely on a made up "holiday" to shill your services and other needless cr@^ to the masses, then there is something seriously wrong with your business model.

Oh wait - private industry can do no wrong and should be encouraged, no matter how wasteful their practices may actually be (like this Valentines Day nonsense).

up
Voting closed 0

Christmas? The one where we celebrate a jolly old fat white guy in a red suit who sneaks down your chimney at night to leave gifts for children?

Easter? The one with bunnies where we decorate chicken eggs and hide them in the yard?

Halloween? The one where we dress up in silly outfits and suspend normal operating procedure and allow our kids to accept candy from strangers?

Presidents Day? The one where all the presidents were born on the same day so we all must go out and buy new cars?

Thanksgiving? The day we stuff ourselves to the gills in preparation to invade malls and buy crap?

Like it or not all these holidays are a big part of the economy.

up
Voting closed 0

all of the holidays mentioned have long standing tradition, and most have actual basis in history.

And the fact we base economic performance of the retail sector on holidays at all is, frankly, a large part of the problem we have with our economy. But agian, continue that belief that private industry can do no wrong and "made up" holidays are necessary for businesses to survive.

up
Voting closed 0

from the 3rd century and has a long standing tradition too. Whats your point? Why is that holiday any different than the others?

Why don't you tell us your fix for the economy that eliminates all holidays because they are "made up" and "a large part of the problem we have with our economy".

I sure would love to hear that.

up
Voting closed 0

There is a meme that Valentine's Day, outside the Catholic mass, with the gift giving and cards was one of those holiday's pushed into prevalence by Hallmark and other companies. The gift giving actually goes back a lot further, to the middle ages, but prior to some time in the 20th century it was more like some flowers or a poem you wrote yourself... as opposed to Hallmark cards and diamonds. Much like prior to the 20th century people didn't really celebrate Halloween or Christmas in the same way they do now. But it is true that there are numerous companies that abuse the holidays: CVS candy aisles come to mind...

up
Voting closed 0

I could not care less about the day itself, but I know how hard it is to run a store or restaurant. If this day helps them make money, great.

up
Voting closed 0

Something strange happened in America where we now live "from holiday to holiday", so basically the entire year is now one long holiday season. The real tipping point came when the modern conception of Halloween (as opposed to the ancient religious one), went from being a one day children's event to a full fledged adult holiday season and excuse for adults to put on costumes and act like idiots (as if New Year's Eve wasn't already enough). Merchants and corporations are behind this trend, and, snow or no snow, they are rolling in the profits they reap from the gullibility of the American public.

up
Voting closed 0

...that caters to the general public - especially a restaurant - let us know how you feel about anything that gets people into your business.

up
Voting closed 0

For anyone in the service industry who relies on tips, this past January has been BRUTAL.

So, I'm terribly sorry that you're so bitter, angry, and alone for Valentines Day but some of us rely on it while others actually enjoy it.

up
Voting closed 0

If you can afford it folks - when you go out to eat - leave a little more than the usual 20%. The snow is not your waitstaff's fault and I know a lot of the restaurants around me have been closed and when not closed, very empty.

Did that job long, long ago and as the song goes they "work hard for the money."

up
Voting closed 0

I just did this.

I had my haircut yesterday. The hairdresser I see on the subway (she lives near by) so I know she's been crippled by transit as much as I have.

I gave her a large tip (twice as much as I do usually) and told her I hope it makes up for some of the business she lost. Not her fault she had no business.

up
Voting closed 0

...would have a chance of changing people's minds if you hadn't tacked on a nasty and unnecessary personal attack. You were doing fine when you pointed out that it's been tough times for people in the service industry, and then you had to go off the rails.

up
Voting closed 0

For someone to have such a hard-on for St. Valentines Day?

Angry, bitter, and alone just about covers it.

up
Voting closed 0

I think they are trying to satisfy demand. You would most likely be pissed if you went to a liquor store on July 3rd and they had no beer because they don't ascribe to the idea that July 4th is a major holiday for Americans and they like to drink on that day. Also, you would feel bad if a liquor store ordered a ton of beer for July 4th and could not be open due to a storm. That is how it is for restaurants but then the food spoils, beer does not. Try to be nicer to commenters, snarky replies come off very childish.

up
Voting closed 0

Give the restaurants a break. This month has been horrible for them. With the T dead and the city unresponsive sales are way down. Restaurant margins are tiny. No business owner opens solely with that idea the holidays will pay the rent but losing a typically big day can be a real hardship.

