South Station is on the fast track to expansion

©2011 Boston to a T

South Station, which is New England's second largest transportation center (right behind Logan Airport), is finally going to be getting some well deserved attention. The station, which opened for operation in 1899, is currently the home to the MBTA's commuter rail service, Red line, and Silver line, Amtrak's Acela Express, Northeast Regional, and Lake Shore Limited, and a full service bus terminal.

Currently the station operates way beyond its capacity. Its 13 tracks are just not enough to fulfill the needs of the passenger rail network that is running into the hub. The station is also expecting about a 50% increase in High-Speed passenger rail travel over the coming years. This is why the T has been looking diligently for money to expand the station.

The searching has paid off though! The T has been awarded a $32.5 Million "planning grant" as the first step towards expanding and revitalizing the historic station. The grant will go towards developing a conceptual design, as well as complete preliminary environmental reviews.

Some of the improvements and expansions that the MBTA hopes to accomplish at the satiation over the coming years include:

Courtesy: MBTA

• Development of a new layover facility for train storage during off-peak times
• Improvements to existing tracks, platforms, interlockings, passenger facilities, and other infrastructure
• Demolition and relocation of an existing, adjacent U.S. Postal Service General Mail Facility to construct new passenger facilities, including tracks, platforms, waiting areas with connections to existing platforms and tracks and the adjacent South Station Bus Terminal
• Design passenger enhancements through improved streetscape, pedestrian, bicycle, local transit, and vehicular facilities in and around the station, including the re-opening of Dorchester Avenue for public use
• Develop a cost estimate for the construction phase of the project
• Consideration of opportunities for joint public/private development over an expanded South Station. Such development agreements exist at New York’s Penn Station and Union Station in Washington, DC.

A completion date has yet to be set for the project but the preliminary stages are set to take a few years.  

MBTA fare increase may happen sooner than you think

It has been about five years since the MBTA has implimented any type of fair increase. The T is also the only transit agency in the United States that has not increased fares since 2007. This could very soon be a thing of the past for Boston area commuters though.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and former MBTA GM Richard Davey announced last week that a "Modest" fare increase is definitely on the table. This comes after an independent advisory committee explained to MassDOT and the MBTA that they will need over $15 Billion to keep the infrastructure safe and operable.

Newton Center Station (For Sale)

Currently the MBTA's day to day operating costs exceed the money they are taking in from their ridership and adverting. The cash strapped organization is also facing a $161 Million shortfall next fiscal year. The T is taking every measure to try and close that gab but a fair increase seems imminent. The T has tried everything, from selling ad space all over the system and their website, to implementing renewable energies, to selling MBTA merchandise and even their properties. At present, the T just put the Newton Center MBTA station, which is located on the Riverside Branch of the Green line, up for sale. The 120 year old building, which is home to a restaurant, is being sold for a minimum of $700,000. According to Acting MBTA GM Jonathan Davis when sold the money received will be reinvested back into the system to try and put a small dent in the organizations $8 billion debt and $4.8 Billion maintenance backlog.

MBTA employees and retirees may also be unhappy with the way the T is trying to find ways to fill its budget gab. Currently on the table is taking away the MBTA retirees free rides for life pass. Negotiations with the MBTA workers union are also currently underway to try and eliminate the current employee free rides for personal use program. Last year the MBTA lost about $4.5 million in revenue because of the free rides of MBTA workers and retirees. This is going to be a tricky process for the T though. The workers union is not going to give up without a fight.

Overall, its hard to say that a fare increase is not going to happen sometime within the next year. This news is not going over well with most of Massachusetts commuters. The fact is, the T is currently one of the cheapest transit systems to ride. We also have not raised fares since 2007 which is unheard of! I feel like that the T definitely needs to increase fairs. If we want to continue to have safe and extensive transit system in this city we are going to have to sit back and just deal with it.

Man struck and killed on MBTA's Lowell Line

According to MBTA officials, a man was been struck and killed by an outbound MBTA commuter rail train at around 11:00 this morning. The victim was struck as the train was passing under the Route-128 bridge in Woburn. The bridge is right before the rarely used Mishawum station on the Lowell line. It  is still unknown how the man may have gotten onto the tracks. The MBTA was struck with a similar incident this past Sunday on the Providence line!

Delays are expected throughout the afternoon on the Lowell line.

Check MBTA.com for down to the second alerts.