Monday, April 15, 2013
Some T stations in the downtown area have been temporarily suspended.
[UPDATED Monday, April 15, 5:53 p.m.] Regular T services has resumed on the MBTA's Green, Orange and Red lines as of 5:45 p.m., following at least two explosions at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. Park Street and Downtown Crossing stations have reopened. MBTA T service in downtown Boston was suspended on several lines this afternoon as emergency crews responded to the scene, according to MBTA.com. The MBTA’s Green Line service between Kenmore and Park Street stations were shut down by around 3:30 p.m., although Green Line service will continued to run between Lechmere and North Station. Both the Green Line's B and C services were temporarily suspended, and the D line was only running from Riverside to Fenway. All Green Line …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Without additional funding, MBTA officials are forced to make difficult choices.
MBTA riders could see fares go up in the not-so-distant future if legislators don’t accept Gov. Deval Patrick’s ambitious funding plan. T General Manager Beverley Scott said Tuesday the T will likely hold off on spending $45 million for preventative maintenance and hike fairs to close a projected budget gap of $117 million, factoring in increased ridership and advertising this year, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. Director of Strategic Initiatives for the MBTA Charles Planck said at a March 5 MBTA finance committee meeting that fare increases could go up 33 percent under the proposal, which means subway fares would move up from $2 to $2.60. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey testified before …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Of the 43 robberies that took place on the MBTA system between Jan. 1 and Feb. 26, 36 involved the targeted thefts of electronic devices, specifically iPhones.
Staring at one’s cell phone while riding public transportation has become commonplace, but transit police say this ordinary practice could be contributing to electronic device thefts. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 26, there were 43 robberies on the MBTA system, according to a post on the MBTA Transit Police blog. Thirty-six of those 43 thefts – or 84 percent – involved electronic devices, most notably smart phones such as the widely used Apple iPhone. "Unfortunately, thefts of smart phones/electronic devices (most notably Apple products) is a nationwide trend," the blog post says. “This trend often referred to as ‘Apple Picking’ is for the most part a crime of opportunity.” The blog post provides tips on how to mitigate the chances your phone …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A new device will be distributed to conductors on MBTA conductors that will give them real-time information about trains all across the rail system.
A new pilot program being dubbed “Conductor Companion” is being unveiled on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s commuter rail system, putting complete details about train services across the system in the hands of conductors. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), the contractor that runs the commuter railroad for the MBTA which runs through Norwood, made the announcement on Monday. Essentially it is a unique mobile application that will allow conductors on the MBTA commuter rail system to receive real-time information about service for the first time. “The speed of technology today demands an application that gives conductors the information they need and that customers want,” said Gillian Wood, MBCR’s chief …
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Franklin, Providence/Stoughton and Needham Lines are affected.
Riders of the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin, Providence/Stoughton and Needham lines will experience brief delays Monday morning due to downed wires, according to a report on MyFoxBoston.com. Delays of up to one hour are expected Monday morning, with MBTA officials saying the delays are a result of portions of the Amtrak's overhead wires falling down.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Riders on all lines can expect up to 30-minute delays during the evening commute.
Delays that took place on several riders of the MBTA Commuter Rail lines Monday morning will continue Monday evening due to downed Amtrak wires, according to the MBTA. The delays were caused by downed Amtrak power lines in the Forest Hills area Monday morning. The incident affected eight miles of track and the power outage cut out signal systems causing disruptions on several lines, according to an MBTA statement. Passengers on six commuter rail lines and six Amtrak trains experienced delays Monday morning, according to Boston.com. The downed overhead wire on the Amtrak line at the Forest Hills station in Hyde Park reportedly prompted officials to shut down tracks between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., according to MyFoxBoston.com. Riders during …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
According to figures released Wednesday, MBTA ridership increased for the 20th time in 22 months, with specific increases on subway lines.
Despite mid-year fare hikes, people continue to use the MBTA. According to figures released by Beverly Scott, general manager of the MBTA, monthly ridership increased for the 20th time in the last 22 months in November. Daily ridership for November increased by 1.3 percent over November 2011, and averaged 1.329 million passenger trips per weekday, according to an accompanying MBTA statement Wednesday. The increase “continued the MBTA’s trend of modest ridership growth despite the fare increase implemented in July,” Scott said in the statement. There was marked growth on the Red, Orange and Blue subway lines, which grew 5.6 percent in November. Originally, MBTA officials projected subway ridership to drop of 5.3 percent, the statement said…
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Norwood Police Department partnered with the MBTA Transit Police to increase enforcement of trespassing laws on local railways and prevent fatalities on the tracks.
This past weekend the Norwood Police Department participated in the Franklin Line Safety Blitz with the MBTA Transit Police to increase enforcement of trespassing laws on local railways. "The aim was to increase awareness of the dangers of trespassing on the railways," a statement from the Norwood Police Department read. "Our youth are at particular risk. In the last year alone, three trespassers have been struck and killed by trains in Norwood. Many people struck by trains are suicides, but some are struck by accident." The most recent train-related fatality in Norwood occurred at the end of August, when a trespasser on the tracks was struck and killed by a commuter rail train between the Islington and Norwood Depot stations. Under …
Friday, June 29, 2012
The move comes one day after 49 state legislators asked the agency to reconsider its plans to add $3 for all tickets purchased aboard trains.
Commuter rail passengers won't all face a $3 surcharge when buying tickets aboard trains after all. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced today it has modified that policy, which was to start on July 1. Instead, the surcharge will apply only on inbound fares from stations selling tickets, and on outbound fares "from South Station, Back Bay or North Station or Zone 1A stations with ticket sales," Massachusetts Department of Transportation Legislative Director Jefferson Smith told state legislators and their staff in an e-mail today. Wednesday, 49 legislators asked the MBTA to reconsider its plan to apply the surcharge to all commuter rail tickets purchased on trains, regardless of whether the station sold tickets. The …
Thursday, June 28, 2012
$3 surcharge for commuter rail tickets purchased on board would start July 1.
State Rep. John Rogers is one of the 49 state legislators who yesterday asked the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to stop plans to charge another $3 for commuter rail tickets purchased on trains starting this Sunday, July 1. Travelers would pay the fee even if tickets aren't sold at the station they board from, the letter noted. "This course of action is extremely disappointing, and I hope that the T will reconsider their decision. Many station stops don't offer the opportunity to purchase tickets, making the $3 fee mandatory for many riders," said State Rep. Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton), a Sharon native. The $3 charge would represent a fare increase, ranging from 194.1 percent from Zone 1A to 63.6 percent from Zone 9, according to…
Adrianna Graham
2:11 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013
How long is boston gunna be shut down for today? more ›