MBTA Operations
Somerville Mayor on MBTA Crisis
Speaking with Joe Battenfeld yesterday, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone said generations of chronic underfunding have put the MBTA behind both in terms of growing to meet its demand and in replacing its dated equipment. Any fix for the MBTA that doesn’t address both those issues isn’t a fix. Watch the interview below.
Read MoreEDITORIAL: T union’s smart move to let MBTA hire Peter Pan buses
Boston Globe | Editorial | February 13, 2015 The Boston Carmen’s Union earned a shoutout Thursday when it agreed to let the MBTA hire Peter Pan buses to shuttle passengers between Red Line stations that have been hit by weather-related service disruptions. Although running the 30 privately operated buses could be considered outsourcing — something…
Read MoreMBTA brings in Peter Pan to help with Red Line shuttle buses
Dear 589 members As some of you may have heard, the MBTA brought in Peter Pan Bus Lines today to help with the Red Line shuttle buses. We felt it necessary to inform you, our members, of the circumstances behind this. Due to the MBTA’s high demand and heavy ridership as a result of the…
Read MoreT’s woes are bigger than any general manager
Boston GLobe | By Joan Vennochi | FEBRUARY 09, 2015 LIFE ISN’T fair. After years of bad policy decisions and general neglect, the MBTA is falling apart under the watch of General Manager Beverly A. Scott. Scott, who has held the position since September 2012, inherited a broken system. As she said in a radio…
Read MoreLegislators step onto the T for a taste of riders’ experience
Boston Globe | By Steve Annear | March 19, 2015 It had been more than a year since State Representative Marjorie Decker took the Red Line to work, but as she boarded a crowded train at Harvard Square before 9 a.m. Thursday, it all came back to her. “It’s like riding a bike,” she said.…
Read MoreBaker’s MBTA task force could face pointed questioning on findings
State House News Service | By Matt Murphy | 04/15/2015 BOSTON — Members of Gov. Charlie Baker’s task force on the MBTA could face pointed questioning in two weeks when they testify before a legislative panel, as some senators raised concerns Tuesday over the underpinnings of their recent findings. Since the task force last week…
Read More4 Lingering Questions After Scathing MBTA Report
WBUR NEWS | APRIL 10, 2015 | By ZENINJOR ENWEMEKA BOSTON A scathing report on the MBTA, released Wednesday by an advisory panel appointed by the governor, blasts the management of the beleaguered transit system and calls for widespread reforms. But there are still some lingering questions about the report’s findings. Here are a few of those…
Read MoreBaker panel kicks the can
CommonWealth Magazine | By James Aloisi | Wednesday, April, 8, 2015 IN THE AFTERMATH of the drip drip drip of a series of strategically placed leaks, the governor’s special commission on the MBTA has finally issued its report. It is a disappointing document that fails to address the MBTA’s real state-of-good-repair and capacity needs, fails…
Read MoreTime to pop this trial balloon
Commonwealth Magazine | James Aloisi | Apr 6, 2015 I KNOW SOMETHING about trial balloons. I launched a few myself when I was state transportation secretary. It’s a tried and true way for public officials to test whether there will be any meaningful push back to a decision before the decision is actually made. If…
Read MoreIs Gov. Baker’s Special Panel Evaluating the MBTA Fairly?
Frontier Group | Tony Dutzik | 04/07/2015 As Gov. Baker’s special panel on the MBTA prepares to release its recommendations for the future of transit in the Boston area, it is important that its conclusions be based on accurate information. Writing in CommonWealth yesterday, former state Transportation Secretary James Aloisi raised important questions about the…
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