Today's Report

Sooooooo, I decided to go into Boston this morning to do a few things, and of course, the (T) is the way to go. To start, the train at Oak Grove in the morning decided to go out of service there, and as such I was forced to wait for a train. Note to the MBTA, just take the dang things out of service at Wellington, and don't torture the people at the end of the line, especially when doing so would affect more inbound passengers than outbound. After leaving the OL at State, I did what I had gone to the city to do, and then went to Government Center at about 11:30. And promptly missed a Green Line train to Lechmere. Lovely. Annoyingly, there was a long stretch of time with NO TRAINS, thou the first one to come was another Lechmere, so that was OK. Furthermore, the Brattle Loop was parked full of trains, yet more WASTED CAPACITY. And it seems that the BC line was looping at Park Street, as the stupid-voiced automatic announcement said to go there for B-Line service. On a better note, despite their issues with derailments, the Breda's do have one thing going for them, the handicap accessibility is much better than the Type 7s, something which I witnessed today. After arriving at NoSta, I missed an Orange Line train, and had another long wait. Fun. Eventually, one arrived, though not before two Forest Hills trains, one in service and one not, had passed by on the other track. Some oddities could be observed at the Boston Engine Terminal, as it seems that screamer 1009 was being used as a switcher, despite visibility issues, as it was coupled to a set of three cars at the front. One of the borrowed P&W engines was out front, smoking up a storm, probably the one that set of the fire alarm over the weekend with the same issue. At least this time they decided to start it up OUTSIDE. Sheesh. Anyway, that about wrapped up today's trip, and the next update will probably be out on Friday, as a report of the MBTA activities on FirstNight.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Past and the Future

Today is December 27th, 2009. Twenty-four years ago tonight, the MBTA, facing car shortage issues (Boeings?), and other disruptive factors, temporarily suspended operation of the Green Line's E branch between Heath Street and the line's end at Arborway. Over the next (nearly) quarter century, the MBTA has faced several efforts and instructions to restore the Green Line to Arborway, something that was basically included as a legal requirement in the deal to mitigate the environmental impact of a downtown construction project, the Big Dig. The MBTA has managed to avoid this, and other efforts, including several lawsuits, in its quest to avoid Arborway restoration, and this seems another prime example of their peculiar brand of logic, as restoring the service would serve to increase ridership (probably), and would prevent further lawsuits which the (T) has managed to avoid, rather unfairly. The MBTA has a history of 'suspending' operations on certain lines, and letting them rot and disappear, and they are certainly trying to do that with Arborway. It doesn't help that there is not unanimous support for restoration in the affected areas, nor does the amount of traffic encourage additional vehicles, especially ones the size of a modern LRV. However, as is often the case with new programs or new anything, people get used to things, and the issue at hand goes away. If the MBTA were to restore Arborway service, they might have to face some difficult operating conditions, and may have to compensate by installing better traffic signals favoring the trolleys, and add more trains to the E line to maintain or decrease headways. They would also have to reinstall the overhead lines and dig up the paved-over tracks. However, despite a few challenges, it is probable that they would soon begin to forget about the Arborway issue, as would the people along the line, who would likely accept the return of the trolleys, and find other things to focus on. A major reason why the MBTA continues to have to deal with the Arborway issue is because their logic renders them incapable of realizing that if an issue is left unresolved and suspended, people will focus on it to try and resolve it. The MBTA strategy of temporary suspension leading to removal of the Arborway line would only work if there was absolutely no support for the line, as any supporters certainly would work to restore the line, forcing the MBTA to dodge lawsuits and mandates in its obstinate and illogical effort to kill service to Arborway. To the MBTA, I say this: as long as there is even a sliver of support for service to Arborway, consider it that the service is and remains merely temporarily suspended, as it has been for nearly twenty-five years, and after so long, this issue needs some closure, and because support remains for Arborway, there is but one option, restoration of the E Line to its full extent. If you have to consider expansions all the time, why not look first at a line that you have already served, and should return to serving again. That is clearly the logical approach.

-Hoping that Arborway's suspension won't last for twenty-five years. More work ahead for the MBTA.

