Tuesday, July 31, 2012
There were over 400 million passenger trips on the MBTA in fiscal year 2012, according to the transit authority—the highest yearly ridership in MBTA history.
Ridership on the MBTA over the past fiscal year—July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012—reached above 400 million, according to an announcement from the MBTA. That's the highest ridership the transit authority has ever had in a single fiscal year, the announcement says. According to the MBTA, ridership in fiscal year 2012 rose by 5.7 percent over fiscal year 2011 to 400,185,000. There was an average of 1.312 million passenger trips per weekday in fiscal year 2012. That's the first time average weekday ridership was over 1.3 million for the whole year, the announcement says. According to the announcement, June also represented the 17th consecutive month of ridership growth on the MBTA (when comparing each month to its equivalent month the previous …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
This front-door only policy will hopefully help the MBTA enforce the collection of fares as it continues to face debt and infrastructure issues.
In an effort to reduce the number of people who skip out on their T fares, the MBTA began enforcing a front door-only policy for street-level stops on the D line starting yesterday, April 17. According to a press release on the MBTA website, this front door-only fare collection will take effect during weekends, holidays and off-peak hours only. During peak hours, which include 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. on weekdays, customers will be able to board the trolleys from the side and rear doors with pre-loaded CharlieCard, Charlie Ticket or other pass, the press release said. This is not the only line that has the front door only policy; other branches of the Green Line, including the C Line, have already implemented the front…
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The plan approved by the MBTA last week only covers the budget for fiscal 2013, meaning the agency will likely have another budget deficit next year.
With the 23 percent fare increase plan approved by the MBTA last week, the T is set for the coming year, but next year could be a problem. That is, unless legislators can help close the gap. Lawmakers are currently looking at a plan that would divert $51 million to the MBTA, coming out of vehicle inspection fees. The Boston Globe, however, reports that some of that money could go to other transit authorities around the Commonwealth. “Because the money was generated from everywhere around the state, I think there’s a strong case that this fund should go to all transit authorities,’’ said Mattapoisett Democrat William Straus, in the Globe. NECN reported earlier today that the MBTA expects to see a deficit of $110 million in the fiscal 2014 …
Monday, April 9, 2012
Brookline's week in review of a notable passing, the Poet Laureate pick, a screening of "Bully" and the tax prep poll.
Over the weekend, a famous Brookline native passed: Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes. Editor's Note: This column typically appears on a Sunday.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Yesterday, the MBTA announced a third proposal, which increases fares 23 percent and makes small cuts to service--mostly outside the Brookline area.
Drawing on rider and resident feedback, the MBTA thinks it has a new plan to keep the fares fair. The MBTA announced new plans yesterday before noon, which include "targeted" cuts and a 23 percent increase in fares. By their estimates, they will lose only 0.3 percent of current riders through the proposed fare and service changes. Based on maps and documents released on the MBTA website, it appears that Brookline's 51 and 60 bus routes are sticking around. Under the MBTA's previous Scenario 2, both would have been eliminated in the quest to fill the $161 million gap. The MBTA does note that revisions are coming to 14 routes, and four routes are to be eliminated. The bulk of the changes come in fares, which increase from $1.25 for bus …
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Details of the plan will be announced later today.
Update: The following is from the MBTA: "The plan includes the elimination of just four weekday bus routes and a revised schedule for 14 other routes. All weekday and all weekend ferry service will be continued except for weekend Quincy service. Weekend service on the Green Line’s E-Branch will be maintained outbound as far as the Brigham Circle stop. Customers travelling between Brigham Circle and Heath Street (a distance of 0.7 miles) will have the option of using the existing, accessible Route 39 bus. Commuter rail trains will retain all weekday service. Weekend service on the Greenbush, Needham and Kingston/Plymouth lines will be eliminated. Because the services targeted for elimination see low ridership, the MBTA estimates just…
The "Superheroes" known as the Fast Five took over a meeting with the MBTA's finance and auditing committees yesterday, which was adjourned.
There are only a few jobs which may be interrupted by the presence of superheroes, and this week MBTA board member appears to be one of them. Dressed in brightly-colored garb, The Fast Five have attended MBTA meetings in before, and they swooped in during an open MBTA Finance Committee meeting yesterday to save riders on the MBTA from the impending fare hikes and service cuts proposed by the MBTA. According to Transportation Nation, the protesters took over the room, and the board members began to walk out of the meeting. The "heroes" then took over the meeting, and appointed themselves as the "People's board," the Globe reports. See a video of the protest here on CBS Boston. Although the MBTA sent out an open letter announcing they will…
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The 'Fast Five,' a project of the T Riders Union in which members dress up as superheroes representing MBTA debt solutions, are attending today's public MBTA Finance Committee meeting.
The Fast Five have attended multiple MBTA meetings in colorful garb, and today they're going to try and "take back our public transit system" during an open MBTA Finance Committee meeting with their proposals, which are matched 1-1 with each "superhero's" identity. The meeting will be at today at 11 a.m. at 10 Park Plaza in Boston in the MBTA Boardroom on the third floor, and all are welcome to attend. For those who can't make it, here's a rundown on the Fast Five and what they represent, from their website: Snow Removal Man seeks to "Transfer MassDOT's snow removal funds to the MBTA, as a mild winter has left much of the money unused." MBCR Rock Star recommends we "Hold MBCR accountable for service!," since "in the past two years, …
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The MBTA is processing the feedback from its two proposals, and support for the two proposals looks to be low.
For people who attended the various meetings about the MBTA service proposals, it may come as no surprise that their service cuts and fare hikes seem to be unpopular. After proposing two scenarios that involved cuts and fare hikes for the MBTA service, the MBTA opened itself up to comments from the public--requesting e-mails, letters, and hosting public meetings about the two scenarios. Having analyzed much of the feedback, the MBTA issued a report on that feedback. So far, it doesn't look great for either scenario. Out of over 5,700 e-mails, 400 letters, and more than 1,800 comments from its series of public hearings, a majority of the feedback was in opposition to the cuts. With only 48 percent of the comments received categorized, …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Protesters attend yesterday's MBTA's board meeting. Board thinks they may be able to ease the proposed cuts.
Yesterday's MBTA Board meeting had some unexpected visitors yesterday, for what Boston.com called "an unusually charged meeting." They also report that protesters people gave call-and-response chants during the meeting, and about 100 more protesters were turned away at the door for fire code reasons, were heard outside chanting “We are! The 99 percent!’’ and “Banks get bailed out! We get sold out!’’ A press release issued by Mass. Senior Action and Mass. Uniting invited people to attend the meeting as well, to encourage the MBTA's board "to adopt alternative funding solutions that do not balance the T’s budget deficit on the backs of riders." But T officials still say service cuts and fare hikes will be included in future budget plans, …
Grahame Turner
2:43 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
As a rider, it does sound like a fairly reasonable compromise--certainly an improvement on the two scenarios. They were in a really tough spot regardless, though. more ›