Boston Globe | By The Editorial Board | February 26, 2015 IT’S TEMPTING to dismiss the creation of yet another committee of experts to figure out what’s ailing the MBTA, given Beacon Hill’s willingness to ignore the findings of past blue-ribbon panels. But the latest MBTA advisory panel, assembled by Governor Charlie Baker, deserves a chance to…
WBUR | February 20, 2015 Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that he’s giving a special panel 30 days to come up with recommendations to fix the MBTA’s finances and operations. And for good reason. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve heard a lot about the failings of the MBTA — about systemic problems and…
Commonwealth Magazine | By BRUCE MOHL | Feb 17, 2015 Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said on Tuesday that the problems at the MBTA are straight out of “Democracy in America,” the book Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the 1800s which suggested that Americans may vote themselves more benefits than they are willing to pay for.…
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.
The following is a sample of the words of encouragement and support that we’ve received via our Facebook page from the riding public as we work to get the system back online after the snowiest month on record: “In this time of shutdowns, breakdowns and stalls, I want to take the time to thank the…
By Adrian Walker | Boston Globe | February 16, 2015 If you have been a frustrated customer of the MBTA in the past few weeks, Laverne Lassiter-Pina feels your pain. For the past 18 years, Lassiter-Pina has driven a train on the Red Line. She leaves her home in Avon before dawn to arrive at…
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…
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…
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…
Transit Police officers received a call to respond to the MBTA’s Maverick Square station for a report of an unarmed robbery on Wednesday. Upon arrival, an officer was met by the victim, as well as an MBTA employee, who said the 66-year-old woman was seated on an outbound Blue Line train with her purse directly…
Boston Globe | Joshua Miller | February 5, 2015 The MBTA system, burdened by aging infrastructure and equipment, has lurched and sputtered this week, leaving throngs fuming in the cold about commutes nasty, brutish, and long. Governor Charlie Baker decried the delays and said he would work to improve service. Meanwhile at the State House, he…
Commonwealth Magazine | Gabrielle Gurley | Feb 4, 2015 What is the value of holding a major civic event after a winter storm in a city where the wheels have gone off the mass transit system? When the history of the New England Patriots Super Bowl XLIX victory parade is written, all of that will…
Boston Globe | Editorial | FEBRUARY 03, 2015 IMAGINE IT’S a hot summer day in 2017, and the state secretary of transportation has to decide between two projects: switch heaters that make it easier to keep trains running on outdoor rails on snowy days, or politically popular new train service to the Convention Center tied…
By Steve Annear | Boston Daily | January 27, 2015 9:34 a.m. Although the MBTA will be shut down for the entire day on Tuesday, some transit employees spent the night driving Green Line trolleys up and down the tracks to keep them clear of snow, so that workers will have a safe commute come…
Dear members, As you know, the governor announced that all modes of MBTA service will be suspended all day and night on Tuesday, January 27. However, all MBTA personnel are considered essential and, therefore, are required to report to work. Every effort must be made to get to work safely. MBTA personnel are NOT included…