97 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

CommonWealth magazine, 9/8/20:

 

    Red Line train gets a bit close for comfort  

 

 

 

I rode in a Red Line car on Tuesday afternoon that was very near the MBTA’s crowding standard, and it felt like passengers were close together.

 

Article

[CNJRoss]

AP via WJAR-TV Providence, RI 9/14/20
 

MBTA officials try to envision post-COVID-19 transit system

 

 

(WJAR) — MBTA officials are beginning to envision a post-COVID-19 public transit system — one that may include changes to services given a possible looming budget gap.

 

The main problem is ridership, which plunged at the beginning of the pandemic as riders fled the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority system in fear of being exposed to the coronavirus.

 

Since then, ridership has ticked up, but not dramatically.

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Boston, MA Globe, 9/22/20:

 

    MBTA officials tip toe into what future service cuts would actually mean  

 

MBTA officials are facing a lot of unknowns over the coming years.

 

How long will the COVID-19 pandemic endure? When will ridership return to its pre-coronavirus levels? Will ridership return to its pre-coronavirus levels?

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

NBC Boston, 10/6/20:

 

   MBTA Mulls Bus, Ferry and Commuter Rail Service Cuts    

 

 

 

The MBTA is mulling some severe service cuts to lower its operating budget as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on ridership levels.

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Salem, MA News, 10/21/20:

 

    Salem businesses to close early, limited train service to city on Halloween    

(snip)

MBTA commuter rail service will also be limited over the next two weekends.

 

Read

[CNJRoss]

MASSLive 10/21/20
 

Fines tripled, trains canceled in Salem ahead of Halloween to discourage crowds during COVID pandemic

 

 

Typically a Gillette Stadium worth of people are in downtown Salem at the end of October.

 

But this year, the city is discouraging it through fines, lack of parking and decreased number of trains.

 

SNIP

 

MBTA system trains outbound from Boston will not stop at the Salem station on the weekends from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., the mayor announced.

 

“I want to explain how different this is,” Driscoll said. “Normally we are imploring the MBTA for more trains in October.  ...

 

More here.

[KevinKorell]

South Coast Today, New Bedford, MA, 10/20/20:

 

  Good news, if you commute: Study finds old rush hour patterns not returning soon    

 

The morning rush hour on Massachusetts highways is unlikely to return to pre-COVID crowds until at least 2024, and even more drivers may not return to the fray if economic recovery drags or if working from home remains common, according to new Department of Transportation projections.

 

That might come as good news to commuters who are enjoying this pandemic-inflicted stretch with fewer cars on the road, but it’s bad news for the MBTA, which attracts a significant chunk of its riders by offering an alternative to grinding congestion.

 

Article

[KevinKorell]

Patch, 10/30/20:

 

    Hingham Fights To Save MBTA Commuter Rail Line and Ferry  

 

 

The town of Hingham is fighting to save the Greenbush commuter rail line and Hingham/Hull ferry service amidst a large MBTA budget cut due to low ridership as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

 

Full story

[CNJRoss]

Patch, 10/30/20:

 

 

    Hingham Fights To Save MBTA Commuter Rail Line and Ferry  

 

 

 

The town of Hingham is fighting to save the Greenbush commuter rail line  ...

 

 

Fascinating. 

 

The Hingham 'NIMBYs' (including the Board of Selectmen) fought long and hard delaying, and almost preventing returning the long-dormant Greenbush Line to commuter rail service. 

 

New Haven RR passenger service had ended in 1959 when the Southeast Expressway opened. 

 

The restoration was first discussed in the early1980s to reduce congestion on the Southeast Expressway.  Restoration by the MBTA was formally proposed in 1990; construction began in 2004 and regular service started on Oct. 31, 2007.

 

Ross

[CNJRoss]

WBUR radio, Boston, MA 11/9/20
 

MBTA Proposes Cuts To Ferries, Buses And Trains Amid Budget Crisis

 

 

 

The MBTA is looking to eliminate all ferry service and some bus routes, in addition to running trains less frequently on the commuter rail and subway system, starting next year.

 

The proposed service cuts will be unveiled at the T's Fiscal Management & Control Board meeting Monday and are part of an effort to help close the transit agency's massive budget gap. That budget gap is currently projected at $579 million for fiscal year 2022 (which starts July 1, 2021), according to MBTA general manager Steve Poftak.

 

SNIP

 

The MBTA is also proposing to stop all commuter rail service on the weekends and after 9 p.m. The T would also decrease peak service during the week and some midday service, reducing the number of commuter rail trains it runs from 505 to 430.  ...

 

SNIP

 

Subway service would end after midnight instead of 1 a.m. under the MBTA's new service proposal. The T would also reduce the frequency of trains on the subway by 20% across all lines.  ...

 

Continue here.