Universal Hub - MBTA

MBTA map contest submissions

BostonUrbEx — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:05:12 +0000

Last month, the MBTA announced a contest in which anyone could design what could be the next MBTA map.

Transit Maps has not one, but two contest submissions posted for our viewing pleasure. While no submissions have been officially heralded by the MBTA at this time, it is clear that some very talented cartographers are partaking in the festivities.

The MBTA had previously announced a deadline of April 30, 2013, however no mention of the contest has been made since the original announcement of the contest.

MBTA's fare recovery rate vs other cities

JohnAKeith — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:04:06 +0000

A couple months ago, the Federal Transit Administration updated its National Transit Database to include data from 2011. Their database analyzes the country's major public transit systems in many ways, including by size, usage, and budget.

The NTD includes "Fare Recovery Ratios" for transit systems across the USA. This is the percentage that passengers pay - out of pocket - compared to what their rides actually cost.

The data is further broken down by system and within each, by mode of transportation - so, subway (light rail and heavy rail), but also commuter rail, bus, an boat rides.

Passengers in Boston and in Massachusetts pay wildly different percentages of real costs. (The data is from 2011, prior to the July 2012 fare increases.)

Heavy rail transit riders (Red Line, Blue Line, Orange Line) pay about half of what their rides actually cost, as do light rail users (Green Line). Commuter rail passengers pay about 44% of the cost of their rides.

Demand response users (which I believe means "The Ride", here in Boston) pay just 4.14% of the cost of their rides.

The T's expansion (and shrinkage) during past 117 year

JohnAKeith — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:07:44 +0000

How has the MBTA changed / grown / shrunk during the past 117 years?

Check out the visualization below to see the birth of the Green Line in 1895, the expansion of the Red Line through 1985, and the "repositioning" of the Orange Line. Descriptions of the changes included under the map.

http://www.vanshnookenraggen.com/_index/2012/04/an-animated-history-of-the-mbta/

(Permission granted by author)

Another Friday night

roadman — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:46:41 +0000

another power problem on the Riverside Line - with buses replacing streetcars between Reservoir and Riverside. Here's the official alert:

Alternate shuttle bus service will replace Green D-Branch trains between Reservoir and Riverside Station due to a power problem. Please expect significant delays and seek alternate transportation where available. Â 9/7/2012 7:42 PM

Note that the MBTA has posted this exact same alert about the wire problem at least four times since 6:20. They obviously don't understand that people don't need to have their phones on to get messages.

Of course, if the Green Line ops folks had any common sense, they would run half the available C cars in a loop outbound via Beacon Street and inbound on the Riverside line, and run half the available D cars in a loop outbound via the Riverside line and inbound via Beacon Street - instead of overloading the C line by telling people to go to Cleveland Circle and get the buses from there.

And I can only imagine how long it's taking folks to get past Government Center eastbound (my scanner doesn't work in the building I'm currently in). Step # 1 when there's a "problem" affecting the C line seems to always be to short turn most of those trains at GC.

Remember those old locomotives from Maryland

roadman — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:25:39 +0000

that the T hailed as a temporary solution to the commuter rail's reliablity problems.

Well, I've learned from a reliable source (retired MBCR employee who's a friend of mine) that, at the direction of T management, the MBCR has taken all those locomotives out of service, and they will be heading back to Maryland early Saturday morning.

The reason for this - mechanical problems that made the locomotives too unreliable to operate.

Perhaps the T and MBCR should have taken heed of this statement from a 1980s ElectroMotive Division advertisement - A 40 year old rebuilt locomotive is still a 40 year old locomotive.

Ed. note: MBTA says no, not the case. See comments for the T's response.

So, when did Orange Line trains start serving East Boston?

roadman — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:11:39 +0000

Got this interesting T alert earlier today:

Orange Line experiencing 10-15 min delays due to a signal problem at Orient Heights Station.Â 6/5/2012 5:52 AM.

note - I presumed the alert was for the Orange Line, as I'm not signed up to get Blue Line alerts

This holiday season, no weekend red line service north of Harvard Square.

WickedPissah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:39:00 +0000

Everyone can agree that the economy is rough. This holiday season, more than usual, is important to local retailers. Small businesses in Porter and Davis squares now have another hurdle to deal with starting November 5th, no red line service on the weekends. The residents probably aren't happy about it either.

According to service advisory posters in red line stations, and yesterday's article on Boston.com, the red line will terminate at Harvard until March 2012! On a side note, the MBTA's own website doesn't mention the service advisory yet.

The MBTA's brick and mortar location for their merchandise website, MBTAgifts.com, is located in Porter Square.

No Red Line north of Harvard on weekends

BostonUrbEx — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:32:03 +0000

Recently, if you look out the windows on the Red Line between Harvard and Porter, you'll almost always find workers pressing against the wall to let a train by. In case the water-stained tunnel walls don't give it away: they're working on the corroded tracks as we speak. However, that may not be enough time to keep the tunnels in shape, and as The Globe explains:

The MBTA will close the Red Line north of Harvard Square on weekends from November through March to complete $80 million in repairs designed to keep trains from derailing, transit administrators said yesterday.

Starting Nov. 5, weekend service will stop to allow T crews to plug tunnel cracks and seal water leaks that have eroded the concrete track base and corroded power lines. Then crews will replace damaged track, supports, and electrical components.

Where Have All the Bus Stops Gone?

Brett — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:15:48 +0000

Fire up Google Maps to find out where to catch the bus, and it won't help much; dozens or hundreds of stops are displayed in the wrong locations, have the wrong bus lines associated with them, or aren't shown at all.

Try this mess at Brigham Circle, for example. You'll spend a long time waiting for the 39 on Tremont Street, yet that's where Google Maps now declares the 39 stops; the stop for the 39 on Huntington Avenue is gone.

By the way, here's what we were promised for live transit updates about a week ago. Here's what we got instead.

Want to report that the stations or stops are in the wrong locations? Sorry, can't do that.