What really causes MBTA delays?

     Delays are a regular occurrence on the MBTA, especially during the winter months. You might read online or get an alert on your phone that your train or line is experiencing delays due to a mechanical failure, medical emergency, or signal problem but what does the MBTA actually mean when they use these terms? 

Here is Boston to a T's list of MBTA "Delay Terms" and our interpreted definitions. 

Mechanical failures
    
      A mechanical failure can include any failures related to locomotion, braking (traction, pneumatic) and electricity. Due to the fact that commuter rail operation is such a dynamic system involving multiple systems working together, many issues can constitute a mechanical failure.  Engine failure can relate to either the main driver engine which powers the locomotive or to the Head End Power (H.E.P.) generator which generates all of the electricity & power for the train set. Mechanical failures happen all to often, this is due to the age of the MBTA's locomotive fleet (the majority of which are over 30 years old).

Disabled Train
   
     A train can become "disabled" due to a number of different problems. The trains AC or DC traction motors and propulsion system may blow out and prevent the train from moving, the braking system may not be working properly, there may be an electrical problem, or a computer fault. Any number of "mechanical failures" will cause a train to be "disabled". 
    
Signal Problem 

    One of the most common reasons for a signal problem is the interruption of a circuit between a signal and the signal's relay. This would cause all signals within an area (or block) to go to red. This will result in any train within the block to have to stop (and of course all trains behind it) until the prblem can be resolved. Sometimes it will reset on its own, other times signal personnel have to go to the signal, and check all the signals in the area to see where the prioblem started and then correct it. This takes time, and thus causes delays. Signal problems can occur all over the MBTA system. There are a few lines, however, that these delays are much more common. Due to the age of it's signal system the Fithcburg line is constantly plagued by delays. There are however plans in place to fully upgrade that system.

Speed Restriction

A heat kink on the WMATA
Photo: WMATA

     Speed restrictions can be put into place on an area of rail due to a large amount of reasons. One of the most common is heat restrictions. In the past CSX (the freight rail company that once owned most of the Worcester line) would implement a speed restriction on the Worcester line when temperatures would reach about 90F. Steel rails slowly expand and contract as temperatures rise and fall. In fact, an 1800-foot length of rail will expand almost one foot with an 80-degree change in temperature.With welded rail the normal tendency to expand must be constrained internally by securing the rail. Engineering measures, including heating the rail, are taken when rail is installed to account for rail expansion and contraction. The ties, rock ballast, and rail anchors must be strong enough to keep the rail solidly in place instead of expanding or contracting. Under extreme heat, the rail, on rare occasions, wins the expansion battle and a heat kink occurs. A heat kink causes the track to shift laterally causing a curve in what is otherwise a straight pair of rails.Speed restrictions can also be caused by construction, signal problems, and medical emergencies.

Medical Emergency

     Although medical emergencies are somewhat self explanatory, there are still a few different things that can cause one to be put into place. Someone can be physically sick or hurt on a train and need the assistance of an ambulance. This causes the train to move to the nearest station and standby until medical personnel and transit police can arrive. The train will not be released until the scene is cleared. Another cause can be a trespasser being struck by a train. Accidents like this will cause major delays on that rail line. There will be extensive police activity, and speed restrictions will be put into place if other trains are able to pass the scene. 

A fire at Chinatown Station in 2012

 Police / Fire Department Activity 

     Police and Fire department activity is a delay that happens anytime the police or fire departments need to be called to an MBTA train, station, or other property. It could be because of an unruly passenger, an electrical fire in a station, or a person jumping into the subway pit. 

Amtrak Interference (Providence/Stoughton/Lowell/Haverhill)

     This delay is just as it states. Trains are delayed due to an interference with an Amtrak train. Usually these delays happen on the Northeast Corridor (which Amtrak owns and therefore has priority over MBTA trains). If an Amtrak train is late it will then cause the trains that follow it to be late. This can also happen on the Lowell and Haverhill lines where Amtrak's Downeaster runs. 

Freight Interference (Fitchburg/Worcester)

     Once again this is just as it states. Trains are delayed due to an interference with a freight train. Usually these delays happen on the Fitchburg and Framingham/Worcester Lines. CSX and PanAm Railways are the prime culprits, in this area, when it comes to freight interference. 