The Special Report

Now, on the the important stuff. So yesterday a wall panel at Porter was in danger of falling down, which caused delays on the Red Line, and obviously made the other northern end stations very jealous of the attention given to Porter's issue. So today, Alewife decides to get attention for itself, and does so by derailing a train of 01800 series cars. At rush hour. Fun. This is really not good, NOT GOOD. The MBTA has ignored this for waaaaaay too long. Between endless studies for expansion to feed political ambition, to an ENORMOUS debt, the MBTA has managed to completely ignore the fact that the oldest subway in the country,(something which makes it an engineering marvel, probably) NEEDS SOME MAINTENANCE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW? The extent of the system's problems was recently delivered to the (T) in a nice, independent review. Which basically said that there were a number of major and minor issues, and further indicated that the reviewer would generally tend to stay away from some parts of the red line, which were what amounts to being UNSAFE. Ooooookkkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyy. Not acceptable. Not at all. It is one thing for a few green line trains to hit each other, not that that is a good thing, but that comes from having no control system, which the (T) rightly says would greatly harm capacity. They should know, they did it themselves to the Red Line. Anyway, a problem caused by a lack of control is one thing, but DEFERRED MAINTENANCE? Unacceptable. The MBTA consciously ignored the problems, putting band-aid fixes on everything due to its other projects and financial woes. That cannot continue. If the system has reached a point where the lack of funds and resulting deferral of necessary maintenance begins to impact the safety of the passengers, then the MBTA must be forced to change its policies. If the (T) is incapable of maintaining a SAFE system, then the state must step in to ensure it, and if they cannot, then they are not the fit custodians of the subway, and must be replaced in order to ENSURE that Boston's subway remains operational, remains efficient, and ABOVE ALL ELSE, that it remains SAFE. The MBTA is increasingly demonstrating that they cannot handle the problems. I will say once more, this is unacceptable, and something MUST BE DONE. Immediately, and before anything else happens, which it almost inevitably will, probably sooner than expected. Time's up MBTA, there's work to do.

-An MBTA Rider.

The Brattle Rant, Part One

Aaah, the Brattle Loop, one of my most favorite topics about the Green Line, and one of the most irritating segments of the entirety of the Central Subway, or the MBTA itself for that matter. The Loop itself is the third track visible across from the outbound (eastbound) platform at Government Center, with an older portion visible behind a wall blocking it off from the inbound platform. This older section is original to the loop's construction, dating back to Scollay Square station, while the visible section, with the PCC murals and a totally useless side platform connected to nothing was built when the Loop was realigned, during the creation of Government Center. Originally a more complex line with a greater purpose, the primary function of the Loop today is as a parking lot, with trains being stored there throughout the day, until needed for the rush hours. To me, this is the single greatest piece of evidence of what I call MBTA logic, the strange and sometimes incomprehensible method by which the MBTA arrives at decisions on any particular policy. The Brattle situation might actually be less illogical than the ill-fated T Radio debacle, where the (T) decided that it would be a good idea to fill their stations with blastingly loud music, to further rile, I mean to entertain the passengers customers. However, as that situation was quickly and loudly resolved, the Brattle remains the best, most evident, show of this odd brand of 'logic'. There are obviously a number of passengers who use the Green Line to access North Station, due to the number of Commuter Rail trains, as well as the Downeaster. Unfortunately, despite operating under these conditions for up to forty-five years, the MBTA still decides to run less than half of all eastbound Green Line trains further than Government Center. Running the B and D lines only to GC does make sense, as the D is a long route out to Riverside, while the B line suffers from an overabundance of stops and passengers that make it a slow route. However, this leaves only the E and C lines serving North Station. The C line is generally fine, excluding major unavoidable incidents or delays, and its trains are usually on time and not overly packed. The E line is a bit different, as the low number of cars makes the line VERY crowded at times, and therefore this slows and can inhibit service to North Station, as passengers may find that there is no room to board a Lechmere train at rush hour. Thus, North Station-bound passengers are left with the service of what equates to roughly 1.5 lines, out of the total 4, with Lechmere passengers having one on paper, and less than that in reality. There is a potential remedy for this, one that would cost little to no extra money for the debt-ridden agency, and one that would provide a greater level of service for the North Station end of the Central Subway. That solution is to use the track capacity of the Brattle Loop for something other than storage, which I will go into more detail about in the second portion of this rant, to be posted sometime over the weekend.

And so it goes, another day parked forever on the Brattle Loop, 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Today Boston demonstrated what it is like to live in New England in the winter, it is BITTERLY COLD. Fortunately, I did not need to take the Orange Line this morning on account of being able to utilize an automobile. So, in short, I have no idea what, if anything, went on on the OL this morning. Coming home, a little earlier than usual, I found Copley had more waiting passengers than usual, on account of the MBTA logic that dictates that a lesser number of passengers means that said people are more patient. Fortunately the first train to arrive was a North Station 7-8 combo, and it had some empty seats, although a number of these were filled at Boylston with a large party of loud-talking people. You know, the kind that have loud and annoying conversations about trivial subjects. Fun. Train ran smoothly, and the only odd thing in the Central Subway was a Brattle train parked with TWO doors open, maybe to allow access to the useless mural-side platform? I dunno, it could just be some other random act of (T) logic in action. At NoSta I made a good and quick connection to the Orange, and so ended the day's travels on the (T). Now, a message: this is the last Daily Report for a while, as it is going on hiatus for the holiday season. I will continue to post anything I find interesting, and a rant or two should be expected. The Daily Report will resume sometime in the week or so after New Year's, but you can reasonably expect a report of the MBTA's activity on FirstNight. Until then, have a merry christmas, as I don't subscribe to political overcorrectness. And this is all my writing and opinions. Anyway, I'll see you next year.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

