Cash Left on MBTA Bus Returned to Watertown Man

An envelope with more than $1,000 in cash was left on a 73 bus heading toward Waverley Square.

MBTA officials returned an envelope containing more than $1,000 to a Watertown resident who had left it on a bus on Monday. A passenger riding the 73 bus from Harvard Square discovered that someone had left an envelope with $1,100 inside on the bus at around 5 p.m. The money was given to the bus driver, who gave it to the supervisor in Waverley Square in Belmont, according to a report on the Fox 25 News' Website. Bus driver Kevin White did not look inside the envelope or have any temptation to grab any of the money himself, according to a story on Boston.com. “I look at it this way: Somebody needed it for some reason,” White told the Boston.com. “It could be their paycheck or their rent money. It’s not my money to ­decide that.” The MBTA …

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MBTA Hosting Huge Recycling Event at the Watertown Bus Yard

Bring your electronics, appliances, clothes, metal and more to the event on May 11.

The MBTA will host a recycling event where residents can bring a wide variety of items, including electronics, metal, clothes and much more. The event will be at the Watertown Bus Yard, at Galen and Water streets in Watertown, on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents of all towns are welcome, according to an information poster from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Items taken at the event will not end up in landfill, according to the MassDOT. Televisions cost 35 cents per pound and everything else will be accepted for free, according to the announcement. Here are items that will be accepted: Electronics: computers, monitors, VCRs, cell phones, keyboards, printers, copiers, faxes, modems, cabling, wire, cords, …

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UPDATED: MBTA Service Resumes, Was Suspended Following Marathon Explosion

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 …

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Sen. Brownsberger Seeks More Funds for Transportation

Watertown's state senator blogs about the transportation plan in front of the Legislature.

Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?

Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?

Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …

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The 'T' Plans to Close 8 Bus Stops in Watertown - See Where They Are

The MTBA will close stops in an effort to speed up some of the busiest routes in town.

  The MBTA has a plan to speed up buses on some of Watertown’s busiest bus routes by cutting some stops and improving others. Changes are planned for three routes running through town: the 57, 71 and 73 bus routes, said Eric Scheier from the MBTA, who met with the Town Council Tuesday night. Eight stops in Watertown will be eliminated, mostly on the 71 bus route along Mt. Auburn Street. “The primary way of making them faster is by eliminating and consolidating stops,” Scheier said. He estimates each stop eliminated saves up to 30 seconds. They add up to make buses faster, and will prevent bunching up of buses, Scheier said. The 71 and 73 routes are not losing as many stops as some of the others in the Key Routes Program, which focuses on …

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UPDATED: Limited MBTA Service Starts Sunday Afternoon

Full T service should resume by Monday, according to MBTA.com.

Don't expect to catch the bus in Watertown today. As crews continue to dig out from the blizzard, most MBTA service will remain suspended Sunday with limited bus and subway service starting at 2 p.m.  Starting at 2 p.m., limited subway and bus service will run on the Red, Orange and Blue lines between Orient Heights and Government Center, and the Green Line between Kenmore and Lechmere, according to MBTA.com/weather. Limited bus service will also operate on the 1, 23, 28, 39, and Silver Line Washington Street only. Customers are encouraged to stay home and "use service sparingly," if possible, the website said. Commuter rail routes will remain suspended through Sunday. The goal is to have service restored by Monday. Feb. 11, according to …

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MBTA Service Suspended Saturday

The transit shutdown will continue indefinitely.

The now two-day blizzard that has crushed the Watertown area has caused the MBTA to stay shut down through Saturday. “Due to the impacts of a severe winter storm, MBTA service will remain suspended on all  modes Saturday, February 9, 2013,” says a post on MBTA.com. MBTA personnel will be clearing tracks in an effort to get service running, including the buses in Watertown, as well as the subways and commuter rail trains. The MBTA does not have an estimate on when service will resume.

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UPDATED: Multiple MBTA Problems Snarl Morning Commute

As of 10:55 a.m., all Green Line service has resumed normal operations.

Updated 10:57 a.m. As of 10:55 a.m., all Green Line service has resumed normal operations, according to T Alerts. Arlington Station has also reopened. Posted earlier: [Updated 10:07 a.m.] This morning has not been one of the easiest commutes for those using the MBTA. All Downtown Green Line service is currently suspended as MBTA crews deal with an electrical problem, according to T Alerts.  C and D Line trains will terminate at Kenmore and shuttle bus service will operate between Kenmore and the downtown area. The B Line will terminate at Blanford Street, with shuttle bus operating between Blanford and Government Center. The entire E Line is suspended and customers can use the 39 bus for service. For more information on outbound service, …

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Higher Taxes, Fees For Better Public Transportation?

The board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan, which outlines the state’s budgetary needs over the course of the next 10 years and beyond.

With a debt-ridden public transporation system needing repairs, the state will likely need to increase revenue from car registrations, license renewals, taxes and tolls, according to a new report.  The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan on Monday, Jan. 14 which calls for a $13 billion overall investment in state transportations systems over the next decade. Included in the report are several ideas to pay for public transportation needs including an increase in the vehicle registration fee by $53 to $103, an increase in the vehicle inspection fee by $19 to $48, boosting the state sales tax from 6.25 percent to 7.75 percent, increasing the gas tax by 30 cents per gallon to 51…

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