Hey, there! Log in / Register
MassDOT officially announces North Station concourse closure
By roadman on Fri, 12/18/2015 - 11:50am
At:
http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/mbta-north-station-headhouse-to...
I like how they removed the phrase 'three year duration' and replaced it with "completion in December 2018". Technically the same information, but sounds like " we hope most people will gloss over it and not do the math".
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Announces...
Announces what?
Not sure why, but
the body of my story was omitted when I initally posted - I've since been able to correct that.
Stupid frickin' database problem
Apologies! I need to just bite the bullet and set up a fresh install and import all the contents into that, because this happens every so often (along with other issues).
Why isn't the title:MassDOT
Why isn't the title:
MassDOT officially announces the North Station concourse closure?
Why split it?
this is definitely a thing
that anybody should care about, ever
Force of habit
Tend to use short titles on other blogs I participate in due to length limits. But I agree that the original split was too much of a "teaser" format, so I've changed it.
A Covered Walkway Running All The Way Across Causeway Street?
Three Years of Chaos
First, I'm really not sure why it is necessary to close the head house for three years. Will construction be taking place at that far edge of the parcel for the entire time?
I notice that the blog says "covered ADA accessible walkways will be put in place for MBTA customers until the developer’s project is completed in December 2018" (hey, there's the three-year mention). What kind of walkways are these? The narrow ones you normally see at construction sites where it says "Post No Bills" and there are flyers all over the place anyway? Will these be ready and in-place on January 2, or just "sometime" during the construction?
How wide will these walkways be? The sidewalks can't handle the crowds at times as it is. Will there be extra Boston, Transit or State Police on hand at all times to assist pedestrians crossing Causeway Street? There will be tens of thousands of people crossing Causeway every day. Vehicles don't stop for pedestrians as it is in the non-signaled crosswalks.
I have a vision-impaired family member who takes the train down from Lowell monthly and needs to connect to the subway. I'm not 100 percent sure if all the crossing signals already in place are ADA compliant for the vision-impaired, although I think the new one in front of Tavern in the Square is. Will the driveway on the east side of the building be closed as well? If so, where will The Ride pick up passengers?
I hope there are answers that will be provided somewhere.
Suggest folks e-mail MassDOT
with these questions and issues:
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/ContactUs.aspx - has an "e-mail us" link.
Thanks, Roadman,
for the blog post and the e-mail link. If it's like the MBTA's, I'll get an immediate auto-response thanking me for taking the time to e-mail them. Then in a month I'll get another e-mail that says they're looking into it.
This link has a little more info, but is not easily found on the MBTA site: http://mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=6442455323
Don't know about
the Rail and Transit Division (which oversees the MBTA), but the Highway DIvision is usually very good about giving actual responses to Feedback e-mails in a timely manner (normally less than thirty days).
Use twitter
I get far faster replies (non canned) from @MassDOT and @MBTA
I just tweeted to @MassDOT today about something unrelated and got a reply within 5 minutes.
@MBTA is VERY quick. Faster than calling.
If you can manage to
condense everything GoSoxGo stated into 130 (or whatever the limit is now) characters and still expect MassDOT to actually understand it - by all means, have at it.
BTW, the MassDOT Twitter and the Feedback feeds go to the same people for review and distribution for replies.
Use an image
Use an image instead.. :) Unlimited amount of text.
You can
always try a DM, instead?
They don't care, that's why
They managed to keep the parking garage open during almost the entire time they were building the new apartment building next to North Station. It's kinda amazing -- the building is nothing but a steel shell, cranes are lifting things, etc yet you can still drive a car through the newly poured basement.
So there is absolutely no technical reason why they can't keep that entrance open in some form or another during most of the constructions. I'm sure it was just easier for the developer this way and the MBTA wasn't going to stick up for their riders or system.
It's just like with that
It's just like with that suspicious package on the Worcester line the other day. No one bats an eye at inconveniencing thousands of transit riders, but don't you dare inconvenience motorists!
Relax
We used to cross the street when the new N Station opened until the Garden headhouse was built and opened.
T "Severe" Weather Schedules
While reading the post about NS, I noticed that the T has, as of this past Monday, implemented new “severe” weather schedules.
Does anyone know whether the T has set forth any objective criteria for determining what is “severe” or whether it will just be determined subjectively? Are there any guidelines as to how far in advance this “severe” determination will be made (e.g., is it going to be like public school closures and advertised in the same manner)?
I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I seem to have missed this entirely. Please feel free to direct me elsewhere it this has already been discussed.
Thanks.
The SW (severe weather) trains
were snuck into the new winter schedules. Initially, there was notification about this from the MBTA - who kept stating that the new schedules had no changes.