If you have reservations for all your tables you're going to have additional staff work and order additional product. But then if 50% cancel the afternoon of the reservation (or just don't show) you're screwed.

up
Voting closed 0

I think all retail/storefront businesses in the city (besides the supermarkets and hardware stores) must be suffering right now. The T shutdown affects their workers' ability to come to work in the first place, and nobody is going out shopping in a snowstorm.

The only ones making bank are the snow plowers and wherever they get the road salt from.

up
Voting closed 0

Salaried people with office jobs often overlook the fact that losing a day of work often means losing a day of pay -- there is no work-at-home retail or service industry jobs and most hourly employees only get paid for the hours they are physically on the job irrespective of the weather, traffic, or the T.

This is why shutting down the T or having horrible service is a big deal -- it's not just an "inconvenience" if it means you lose hourly wages or your customers can't get to you.

up
Voting closed 0

Exactly - I'm temping right now and my agency was like, sorry you're SOL - temps don't work from home, and no pay for snow days. So for a couple of storms I would come in to work and be one of 3 people at work, and as a temp I'm totally nonessential, yet spending all this time commuting just so my time would count and I could get paid for a full week. Luckily my supervisor at the company I'm working at found this totally ridiculous and set up a way for me to work from home, where I was actually more productive instead of spending three hours on the T. But the way my agency responded to my request was a complete lack of understanding or regard for what it's really like to be an hourly employee who is T and weather-dependent, and regard for my safety as well.

up
Voting closed 0

There was an article in the Globe describing how the T shutdown is affecting low-wage workers. If they don't show up, they don't get paid, and it can have devastating effects on their monthly income.

up
Voting closed 0

I do remember this blizzard. It was the first Valentine's Day my (now) husband and I were a couple. It was disappointing to have to cut it short, but we really, REALLY wanted to go out for something special. But, yes, the storm turned out to be a big nothing.

up
Voting closed 0

This morning at one of the Orange Line stops, "Move to the center of the car" the operator was shouting at a packed car where people were twisted like pretzels, and the poor people standing in the cold were trying to get on. The operators are only programmed to give three possible responses, I believe, like the Terminator:

a.) There is a train right behind this one.
b.) Move to the center of the car.
c.) Stay away from the yellow line.

up
Voting closed 0

The driver this morning kept on saying there was a train behind ours, which I thought was a lie. When I got off at Back Bay, the board (which was off at Forest Hills) said the next train was in 3 minutes.

I still don't see more trains on the line, but the 3 minutes thing blew my mind.

up
Voting closed 0

a refresher in what "Blizzard WarningConditions" means.

corrected to reflect the updated NWS advisory

up
Voting closed 0

Yup, the motors on the Orange Line should be able to handle that.

up
Voting closed 0

The timing of the next storm seems to be at least "better" than the rest. While I realize that there are lots of people who work on Sundays and Holidays, there are lots of people who don't.

Since Monday is a national holiday lots of things will be closed (all levels of government offices, the major equity and bond markets are all closed). This is going to significantly cut down on the number of people going into Boston.

The T, the City, and the Commonwealth must take advantage of the Sunday/Monday holiday to do the maximum amount of snow removal so as to not have next week be a continued nightmare (even though all modes of traffic next week will be lighter anyway because of the school vacation week).

By the work week beginning 2/23, things have to be back to something close to normal (barring another series of big storms), or it will likely be time to stop giving officials a pass.

up
Voting closed 0

Having the storm Sunday/Holiday Monday is definitely a plus.

However, this fricking snow ain't going away!

(Sorry, I'm just going stir crazy with all of this.)

up
Voting closed 0

Another big storm is possibly coming on Wednesday.

up
Voting closed 0

I
just
can't
anymore

*dreams of a beach on cape cod*

up
Voting closed 0

up
Voting closed 0

Didn't he suggest shutting down the T for the entire weekend, AND Monday, just last night?

