Don’t forget it’s our annual December donation drive. We hope you can help.
A bipartisan group of senators have come up with a stimulus package that includes funding for public transit, but it still faces obstacles. (Politico)
As transit agencies wait for Congress to pass another coronavirus relief bill, they’re considering other ways to raise revenue, including tacking fees onto online deliveries, ride-hailing taxes and raising gas taxes. (City Lab)
Pete Buttigieg is now a leading contender to be Joe Biden’s transportation secretary. Other candidates include former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rhode Island Gov. Raimondo (hey, what about New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, we can already hear the Streetsblog NYC editor screaming, based of course on Daily News reporting!). Buttigieg is also under consideration for commerce secretary and ambassador to China. (CNN)
Fire displaces several Boston residents, kills cat in Back Bay building
Updated Dec 15, 2020;
Posted Dec 15, 2020
A fire that broke out at a multi-family home in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston early Tuesday displaced several residents and took the life of a pet in the building. (Boston Fire Department)
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A fire that broke out at a multi-family home in Boston early Tuesday displaced several residents and took the life of a pet in the building, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at 64 Charlesgate East in the Back Bay neighborhood and were able to rescue all the residents, the Boston Fire Department said.
Transit board approves service cuts despite opposition
December 15, 2020 GMT
BOSTON (AP) Massachusetts’ transit agency has approved service cuts to the Boston-area’s public transportation system.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fiscal Management and Control Board voted to approve the cuts Monday by a 3-2 vote. The service reductions were proposed in the wake of plummeting ridership as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cuts will eliminate weekend commuter rail services on seven lines, suspend 20 bus routes, and reduce ferry services and bus frequency,
It would also reduce subway service by 20% on the Green, Red, and Orange lines and by up to 5% on the Blue Line, which has shown higher ridership levels during the pandemic than other lines.
Alexander Thompson / somerville@wickedlocal.com
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials announced that the Green Line Extension is 62% complete and on track to be open for business on schedule by December 2021 at virtual public meeting on Dec. 9.
“We’re far into the construction, and we’ve actually already begun the testing and commissioning piece,” GLX program manager John Dalton said. “Things are certainly moving along.”
Staying safe during COVID
As with everything else, the GLX project has had to adapt to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
As of Dec. 8, 21 GLX workers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Dalton. That is on a project that regularly involves 650 workers a day.
MBTA to weigh service cuts despite opposition
THE MBTA is considering service cuts including measures that would eliminate weekend commuter rail services due to ridership reductions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic./ PBN FILE PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts’ transit agency is expected to consider service cuts to the Boston-area’s public transportation system. The board of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is slated to meet Monday to discuss service cuts proposed in the wake of plummeting ridership during the coronavirus pandemic. The board last week deferred the discussion and vote.…
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