I recently got an Android phone and one of the applications I've been playing around with is call My Tracks. It uses the phone's GPS to record a trip for you, capturing speed, distance, and elevation gain. Here is the result from a typical morning commute taking train 453, the 7:27 outbound from North Station.
View Porter To South Acton in a larger map
If you click on the marker at the end of the route (left side of the map), it displays the distance and speed data from the trip and shows a graph of elevation (you may want to open the map first in a larger window). On my phone there is also a nice chart showing speed plotted against distance, which clearly shows each of the stops my train makes on its way out to South Acton. Hopefully I can figure out a way to get this displayed in the future.
Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts
Saturday, January 29, 2011
MBTA Makes Boston Traffic More Bearable
The Texas Transportation Institute recently released its annual report ranking 439 urban areas according to the amount of time lost by residents stuck in traffic during their commute. Boston ended up tied with Dallas-Fort Worth for 7th worst traffic in the US. The average commuter lost 48 hours in 2009 to congestion. The Boston Globe ran an article last Sunday that highlights the fact that without the T, things would be much worse. Having a significant portion of commuters riding public transit led to a savings of 32.9 million hours, or about 8 hours per person for the year. Nationally, the MBTA ranked 5th in terms of hours saved.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Double Decker Cars on the Fitchburg Line!
Yesterday I got to the train station after work and was greeted by something I had never seen before: a bi-level car at the front of my train! Up until now, the double decker cars had only been used on the South Station lines. I had read about new bi-level cars the T had ordered in the Globe the week before and that they would start using some of the double deckers on North lines soon. It was still neat to see it, though. The best feature is that in the middle of these cars, there is a table where the two sets of seats come together. It's perfect for a laptop or just hanging out with friends and since I get on the first station inbound in the evenings, I can always grab it. The downside so far has been the fact that the wifi doesn't appear to work on the car we have received from the T. In any event, it is good to see. It will allow for less crowding on the rush hour trains.
Here's the article where they talk about the new cars the T has ordered:
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Good Biking Day!
So I missed another full month of posts...
The good news is that today we got some amazing weather and I took the opportunity to get out and bike around. I went up to Tufts to play some soccer and then made a loop out to Union Sq and back. I must admit that city biking has really grown on me over the last year and a half or so and it's not so bad getting around, despite narrow streets and potholes and all.
In more transit related news, I decided to ride my bike to the commuter rail at West Medord for the first time. As I've complained about before, it is so frustrating that even though that station is only about 2 1/2 miles away it is almost impossible to get there conveniently. I must admit the ride was not too bad. It only took about 15-20 minutes to get there, which is better than waiting in the cold for the bus or riding all the way into North Station for the subway. Of course, this option is only really enjoyable when the weather is nice and today was certainly that day.
The good news is that today we got some amazing weather and I took the opportunity to get out and bike around. I went up to Tufts to play some soccer and then made a loop out to Union Sq and back. I must admit that city biking has really grown on me over the last year and a half or so and it's not so bad getting around, despite narrow streets and potholes and all.
In more transit related news, I decided to ride my bike to the commuter rail at West Medord for the first time. As I've complained about before, it is so frustrating that even though that station is only about 2 1/2 miles away it is almost impossible to get there conveniently. I must admit the ride was not too bad. It only took about 15-20 minutes to get there, which is better than waiting in the cold for the bus or riding all the way into North Station for the subway. Of course, this option is only really enjoyable when the weather is nice and today was certainly that day.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
South Station Expansion
Last week there were a couple of articles in the Globe about a proposed expansion of the commuter rail facilities at South Station. The first article described the collapse of the initial deal involving the Postal Service, MBTA, and a private developer that was going to develop the property and allow the MBTA to expand with 5 more tracks and platforms at South Station to relieve congestion. The next day, another article was published saying that the T was now thinking about purchasing the entire 15 acre site and adding as many as 11 additional tracks to South Station. The major concern is that with the private developer dropping out, the MBTA, already $4 billion in debt, may not be able to secure the financing to make the deal work.
The MBTA can't afford not to make the deal the work. As the articles point out, next year commuter rail service is scheduled to be expanded to Worcester now that the state has worked out a deal to purchase the tracks from CSX that run between the state's two largest cities. Additionally, the long-proposed South Coast commuter rail expansion to New Bedford and Fall River is slated to occur in 2015 or 2016. Add to that anticipated increases in ridership on other commuter rail lines and on Amtrak in the Northeast and there is certainly a need to expand Boston's busiest rail station. Located in downtown Boston, there is certainly limited room adjacent to South Station so an opportunity to pick up prime real estate such as this should be seen as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity and the state and MBTA should make all efforts to complete the deal. David D'Alessandro, who recently completed a top to bottom financial review of the troubled agency stated in the Globe that the T still has certain assets that it could sell to possibly finance such a purchase. In addition, development of the rest of the property could easily pay for some of the up front costs. This is more than just a nice opportunity for the T, it is an essential expansion project if sustainable rail travel is going to be allowed to continue to grow in the Boston area and throughout the Northeast.
