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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OP-ED: Funding Options for the MBTA

State Sen. Will Brownsberger writes about the possible directions to find a long-term fix to fund public transportation.

  I am deeply committed to avoiding MBTA service cuts and also to improving the quality of MBTA service. We squeezed through the planning for the current year without major service cuts, but it's time to start the conversation about a long-term fix. Here is the political challenge we face: No other part of the state is as directly dependent on public transit as the core of the Boston area. The statewide sales tax already funds roughly 3/5 of the budget of the T (covering all debt service costs plus over 40 percent of all other costs). Legislators from other parts of the state are naturally resistant to increasing the subsidy for T riders. Thirty-seven percent of people working in Boston commute by public transportation. Five neighboring …

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Living in Watertown

The Convenience of Watertown: a Contrarian View

Though I like the fact that Watertown is close to Boston, I don't find the town to be convenient, either to going in town or to traveling elsewhere in the metro area.

Convenience is relative. Whenever I hear an ad touting the "convenient location" of the establishment being advertised, I have to chuckle. I think of  a "convenient location" as a place that is quick and easy to get to, and I assume a place advertised as "convenient" is probably located near a highway. Though a store might be right along a major thoroughfare, if it's 50 miles from my home, it is not convenient to me. I've often heard Watertown residents cite its convenience as one of the reasons they like living here. I assume they are referring to the town's proximity to Boston and access to public transportation and roads that go into the city. They may also like the Mass Pike being a quick ride from their homes. But though I like the …

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Marian Ferro

2:11 am on Sunday, January 22, 2012

Marc, I don't currently have to get into the city that often; I was mainly writing from past experience. I have thought about car-pooling in the past, but it's not always possible to find other people whose needs match up with yours. Regarding "respectfully," I realize that but I just thought it was nice for someone to say that and I wanted to acknowledge it. I've spent too much time on the …   more ›

Crowding on 73 Buses Continues Even with Additional Morning Runs

The bus that goes from Waverley Square in Belmont to Harvard Square sometimes leaves riders stuck on the sidewalk to wait for the next bus.

Roger Redondo calls it a good morning when only one 73 bus passes by without stopping because it is too full to pick up any passengers. The bus line is one of the top 15 busiest in the MTBA system, and T officials even added two bus runs in the morning on the route that goes from Belmont’s Waverley Square to Harvard Square in Cambridge. Redondo and his wife both use the 73 bus, and moved to West Cambridge near the Watertown and Belmont lines because of the close proximity to the bus. “It was one of the reasons we like the property,” Redondo said. “The 73 bus so frequent, and we are 10, 15 minutes away from Harvard Square, but that’s assuming the bus stops [to pick you up].” The MBTA has tried to relieve the crowding, said spokesman Joe …

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