Few American cities do as well as Chicago has done in terms of providing rapid transit service that covers the city like a blanket; only New York and Washington have systems that provide coverage that’s as dense or denser. But the blanket has some holes in it.
The just-passed (but not yet signed by the president) coronavirus relief bill offers assistance to transit agencies struggling to avoid slashing service in the face of continued low ridership. That assistance will come a little too late to keep the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) from going ahead with previously announced service cuts that even its own advisory board objected to, but in response to those objections, the cuts the agency approved aren’t as big as they originally were to have been.
Should Cities Run Subways Later to Attract Young Professionals? Late-night transit options may make a city more attractive to younger generations, but running trains around the clock has its drawbacks. Tod Newcombe | February 2014
Do you want your city to become the next mecca for the young, talented and tech savvy? Then do as they’re doing in Boston and expand your late-night transit service. This spring Boston plans to extend service until 3 a.m. on the weekends, in the hopes of gaining an edge with young professionals.
Judging by the enthusiastic reaction (especially on Twitter), you would think the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often the target of commuters’ laments, was now as popular as the Red Sox. That’s obviously a stretch, but it’s true that the extra hours the city’s subways, light rail, streetcars and buses will run while modest will add a certain cachet to the city. “It gets us closer to the
MBTA Board Softens Blow, But Service Cuts Still Coming Written by David Peter Alan, Contributing Editor
MBTA calls its service-reduction plan “Forging Ahead,” which “Reduces service frequency, Preserves more access and hours of operation, and Avoids some service changes that would have required customers switch modes.”
Transit riders throughout the country are facing severe service cuts, as ridership and revenue remain low, and state and local governments face severe financial woes. Earlier this month, Railway Age reported that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, known locally as the “T”) announced a lengthy litany of services to be slashed. The Fiscal & Management Control Board (FMCB), which is acting as the Board for the Boston agency these days, has now finalized and approved the cuts by a 3-2 vote.
Reply
As part of the launch, the municipalities are asking residents and businesses to take a survey on what should be addressed. (Shutterstock)
DEDHAM, MA Dedham and Boston launched a community process to assess transportation and safety needs along the VFW Parkway/Providence Highway corridor.
The project will evaluate how to meet the travel and safety needs of all users, including motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, local residents and area businesses. As part of the launch, the municipalities are asking residents and businesses to take a survey on what should be addressed.
The action plan, made possible through funding secured by Sen. Michael Rush and Rep. Paul McMurtry, will concentrate on the roadway between the intersection of Spring Street and VFW Parkway in West Roxbury and the Marine Rotary at Washington Street in Dedham. Designed primarily as a higher-speed vehicle corridor, the area has almost no accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists or transit