Downed Wire

MBTA Type-8 LRV pantograph and catenary. 

     A downed wire can cause MAJOR delays on the railroad. Currently only the Green Line, part of the Blue Line and the entire Northeast Corridor have over head electric wire. Over head electric wire, or catenary,  is a system of overhead wires used to supply electricity to a locomotive, streetcar, or light rail vehicle which is equipped with a pantograph. Non-electric trains (such as the MBTA's diesel locomotives) may pass along these tracks without affecting the catenary. Downed catenary wires can be caused by tree limbs falling over, high winds, and broken support brackets. 

MBTA Countdown Pilot Picking Up Steam

Courtesy: MBTA

Have you been wondering why it has been taking the MBTA so long to roll out their countdown clock system on the entire Red, Orange, and Blue lines? 

I too was frustrated that the launch has been taking so long. That was until I got a chance to talk with the MBTA's Director of Innovation, Josh Robin.

Over the past three months, the MBTA has been rolling out countdown clocks at several stations on the Red Line. As of today the MBTA has a total of six stations online: Andrew, Park Street, Downtown Crossing, South Station, Kendall/M.I.T. and Broadway.

So far the MBTA has been unveiling the technology at a new station along the line every two weeks. Josh Robin told me that the MBTA will be putting a new station online once a week for the next three weeks. So far, he says the pilot has been "essentially flawless".

"The MBTA's number one priority for this project has been quality" says Robin, "we would love to flip the switch and launch the clocks at every station in the system today, but we want to make sure it is done right and that there are no issues"

Quality is defiantly something an agency should focus on when it comes to systems like this. New York City's MTA began launching their countdown clock system back in 2007 and they were plagued by software issues. 

San Franciscos MUNI and BART as well as New Orleans RTA, and the WMATA in Washington D.C. are among the list of other transit authorities that are continuing to add updates to their countdown clock systems.

Although the pilot has just started picking up speed, Robin tells me that the T will be moving more aggressively with the project come the end of the year. Hopefully by the new year we will see the pilot start up on the Blue and Orange lines or maybe even sooner.

MBTA riders have been sharing their thoughts about the pilot on Twitter!

Buses replace trains north of Harvard on weekends this fall

This fall the MBTA is set to close Porter, Davis, and Alewife stations on four separate weekends in order to finish necessary track and tunnel maintenance.

The T will close the three stations north of Harvard and replace train service with shuttle buses on the weekends of Nov. 17-18; Nov. 24-25; Dec. 1-2; and December 8-9.

The closures are part of a continuing multi-year project which started in November of last year. The first phase of the project caused the Red Line north of Harvard to be closed on weekends for four months. Although this time around the closures are not as extensive, the same type of work will be taking place.

 The MBTA plans on replacing corroded and damaged sections of trackage, concrete slabs, electrical wiring, and third rail as well as plugging tunnel cracks and sealing water leaks.

The Harvard to Alewife extension, which opened in 1985, has a specialized track that runs along thousands of concrete slabs instead of wooden ties. These slabs float on rubber disks, almost resembling hockey pucks, that help to cushion the trains vibrations. Over the years tunnel leaks have caused these slabs to crack and their rubber disks to corrode, which poses the risk of rail movement.

This necessary maintenance, which is set to cost around $34 Million, will be funded out of the MBTA's Capital Improvement budget. The T also received a little over $4.3 million in stimulus money to help off set the cost of the project. Here is the funding request. 

The reason for the closures is that the project cannot be managed solely within the 3 ½-hour window each morning when the T is closed, without disrupting service. Materials must be hauled in and out each weekend on special trucks outfitted to drive on rails, with the nearest entry point at the mouth of the tunnel near Kendall Station two miles from Harvard and nearly five miles from Alewife. 

Red Line Weekend Diversion

©2012 Boston to a T

Starting this upcoming weekend, July 14th & 15th, the MBTA will be replacing Red Line trains between JFK/UMass and Ashmont station for 4 consecutive weekends.

What you need to know:

• The diversion will run all day on both Saturday and Sunday during the following weekends
• July 14-15
• July 21-22
• August 4-5
• August 11-12
• The buses will make all station stops between JFK/UMass and Ashmont station. 
• The Braintree branch will NOT be affected and will run as scheduled.