And back again to the world of the Central Subway. Yay. Not. So, today began with a trip on the Orange Line, which was not late, packed, or cold, and I therefore consider to be a success. Or maybe I was not paying attention to the train on account of a serious sleep deficiency. Getting up in the morning is not something I like, and it would be better if the day started at noon. Much less crowded on the train too. This afternoon, I went to Copley to go home, waited a short time, and boarded a North Station train, which did not get involved in the Breda Shuffle. 3417 was parked in its usual spot at the Charles crossover, but the lights were extinguished today, and as such no rollsign could be seen, if there indeed is one. After Boylston, I saw a two car train parked on the wall track, likely it had developed a problem and was put there out of the way. Then I saw a single Breda crossing on to the fence track near Park, going outbound, with no passengers and a 'No Service' sign, perhaps it had been split off for some reason, that also happened at Park a few weeks ago. Anyway, moving on, there was no train at the Brattle Loop platform, but reflection of a red light in the old portion of the loop station indicated that there was still a train parked further back. Oh well, they STILL haven't realized that using said loop would provide BETTER SERVICE. MBTA logic at work, with the pun intended. Afternoon OL trip was uneventful, though the sl'awn on the Commuter Rail made me glad I didn't decide to take it home today, as I would have been delayed by the general uselessness of the Purple Line. In other news, tomorrow's Daily Report will be the last before the holiday hiatus, though any trips will be documented if events warrant.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Sorry for the lack of updates, but here's today's interesting travels. The morning's Orange Line was fine, on time, and relatively uncrowded, unlike the late train yesterday that meant waiting in the cold, again. Seriously, if that is a new scheduling idea it really needs work. In the afternoon I managed to narrowly miss a North Station train at Copley. There were several people running for it and with the station setup this would have been obviously visible to the operator, and so in accordance with MBTA logic no action was taken to hold the doors open to accommodate paying customers. That brings me to a tangent, as I find it extremely annoying when operators, typically on the Orange Line, refer to riders as 'customers' rather than as 'passengers'. To me, it is a crude use of a far too commercial term, especially given the cost of subway fares. Anyway, back to Copley. Eventually a Lechmere train arrived, and I took it as the main tunnel was devoid of trains. Between Arlington and Boylston I observed what was likely the rerailer LRV, 3417, with all of its lights illuminated, not hugely unusual, aside from the presence of 'No Passengers' end rollsigns, so perhaps it was a different work Boeing, or 3417 has some new signs. The rest of the trip went smoothly as did the OL, and the one last item is that one of the Bredas parked on the Brattle Loop was left with a door open, not a cab end door either, which seemed a little odd for a parked train.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Yesterday's Daily Report had the day off, but I am only going to talk about today's events. Today, I did not take the Orange Line to Boston in the morning, and as such there will be no report or comment on its effectiveness. I am not aware of any horrible delays, however. In the afternoon, I went to Copley as usual, to go to North Station. First, a Government Center train comes in, led by 3675, which looks to be about 10% metal, 20% paint, and 70% rust, owing to the fact that it is still in the original green scheme, and the repeated ad changes have peeled the paint off. Right after the GC rustbucket departed, a Lechmere train arrived, and due to the carefully planned E branch headways, it was packed. As usual. In an attempt to speed my commute, I took the Lechmere train in hopes of trading speed for discomfort. That and the main tunnel was devoid of any potential NoSta trains. Unfortunately, the transit gods were being playful, here meaning annoying, and the 'Breda Shuffle' appeared again, the second time in a week. This 'Shuffle' entails a C or E eastbound train changing its destination to Gov't Center while somewhere in the Boylston area. The GC train immediately preceding this ex-Lechmere train then becomes the Lechmere train. Done properly, the shuffle will result in the inability of the passengers on the second train to board the first train at Park or Government, leaving them to wait for another train, while wondering why the sl'awn the (T) can't just use the Brattle Loop for a short and convenient shuttle. Today, a flaw, as I managed to catch the former GC train, at GC, and arrived at North Station at relatively the same time as if the Lechmere had not switched destinations. Only Orange Line ride of the day turned out fine. As a final reflection, what is the point of shuffling destinations, as I can see why a Heath-Lechmere train may be short turned, but why extend the Government at the expense of all the Huntington Ave passengers? Oh wait, yeah! The MBTA does not actually know what logic is!

