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Not just the tracks are defective at the MBTA
By adamg on Fri, 09/08/2023 - 9:44am
CommonWealth reports that both an outside consultant and an internal study show that contributing to our current slow-transit system is a dysfunctional workplace featuring inadequate staffing, poorly trained workers and bad communication. And that's a key reason the number of slow zones hasn't decreased and why new GM Phil Eng has brought in a bunch of outsiders to try to right the ship, um, tracks.
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Comments
Poorly Trained Workers? Nah.
Trackwalkers? They are perfectly trained - to collect paychecks.
The culture of the late 80's / early 90's T is most evident with this sector of the T.
All the jokes about these guys going out on comp because they have barstools stuck to their assess have come home to roost.
I see a lot of good people working the T. There are some big exceptions. The hangover of every sign holder for Billy Bulger getting "On The T" and them immediately not working but getting paid is a stain on the organization and has been for years. This also extends to a good segment up at 10 Park Plaza as well. Pre-Covid I saw many people nursing hangovers mid-morning in the old transportation library next to the security desk on the second floor of 10 PP. Not a culture of moving people around but one of self-service.
Good luck Mr. Eng. As much as I hate Mets fans, hopefully the ones you brought in to clean up will finally erode the idiocy of the Authority.
Worked very briefly at
Worked very briefly at MassDOT next door as a consultant. Needless to say there’s a lot of incompetent people there meandering about just to collect a check.
Are you saying it's a systemic problem?
Nah, it has to be Governor Baker's fault. Or was it Governor Patrick? Maybe Romney? Swift? Cellucci? Definitely Weld, since Baker was his budget guy, and we all know that the state budget guy has say as to how track inspection takes place.
The article was interesting, but I haven't seen the source material. I guess my takeaway is that they are being overly cautious now, while they were seemingly unconcerned before. Either way, I'll love to see them fix the problems rather than griping about how it got this way.
If they can improve the mbta
If they can improve the mbta I will
Consider not buying a car.
All we need . . . .
is a few $Billions more.
That'll do it.
Really.
It's different this time!
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The legislature needs to look at the structure of transit/transportation management.
Much of the MBTA should be moved to either a RTA or to MassDOT.
Make it go the way of the MDC.
Meanwhile, it just keeps getting worse on the Red Line
Countdown clocks south of JFK haven't worked for a week. Both the Braintree and Ashmont countdown clocks online and in the stations only work when a train is a few minutes away. Online information is blank. In the stations it says "every 18-22 minutes"
When the station countdown clock or announcement says the train approaching or arriving or boarding, sometimes the train is so slow you can't even see it yet.
The slow zone situation got a little bit better for a while but now they're back to awful and getting worse. Slow zones appear and disappear every day.
T Alerts used to prominently state that trains may only run 10-25 mph due to track work. A few days ago, they relegated the alert to a secondary status, along with future alerts.
Old trains lurch, shake, and make banging and thudding sounds. They feel like and sound like they are about to break any minute, and sometimes they do.
Trains roll into the station with not enough capacity because a car is closed due to whatever.
Some cars don't have functioning A/C.
Many cars have broken doors where only 1 of the 2 door set works
Drug addicts are nodding off on the train. Not the T's fault but it just adds to the ambiance.
I respect that Eng is at least trying, and putting himself in front of the problems, but the legislature does not, and never has, cared.
It really is FUBAR.
agree 100%
You're spot on with everything you've said. I take the T at rush hour from Ashmont to South Station, and have for years, and it has only gotten worse in recent weeks. Just to clarify for others -- those wait times of 18 minutes or more are at rush hour in the morning and afternoon. If you are lucky enough to get on a train, the ride from South Station to Ashmont can take 40 minutes or likely longer because of the slow zones. People taking the commuter rail from Rhode Islan get to South Station more quickly than a rider from Ashmont. I'm hopeful for improvements following the October shutdown, but won't hold my breath!
With public transit like this
With public transit like this, it is no wonder that some resort to police motorcades.
Subway speeds are being micro-managed
Train drivers have severe pressure from management (backed up by "consultants") to tow the line. They're even under pressure social media posts about T performance, trains closing doors too soon, etc. They can get serious warnings, even lose job, everything.
Both union & management are in bed with each other, i.e. corruption. A lot of $ is being made with these slowdowns, endless "track work", "consultants".
…um…
I think you meant "toe the line". (Old expression comes from people standing side-by-side, all facing front, with the front of their feet -- i.e., their toes -- touching a line painted on the ground, so they're all perfectly in line).
People toe the line. The MBTA tows the trains. See the difference?
Safety
I would hope they would tow the line! The speed restrictions are there for a reason. I would love to hear facts and logic to back up your opinion.
Converse with a T employee under the age of 35
From my, granted anecdotal discovery, dysfunction in the MBTA is still largely the norm. The slow zones and frequent breaks in the physical infrastructure are a manifestation of, issues of staff dysfunction.
As a conclusion this report does not offer any revelations. However, if this report provides a detailed examination of the actual departments, even the actual employees, who are a hindrance to providing system of public transportation then it can be money well spent.
Thinking about the various institutions I've dealt with over the past year I've seen a commonality. Work cultures where the workers - both volunteers and paid staff - are stuck in the mud. From local dances to a local historic house to hospitals, universities and other non-profit institutions, as well as government institutions, I get the sense that there is new "ism" developing. Stuck in the mudism.
A philosophical movement where mind, belief and action are based in refusing to change, adapt, deal with the present. An absolute preference to maintaining some comfortable status quo, no matter how much harm, how much interference or how much failure is caused by playing the game of stuck in the mud.
Perhaps an, ironically stated, evolved form of Luddism. From Luddites (who got a bad rap, they just wanted decent wages) to Muddites.
“All stated that the process
This is how every government agency at every level works. Succession planning, process formalization, training, standardization, I've worked in government for 20 years and this is a recurring and constant issue.