The Diversion is being put in place so the MBTA can perform necessary maintenance on the Ashmont branch. The work will include track and tie repair/replacement, signal work, station repair, and third rail repair/replacement.  

For more information and down to the second alerts and advisories for all MBTA lines please visit MBTA.com.

MBTA April Service Changes

This month is going to be a very busy one in regards to MBTA service changes and diversions. Here is what you need to know for the month of April!

Marathon Monday

Green Line LRV's line the entire platform at the
Hynes stop last year on Marathon Monday

This year Marathon Monday falls on April 16, 2012 (one week from today). The city will be packed as people from across the world show up to watch the race. With more people in the city the demand for public transportation is increased. This means that the MBTA must make some changes. 

Subway:

• The Red, Blue, Orange, Green, and Mattapan HS Lines will all operate on their  regular weekday schedule and there will be extra service provided on all lines before and after the marathon. 
• Copley Station will be CLOSED all day. Customers wanting to get to the Marathon will have to use Hynes Convention Center station or Arlington Station. Passengers will only be able to exit from the Boylston Street side of Hynes Convention Center Station. 
• Word of Advice: If you don't have an MBTA Link-Pass make sure you add value to your Charlie Card before Marathon Monday. Lines will become very long at Charlie vending machines

Commuter Rail:

• MBCR Commuter rail service will operate on its regular weekday schedule. 

Bus:

• Buses and trackless trolleys will operate on a Saturday schedule.
• Route 55 - Queensbury/Copley Station - Service will be terminated until completion of the Boston Marathon. 
•  Buses will be rerouted at certain times during the day to prevent disruption of the race. These routes include: Southside Routes: 1, 8, 9, 10, 39, 47, 52, 57, 59, 60, 65, 66, 86, 504. Northside Routes:  86, 62, 76, 77, 80, 350, 94, 95, 96, 134, 101.

The MBTA expects that with the the dramatically increased ridership and extreme crowds on Marathon Monday passengers should expect on different parts of the system through out the day. (Especially Commuter Rail and the Green Line) Make sure you check MBTA.com or follow @MBTA_Alerts for down to the second service alerts! 

Weekend Red Line Diversion

During the weekend  of April 28-29th bus shuttles will replace Red Line trains between Boradway Station and Kendal/MIT Station. 

• Shuttle buses will stop at Broadway, South Station, Park St., Charles/MGH, and Kendall/MIT. 
• Buses will NOT stop at Downtown Crossing Station. For passengers looking for service to DTX you can transfer at Park St. and walk through the Winter St. Concourse to the Orange Line at Downtown.

The diversion is due to the continued work on the Park St. elevator project. The MBTA must run a power supply for the new elevator through the Red Line tunnels from South Station to Park St. 

Worcester and Fairmount Commuter Rail Schedule

The MBCR put new schedules into place for the Worcester and Fairmount Commuter Rail Lines. The revised Worcester commuter rail schedule is due to the reconstruction of Yawkey Station. The revised Fairmount commuter rail schedule is due to necessary commuter rail maintenance. 

• The new Worcester Schedule is available HERE
• The new Fairmount Schedule is available HERE

Guest Post: The End of an Era on the MBTA

Here is a guest post by fellow transit enthusiast Scott Page. This is a follow up to his last post Farewell From the Fifth Car which was about the conversation of the MBTA Red Line to One Person Train Operation. You can follow Scott on Twitter : (@ScottPage10690).

The last MBTA Rapid Transit train to run with an on board Train Attendant pulled into Ashmont Station around 12:21AM on Saturday March 24^th. As the doors opened, and the pre-recorded voice of Frank Oglesby Jr. belted out “The destination of this train is Alewife”, the small group of passengers on the platform made their way onto the train. With no recognition or celebration from the MBTA this historic final trip would quietly bring an end to a one hundred and ten year old Boston transit tradition. 

            At 12:36AM the Inspector at Ashmont triggered the starter bell – officially telling the Motorperson and Train Attendant to begin their trip. 

As the Train Attendant began to close the doors the Inspector approached her with a laugh and a smile and said “That’s it. You’re going down in history. You’re my last Train Attendant ever”. He laughed again and sincerely said “Good luck with your re-assignment”. The Attendant then closed the doors on the last two cars and poked her head out the window to watch the platform as the train lurched forward embarking on its trip to North Cambridge.

