Boston

Tonymercury · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 5:47 am

WITH INCREASING RIDERSHIP, MASSACHUSETTS' MBTA ADDS SERVICE:

Capping a 7-month streak of consecutive ridership increases, July 2008 was the single best month for MBTA ridership in at least a decade. Ridership on subway, bus, commuter rail, and the RIDE continues to grow as customers choose public transportation as a viable option to driving. Comparing July 2007 to July 2008, ridership spiked 10% from 31.4 million to nearly 34.7 million. On the Blue Line, where average weekday ridership jumped from 53,424 customers in December to 66,933 customers in July, this month’s introduction of 6-car train service could not come at a better time. In response to the remarkable growth in ridership, a series of improvements to MBTA subway and bus service are being implemented. Effective this week, Green Line customers will experience a 5.5% increase in capacity. During the morning and evening rush hours, 150 and 144 Green Line vehicles respectively will service the corridor. A 2.7% capacity increase for morning commuters, and a 2.8% increase for evening commuters, Transportation officials are confident this service improvement will demonstrate a more efficient, comfortable experience for Green Line customers. To accommodate increasing ridership on the Red Line, a total of three trains (or 18 subway cars) have been added during the AM and PM peak commuting periods. On the Blue Line, 6-car train operation will begin the week of September 15th. 14 trains equal to 62 Blue Line cars will operate along the line reflecting an 11% increase in capacity. As vehicles become available, 6 – car trains will replace 4 – car train sets. "I am happy to see the upward trend in MBTA ridership continue,” said Transportation Secretary and MBTA Chairman Bernard Cohen. “It's a positive sign our economy is doing well, and it means we moving more people without adding to highway congestion. I have asked MBTA management to continue to explore all opportunities to expand capacity in order to accommodate this welcome increase in demand for public transportation service.” “We are making every effort to maintain our growing customer base with enhancements that prove useful to the customer,” said MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas. “Improvements to service whether tweaking a bus schedule or introducing 6-car trains as we are on the Blue Line will significantly improve the quality and reliability of service for our customers. We will continue on this path to ensure the needs of our customers are met (MBTA - posted 9/05)

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Tonymercury · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:08 am

BEVERLY DRAW BRIDGE MODERNIZATION PROJECT ADVANCES:

MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas has announced that the T’s Board of Directors has authorized the expenditure of up to $1,600,000 for a new hydraulic system and other upgrades for the Beverly Draw Bridge on the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line in Massachusetts. The main span, originally built in 1886, is a navigational channel swing bridge with a symmetrical swing span consisting of four girders with an open deck and timber ties. The MBTA is required to open this bridge within ten minutes of a request from a marine vessel in adherence to federal regulations. The U.S. Coast Guard closely monitors bridge activity and strictly enforces non-compliance with significant penalties. On December 21, 2007, a barge operating in the northern-most Danvers River navigational channel struck the swing span of the bridge while it was in the “open position”. The rear of the barge collided with the northeast corner of the east most outside girder of the swing span. A non-MBTA contractor was operating the barge as part of the Danvers River dredging project upriver from Beverly Draw. The MBTA immediately notified its engineering consultant, HNTB, and requested the bridge engineers who had participated in the recently completed bridge inspection and recommendation report to inspect the bridge to determine structural damage resulting from the barge collision. Damage was noted to the exterior turnbuckle that is associated with the linkage for the northeast wedge assembly that “seats” the bridge into the closed position. The force of the barge collision sheared the northeast wedge turnbuckle on the interior side of the east girder and distorted the exterior wedge turnbuckle. As a result of the barge collision, the swing span was not able to return to a closed position under its own power. MBCR maintenance crews installed a replacement wedge guide/linkage assembly, restoring the bridge to full operation. Immediately following the barge impact event, HNTB was authorized by the MBTA to prepare final engineering design and construction documents for a new wedge drive hydraulic system installation. The new hydraulic system upgrades the swing span’s mechanical system from the existing “gear driven” system to a more reliable hydraulic system. The MBTA Board’s approval allows the MBCR to solicit bids and retain a General Contractor to utilize the HNTB final engineering design and construction documents to install a new wedge drive hydraulic system and associated upgrades. MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas said this project will significantly extend and preserve the life of the bridge’s infrastructure and improve service reliability for thousands of daily customers. (MBTA - posted 9/12)

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Tonymercury · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 6:19 am

State to buy tracks in $100m deal
Seeks better service to suburbs, Worcester
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | October 2, 2008

Massachusetts political leaders plan to announce a $100 million deal today to buy train tracks from a private rail company in hopes of improving commuter service between Boston and Central Massachusetts and obtaining a key link for a new commuter line to Fall River and New Bedford.