The MBTA can't afford not to make the deal the work. As the articles point out, next year commuter rail service is scheduled to be expanded to Worcester now that the state has worked out a deal to purchase the tracks from CSX that run between the state's two largest cities. Additionally, the long-proposed South Coast commuter rail expansion to New Bedford and Fall River is slated to occur in 2015 or 2016. Add to that anticipated increases in ridership on other commuter rail lines and on Amtrak in the Northeast and there is certainly a need to expand Boston's busiest rail station. Located in downtown Boston, there is certainly limited room adjacent to South Station so an opportunity to pick up prime real estate such as this should be seen as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity and the state and MBTA should make all efforts to complete the deal. David D'Alessandro, who recently completed a top to bottom financial review of the troubled agency stated in the Globe that the T still has certain assets that it could sell to possibly finance such a purchase. In addition, development of the rest of the property could easily pay for some of the up front costs. This is more than just a nice opportunity for the T, it is an essential expansion project if sustainable rail travel is going to be allowed to continue to grow in the Boston area and throughout the Northeast.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
FRA Shuns Northeast Corridor
I read in the Globe today that none of the $8 billion in stimulus money that was set aside for high speed passenger rail is going to be directed to the nation's only functioning high speed corridor, the NEC. Apparently the issue is that the Federal Railroad Administration, which controls the funds, has said that it will not allow funding for projects until a full environmental review has been conducted. Since the planners along the NEC weren't preparing for this, there is not enough time to complete a full review and apply for this year's funds and probably not enough time to apply for next year's $2.5 billion in high speed rail money available next year. To not fund necessary upgrades to the corridor most supportive of rail travel in this country is short-sighted. The Acela high speed train was the only line in Amtrak's entire system to turn a profit last year. The proposed upgrades, which are shovel ready, could decrease travel time between Boston and DC by as much as an hour! If that doesn't get more people riding, I don't know what will. To require a full environmental review for an existing 450 mile corridor that travels through eight states and the District of Columbia because of a few upgrades is byzantine and ridiculous.
That is not to say that other areas of the country are not perhaps more desperately in need of transit funding. In particular, California is a huge potential market for high speed rail and really needs it to improve air quality and reduce sprawl. The silver lining in this announcement is that infrastructure upgrades in other areas could increase the constituency for rail travel and make continuous future investment more of a guarantee than it has been over the past 3+ decades. However, I firmly believe that we should prove the ability for high speed rail to succeed in the US by demonstrating it in the Northeast while the rest of the country improves its infrastructure.
Here is the full article.
That is not to say that other areas of the country are not perhaps more desperately in need of transit funding. In particular, California is a huge potential market for high speed rail and really needs it to improve air quality and reduce sprawl. The silver lining in this announcement is that infrastructure upgrades in other areas could increase the constituency for rail travel and make continuous future investment more of a guarantee than it has been over the past 3+ decades. However, I firmly believe that we should prove the ability for high speed rail to succeed in the US by demonstrating it in the Northeast while the rest of the country improves its infrastructure.
Here is the full article.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thoughts on the Worcester Line
Since Intel is located equidistant between the Fitchburg/South Acton and Worcester lines, I sometimes forgo my normal commute and take the opportunity to commute into the city with a co-worker on the Worcester line. I have done this twice in the last couple of weeks and have come to the conclusion that the Fitchburg line is superior. Sure, we have issues with trains being late and often get held up waiting for the single track to open up through Waltham. However, the majority of our trips are spent traveling near top speed for commuter rail, around 60 mph so it feels like you're actually going somewhere.
Compare this to the Worcester line where, since they added 12 minutes of buffer into the schedule, the trains seem to crawl along through Framingham and much of Natick at perhaps 25 mph. It doesn't make much sense to me since the line is almost fully double tracked. I feel that if they were able to optimize the line so you're traveling at or near top speed the whole way, it would make the train an even more attractive option for those commuting from the western suburbs. Perhaps this will happen now that the state has bought the rights to the tracks from CSX. Only time will tell. Until then, I'll stick to my Fitchburg trains.
Compare this to the Worcester line where, since they added 12 minutes of buffer into the schedule, the trains seem to crawl along through Framingham and much of Natick at perhaps 25 mph. It doesn't make much sense to me since the line is almost fully double tracked. I feel that if they were able to optimize the line so you're traveling at or near top speed the whole way, it would make the train an even more attractive option for those commuting from the western suburbs. Perhaps this will happen now that the state has bought the rights to the tracks from CSX. Only time will tell. Until then, I'll stick to my Fitchburg trains.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Want to change the MBTA?