For me, the final Two Person Train Operation trip had a special meaning. 

As an independent transit advocate, who strongly opposes the MBTA’s plan to convert its Rapid Transit lines to One Person Train Operation (OPTO), the last train acted as the culmination of a freelance project that I started over a year ago. 

The project began with an eight page essay to MBTA and MassDOT leaders. It then expanded to an in depth photo history, mini-documentary, and a series of articles – each of which argued against this regressive change to the T’s daily operations and explained the importance of a second operator in regards to passenger safety and efficient service.

While working on the various pieces of this project I was able to meet and talk with a number of Train Attendants, Motorpersons, and Inspectors – all of whom echoed the same refrain: OPTO is a bad idea.

At the public meeting held at 10 Park Plaza in June of 2011 regarding the conversion a rider asked “What do the Operators think about this transition?” The answer from T executives: “We don’t know. We never asked”.

This lack of consideration for the opinions of the operations staff was repeated in a recent Boston Metro article in which an MBTA spokesperson brushed off concerns over OPTO by saying single person operation is something members of the Boston Carmen’s Union (Amalgamated Transit Union Local 589) “has never embraced”. 

But in my experience talking to the men and women of the Red Line – the people who actually run the trains day in and day out – the idea that any anti-OPTO sentiment is simply Union solidarity and couldn’t be further from the truth. 

The people I spoke with weren’t simply Union members who disliked a change that they saw as weakening the power of their Union, but rather dedicated hard working men and women who wanted to have a voice in their workplace. They each spoke of specific examples in which they assisted a passenger, troubleshot a mechanical difficulty, or kept order on board during an abnormal situation. 

As the last Two Person Train Operation train made its way northbound I appreciated the time I had spent over the past year getting to intimately know the Red Line, it’s staff, and it’s operations. While I knew OPTO would begin in the morning I felt as if I had made a stand for an operative style I believed in and for one night I got to celebrate the success of a one hundred and ten year old Boston transit tradition.

When the train entered Park Street Station the Train Attendant pushed the button on the crackling intercom of car 01811 – “Entering Park Street, change for the Green Line, doors will open on both sides. For elevator service please exit to the left”. As fellow transit enthusiast Dan Lampariello and I exited the train it closed its doors behind us and oh-so-gracefully the tradition of Two Person Train Operation rolled silently into the night. 

Guest Post: Farewell From The Fifth Car

Here is our second guest post! This article is written by Scott Page, a 21 year old Bunker Hill Community College student and MBTA historian! You can follow Scott on Twitter (@ScottPage10690)!

MBTA to end 110 year old tradition of 

Two Person Train Operation

Shortly after 12:30am every night the last Red Line train of the day closes its doors and departs Ashmont Station in Dorchester embarking on a thirty-seven minute voyage to Alewife Station in North Cambridge. This typically mundane trip is often the last source of transportation for evening-shift workers, late night partiers, and the occasional drunk. But on the wee morning hours of Saturday March 24^th, 2012 the 12:30am train will receive the historic distinction of being the last MBTA Rapid Transit train to run with an on board Train Attendant – thus unceremoniously bringing an end to a one hundred and ten year old Boston transit tradition. 

An MBTA Train Attendant cycles the doors 

at Wollaston Station on the Red Line. 

Currently the MBTA operates each Red Line train with a two person crew. The practice, known in the transit industry as Two Person Train Operation, involves a Motorperson in the first car, who is responsible for operating the train and overseeing safety along the right-of-way; and a Train Attendant in the fifth car, who cycles the doors at stations, announces stops, and oversees the safety of passengers both on the train and on the platform. 

The practice stems from the early days of subway and elevated operations when train doors literally needed to be cranked open by Attendants standing between each car. Modern technology now allows for doors to be controlled from a central point which, here in Boston, is controlled by the Train Attendant in the 5^th car. 

The MBTA claims that eliminating Train Attendants from the Red Line and transferring all duties to the Motorperson, a practice known as One Person Train Operation, will enable the Red Line to operate more trains during off-peak hours and save money that the cash-strapped transit authority can reinvest into the line. If this proposal sounds familiar, that’s because it is. 

