Red Line

MBTA increasing capacity on the Blue, Green and Red lines

adamg — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:48:04 -0400

The T announced today it's adding more cars to the three lines during rush hours - and making some service enhancements to some bus lines - starting this week.

The news comes as the T also announces continued record ridership: The T carried 34.7 million passengers in July, compared to 31.4 million the previous July.

The biggest jump will occur on the Blue Line - which saw a 25% jump in ridership - where six-car trains will begin regular rush-hour service the week of Sept. 15 (although they will not initially replace all of the four-car trains).

Some additional cars on the Green Line will mean at least 2.7% more passengers will be able to cram into trolleys at rush hour, while the Red Line is gaining three additional trains during the morning and afternoon commutes.

Bus changes:

Red Line delayed through Harvard as cops looked for bank robber

adamg — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:24:56 -0400

The Cambridge Chronicle has the details on a Harvard Square bank job.

T puts more helpful info on its maps

adamg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:48:57 -0400

Or, possibly, an "ironic" hipster with a Sharpie got bored at Harvard station.

The CharlieCard Screen of Death

adamg — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:02:04 -0400

Seems the software behind CharlieCard readers was built in Microsoft Visual C++. And guess what? It's not immune from crashing. Zeroday posts the photographic proof from the Central Square station.

What's happening at Savin Hill?

adamg — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:03:49 -0400

Red Line service was halted early this afternoon due to police action at the Savin Hill T stop.

Two T ads that really belong right next to each other

adamg — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:38:54 -0400

Mark O'Neill spots one of the Red Line's infamous sperm-donor ads. That SO needs to be placed next to one of Comcast's new "Wanna hook up?" ads (is Comcast really admitting it wants to screw you?).

Not the best spot for some meditation

adamg — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:23:32 -0400

SJ was admiring the gray-haired man's stretching as he meditated in the Kendall Red Line stop. And then it hit him: Not only was the guy on the tracks, he was holding onto the third rail:

... The meditator was meandering down the tracks into the tunnel, bags in hand, not rushed but with intent. Now there were dozens of people, all watching him, many idly. I stayed on the phone, offering voice updates and a description for a third time. After a minute, something made him return to the end of the other platform and climb up. ...

Maybe they were too busy cracking down on fare evaders and MIT students

adamg — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:44:28 -0400

Boblothrope tried and failed to get any information out of the T last night why Red Line service was all bollixed up at Harvard. After 20 minutes with no inbound train:

I pushed the INFO button on the customer service phone. The phone autodialed what sounded like 2422, and nobody answered. Then it dialed another number (2423?) and someone who identified himself as "North Station" answered. He didn't know anything about the delay, and said there would surely be an announcement explaining the problem.

After another 10 minutes (with no announcements), a train came in going the wrong direction on the inbound track, dumped its passengers, and reversed to become an inbound train back to Boston.

Red Line trains now 250% faster on the Longfellow Bridge

adamg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:52:54 -0400

10 m.p.h. speed limit lifted; trains can now go 25 m.p.h.

It's like a dressing room on wheels

adamg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:29:29 -0400

Cleary Squared wishes people would stop putting on or changing footwear on the T - it's probably not hygienic (you don't know where that floor has been) - and only encourages pervy foot fetishists:

... I was treated to an inadvertent show between Central and Harvard, where one young woman was rolling up a nylon knee-high to put on her feet, directly across from me. ...