Within a few years, the agreement could also speed travel and reduce delays between Boston and its western suburbs.

The long-awaited and wide-ranging deal between the state and CSX Transportation could take four years to complete and still faces some hurdles. But state officials are already promising short-term improvements in service and a long-term potential to boost the state-wide economy.

"It's pretty significant for not only Worcester and Boston and communities in between," Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray said. "Any time you can create more connections between the state's first- and second-largest cities, you create a lot of cross-pollination opportunities for jobs and housing, travel, tourism."

Train service has been a source of frustration all along the east-west corridor, where commuters from suburban towns such as Wellesley and Framingham have joined Worcester residents in demanding more frequent and more reliable service to Boston. Murray, a former Worcester mayor, ran for state-wide office in part on promises to revamp service.

The Worcester-Framingham line is among the most popular for train commuters, carrying 4,000 to 5,000 passengers roundtrip every weekday. But it has long been plagued by delays, so many that the MBTA created new timetables in February that added as much as 12 minutes to the scheduled length of the trip. (Since the schedule change, official on-time performance has gone from 69 percent in January to 93 percent last month. It had fallen below 50 percent last fall.)

Under today's deal, improvements to service are expected to happen in stages.

The most immediate change will occur Oct. 27 and will primarily affect Worcester. Several trains on the western line that now end in Framingham will be allowed by CSX to make the entire roundtrip from Worcester to Boston. That will increase the number of daily trips leaving Worcester from 10 to 13. It will also boost the number of trains from Boston to Worcester from 10 to 12.

Bigger changes will happen later, when the state finally assumes ownership of the tracks and the right to dispatch and maintain them with less interference from CSX freight trains. That is not expected until 2012, but could happen sooner if the sides make progress on other issues ahead of time, according to several officials involved in negotiations.

Next June, long before it takes over the Worcester line, the state will buy the rights of way on the CSX tracks needed to build the Fall River-New Bedford line. The state will also buy CSX land near the Port of Boston to allow for the port's expansion and to maintain rail access there.

To clear access for more commuter trains on the Framingham-Worcester line, the state and CSX are working on several steps to shift freight trains off the line. The state pledged to reconfigure several bridges that go over the train line so CSX can stack freight containers higher - carrying more goods in fewer trips. The state is also trying to help CSX move its local operations out of a 48-acre rail yard in Allston to Central Massachusetts, which would allow more trains to unload there instead of making the trip all the way east.

"The biggest thing about this deal is that we are able to accommodate the needs of both passengers and freight in a way that is good for both sides," said Lisa Mancini, a vice president of CSX.

Negotiations have been ongoing for about four years, involving state officials as well as US Senator John Kerry and Representative James McGovern, a Worcester Democrat. The sides were at loggerheads over what CSX's liability would be if one of its freight trains were involved in an accident with a commuter rail train. The state and CSX have still not resolved that issue and are basically proceeding on faith that they can reach an agreement along the way.

"We were clouding every other issue because we couldn't get by liability," said Jeff Mullan, undersecretary for the executive office of transportation.

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Tonymercury · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:17 am

Marking the beginning of expanded Commuter Rail service on the MBTA’s Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line, Lt. Governor Timothy Murray today commuted to work on one of the new train trips from Worcester to Boston. Lt. Governor Murray joined other commuters on the train that departed Worcester’s Union Station at 6:05 a.m. Effective today, two early morning trips, trains #500 and #504, now depart from Worcester at 4:45 a.m. and 6:05 a.m., respectively. Additional adjustments to minimize gaps between trips include a 2:40 p.m. outbound trip from Boston to Worcester and a 4:30 p.m. inbound trip from Worcester to Boston, along with other minor adjustments to existing trains. The new Worcester Line schedule can be viewed here on the MBTA’s website. “These additional trains are good for commuters and for the overall economic development goals of the region,” said Lt Governor Murray. “Giving commuters more convenient options and linking up the two largest cities and points in between in a way that is affordable and environmentally friendly just makes sense.” ‘”With support from the Patrick/Murray Administration, we have been able to make service adjustments that better serve the residents of Central Massachusetts,” said Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen. Upon careful review of ridership trends, and feedback from customers, T officials determined that minimizing gaps between trips, and accommodating early work shifts were major customer concerns. Noting that these adjustments accommodate both early morning and afternoon customers, MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said, “The addition of the 4:45 a.m. departure from Worcester opens the doors to a brand new ridership base – the early shift. We have heard over the years from nurses and others in the medical field who need to get to Boston area hospitals by 7 a.m. This trip brings folks into South station with sufficient time for them to continue onto their destination.” Adjustments to the schedule will provide a total of twelve daily round trips between Boston and Worcester. ( MBTA - posted 10/29)

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