I think I've already told just about everyone who reads this blog about this, but figured I'd do what I can to publicize it anyway. TransitWorks, a non-profit that works to improve public transit, conducts a yearly survey of MBTA riders. Called the Transit Diary project, it gives riders a chance to give an assessment of each trip they take on the MBTA. This comprehensive data is then used to recommend changes. I signed up and I feel that it is one way to affect positive change at the MBTA. You can find out how to sign up on the TransitWorks website.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
MBTA Efficiency Opportunities
With the suspension of public hearings and withdrawal of the fare hike proposal for now, things have quieted down a bit on the MBTA front. The big news today is that Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi has been forced out and will not be taking over the reins of the new state transportation agency that will be formed this November.
That said, I think it's important to mention a couple of important service changes proposed during the fare hike saga. These changes would save money and improve service efficiency on the T, thus providing a better experience for a vast majority of T riders.
Service Change - Net Cost Savings
Close Low Ridership or Redundant Commuter Rail Stations - $650,000
Eliminate Redundant Green Line B Branch Surface Stations - $27,500
Eliminate Redundant Green Line C Branch Surface Stations - $27,500
Total Annual Cost Savings - $705,000
The reason I say this should be a no-brainer in terms of reform is because rail lines operate more efficiently when stations are better spaced. Everyone who rides the Green Line knows the B and C lines are bad because they have so many stops. Removing a couple of stops that are 1/4 of a mile or less away from other stops would decrease travel times while not really inconveniencing the vast majority of riders. The commuter rail is even more inefficient with too many stops. The trains are driven by large diesel engines and have so much weight that it takes a long time to slow them down. Ideally, the trains should reach their top speeds of 60-70 mph between stops. However, when stations are less than 2-3 miles apart, it becomes impossible to really get going. Taking the Fitchburg Line everyday, I see this when we have to stop at both Belmont and Waverly, which are only a mile apart. The train hardly pulls out of one station before it starts braking for the next. Waverly is recommended to close in this report, which I would fully support. It may inconvenience the few people who use the Waverly stop, but they could pretty easily switch to Belmont. These people would be better served by a convenient local bus system that could bring them to and from the commuter rail stations while keeping the train running quickly for the entire line.
Let's hope the MBTA can take small steps such as these to improve efficiency across all of its operations and provide better service at a lower cost for its riders.
That said, I think it's important to mention a couple of important service changes proposed during the fare hike saga. These changes would save money and improve service efficiency on the T, thus providing a better experience for a vast majority of T riders.
Service Change - Net Cost Savings
Close Low Ridership or Redundant Commuter Rail Stations - $650,000
Eliminate Redundant Green Line B Branch Surface Stations - $27,500
Eliminate Redundant Green Line C Branch Surface Stations - $27,500
Total Annual Cost Savings - $705,000
The reason I say this should be a no-brainer in terms of reform is because rail lines operate more efficiently when stations are better spaced. Everyone who rides the Green Line knows the B and C lines are bad because they have so many stops. Removing a couple of stops that are 1/4 of a mile or less away from other stops would decrease travel times while not really inconveniencing the vast majority of riders. The commuter rail is even more inefficient with too many stops. The trains are driven by large diesel engines and have so much weight that it takes a long time to slow them down. Ideally, the trains should reach their top speeds of 60-70 mph between stops. However, when stations are less than 2-3 miles apart, it becomes impossible to really get going. Taking the Fitchburg Line everyday, I see this when we have to stop at both Belmont and Waverly, which are only a mile apart. The train hardly pulls out of one station before it starts braking for the next. Waverly is recommended to close in this report, which I would fully support. It may inconvenience the few people who use the Waverly stop, but they could pretty easily switch to Belmont. These people would be better served by a convenient local bus system that could bring them to and from the commuter rail stations while keeping the train running quickly for the entire line.
Let's hope the MBTA can take small steps such as these to improve efficiency across all of its operations and provide better service at a lower cost for its riders.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Train Simulator
This came up in my news feed today and I felt I just had to share it. It is a train simulator that has been done on the major US transit networks. It shows each train trip as a white dot as it travels along each line simultaneously. At one point on the MBTA, there are over 110 trips in progress. It really makes for a cool demo. This comes from the MA EOT blog and shows the MBTA subways and you can follow links to the Commuter Rail or other transit networks.
ACES Train
This weekend I went down to Atlantic City to hang out and do some gambling. One of the nice things about AC is the ability to get there completely via mass transit. My roommate Jay and I took Bolt Bus to and from NYC and stayed in the city with my friend, Will. I had taken Bolt Bus once before and I must say that although the buses are newer and nicer than other Boston-NYC buses, the seats are not more comfortable. I was never able to find a particularly comfortable sleeping position, which was definitely unfortunate on the 4+ hour ride.
The highlight of transit for the weekend was the Atlantic City Express Service train, or ACES, operated by Amtrak between New York and AC. It was just rolled out this year and features four double decker cars with coach, first class, and even lounge seating available. The brand new cars are very comfortable, and as an added bonus, you're never more than one car away from the beverage station.
