Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

MBTA Debuts 3 New Commuter Rail Coaches

The MBTA this week put into service the first three new commuter rail coaches from Hyundai-Rotem USA.

The first trips for the 3 new coaches carried passengers on Train No. 213 from North Station to Haverhill Wednesday morning.  The new coaches will continue to operate on the North Side of the commuter rail system in the weeks head.  It is expected that an additional 15 new coaches will be in service throughout the system by the fall of 2013.

“We are constantly working to bring our customers a better experience,” said MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott. “These new coaches will do just that; with a cleaner, more informed and more comfortable trip for all on board.”

These are the first three of 75 total ordered from Hyundai-Rotem USA, at a cost of $190 million.

The new bi-level coaches feature 55% more seating than single-level coaches; onboard LED displays showing next station information and announcements; larger, accessible restrooms; designated seating for passengers with disabilities; specially designed air-conditioning systems providing comfortable cool air with increased filtration and airflow; and new microprocessor systems controlling air conditioning, doors, communications, brakes and signals.

Visit mbta.com to purchase commuter rail tickets.

Boston Transportation Services Update

Today, Wednesday, April 24, the MBTA Copley Station has reopened and Copley area buses are back on normal routes.

Due to The MIT Officer Sean Collier Memorial Service today at 12pm Noon, expect Cambridge-area bus route diversions through 4pm.

I-90 Exit 22 Copley and Prudential ramps and surrounding streets are reopened to traffic.   

Thank you from MassDOT and the MBTA for your patience during the required service changes and roadway restrictions of the past nine days. 

MassDOT Message: We are One Boston

MassDOT state highway message boards during the weekend of April 20-21, 2013 offered messages of unity and thanks following the events of the previous week. 

Today, Monday, April 22, the I-90 Exit 22 Copley ramp has reopened to traffic.  Copley Square-Boylston Street area streets remain closed until further announcement by the City of Boston. 

The MBTA Copley Station remains closed until further notice with Copley Square area bus routes still diverted.  Check mbta.com for the latest information.

City of Boston to Red Sox, Bruins Fans: Take the T Friday

The City of Boston is urging both Red Sox and Bruins fans to take the MBTA to Friday’s games at Fenway Park and TD BankNorth Garden if possible.  With a portion of the Back Bay still closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic after Monday’s Boston Marathon tragedy, there are existing delays on some of the City’s major streets.  The addition of hundreds of vehicles being driven into the vicinity of Kenmore Square/Fenway Park, as well as North Station/TD BankNorth Garden, will cause further congestion and negatively impact the local business and residential communities.

Boston sports fans are encouraged to help the recovery effort by leaving their personal cars at home and taking the MBTA.

•    Fenway Park is served by public transportation via the MBTA Green Line to Kenmore Station.  MBTA service will be provided at rush hour levels in advance of the game and extra service will be provided when the game is over.
•    TD BankNorth Garden is served by the MBTA Green and Orange Lines.  Both of these lines will be running at rush hour levels in advance of the game, and extra service will be provided on both of these lines when the game is over.
•    Extra service will be provided on the MBTA Orange and Red Lines between 7 and 11 PM to make for quicker connections for Red Sox and Bruins fans.
•    For a faster return trip, the MBTA strongly advises riders to purchase a round trip rather than a one-way ticket when heading to either of the games.
•    Random baggage inspections are taking place throughout the subway system and riders are advised to leave bags at home if at all possible.
•    For more detailed public transportation information, please visit www.mbta.com.

Marathon Response Transportation Updates

Response to the Boston Marathon explosions includes continuing traffic and public transportation impacts in the Boston Copley Square area.

In Boston, I-90 Eastbound Exit 22, the Prudential Ramp ONLY has been reopened as of Wednesday, April 17, 10am.  The Copley Ramp remains closed until further notice.

The MBTA Copley Station remains closed until further notice.  All other normal service has resumed.  Check the MBTA website for the latest alerts.

