Latest stats from the T show continued growth in ridership - February's numbers are up 8.1% over last February's. The T credits overall employment growth in the region, higher gas prices, better real-time bus and subway arrival info and increased service reliability - which might be news to people who got stuck on the Red Line this morning due to yet another dead train, this time at Harvard. LC reports:
The MBTA said today savings in everything from group insurance to electricity purchases mean fares will go up an average of 23% come July 1, rather than the far higher increases originally forecast.
However, the T is also counting on $51 million in savings that would require legislative approval, including $4 million in tort reform.
Although most riders will be spared the deep cuts initially proposed, the T said it will eliminate weekend service on the E line past Brigham Circle and on the Needham, Kingston/Plymouth and Greenbush commuter-rail lines. Eliminated entirely: The 48 Jamaica Plain Loop bus.
Ongoing allegations of drug activity & prostitution result in the Mayor's office pulling out the ol' Scarlet Letter. Bring back the stockade!
Yes, we have no CharlieCards.
Boston to a T snapped this fare machine at Park Street today. In a word: Wha?
Some people just knee the Red Line.
Dot rat Adam Myerson likes the Red Line so much, he had it permanently affixed to his leg. He reports it took four sessions at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in JP to get the whole thing - both train and the Fields Corner stop - on track.
The MBTA has posted an analysis of comments received at its recent meetings and via e-mail about proposed service cuts and fare hikes; more than half the comments were from riders of potentially slashed or eliminated bus lines.
How else to explain what Brookline Selectwoman Jesse Mermell saw on the train home today?
New MBTA experience: Woman across from me changing her whole outfit on the train, including stockings. I'm torn between being appalled & impressed. I didn't have room to tweet about the full body lotion application. It was intense. No towel. Not even close. And there was extensive lotion application.
Park Street in 1912: Where are all the people? See it larger.
ArchBoston alerts us to the centennial of the opening of the "Cambridge Subway" from Harvard Square to Park Street.
On the morning of the opening, the Globe reported the subway cost $11.75 million, and added:
At various points this morning, the Green, Red and Blue lines all had problems due to dead trains (at Kenmore, Park and Bowdoin, respectively). No doubt feeling left out, the Orange Line this afternoon developed switch problems.
It was not, however, a rare perfect quadfecta - those only happen when all four lines shut down simultaneously.
Fly guy on Boston's flyest subway line.
On Saturday, Melissa Gibson spotted this dude at Jackson Square on the Orange Line with rapper Rick Ross's visage shaved into his hair. She reports "Phill da Barber" in Roslindale did the honors.
Anybody know where in Roslindale Phill strops his razor?
Copyright Melissa Gibson. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
MBTA Transit Police report arresting an Abington man on charges he shattered a window on a Red Line train in a brawl that started on the train and spilled out onto the platform.
Justin Nee, 28, was arrested on a charge of malicious destruction of property over $250 following the 9 p.m. incident, according to a Transit Police report.
According to the report, witnesses picked out Nee:
UPDATE: Franklin High School officials say the actual pugilists on the train were Franklin High alumni, not students, the Milford Daily News reports.
Train taken out of service at Wollaston after some knuckleheads got into a fight and smashed out a window.
Smush.
At least nobody seemed to be hurt when an inbound 34E bus and an Escalade collided at the entrance to the Burger King and CVS on Washington Street in Roslindale around 10 a.m. today.
The Metro reports on the incident, which happened at the scene of two collisions in the past three months caused by motorists running the lights.
Open letter from Richard Davey and Jonathan Davis:
Before our April 4th Board Meeting, we will lay out our final recommendation for closing the Fiscal Year 2013 gap. We continue to work on identifying prudent one-time revenues that will allow us to stave off some of the proposed service cuts for one year. Our final proposal will include both cuts and a fare increase, however.
Nothing beats battleship gray.
You look at the Best Buy vending machine in Forest Hills and you wonder when they're going to take off the sheet metal and get it back into operation. In fact, as I learned today from one of the guys at the newsstand next to it, you can already buy stuff from it. But this time, they've hidden all the merch well away from prying eyes, given what happened last time to their supposedly impregnable glass-fronted vend-o-matic.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is releasing a report today that says proposed massive cuts in T service and fare hikes would drive more people to cars, which in turn would lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in new health-care costs as drivers crash, die and gain weight. Mariana Arcaya, MAPC public health manager says:
The Outraged Liberal considers what's next for T riders, notes the Globe buried a statement by acting T GM Jonathan Davis that the authority is redrafting its plans for the coming year and that it won't be going with either of the two options for dramatic service cuts/fare hikes it proposed in Janauary.
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