The train is scheduled to take two and a half hours and makes one stop in Newark. It takes an interesting route in that you leave NYC going southwest along the Northeast Corridor until you almost reach Philadelphia. Then you switch over to New Jersey transit track and go southeast to NYC (this also requires changing from electric to diesel engine). This was the first time I got to travel on the NEC south of New York and the ride was very smooth. I estimate the train topped out at about 80-90 mph. At one point on the way down we were passed easily by an Acela train probably going 125 mph. It would certainly be nice if all of the track between Boston and NYC were as smooth as that we rode over.
Our trip was not without its problems, mainly a 25 minute delay leaving New York on Friday. The trip cost us $29 each way. The bus is cheaper and without traffic can take about the same amount of time, but I would recommend the train for its comfort, access to drinks, and more or less guaranteed travel times.
The highlight of transit for the weekend was the Atlantic City Express Service train, or ACES, operated by Amtrak between New York and AC. It was just rolled out this year and features four double decker cars with coach, first class, and even lounge seating available. The brand new cars are very comfortable, and as an added bonus, you're never more than one car away from the beverage station.
The train is scheduled to take two and a half hours and makes one stop in Newark. It takes an interesting route in that you leave NYC going southwest along the Northeast Corridor until you almost reach Philadelphia. Then you switch over to New Jersey transit track and go southeast to NYC (this also requires changing from electric to diesel engine). This was the first time I got to travel on the NEC south of New York and the ride was very smooth. I estimate the train topped out at about 80-90 mph. At one point on the way down we were passed easily by an Acela train probably going 125 mph. It would certainly be nice if all of the track between Boston and NYC were as smooth as that we rode over.
Our trip was not without its problems, mainly a 25 minute delay leaving New York on Friday. The trip cost us $29 each way. The bus is cheaper and without traffic can take about the same amount of time, but I would recommend the train for its comfort, access to drinks, and more or less guaranteed travel times.
Friday, August 21, 2009
MBTA Fare Saga
As a loyal T rider and blogger on Boston transportation, you can imagine I have been following the recent series of events surrounding the proposed MBTA fare hikes and ultimate ouster of MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas. It has definitely been quite a wild ride and I had meant to get a few posts out urging action to halt a fare raise. The good news is that the fare hike has been delayed pending a full review of MBTA finances. The bad news is that the sorry state of affairs and structural budget problems the T faces may not be so easily overcome.
I certainly have conflicting opinions over a number of the things that have happened and I don't think it's right to jump to conclusions. It doesn't seem like Grabauskas was an especially daring or effective GM for the T over the last 4 years. That said, it seems ridiculous that Patrick and Aloisi felt the need to oust him 9 months before the end of his contract with a $300,000 plus buyout. In general, I think that Patrick brings a lot of good ideas to the table but his political abilities are more than suspect and he ends up angering a lot of people trying to get his way. I was in favor of his proposals to put tolls on 93 and raise the gas tax to help the T get out of its financial mess. It was good to see transportation reform get passed but I worry about the independence and prevalence of the T being upheld as part of a government office that includes roads and bridges. It seems like there is limitless political capital to protect cheap roads but almost none to implement a fully forward thinking comprehensive regional transit plan that places a premium on improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved mobility for all citizens.
This being said, it was one of my biggest fears that a large (20%) fare hike would be rushed through that would dramatically reduce people's ability or interest in riding public transit to get where they need to go. Unless the costs are kept on par or below driving costs, it's going to be hard to get the majority of residents out of their cars. The fare increase would have pushed my monthly pass to $254 from the current $223. That is a significant amount and I could save a lot of money by driving to and from work every day alone. I would probably still ride the train, but can we say that's true for most people? Clearly there are no easy choices and a lot of the MBTA system is underutilized and expensive to maintain, but can't we do more to improve access and affordability as a long term solution to our region's transit needs rather than quickly raising fares? I think there are a number of strategies that could further strengthen the public transit culture in Massachusetts and make it easier for residents to get around sustainably.
I certainly have conflicting opinions over a number of the things that have happened and I don't think it's right to jump to conclusions. It doesn't seem like Grabauskas was an especially daring or effective GM for the T over the last 4 years. That said, it seems ridiculous that Patrick and Aloisi felt the need to oust him 9 months before the end of his contract with a $300,000 plus buyout. In general, I think that Patrick brings a lot of good ideas to the table but his political abilities are more than suspect and he ends up angering a lot of people trying to get his way. I was in favor of his proposals to put tolls on 93 and raise the gas tax to help the T get out of its financial mess. It was good to see transportation reform get passed but I worry about the independence and prevalence of the T being upheld as part of a government office that includes roads and bridges. It seems like there is limitless political capital to protect cheap roads but almost none to implement a fully forward thinking comprehensive regional transit plan that places a premium on improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved mobility for all citizens.