In June of 2010 the MBTA removed the second operator from all Orange Line trains in a similar cost savings effort. The T reassured riders that there would be no change in service and safety, but just six months after its transition the Orange Line suffered its worst performing winter in the last quarter century. Massive delays snarled the line leaving passengers out in the cold. While delays were not the direct result of One Person Train Operation the overwhelming response from riders was that additional uniformed personnel was needed to relay pertinent information.

To ensure passenger safety on the Red Line under One Person Train Operation the MBTA has installed a series of mirrors and closed-circuit television monitors at each station to show the Motorperson the entire platform. These devices will be most useful at stations with curved platforms where the Motorperson cannot see the entire train by line-of-sight alone. Train Attendants, for the record, have no obstructed views of the doorways at any point in the system.

But with recent breakdowns and service disruptions still on many riders’ minds some aren’t so sure that having one crew member on board is a good idea. 

“Having one operator being responsible for hundreds of riders’ safety is quite daunting” said Jessica Baldeck, a frequent Red Line commuter and UMass Boston student. “I can’t think of any other situation where one person is solely in charge of handling hundreds of people - especially during an emergency.”

“Personally it makes me feel safer knowing there is someone on board whose sole job is to make sure everyone is riding safely” added Jessica Griffiths Sheldon, who occasionally takes the T into the city.

Train Attendants serve as a passenger liaison from the 5th car.

The MBTA cites that OPTO is becoming the industry standard for subway operations around the globe along with the conversion of the Blue Line in 1996 and the Orange Line in 2010 as the reason for converting the Red Line. Former MBTA General Manager, and current Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey said “We remain focused on identifying cost savings measures that helps us operate more efficiently.  The expansion of Single Person Train Operation… allows us to contain costs while maintaining quality service.”

Critics of OPTO note that Chicago’s CTA, which converted in 2001, has had several attempts by city Aldermen to bring back second operators after doorway safety incidents and crime rose on ‘El’ trains.

The MBTA, which is now engaged in an ongoing public debate over whether or not to raise fares and cut services, originally planned the conversion of the Red Line for September of 2011. The transition was pushed back to March of 2012 after various groups raised concerns over everything from doorway safety to on board crime. The T has used the additional seven months to give all Red Line Motorpersons additional training on proper doorway safety standards and evacuation protocols. 

The ring of the starter bell at 12:30am on March 24^th will signal the end of an era in Boston transit. While most riders won’t notice the changes on an average trip, it’s imperative to remember the work done by Train Attendants in their one hundred and ten years of service. They’ve acted as visible representatives of the Authority – answering questions for tourists, giving directions to riders, and aiding in breakdowns and evacuations. But most importantly they’ve protected their riders from threats to safety – like the Orange Line Train Attendant who stepped in and prevented a hate crime in March of 2010 by sheltering the victim in his cab until police arrived. After Boston removes it’s Train Attendants from service this March only New York’s MTA, Toronto’s TTC, and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson railroad of New York and New Jersey will utilize Two Person Train Operation.

Red Line weekend work ends March 10th

It has been almost four months in the making, but the Red Line work north of Harvard is almost complete. This is a bit of good news for Red Line commuters who have had to deal with shuttle buses between Alewife and Harvard stations on weekends. 

The MBTA announced today that work is set to end in four weeks and trains will start running again on Saturday March 10th. The work is also set to end within the project's budget, according to interim MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis. Both this project and the Science Park Elevator project are some of the only MBTA projects, in recent years, that have finished on time and within their budget.

The Red Line extension to Alewife opened in 1985 and has recently fallen into despair. This is why the T announced last November that they would be addressing $80 million worth of backlogged maintenance on weekends between November and March. The project allowed MBTA crews to plug cracks in the tunnels, seal water leaks, replace corroding concrete bases and electrical wiring. They also replaced numerous damaged sections of track and third rail.

The Red Line trackage between Harvard and Alewife was in such a state of despair that it came under review in 2009. The safety study showed that if maintenance was deferred any longer on this particular section of trackage the threat of train derailment would become even more significant and eventually make it unsafe to travel between Harvard and Alewife.

The MBTA has been very transparent throughout the construction process. They have been regularly posting photos of the construction on their Flickr photo stream and have been keeping passengers informed through their Twitter account.

The T's Aging fleet: How they are managing to squeak by

©2011 Boston to a T

A few weeks ago current MBTA General Manager Richard Davey revealed, for the very first time, the true status of the Orange and Red line fleets.

