Is the T even worth the trouble? (Boston, Orange: safe, train)

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Look the real issue is the MBTA is a monopoly. Without competition they have no incentive to provide good service and are able to bleed the public dry in the process.

Eh..not exactly.

Bridj

You also have to factor in Ubur and Lyft.

The lower gas prices certainly have made it more of an incentive to drive as it lowers the costs of doing so. However in doing that it slows down traffic which slows down buses.

In some ways you can make bus service faster with rapid bus transit. This makes a bus route more like a train route to a point

PVTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Evaluation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit

The bottom line is the issue isn't so much the MBTA but rather why is so much being concentrated in Boston to begin with? Development is just driving up costs and traffic for everyone.

If employees really don't want to go into boston
If the companies aren't getting and ROE/ROI by being in boston....
then why be in boston?

It's like we keep adding more of a cost but no one is profiting off of this lost productivity. Yeah it's nice to go to a sox game after work but with HDTV frankly I rather watch it on tv. The club scene in boston has been dying off for years and the bars are just ok as the latest thing to boom nationwide is bars and restaurants. Infact I think there might be a restaurant bubble that no one wants to talk about.

The problem with transit is that you rarely are going to get a A to be point to point. Someone is in between that advocates for a stop and it gets to the point where there's multiple stops slowing down the whole process. Or you have some other parts that take people to those parts and that adds to traffic. Say a bus to braintree to take the red line etc. Unless you add aviation or something on water this is what we are stuck with.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by mdovell

The bottom line is the issue isn't so much the MBTA but rather why is so much being concentrated in Boston to begin with?

It could partially be because the MBTA is still so centered on Boston. Companies want to be somewhere accessible by transit, so that leaves... Boston. Better service to job centers outside Boston, like service along the 128 corridor, might help spread the concentration.

[Dm84]

Bridj is not a competitor to the MBTA. The only thing they have in common is getting people from point A to point B. The route network, business model and fare structure are completely different.

[Whatsnext75]

Bridj doesn't even go to many areas so I agree they aren't much competition.

One thing I've thought of is why does the mbta build even just 1 new train to start with to see how it works. I don't know how much help that would even be but it seems ridiculous that they still use the old cars. The mbta just isn't keeping up with boston whatsoever. Why are they still in business?

[mp775]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Bridj is not a competitor to the MBTA. The only thing they have in common is getting people from point A to point B.

That makes it competition. There are plenty of fixed-route buses in competition with MBTA that do have similar schedules, routes, and fare structures. There are corporate shuttles that are alternatives to the subway.

Driving itself is competition to the MBTA, as are cabs, ride share, bike sharing -- any other way of getting from point A to point B.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

One thing I've thought of is why does the mbta build even just 1 new train to start with to see how it works. I don't know how much help that would even be but it seems ridiculous that they still use the old cars. The mbta just isn't keeping up with boston whatsoever. Why are they still in business?

Letting out a contract for one new train is usually only done to experiment with new technology and is not very cost effective.

If you rode the MBTA, you might notice it isn't all old equipment. The Blue Line fleet was all built between 2007 and 2009. 60 percent of the Green Line fleet was built between 1997 and 2007, and new cars are on the way in 2017-2019. The Red Line has trains from 1969, 1987, and 1994; new cars are ordered and are coming in 2019. The Orange Line fleet, built from 1979 to 1981, will be replaced between 2018 and 2023. The newest commuter rail coaches and locomotives came in 2014.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

The mbta just isn't keeping up with boston whatsoever. Why are they still in business?

It isn't a business. It is infrastructure.

[Whatsnext75]

Well whatever it is it needs to be improved. I've said before I don't care if they raise prices, just make it better.

[bjimmy24]

Another great example of how infrastructure should not be held to the same standards as businesses. Would be completely unfair to have such ridiculous standards for our fine infrastructure that involved not almost suffering asphyxiation from smoke inhalation.

Passengers climb out Orange Line train

Could you imagine the backlash if this happened on a Megabus or Bridj or any other greedy corporate institution? But it's public, so just deal with it. And of course, underfunded!!!!!!!!

[timberline742]

It's happened on things like Bolt bus several times. Still use them. Comes with the territory for bargain basement options.