This being said, it was one of my biggest fears that a large (20%) fare hike would be rushed through that would dramatically reduce people's ability or interest in riding public transit to get where they need to go. Unless the costs are kept on par or below driving costs, it's going to be hard to get the majority of residents out of their cars. The fare increase would have pushed my monthly pass to $254 from the current $223. That is a significant amount and I could save a lot of money by driving to and from work every day alone. I would probably still ride the train, but can we say that's true for most people? Clearly there are no easy choices and a lot of the MBTA system is underutilized and expensive to maintain, but can't we do more to improve access and affordability as a long term solution to our region's transit needs rather than quickly raising fares? I think there are a number of strategies that could further strengthen the public transit culture in Massachusetts and make it easier for residents to get around sustainably.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Weekend transit musings
I ran into a couple of frustrations this weekend in my goal to live a sustainable, transit oriented lifestyle. Sometimes I just have to realize that (at least in the US) the convenience of a car is, well..., convenient.
It started Friday. My car is in the shop and I was borrowing my friends car so I didn't want to drive it farther than the train. I was going to my friend's place in Lowell. Coming from Hudson, that's probably a 25 minute trip by car. However, I ended up taking the commuter rail all the way to North Station (53 mins) and then immediately got another train to Lowell (43 mins). I'm not saying it was unpleasant: I got to read, nap, and in general rest, but it would have been nicer and more effective to have driven. Obviously, it would be great if we had more than a spoke and wheel transit system. Think train lines paralleling the major north/south highways, but that is not likely to happen in my lifetime. It would be great if Boston could complete the long sought Urban Ring, nevermind a regional version.
Part 2 of my frustrations came today. I went up to Tewksbury for Father's Day. Since I usually don't have a car, I make the trip up to Wilmington on the Lowell line and my parents pick me up there. It works out pretty well. A Lowell line train travels in and out of the city on a two hour cadence on weekends. This isn't necessarily the most convenient approach if we're going to encourage off peak transit, but I digress. The real pain is getting from Davis to that train. I live about 3 miles from the West Medford station. There is a bus (route 94) that goes from Davis right past that station. However, it is apparent to me that the MBTA doesn't even try to sync up the running of the bus with the running of that train. It runs every hour and this morning I got to West Medford at 11:37 for my 12:11 train. Talk about time to kill. My other option is to spend 25-30 minutes taking the Red and Green lines to North Station, which isn't exactly appealing either. This is just a case where a more system level plan could potentially benefit riders.
It started Friday. My car is in the shop and I was borrowing my friends car so I didn't want to drive it farther than the train. I was going to my friend's place in Lowell. Coming from Hudson, that's probably a 25 minute trip by car. However, I ended up taking the commuter rail all the way to North Station (53 mins) and then immediately got another train to Lowell (43 mins). I'm not saying it was unpleasant: I got to read, nap, and in general rest, but it would have been nicer and more effective to have driven. Obviously, it would be great if we had more than a spoke and wheel transit system. Think train lines paralleling the major north/south highways, but that is not likely to happen in my lifetime. It would be great if Boston could complete the long sought Urban Ring, nevermind a regional version.
Part 2 of my frustrations came today. I went up to Tewksbury for Father's Day. Since I usually don't have a car, I make the trip up to Wilmington on the Lowell line and my parents pick me up there. It works out pretty well. A Lowell line train travels in and out of the city on a two hour cadence on weekends. This isn't necessarily the most convenient approach if we're going to encourage off peak transit, but I digress. The real pain is getting from Davis to that train. I live about 3 miles from the West Medford station. There is a bus (route 94) that goes from Davis right past that station. However, it is apparent to me that the MBTA doesn't even try to sync up the running of the bus with the running of that train. It runs every hour and this morning I got to West Medford at 11:37 for my 12:11 train. Talk about time to kill. My other option is to spend 25-30 minutes taking the Red and Green lines to North Station, which isn't exactly appealing either. This is just a case where a more system level plan could potentially benefit riders.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorial Day - A Good Weekend for Trains
I was able to get out and about this Memorial Day Weekend AND leave my car behind! I always feel more liberated knowing I can travel sustainably (and incrementally for free using my monthly pass) just about anywhere I want to go by making use of the MBTA system. In all, I saved at least 160 miles of driving this weekend by choosing to make all of my trips by train. First, I left my car in South Acton as I usually do. By making 2/3 of my commute by train, I save 20 miles each way. Next, to go visit my parents for the holiday, I rode the Lowell line up to Wilmington, a savings once again of about 20 miles each way. Finally, Ann and I went to Newburyport on Monday from North Station saving a round trip of over 80 miles. It was nice to not have to worry about fighting holiday traffic and to be able to make my morning train today instead of having to drive through rush hour out of Davis. As I'm sure I've mentioned, I just find the time on the train more relaxing; it's a good chance to get some reading done, you save wear and tear on your car, and of course it's nice to know you're using and supporting sustainable transit instead of causing more congestion and pollution for everyone.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Good News for High Speed Rail
In case you missed it, last week Obama and Biden came out with their plan for implementing high speed rail in the US. I am very excited by this proposal and feel that the US is far behind other developed countries in implementing inter city rail. Admittedly, our continent size geography and urban history make inter city rail less practical than most European countries or Japan, but I feel that there is already enough demand to utilize it in certain parts of the country and Obama's 'corridor' plan takes this into account.
