The T announced today that average weekday ridership in April was 1.31 million - up 3.6% from last April and the highest number since September, 2008. The bulk of the increase came on the four subway lines.
Stats dating to 1/07 are attached as a CSV file.
MBTA Transit Police say this guy rides the Green Line from Kenmore to Park Street or Government Center and back again.
A real clown, on a clown bike, who began yelling and making threatening gestures at a woman who didn't respond when he asked how to get to Waltham.
MBTA Transit Police charge Michael Hutt of Medford lured a female T worker out of the customer-service booth at the Wellington Orange Line stop on the pretext of needing help adding value to his CharlieCard last night, then rubbed her back and grabbed her breast.
Hutt, 58, was charged with indecent assault and battery and assault and battery on a public employee following the 7 p.m. incident.
According to a police report, when the worker came out of the booth, Hutt handed her a CharlieCard and $2. As she walked over to the CharlieCard machines, police say, he began rubbing her back. She told him to stop that, added the $2 to his card, then handed him his card:
When the suspect walked through the gates, he stopped, reversed himself and physically grabbed the victim by the right breast, before continuing past the entry gates.
Last Thursday, another man was charged with open and gross lewdness after he allegedly exposed himself to two women at the station busway.
Innocent, etc.
The Attleboro Sun-Chronicle reports the house was searched yesterday as part of the investigation into unauthorized CharlieTickets.
The Globe's Milton Valencia tweets this morning:
Waiting on DiMasi[trial] today ... Juror late because train from Brockton reportedly canceled/delayed.
Train stuck on a switch in Worcester wreaking all kinds of havoc. Jim White reports from down the line in Westboro:
Three trains' worth of people on the platform in Westboro from two cancelled trains. Blah. Guess I'll head to Riverside.
The Globe details a network of distributors involved in a couple's alleged scheme to print and sell unauthorized CharlieTickets.
MBTA Transit Police report arresting a Chelsea man on charges he not only urinated in the Wellington busway as two women stood there, he kept staring at one of them - until they finally went to find a T inspector.
Gloria Celeste Escobar, 27, will be arraigned in Salem District Court on charges she helped Andres Townes sell unauthorized CharlieTickets.
Coakley explains case as T police listen.
A Revere man who worked for an MBTA pass subcontractor was arrested today on charges he used pass equipment to print up commuter-rail and subway passes he'd sell for a discount on Craigslist.
Andres Townes, 27, will be arraigned tomorrow on charges of larceny over $250 and conspiracy to commit larceny over $250.
Townes worked for Cubic Transportation Systems of Beverly, which handled online and telephone sales of the passes. Attorney General Martha Coakley said there is no evidence that anybody else at the company participated in the scheme, which allegedly began in 2007. Coakley said this is the largest fraud case in the history of the MBTA.
Sharina Byrd describes her ordeal.
It was near the end of another routine run for a driver just settling into her route. But then, out of nowhere, a hulking man grabbed Sharina Byrd's neck with one beefy arm and took control of the 86 bus's steering wheel with the other.
Byrd, a Dorchester resident who has only been driving an MBTA bus without an instructor for three weeks, instinctively pulled the emergency brake up with her left hand, stopping the bus and keeping it from careening into traffic and parked cars on the other side of Chestnut Hill Avenue last night.
The poles holding up the overhead wires for the 71 and 73 electric buses may be too declassé for leafy Belmont, but gritty Watertown wants nothing to do with diesel buses, Wicked Local Watertown reports:
Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli read several letters from Watertown and Belmont residents requesting that they vote to maintain trolley service to save on noise and air pollution. Residents attending the meeting agreed and many said that the trolley system adds character to the town.
UPDATE: Lyons was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail in Brighton District Court, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.
Police charge an Everett man who had trouble keeping his pants up had no problems wresting control of an 86 bus and trying to crash it - but was foiled by a fast-thinking rookie driver who managed to apply the emergency brake.
MBTA Transit Police say Donald Lyons, 52, reached across the 24-year-old driver - on the job for just 2 1/2 months - around 7:30 last night and grabbed the bus's steering wheel as it approached Commonwealth Avenue on Chestnut Hill Avenue:
The Globe reports T officials are looking at contract amendments T officials approved that appear to benefit the company that runs commuter rail, following a Globe report on the changes. They're even looking at just taking over management of the system themselves.
Beth reports that as her Orange Line train approached New England Tufts Medical Center around 10:40 last night, the operator announced:
Next stop: Hogwarts. Don't forget your wands.
Earlier:
This train now running express to Mordor.
The MBTA's annual Ridership and Service Statistics report, a.k.a., "the blue book" was released on May 10.
This report includes a true treasure-trove of statistics through which to pour - most popular / least popular lines and routes, including number of entries and exists, schedules' adherence, types of buses and subway cars in use, etc. This is for all bus, subway, trackless trolley, ferry, and THE RIDE routes.
Top 25 subway stations
The Globe has a fun piece detailing the relationship between the MBTA and MBCR:
Then, in 2007, the MBTA added contract language that effectively offset the penalties and the T began paying Mass Bay about $2 million a year in bonuses for trains that did arrive on time, even as customers were complaining that an increasing number of trains were arriving late or not at all.
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