Currently, the only reason the Orange Line is still operational is because of the dedicated and hard work of the T's vehicle maintenance department. Band-aid after band-aid have been put on these cars and no one truly knows how much longer they can keep that up. GM Davey did unveil a plan however that may cost a pretty penny but will actually allow the Orange Line fleet and the older Red Line fleet to function for a little longer, or at least until the T can afford to fund their overall replacements. 

The plan, which will cost a little over $100 Million, will upgrade the entire Orange line fleet and the 01500-01600 series cars on the Red line. The in-house overhauls would install a variety of new components on these trains, including speed sensors, electrical converters, trucks, and cosmetic touchups. All of these repairs would probably add about seven to ten years onto the life of these trains which will hopefully be enough time for the T to plan their overall replacement. 

Over the past few months Davey and his team have been conducting an extensive review of the status of the oldest vehicles in the T's fleets. The news, which is not truly shocking as most commuters have suspected it for years, is however very disheartening. In its current state, the T is lucky, if they have enough Orange Line cars available to run the morning rush hour. The Orange line fleet consists of 120 Hawker-Siddeley married pair cars. The T only requires 102 of those cars to be able to send off a new train every four to five minuets during the morning and evening rush. But cars are breaking down so frequently and are requiring more extensive repairs which in turn is causing cars to stay out of service longer. With more cars out of service wait time has also been a huge issue on the Orange Line and it is only going to get worse.  

As usual neither the total replacement or even the seriously expensive Band-aids were included in the MBTA's 2012 budget. The board of directors is well aware of the problem though. They have been discussing the overall maintenance needs of the entire system for years and have come to the conclusion that a total overhaul of all maintenance issues would probably put the T into bankruptcy, with a total price tag of over $3 Billion. 

The Orange line fleet was manufactured by the Hawker-Siddeley company (now Bombardier) and were put into service between 1979 and 1981. The oldest cars in the Red Lines fleet are the 01500-01600 series cars manufactured by Pullman-Standard. These were put into service during the peak of the Vietnam War. Subway car manufactures build their cars to last for about 25 years. This is provided that they also receive a mid-life overall during this time to replace key components of the car like lighting, brakes, propulsion systems and so on. None of the Orange line cars have ever received any form of an overhaul during their 32 years in service. The oldest of the Red Line's fleet received one full rebuild between 1985 and 1988 but that is still almost 25 years ago. 

The sad truth is the MBTA hardly has enough money to meet the needs of their rapidly expanding ridership and none whatsoever for the expansions and acquirements that are sought by the board and lawmakers. If nothing is done now the T could be on the brink of some pretty bad situations. The thing I find to be the most disgraceful about this whole situation is how years of leadership allowed the two lines with the most ridership in the entire system to fall into such turmoil and overall despair. 

Real Time Displays (Update)

Hi all! Here is a bit of an update on my earlier post about what I thought were going to be real time displays on the Red Line. Yesterday, as I was waiting for a Red Line train to Central at Park Street, I noticed the display that I talked about in my earlier post. I saw that it was lit up and displaying something. I ran over to it, almost tripping, and noticed, to my disappointment, that it was not displaying real time subway data, but instead was showing a quad-screen view of multiple closed circuit cameras. When I got to Central I noticed that same thing on the displays there too. I thought to myself, "Why on earth would the T display c.c. video footage of their stations?" I then came to the idea that maybe it may be for the motormen.

The way the system works now, each red line train, which consists of six cars, has two motormen on it: one who is in the first car and one who is in the third car. Both motormen are responsible for opening and closing the doors for their half of the train. In order for the motormen to know when to close the doors at a station they must hang out the windows on either side of the train. If these monitors are for what I think they are then the motormen will now be able to just look at the monitor to see when they can close the trains doors. Another interesting thought I had was that maybe these were part of the first steps to eliminating the second motorman from all Red Line trains.

The MBTA has been proposing, for quite a while now, to eliminate the second motorman position on the Red Line in order to save more money. Last year the T cut the second motorman position from all Orange line trains and it seems to be working fine. The reason I believe this may be one of the first steps toward this happening on the Red Line is because the monitors and cameras are strategically place so that the Motorman in the first car can get a full view of their entire six car train. This will make it a lot easier for the motor man to lean out his window to see down all six cars. Especially during rush hour when there are tons of people on the platforms. I keep you all posted when I find out more though.