It appears to me that the initial $8 billion will go towards improving existing infrastructure to let current generation trains run at their top speeds (around 110 mph). Normally, I would say this is a waste, but it only seems practical since we're so far behind and it will probably require an investment 10 times as large to implement a comprehensive high speed system. My only complaint is that I would prefer to see the focus made on a couple of high priority corridors instead of eleven. In particular, the Northeast Corridor (Boston to DC; I now I'm biased!), should be a model for the country due to its high density cities and relatively short distances. Getting the Acela up to 150 mph for the entire route could virtually eliminate air travel among several of the US' largest cities. I also think California needs a high speed line between the Bay Area and LA and their plan seems to be very well thought out and could accomodate train speeds up to 220 mph.
For more details go here (thanks to Sanjay for sending me the links originally).
It appears to me that the initial $8 billion will go towards improving existing infrastructure to let current generation trains run at their top speeds (around 110 mph). Normally, I would say this is a waste, but it only seems practical since we're so far behind and it will probably require an investment 10 times as large to implement a comprehensive high speed system. My only complaint is that I would prefer to see the focus made on a couple of high priority corridors instead of eleven. In particular, the Northeast Corridor (Boston to DC; I now I'm biased!), should be a model for the country due to its high density cities and relatively short distances. Getting the Acela up to 150 mph for the entire route could virtually eliminate air travel among several of the US' largest cities. I also think California needs a high speed line between the Bay Area and LA and their plan seems to be very well thought out and could accomodate train speeds up to 220 mph.
For more details go here (thanks to Sanjay for sending me the links originally).
Monday, March 30, 2009
Public comment and project info
A couple weeks ago, I was fortunate (I think) enough to attend my first public meeting for a major transportation project. The meeting in question was an information session about the Green Line Extension that was held at Somerville High School. The presentation was given by the Executive Office of Transportation, which is the state agency responsible for transit expansion projects. The Green Line Extension is the long overdue expansion of the light rail Green Line beyond Lechmere station into East Somerville and Medford. I thought the presentation was very well done and this is a project that will directly benefit a large number of currently underserved metro Boston residents while improving local and regional air quality. The tracks will follow the existing right of way of the Lowell and Fitchburg commuter rail lines and provide an additional seven stations to the Green Line in these communities.
It must be stated that I did not hear a single comment that was entirely negative about the project. Most every politician and resident that stood before the group commented on how happy they were this project would be getting done. (As a follow on to the Big Dig, the state is legally obligated to complete this project by 2014 in order to mitigate the environmental air quality effects of that highway expansion.) However, starting with the politicians, every person who spoke complained about the location of a maintenance facility in yard 8, adjacent to the Brickbottom station. It took a while to find out what about this they were against, but the basic argument was that this facility would hinder the economic development of this area for perpetuity. I don't want to discount legitimate concerns, but having driven through this neighborhood, it is currently an industrial area adjacent to a rail yard. Nowhere else in the project could a maintenance facility be housed and one is certainly required if this project is going to be successful. What amazed me most was the ridiculous analogies people (almost exclusively Brickbottom residents) would draw to show their opposition to this facility. One person said that "Developers don't like to build near three things: Nuclear power plants, chemical waste dumps, and maintenance facilities!" Another compared this project decision to the decision to send an elevated Interstate 93 through East Somerville.
I must say that I understand concern about a major project in your neighborhood. However, looking at the big picture, they can only be thankful for such a development. As I mentioned, this area is almost completely industrial and is one of the poorest parts of the city. Having access to reliable public transit will result in economic dividends on an order of magnitude greater than what will be lost by the location of a much needed maintenance facility.
Green Line Extension - www.mass.gov/greenlineextension
Other MBTA and Transit Documents
Capital Investment Program - 5 year plan outlining transportation needs and detailing planned investments. Interesting to skim through if you want to learn more about the financials of the MBTA
Program for Mass Transit - Long range plan for expanding and preserving transit infrastructure
Stimulus funded transit projects
Fitchburg Commuter Rail Improvement - Very near to my heart, this project would improve travel time and reliability on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail line primarily by improving the tracks to allow train speeds of up to 80 mph.
It must be stated that I did not hear a single comment that was entirely negative about the project. Most every politician and resident that stood before the group commented on how happy they were this project would be getting done. (As a follow on to the Big Dig, the state is legally obligated to complete this project by 2014 in order to mitigate the environmental air quality effects of that highway expansion.) However, starting with the politicians, every person who spoke complained about the location of a maintenance facility in yard 8, adjacent to the Brickbottom station. It took a while to find out what about this they were against, but the basic argument was that this facility would hinder the economic development of this area for perpetuity. I don't want to discount legitimate concerns, but having driven through this neighborhood, it is currently an industrial area adjacent to a rail yard. Nowhere else in the project could a maintenance facility be housed and one is certainly required if this project is going to be successful. What amazed me most was the ridiculous analogies people (almost exclusively Brickbottom residents) would draw to show their opposition to this facility. One person said that "Developers don't like to build near three things: Nuclear power plants, chemical waste dumps, and maintenance facilities!" Another compared this project decision to the decision to send an elevated Interstate 93 through East Somerville.
