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C-/I NEWSLETTER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY Ti ATION AUTHORITY ADVISORY BOARD January 1989 Vol.6 No.1 " Southwest passage rates high'.W^ ,^ares in question Short headways on the Orange Line durina\wSQ-rv>i What is a fair fare? the Orange Line and bus hour. Riders-U§(^irra^^i?r9^ The question posed in the route #49 mask erratic a four car di/mg vOjJfe^^J^er- MBTA's brochure service according to the ience worse crowding than announcing hearings on a Advisory Board's Service during the six car string. proposed commuter rail fare Committee, which recently Alternating four and six car increase was answered by completed a field review of trains would seem to make 71 people during six hours of Southwest Corridor service. more sense. public testimony December The northern and southern The time between trains 12th and 13th. Additional portions of the Orange Line (headway) and the arrival riders sent written responses were observed for five days; times of trains were highly to the question. But the real bus route 49 (Dudley to erratic. Morning service on story was the hundreds of Downtown) which serves the both sides is scheduled at five riders who did not attend the Washington Street Corhdor minutes or less. Though the well publicized hearings, virtually mimicking the route observed average time leading to the conclusion that of the dismantled El was between trains was just over most are satisfied with observed for a similar period. four minutes, the variability service and are willing to pay Of the 107 a.m. trains was high with waits of more more. observed on the northside than six minutes and less than Those who testified Orange Line, only six (5.6%) three not uncommon. The generally acknowledged that were filled to crush capacity, short headways and surplus fares had remained stable for 15 (14%) were full, and over capacity temper the effect on a long time while the cost of 80% had room for additional riders of the vanable time living has risen. Yet most riders. Conditions on the between trains. Riders on the stated that an increase in southside were more Red and Green lines are not fares should be coupled with crowded. Of 108 trains as fortunate. an increase in the quality observed, 17 (15.7%) were In the evening the and/or quantity of service. filled to crush level, 25 patterns were exactly Complaints ranged from old, (23.4%) were full and reversed. The evening peak frequently malfunctioning approximately 60% had room wave of commuters hit the equipment and long for additional passengers. system just before five and unexplained delays on the The Orange Line, north and ebbed by 5:20. The southside North to crowded conditions south, compares favorably string of six car trains does not and lack of full weekend with other T lines. For reach the peak load point until service on the South. example, last year's study of five to eight minutes after 5:00, Insufficient parking was the Red Line found half the causing the worse crush mentioned by both sides. a.m. rush hour trains passing around 5:00 p.m. Waiting until The most oft repeated through North Quincy left 5:1 5 to 5:30 to get a train home specific fare comment potential riders standing on makes sense if you are an questioned the equity of a flat the platform. Orange Line regular. As in the rate, across-the-board hike The MBTA runs five morning, evening variability of which would increase the sets of four car trains followed headway is nicely offset by ticket phce for close in by five sets of six car trains on short headways and surplus commuters at a much higher continued to page 6 continued to page 7 The Advisor January. 1989 planned station modernizations are nearly complete. The commuter rail portion of South Station has partially opened to rave reviews. The Alewife station and the Arts on the Line program won Presidential Design Achievement Awards, two of only 68 nation wide to receive that honor. In addition, the more prestigious Presidential Design Award was given to the Southwest Corridor, one of only two Another year older and deeper in debt winners. The Southwest Corhdor also won kudos from 1988 is the year when the MBTA consolidated gains the American Society of Civil made during the previous five years and continued to push Engineers and the ahead at a modest pace. On commuter rail the new Forge Park Massachusetts Horticultural station opened and service to Providence was restored after a Society. The Newton Centre near-decade long absence. Travelers on the Attleboro and Depot on the Green Line and Framingham lines can now travel to Yawkey Station, which the Canton Junction station serves Fenway Park. The recent opening of the JFK/UMass Red on the Stoughton line Line station is a boon for South Shore riders who previously had received