MBTA Bus Routes currently affected include:

Route 9- Buses are unable to service St. James St; Dartmouth St; Ring Rd; Boylston St. and Copley Station. The route will begin/terminate at Back Bay Station on the Dartmouth St. side.

Route 10- Buses are unable to service St. James St; Dartmouth St. The route will begin/terminate at Back Bay Station on the Dartmouth St. side.

Route 39- Buses are unable to service Copley Station, Boylston St; Huntington Ave; Belvidere St; and Dalton St. Connections can be made on Huntington Ave. at Gainsborough St. and at Back Bay Station on the Clarendon St. side.

Route 55- Buses are unable to service Copley Station, Boylston St; Huntington Ave; Belvidere St; and Dalton St. The route will begin/terminate at Back Bay Station on the Dartmouth St. side. Connections can be made at Back Bay Station and on Boylston St. at Ipswich St.

Routes 502 & 503- Buses are unable to service Stuart St, Copley Square, St. James St; and Dartmouth St. The route will begin/terminate on Federal St. at Franklin St.

For other important Marathon response resources, please visit the Mass.Gov blog.

 

MBTA: Patriots' Day/Marathon Schedule

Customers are urged to take public transportation as the MBTA will accommodate thousands of extra riders throughout Greater Boston for the 2013 Boston Marathon on Patriots' Day, Monday, April 15.

The T will increase service to rush-hour levels before and after the race on Monday.

Pre-marathon events scheduled this upcoming weekend before the race will cause changes to various bus routes in and around Copley Square. On Marathon Monday, certain bus routes on both the North and South sides will be diverted.

The schedule includes the following:

• The Red Line, Orange Line, Blue Line, and Silver Line will operate a regular weekday schedule with rush-hour levels of service before and after the race.
• The Green B-, C-, D-, and E-Lines will operate a regular weekday schedule with rush-hour levels of service before and after the race. Copley Station will be CLOSED. The Berkley Street entrance/exit of Arlington Station will remain closed. The "B" section of Hynes Convention Center located on Boylston Street will be available for exit only.

For the safety of our customers, the following Green Line stations will be closed between 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Marathon Monday:

South Street
Kent Street
St. Mary's Street

A complete list of bus and subway schedule changes is available at mbta.com.

South Station Expansion Comments, Survey

Posted by Kate Fichter, South Station Expansion Project Manager

Many thanks to everyone who attended Monday's Public Scoping Session for the South Station Expansion project. We were pleased that so many people joined us for the Session, and are grateful for the thoughtful comments.  They will help to make the project a better one.

If you did not attend, you can visit the project website to see the presentation, print the fact sheet, and read up on the latest project news. Comments on the Environmental Notification Form are still being accepted. The document is available on the project website, at the State Transportation Library, and at the Massachusetts State Library. Copies are also available upon request from Joe Grilli at 617-532-2244 or jgrilli@hntb.com.

You can submit comments by mail, fax, or email. Submission information is below:

Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, MEPA Office, EEA # 15028, Attention: Holly Johnson, MEPA Analyst, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114

Fax: 617-626-1181 Email: Holly.S.Johnson@state.ma.us

All comments must be received by April 9, 2013.

We are also interested in learning more about you and your interests in the South Station Expansion project. Please take a few minutes to complete this quick online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SSX_April2013.  

We look forward to hearing from you.

MBTA Campaign Targets Inappropriate Behavior

The MBTA, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and Fenway Health announced a partnership to continue a campaign started in 2008 regarding sexual assault and harassment on the MBTA. The renewed effort sends a clear, strong message that inappropriate behavior and illegal sexual touching will not be tolerated.

The campaign hopes to empower the riding public to report such incidents and take action to prevent them. The campaign continues to let riders know that the MBTA and the MBTA Transit Police take this seriously and will arrest and prosecute offenders. Posters will be going up in the trains and busses to highlight the renewed campaign

“I want to thank the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Fenway Health for working closely with our police department”, said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott. “Strong community partnerships are an important part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a safe transit environment for all of our customers.”