I must say that I understand concern about a major project in your neighborhood. However, looking at the big picture, they can only be thankful for such a development. As I mentioned, this area is almost completely industrial and is one of the poorest parts of the city. Having access to reliable public transit will result in economic dividends on an order of magnitude greater than what will be lost by the location of a much needed maintenance facility.
Green Line Extension - www.mass.gov/greenlineextension
Other MBTA and Transit Documents
Capital Investment Program - 5 year plan outlining transportation needs and detailing planned investments. Interesting to skim through if you want to learn more about the financials of the MBTA
Program for Mass Transit - Long range plan for expanding and preserving transit infrastructure
Stimulus funded transit projects
Fitchburg Commuter Rail Improvement - Very near to my heart, this project would improve travel time and reliability on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail line primarily by improving the tracks to allow train speeds of up to 80 mph.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tale of Two Forms of Transit
As you may remember from my earlier post, Friday evening was the first time I got to ride the Acela from Boston to New York's Penn Station. Overall, the ride was about what I expected. The train was clean and very comfortable, a bit of an upgrade over the Amtrak Regional trains I've ridden in the past. We literally flew from Boston to Providence, with houses and woods going by so fast it almost made you dizzy to look at them. After that it got dark so it was harder to tell, but we were moving disappointingly slow, especially when we had to crawl through Mystic and New London. All told the trip took the scheduled 3 hours and 37 minutes and we stepped off in the middle of the city. It was comfortable so I was able to read and get a little nap in. Here are a couple pictures of the train at South Station.On the way back Sunday, we rode the Bolt Bus, which is a new low-cost subsidiary of Greyhound that operates in the Northeast corridor. I wanted to take this bus as an upgrade over the other low cost carriers, namely MegaBus and the Chinatown carriers. It costs about $3-5 more than these other carriers and offers wifi. More importantly, the seats were definitely more comfortable and roomy than the buses I've taken in the past. My main issue with taking the bus is that even with relatively comfortable seats I still get car sick and can't relax as well because your life is basically in the hands of a driver you may or may not want to trust with your life. Fortunately our Bolt Bus driver, aka Ving Rhames with a goatee, wasn't trying to set the land speed record from NY to Boston like some Fung Wah drivers I've ridden with. However, he was maneuvering our 60 foot bus like a sports car through Manhattan and heavy interstate traffic. Let's just say my view of all of this from directly behind the driver did not do a lot to ease my mind. In any event we left New York at 5:30 and despite the heavy traffic, made it to Boston only 15 minutes after our scheduled 9:45 arrival time.
In case you're still reading, here are some Acela fun facts I learned from Extreme Trains (I may be the only person who has ever seen this show)
- each Acela engine is called a power car and generates 6000 horsepower (compared to 4000 for an average engine)
- although capable of speeds up to 200 mph, 150 mph is the highest speed attained by the Acela and occurs in southern MA and RI
- when going around curves at speeds greater than 60 mph, the cars tilt into the curve to cancel the effects of centripetal forces
- each Acela train set costs $25 million and there are only 20 in existence
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gas Tax & Transportation Reform
So I came across the website describing Governor Patrick's transportation reform plans. It's actually a well designed, informative website. I feel more confident that real steps will be taken to reform the agencies and not just glue them together into some huge inefficient mess. Also, all of the key rail projects are listed in there, including the Fitchburg Commuter Rail improvement project. As this is the line that I ride and sometimes struggle with every weekday, it would be great to see some real improvements. More details on their plans here.
Acela
So my girlfriend and I are going down to New York this weekend and we are going to be traveling in style: on the Acela Express. I'm excited because I'm a big fan of train travel and this is my first time on America's only high speed rail line. I must admit the 3 hour 37 minute travel time from Boston to New York is a little disappointing for a high speed train, but from what I've heard and read, it should be a very comfortable trip. I really hope that with the $8 billion of stimulus geared towards improving and expanding high speed rail in this country, we can make the simple improvements necessary to increase speeds and cut down travel times along the Northeast corridor. The Boston to Washington DC line has the potential to showcase the potential for true high speed rail in this country. In any event, I'll have to take some pictures and share my experience when we get back.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Gas Tax
So I haven't been doing a great job making posts here, but I'll try and do a better job going forward.
If you pay attention to MA news at all, by now you've probably heard about Governor Deval Patrick's proposed gas tax and statewide transportation reform. You can read an article summarizing it here. The proposal would raise the current gas tax by 19 cents per gallon, making the highest in the country. This additional revenue would be used to improve roads and bridges as well as expand the rails and other public transit. In addition, the transit agencies would all be brought under one roof, bringing further cost savings through efficiencies and reform.