I wish he, Baker, and T management would stay with a consistent message here. Decide this stuff and how you're going to communicate it before you do so, and then hold the press conference. I think part of the frustration people are having is that they seem to be flying by the seat of their pants right now instead of creating an organized, professional and informed response. They really don't seem to know what they are doing, but it is the media/communications staff's responsibility to make sure they look like they have this thing under control. They look uncoordinated and indecisive, like the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. I don't think any of them are being effective leaders right now. I know this was an unprecedented amount of snow, but for God's sakes we live in New England, and that's what they have emergency management staff, and PLENTY of consultants and advisors from all fields ready on the phone, for in the first place. The marathon bombing response was really a high point for leadership here. This is a low.

up
Voting closed 0

He knows how to speak, but not how to communicate. It's someone's job to ensure the latter, and they aren't doing very well as of late.

up
Voting closed 0

I don't even think he knows how to speak.

After his Tuesday presser, I'm not so sure. He flubbered so many times during it.. like he was nervous or didn't read his notes..

up
Voting closed 0

He really makes me miss Menino.

He just seems grumpy. I don't think he's very personable. Menino, even if he couldn't verbally articulate it well, actually gave you the impression that he would be out there with a shovel himself if he could, and his message was always strong and decisive. He was going to get it done by hell or high water. He would at least understand what the people in the city are going through with snow removal and parking right now. I don't get that impression from Walsh - he seems annoyed at being asked to deal with it at all.

up
Voting closed 0

Marty and his spokespeople need to stop repeating two things: 1) how this is historic unprecedented snowfall and 2) that crews are "working very hard' to clear it.

We don't need demagoguery telling us what we already know. We need facts.

up
Voting closed 0

Both Mayor and Governor are newbies. At least to their current positions.

I would have hoped they watched and learned as they were rising through the ranks, but apparently not. And it's not obvious whether they've got mentors assisting. Walsh certainly doesn't have Menino to give advice (not that he'd take it from him).

up
Voting closed 0

So that I can actually make my way downtown to patronize the restaurants and bars, I'll start to think about making such a trip to help local businesses. Until then, I'll stick to walking to and from the market.

up
Voting closed 0

If you're really near Stonybrook, Matt O' Malley was over there this morning making notes on how difficult it was for pedestrians to get around. If you're waiting for Marty to personally come shovel your walk it might be a while.

up
Voting closed 0

I've lodged a gazillion cases with Citizen's Disconnect concerning the conditions of the roads in the area, specifically, Spring Park, Rockview, Chestnut, etc. City consistently closes cases and notes the snow removal issue has been resolved, but we all know that is not the case. Thankfully, the City went down and cleared half of Spring Park yesterday but from Adelaide down to Chestnut is still a mess.

up
Voting closed 0

They are waiting a few days, then closing things as "resolved", but not actually handling the issues.

up
Voting closed 0

These comments support my theory that people have wildly different expectations about what to expect from snow removal. I walk down spring park every day, and given the sheer volume, I think it looks pretty good. Boylston, st, with it's very narrow side walks and large amount of foot traffic between Centre and the station is pretty bad, but there is legitimately no where else to put the snow. Last week, I heard a few trucks working through the night removing large amounts of snow from Centre in Hyde Square, so they are definitely working on our most important artery.

I guess my point is. They have a certain # of pieces of equipment, which have a certain capacity, and they are running full time. Honestly, what more could possibly be done?

I have bigger beefs with the property owners who poorly shovel, or conflate pouring that blue stuff on the snow with shoveling, than I do with a city that is clearly using every available piece of equipment 24 hours a day.

up
Voting closed 0

I didn't vote for him, and I am not sure I agree with some things is has done in his time in office, but I am reasonably impressed with the snow removal under his administration that has done in my downtown neighborhood. Under Menino the snow just sat for weeks. Under Walsh it Cambridge St is cleared to the curbs, and my side street is fairly clear of snow considering the circumstances. Could he do better? Maybe, but I don't think Menino did better. And I don't speak for other neighborhoods although it is good to see the pictures of trucks working through the night removing snow.

up
Voting closed 0

Government Center given your statement concerning Cambridge Street. It's not surprising that snow removal has been done quite well in that area. The outlying neighborhoods (JP, Rozzie, DOT, Roxbury, parts of West Roxbury, etc.), however, are a complete other story. I don't believe that Walsh deserves any praise for his management of the City's snow removal efforts the past 30 days, and I'll actually voted for him. The only comfort I can take from the sorry state of snow removal in my neighborhood is knowing that the condition of Mahhty's street in DOT was no better as of a day or two ago.

up
Voting closed 0