I was outraged to hear that the Baker administration decided to forgive $839,000 in fines leveled against Keolis, the outsourced operator of the commuter rail system, behind closed doors and without any notice to the public. As co-chairs of … [Read more...]
Why Isn’t Drunk Driving Prevention Used to Back Late-Night T Service?
One of the best ways to prevent drunk driving is to give people transit options so they don't need to drive at all, argues Sommer Mathis at The Atlantic City Lab. But she says the benefits of avoiding drunk driving crashes is rarely cited … [Read more...]
Now is the Time to Start Building the Boston Urban Ring Transit Line.
The Urban Ring is a planned public transport service to encircle central Boston, connecting the existing subway line 'grid' so as to allow quicker routes around Boston's center. It is expected to move 40,000 passengers each day in phase I, … [Read more...]
Dreaming Trolley Dreams: Lowell Is Better Than Your City
Yeah, hyperbole and half. But really, isn't that what being in love with the community you chose to live in is all about? :) I normally would not post about a post on Left in Lowell that really is only of interest to us Lowellians, … [Read more...]
Transit Injustice Today
The Freedom Riders and bus boycotters of the civil rights era were out to make a point: the laws and local customs that enforced segregation were unjust, illegal and inequitable. In many cases, people of color simply attempting to ride a … [Read more...]
Putting the “T” in Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving time again, and in addition to giving thanks for the many things we appreciate, good health, safety, family and friends, we should also give thanks to the MBTA. Yes, thanks to the MBTA. Though a source of scorn and anger … [Read more...]
All on the Jolly Trolley
Lind likes to portray himself as a bit of a crank and anachronism. That would be don't use computers, bring back street cars, and even joking about being a monarchist who doesn't care much about democracy. In reality, he has a clear vision … [Read more...]
Ambitious Vision of Super-Rail!
With no specific mention of Lowell or the Lowell line, I wrote to Colin Durrant of the EOT (Executive Office of Transportation) to confirm that indeed, the Capitol Corridor refers to the extension of the Lowell commuter rail line to Nashua, … [Read more...]
We are *so* dense.
You know, we're pretty good at bringing people together in the Boston area ... particularly as compared to Atlanta: A 2003 World Bank study comparing various cities in the United States illustrated the dramatic difference a bit of … [Read more...]
Traffic and Public Transit
Traffic Lights Were you ever under the impression that Massachusetts traffic lights are coordinated to force you to stop? I can't speak for the entire state, but several years back I made a 6 week experiment, and made sure while … [Read more...]