I am optimistically in favor of this proposal. After all, I am comfortable calling myself an envrionmentalist and I strongly support efforts to incentivize sustainable, public transit oriented growth. I feel this is the best way to improve our quality of life and limit the effects of global warming and other pollution. However, do I think he went too far by giving us the highest gas tax in the country and indexing it to the cost of inflation? Probably. Will negotiations with the legislature bring this amount down? Hopefully.
Here's why. A gas tax in itself is not the best way to battle climate change or promote sustainable growth. It only affects one sector of our energy usage. Also, the people who will proportionately be affected most by it are precisely the people who can least afford it. Much of Massachusetts' poor live in areas poorly serviced by public transportation, not to mention small business owners who rely on their vehicles for their livelihood. A carbon cap and trade system would be much more effective at driving sustainable growth and could spread the costs more across society and efficiently towards the worst polluters. If we just need to generate the additional revenue (and we do!), I would propose a smaller inflation indexed gas tax hike combined with a broadening of the sales tax. There is a lot of room to close loopholes in the sales tax or even increase it by a percentage point or two. This would generate at least as steady a revenue source as a gas tax and would broaden the base of people paying into it.
Finally, I think the Patrick administration is missing another opportunity to make some serious transportation reform by ignoring the addition of new tolls on highways leading in and out of Boston. This would generate revenue from the drivers who actually benefit from the improved roadways and give people a more direct choice if they want to commute into the city. Since most of the MBTA commuter rail lines follow a major highway, people could either choose to pay the fare to ride the train and support public transit, or pay the toll to drive in on the highway. Obviously there would be costs associated with operating tolls, but they would certianly pay for themselves and then some. Also, carpool lanes should be expanded on 93 and 90, maybe even Rtes 1 and 2. The current system of lanes is a joke. Traveling into the city on 93 from the north you get maybe 3 miles of carpool lane that restrict you from getting off at certain exits. If we were to make one lane in each direction inside 128 carpool only, it would provide a real incentive for people to carpool. In addition, it might allow express buses to get you into the city faster than traveling alone, providing another incentive to leave your car at home.
I'm generally in favor of the Patrick administration's proposed gas tax, but I think more comprehensive reform is possible and would do more to achieve Deval's stated goals.
If you pay attention to MA news at all, by now you've probably heard about Governor Deval Patrick's proposed gas tax and statewide transportation reform. You can read an article summarizing it here. The proposal would raise the current gas tax by 19 cents per gallon, making the highest in the country. This additional revenue would be used to improve roads and bridges as well as expand the rails and other public transit. In addition, the transit agencies would all be brought under one roof, bringing further cost savings through efficiencies and reform.
I am optimistically in favor of this proposal. After all, I am comfortable calling myself an envrionmentalist and I strongly support efforts to incentivize sustainable, public transit oriented growth. I feel this is the best way to improve our quality of life and limit the effects of global warming and other pollution. However, do I think he went too far by giving us the highest gas tax in the country and indexing it to the cost of inflation? Probably. Will negotiations with the legislature bring this amount down? Hopefully.
Here's why. A gas tax in itself is not the best way to battle climate change or promote sustainable growth. It only affects one sector of our energy usage. Also, the people who will proportionately be affected most by it are precisely the people who can least afford it. Much of Massachusetts' poor live in areas poorly serviced by public transportation, not to mention small business owners who rely on their vehicles for their livelihood. A carbon cap and trade system would be much more effective at driving sustainable growth and could spread the costs more across society and efficiently towards the worst polluters. If we just need to generate the additional revenue (and we do!), I would propose a smaller inflation indexed gas tax hike combined with a broadening of the sales tax. There is a lot of room to close loopholes in the sales tax or even increase it by a percentage point or two. This would generate at least as steady a revenue source as a gas tax and would broaden the base of people paying into it.
Finally, I think the Patrick administration is missing another opportunity to make some serious transportation reform by ignoring the addition of new tolls on highways leading in and out of Boston. This would generate revenue from the drivers who actually benefit from the improved roadways and give people a more direct choice if they want to commute into the city. Since most of the MBTA commuter rail lines follow a major highway, people could either choose to pay the fare to ride the train and support public transit, or pay the toll to drive in on the highway. Obviously there would be costs associated with operating tolls, but they would certianly pay for themselves and then some. Also, carpool lanes should be expanded on 93 and 90, maybe even Rtes 1 and 2. The current system of lanes is a joke. Traveling into the city on 93 from the north you get maybe 3 miles of carpool lane that restrict you from getting off at certain exits. If we were to make one lane in each direction inside 128 carpool only, it would provide a real incentive for people to carpool. In addition, it might allow express buses to get you into the city faster than traveling alone, providing another incentive to leave your car at home.
I'm generally in favor of the Patrick administration's proposed gas tax, but I think more comprehensive reform is possible and would do more to achieve Deval's stated goals.
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