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Sorry for the delay, but such is my life. At least I wasn't stuck on a train. So, for today's report we have some stuff. Morning Orange Line was normal, no issues or particularly large crowds, so not bad. Aside from the torrential rain/sleet/snow. In the afternoon, time to see what the transit gods have in store for the Green Line. Fortunately, they had busied themselves with the red line, and the Central Subway was relatively good to North Station. Annoyingly, however, 3675 decided to leave Government from the Brattle Loop EMPTY. This didn't delay me, but come on MBTA, IF you are going to run the train to the turnaround WITH two operators, as is required, WHY CAN'T IT BE IN SERVICE!?! Second OL train normal, no delays or immense crowds, so an OK end for the (T) for the day.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

An Early Present

I was going to post this later in the month, but I can't really resist just doing it now, so happy holidays. A satirical parody, meant to be sung to the tune of 'Jingle Bells'

(T) Delays:

The screamer belches smoke
the engine starts to choke
the HEP fails
and then the lights go out!
the passengers bail
as they all scream and shout
oh this is a normal day on the MBTA!

T Delays
T Delays
The trains are always late
we get such lousy service for the high fares that we pay!
T Delays
T Delays
the trains are always late
This is just a normal day on the MBTA

The faregates are all locked
the Blue Line cars are blocked
the Orange Line's derailed
the Red line's switch is stuck
and the Green line's impaled a passenger
and now its covered in muck OH

T Delays
T Delays
The trains are always late
we get such lousy service for the high fares that we pay!
T Delays
T Delays
the trains are always late
this is just another day on the MBTA!

The Red Line tunnel floods
the Bredas are all duds
North Station is insane
'cause all the trains are late!
The GM needs a brain
to rid riders of their hate
for this horrid normal day on the MBTA!

T Delays
T Delays
The trains are always late
we get such lousy service for the high fares that we pay!
T Delays
T Delays
the trains are always late
This is every single day on the MBTA!



Meant as a parody of the follies of the MBTA system, any similarities to any actual people are unintentional.

The Daily Report

Today began just as yesterday did, with once again NO TRAINS at Oak Grove. If the MBTA is trying to implement a new schedule with vastly reduced service, they should at least have the foresight to tell passengers (not properly referred to as customers, FYI (T)) BEFORE THEY CHANGE THINGS IN WINTER. Oh wait, I'm sorry, this is the MBTA we are talking about. So anyway, the wait was not nearly as bad this morning, and the train was therefore less crowded. This afternoon, at Copley, my lateness made me run to catch a North Station trolley, a Type 7, which closed the doors on people three times, though they did of course reopen immediately. Hmmmm, might it be a good idea to check that no one is rushing to get the train before closing the doors? That would probably interfere with the schedules though. If there actually is one. Orange line was late for the second time in the day, but only by a few minutes, probably due to heavy ridership on account of this strange cold spell that has come over the Boston area. I think I heard it called 'winter'. With slush forecast for tomorrow, it will be interesting to see how the (T) handles things for the morning commute. Probably they can't remember what winter weather does to the system. Anyway, all for today, be back tomorrow.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Today's travels on the T are not yet over, but so what. This morning it was the turn of the Orange Line to be nasty. Arriving at Oak Grove this morning, it was plain and obvious that not only were there no trains, there hadn't even been one in some time. What a start to a frigid monday, eh? After five years, er, minutes, or so, the speaker goes *ping* "the next orange line train to oak grove does not take customers, pleas stand behind the yellow line". Bad choice for the speaker, especially as it was not actually out of service. The tardiness of the train did result in a massive overcrowding, and therefore created more delays, though not of a terrible amount. Having finished with the trials of the day, the Green Line was surprisingly good, with a lightly loaded Lechmere LRV waiting, though I went only as far as Park Street. More Updates to follow if conditions warrant.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.

The Daily Report

Introducing the first regular segment, the Daily Report, which will be posted typically every weekday and at occasional other times. So, today the Green Line was rather mean to me, and by that I mean more annoying than usual. On account of the weekend, the MBTA finds it acceptable to run single car trains at long intervals, not particularly good for capacity or rider comfort. So this morning, I missed a double Lechmere train by seconds, and was stuck waiting for a North Station train, waiting past three cars, one single and one double, all bound for Government Center. When finally a NS train arrived, single Breda, packed to the ceiling, like some kind of E-Line train. Oh well, at least it didn't change its mind and go to Gov't Center instead like happened yesterday. And it didn't have Thursday's option of splitting in half at Park either. Aah the Green Line, such an unpredictable cauldron of misery at times. On a better note, the Orange Line was surprisingly quick and painless today, I guess the misfortune demons overlooked it in favor of the Green today.

And so it goes, another day riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.