buses

State learns again that people don't like having things crammed down their throat

adamg — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:51:34 -0500

And now the state loses out on $145 million in federal stimulus funds; money was to have gone to a fancy-shmancy Silver Line extension through Roxbury and Mattapan that state officials tried to foist on the neighborhoods as a fait accompli.

Lawmakers ask state to withdraw 28X proposal (from the Dorchester Reporter a couple weeks ago).

Steve Poftak is sad.

Earlier:
Gloria Fox, Byron Rushing objected to bus cramming.

Why you need to wash your hands after riding the T

adamg — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:40:51 -0500

Marti V. tweets:

I just saw some guy actually just lick his hand then touch a pole on the bus.

Kenmore Square much improved for folks in wheelchairs

adamg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:56:14 -0500

The Traveling Wheelchair reviews Kenmore Square:

...Once safely on the brick sidewalk, I found it plenty wide enough and fairly easy to wheel on the bricks. As we were about to cross the street at a pedestrian sidewalk, we were pleased to see there is a map with Braille for the blind to read; and the crosswalk made of brick which provides contrast and is easy to see if you are visually impaired like me. I like it because the brick will always stand out and not fade as painted white lines do. ...

Real-time status updates on some MBTA bus routes now approaching

adamg — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:46 -0500

The state Department of Transportation says it has started publishing raw, live location data for buses on five routes - which will eventually lead to applications that let riders see how far away the next bus is and when they can expect it to show up.

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Science tackles the Red Line and why buses travel in packs

adamg — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:16:09 -0400

Why Does Public Transport Not Arrive on Time? The Pervasiveness of Equal Headway Instability.

Although the paper attempts a generalized discussion of the issue, it specifically mentions the MBTA's attempt to deal with the problem by periodically running express Red Line trains.

Via Mike the Mad Biologist.

Hey, kids: Next time you want to tag a bus window, you might want to check if the guy next to you is a cop

adamg — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:53:15 -0400

The MBTA reports a plainclothes transit cop arrested two teenagers on charges they etched something on the window of a 32 bus in Hyde Park this afternoon.

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Brawling teens, onlookers clog up Forest Hills T stop

adamg — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:11 -0400

A brawl that erupted around 2:45 p.m. yesterday at Forest Hills disrupted bus service through the station as MBTA and Boston police tried to clear both combatants and groups of teens who gathered to watch, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

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Somebody takes a shot at a T bus in South Boston

adamg — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:30:07 -0400

Finn posts a photo of the rear window of a 9 bus, which, he reports, somebody shot out with an air rifle at Dorchester Street and Broadway around 7:15 p.m. Nobody hurt, he adds.

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An MBTA fun fact

adamg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:00:52 -0400

Well, maybe not fun, exactly, but still a fact, at least when it comes to MBTA buses vs. bicycles.

A reminder that failures don't just happen to Green Line streetcars

roadman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:07:12 -0400

Just before 8 this morning, I passed MBTA bus 0435 on southbound Main Street in Wakefield. The bus was sitting on the side of the road with the engine compartment open. There were two T mechanics and a supervisor on scene.

Assuming the bus had been in service when it broke down, it was apparent that whatever riders were on it had already been transferred to another bus, as there were no other people milling around.

UPDATE - Bus was in service when it broke down. From the T Web page:

Route 137 experiencing 15-20 min delays due to disabled bus 10/2/2009 7:31 AM