“This has been groundbreaking work that we have been able to do in partnership with the MBTA, the MBTA transit police, and for this latest version, with Fenway Health too. We know that these efforts have empowered people to come forward and to expect a safe ride.” Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Executive Director Gina Scaramella stated.

Chief Paul MacMillan of the Transit Police said, “We want our customers to know that they should not tolerate this behavior. We suggest they immediately call attention to the situation and let other passengers know what is occurring. If possible, they should take a picture of the offender if it is safe to do so. We also want to ensure they make a report to the Transit Police.”

Weekend Travel Tips

MassDOT encourages travelers to plan ahead and travel safely during the upcoming weekend, with heavy traffic expected due to Easter Sunday observances.

The heaviest traffic congestion on I-90 during busy weekends is expected at the I-84 interchange at Exit 9 in Sturbridge and at Exit 11A, I-495.

Before you travel, we invite you to check the live Traffic Cameras web page to view current traffic.

The 511 Traveler Information Service provides travel information alerts via email, text or telephone. MassDOT as always reminds drivers to avoid using cell phones while driving.

Toll collection booths will be adequately staffed to serve E-ZPass and cash customers. To save time, money and gas, motorists who have not yet done so are encouraged to join E-ZPass to avoid waiting in line at cash toll booths.  E-ZPass transponders are now available at 20 RMV branch locations, including Taunton and Brockton just added, along with 9 AAA offices.  Hours for the 3 E-ZPass satellite centers for this weekend are as follows:

Havre Street – Saturday 8 am – 2 pm; Sunday Closed
Natick – Saturday 8 am – 2 pm; Sunday Closed
Auburn – Saturday 8 am – 2 pm; Sunday 9 am – 2 pm

Free coffee will be served at all 18 MassDOT service plazas from 10 pm Sunday night, March 31, through 5 am Monday morning, April 1.  The plaza locations serving free coffee include:

• I-90, all 11 service plazas

• I-95, Lexington and Newton

• Route 128, Beverly

• Route 24, North and Southbound service plazas

• Route 3, Plymouth

• Route 6, Barnstable

The MBTA will operate buses and subways on a regular Sunday schedule.

South Station: Please Review the ENF

By Kate Fichter, Project Manager

In my last blog post, I described the need to file an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) to kick off the planning and environmental review process for the South Station Expansion project.  I am happy to announce that the ENF has now been completed and submitted by MassDOT to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office.

In the ENF, MassDOT outlines the potential environmental consequences of expanding South Station, as well as our preliminary understandings of the transportation and other benefits that we can anticipate from the project. 

We are looking for your comments and feedback on the ENF.  Please join us at a Public Scoping Session  where you can ask questions, provide comments, and describe your vision for the future of South Station.

The Public Scoping Session will be held on:

Monday, April 1, 2013, 4:00 PM, One South Station, 2nd Floor

Enter the station at the Atlantic Avenue entrance, an area with a security desk and an elevator.  Take the elevator to the second floor and you will be right outside the meeting room.  The elevator inside the main station can also be taken you to the second floor.  From there, MassDOT will have signs and staff directing attendees to the appropriate room.

Prior to the Public Scoping Session, you can read the ENF on the project website.  The document is also available for review at the State Transportation Library and the Massachusetts State Library. Copies are also available upon request.   Our latest Project Fact Sheet summarizes the ENF as well.

If you cannot attend the Public Scoping Session, you can also submit comments on the South Station Expansion project by mail, fax, or email.  Submission information is below:

Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

MEPA Office, EEA #15028    Attention: Holly Johnson, MEPA Analyst

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114

Fax: 617-626-1181  Email: Holly.S.Johnson@state.ma.us

Comments submitted by mail, fax, or email must be received at the above contact information by April 9, 2013.

The photo above is courtesy Andy Ryan.  I hope to see you at the Public Scoping Session on Monday, April 1 and look forward to reading your comments!