extensive facelifts to ride by JFK to Andrew and then double back on an Ashmont and ground was broken for a train if they wished to disembark. new Lynn station and garage. The new Orange Line in its first full year of operation Other stations did not proved a success, drawing thousands of additional patrons fare as well. What was (many of whom were previously riding T buses.) Six car trains conspicuously missing from started running along both the Orange and Red Lines, and the the list of planned overhauls Riverside Green Line branch saw the implementation of three was word of any action on car trains. These service changes brought some relief to riders, Route 128 Station Park although service along the Red and Green Lines remained development. After six plus predictably erratic. years of rumors and an History was made in 1988 when the MBTA, after a six year hiatus, printed and distributed new maps of its much changed continued to page 5 system. In June 1988 the T extended an already two year old consulting contract which was to survey and upgrade system signage so that consultants could begin to design and THE ADVISOR rehabilitate "selected, existing signs." Though hope springs eternal that the confusing and often incorrect information found The advisor is produced and published by the staff of the 'neath the streets of Boston might change for the better, patience mbta advisory board which is thin with the inexplicably long delay in identifying weahng represents seventy-eight mayors flaws and implementing corrections. and boards of selectmen. 1988 also saw the arrival and installation of a long awaited new consumer information phone system at the.T. The Chaiman: Advisory Board's initial consumer test of the. new apparatus Eugene C. Brune found a marked improvement with all prime time calls answered by a live operator in less than 30 seconds. This contrasts with Executive Director: Anne M. Larner waits of up to eight and ten minutes as recently as December 120 Boylston Street 1987. Boston, MA 02116-4604 Stations themselves came a long way in 1988. Most 2 1 The Advisor January J 989 Board votes budget Southside maintenance facility approved On December 2nd the On November 23rd the brought through the cities of Advisory Board unanimously MBTA Board of Directors Boston and Cambridge along approved an MBTA operating approved construction of a a speed restricted, highly budget of $614.6 million for $31.2 million maintenance congested freight spur. The the fiscal year beginning July facility to service the new facility will be located near the Cabot yard in South 1 , 1989. The approved Authority's southside budget allows a 6.7% commuter rail fleet. Currently Boston, making the torturous increase over the current all commuter rail trains must cross town journey for repairs budget and a 2.9% increase be serviced and repaired at unnecessary. in expense per mile of the Boston Engine Terminal The 59,000 square foot revenue service. The final (BET) in Somerville. When a facility will be used for daily approved budget was $2.7 train from the south needs servicing, fueling, cleaning million less than requested servicing or repairs, it must be continued to page 7 by the T. Debt Service on bonds funding the T's capital TOP TWENTY BUS ROUTES program registered the Route Weekday Rank Number Route Name Boardings Type* largest percentage increase within the line item budget. In 1 39 Forest Hills - Copley 28,000 RepI the new fiscal year interest 2 1 Harvard - Dudley 1 5,861 Circ 3 23 Ashmont - Ruggles 1 1 ,500 Circ and principal payments will 4 29 Mattapan - Ruggles 1 1 ,500 Circ account for 20% of the 5 57 Watertown Sq, - Kenmore 9,942 RepI Authority's operating budget 6 66 Allston - Dudley 9,149 Circ 7 28 Mattapan - Ruggles 7,300 Circ at a dollar figure 22% above 8 1 1 Woodlawn - Haymarket 6,774 that for FY89. 9 77 Arlington Hts, - Harvard 6,718 Other line items 1 0 34 Walpole Ctr - F. Hills 6,653 showing marked increases Total 113, 397 were workers' compensa- tion, health insurance costs, 1 1 43 Park/Tremont - Ruggles 6,062 1 2 70 Cedanwood - Central Sq. 5,904 and subsidy for paratransit 1 3 73 Waverly - Harvard 5,834 services. 1 4 47 Central Sq. - Andrew 5,731 Circ Reductions made by 1 5 49 Dudley - Downtown 5,580 1 6 32 Wolcott Sq. - Forest Hills 5,536 the board include rejection of 1 7 1 5 Field's Corner - Ruggles 5,421 Circ the Boston School 1 8 71 Watertown Sq. - Harvard 5,396 Department's request to 1 9 22 Ashmont - Ruggles 5,000 Circ 20 1 1 City Point - Downtown 4,848 transport additional high school students on the T and Total 55,31 2 a $1 .2 million cut in the Total top 20 1 68,709 commuter rail subsidy, a move that is intended to # Circ means route connects two subway stops bypassing Boston Business encourage the T to increase District; RepI means line replaces fixed rail service.