Now back to the real time displays. Yesterday Aaron and I went on an adventure on the Blue Line to Maverick Square in Eastie. As we were waiting for the Blue Line at Government Center we both noticed a very dirty LCD screen, which you could tell had been repurposed, and was displaying realtime Blue Line data. The top of the display says "Blue Line Service (Pilot). I am guessing it is part of the same pilot program the T initiated on the Orange Line. I really hope it sticks around and starts popping up at more stations because it was amazing to see exactly where the next train is and when it will be arriving.

When Aaron and I got off at Maverick station we noticed that the station had its own way of displaying real time train data. This being in the form of a huge horizontal map of the Blue line tracks which shows the location of every running train by lighting up lights along the tracks. Not sure how old this is but I will try and find out!

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Spring Break has come and gone and I'm back in Boston now with fresh material. On Sunday, the city of Boston celebrated Saint Patrick's Day in Southie with the annual parade. Lots of floats, area marching bands, and drunk college students could be found on one of the biggest party days in the city. 

Parade-goers flooded the Red Line for the hours before and after the parade, clogging up the stations in and around downtown and South Boston. To get to the parade myself, I took the Red Line from Downtown Crossing to Broadway. What normally would be around a 5 minute trip took over a half hour. People were packed onto the trains just like sardines. This is the scene from inside Broadway station. 

Spectacles in the parade included a float with St. Patrick, lots of tricked-out cars, marching bands from area high schools, green Duck Boats, and people dressed in period-clothing shooting off muskets, just to name a few. Take a look.

Real time displays?

While I was on my way to Harvard Square on the Red Line today I noticed that there was a LCD monitor that had been recently installed on the center platform at Park Street Station. As I was about to board my train back to Park St. I also noticed there were 2  monitors hanging at Harvard Station. When I got back to my dorm I tried to find out what the MBTA might be using these monitors for but I came up with nothing. The only thing that I think the MBTA would be using these screens for would be to finally provide us with real time information for the Red, Blue and Orange lines.

A few months ago the MBTA initiated a pilot program like this at Back Bay and Ruggles Station on the Orange line. They used big LCD monitors, like the ones I saw, to show passengers down to the minute Bus and  Commuter Rail information, and also to show the position of trains on the Orange line. Another interesting fact about the screens and software used at Back Bay and Ruggles is that they cost the MBTA little to nothing. They made the monitors by using repurposed MBTA screens and all of the software costs were picked up by the company that made it. 

Hopefully these monitors that I see popping up all over the Red Line will be just like the ones that the T is piloting on the Orange Line. It will be nice to finally know where the next train is and when it is going to arrive. 

I will keep you all informed when I find out more!

The voice of the MBTA

For years now, MBTA subway and bus riders have been hearing sayings like “Next stop: Park Street,” “The next red line train to Ashmont is now arriving,” and “No smoking please.” To many, the bellowing voice that comes over the speakers of the MBTA vehicles seems like it may be computerized, however, it is actually in fact one from a real person. Believe me, Aaron and I were surprised when we first heard about it too.

For the past decade, that prerecorded voice has belonged to Frank Oglesby, a 19-year MBTA veteran who, as deputy director for customer service training, is the primary voice of the T, announcing stops on the Red, Green, and Blue Lines and, more recently, the Silver Line buses.

If you ride the T as much as we do, you begin to find yourself hearing differences in the recordings on each line. For instance, Oglesby's voice on the Green line is a lot deeper than it is on the Red line. Also, when you're on the Silver line he kind of sounds like Darth Vader. The new Blue line trains, however, have been giving us some trouble. Some of the trains we have been on have Oglesby's voice as their recording, but then others have a different voice which kind of sound like George Clooney hosting The Price is Right. After some research I found that the voice that we heard was the original voice Siemens had recorded for the trains when they delivered them to Boston. The MBTA just hasn't changed those few cars over to Oglesby's voice.

Oglesby primarily does the recordings as a fun side job, but this job does a lot for people who ride the T. This is especially true for those riders who are physically disabled. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the T to implement recorded messages on all of their transit vehicles and I feel that Oglesby does a wonderful job in making these recordings.

Special thanks: Amanda Andrews!