And, no, you haven't missed anything. To date, there have been no details (official or otherwise) as to what the criteria for cancelling the SW trains will be.
From what I've been told off
From what I've been told off-the-record, the SW trains will only be canceled if most/all schools in the CR service area are cancelled; the plan is to announce these hours in advance.
Just curious
Why is this information considered to be sensitive enough to be given "off the record"? We're talking about train schedules here, not Watergate.
I hope that what you've been told is wrong...
because that is a pretty-damn-wimpy standard that implies on-time performance metrics are being placed ahead of, well, getting people to and from work.
Speaking of metrics, someone is going to have to keep tabs on the numbers of turnpike users on the days when the Worcester/Framingham line is put into SW mode (since the pike is the only local roadway for which we can get reliable user information thanks to the tolls).
[edit: if ALL schools in a particular CR service area are closed that's one thing, but if we're talking 51%, that's another. Also, this cannot possibly be applied consistently across the all lines, or even across individual lines. There are plenty of times when, for example, there is no snow in Boston, but it's dumping outside 128 or 495. I just cannot imagine how this is going to be implemented effectively.]
It'll be implemented in
It'll be implemented in whatever manner most benefits the MBTA/Keolis. The whole reason we have "severe weather" schedules is because, after last year's debacle, rather than risk looking bad because they haven't been able to fix their shit, they're taking a "don't even bother trying" attitude this year. Late trains make their stats look bad, a nonexistent train simply isn't factored into the calculations.
In theory, it's not about
In theory, it's not about looking bad. Last year they were totally unable to keep up with the schedules when there were weather-related slowdowns. So rather than leave people stranded for 2 hours because a train has been falling more and more behind all day (as happened to me plenty of times), they're trying a reduced schedule that they'll be able to stick to.
It remains to be seen if this works. It's certainly possible that the reduced trains will still be 2 hours late.
I suspect they'll implement
I suspect they'll implement the sw trains when they realize most of the staff has enough paid time off accumulated to not show up and there's noone to run the train anyhow.
Given the reliability of the trains, starting out with fewer probably means there's no backup train or crew either, so good luck getting to work within 6 hours.
This is improper, indefensible and inexplicable.
Ok, thanks.
This is improper, indefensible and inexplicable. I don't even ride the damned commuter rail (as of now) and even I am going to fire off a communication to the T and MassDOT.
Can you imagine the chaos that will ensue the first time someone decides that the weather is "severe" when most of the population does not think so?
More importantly
Most people still have to go to work even when local schools declare a snow day.
I also wonder if they've
I also wonder if they've prepared for the ripple effect this is going to cause. On the one hand, cancelling a train outright will make their late-train stats look better, because a cancelled train isn't "late." OTOH, the vast majority of those riders aren't going to just stay home that day: The ones who find out ahead of time that their train is cancelled are going to crowd the previous train; those who don't find out, or can't make that train, will be on the next train. So the CR will potentially have massively increased dwell times when the previous/next CR shows up and finds twice the number of people on the platform they expected. So every time they cancel a train, expect delays all around anyway.
This is just the MBTA creating an intentional clusterfuck as they writhe around trying to deal with the unintentional ones.
The SW trains were not "snuck
The SW trains were not "snuck" into the schedules with no notification. Every press release about them has mentioned the SW trains.
Here's an excerpt from the announcement that is on the T's homepage right this moment:
Emphasis is mine.
What more do you want, them to personally call you and inform you of the addition of SW trains?
Finally, as has been mentioned before, declaring several trains on the schedule as cancellable in severe weather is common practice elsewhere, and is actually a good thing as it gives you some idea of what to expect. Rather than standing out on a platform in 7-degree temps and 6 feet of snow, hoping your train doesn't get cancelled, when the T declares that there is Severe Weather, you can know which trains will and won't run ahead of time, and can plan accordingly - i.e. wait in comfort at home until the next train. Personally I prefer knowing which trains will be cancelled ahead of time.
I don't nec. disagree w designating which trains will be canc'd
With the understanding that you were replying to roadman and not me, do you disagree that the public should, to the maximum extent possible, at least be aware of how (and when!) the decision will be taken to cancel the SW trains? Clearly this cannot be done on a whim, right?
Yes, my comment is in reply
Yes, my comment is in reply to roadman. It's kind of hard to see sometimes how comments are threaded on this site though.
I agree that ideally the public should be given at least rough guidelines of when SW schedules will be implemented, but I think it's hard for them to give exact criteria. There could be any number of reasons they choose to implement the SW schedules, from blizzards to extreme cold to ice storms, or even non-winter weather events, like a hurricane. Basically the SW schedules are for when they need to run a more bare-bones service with a limited fleet of equipment.
Focusing just on winter storms, this may be necessary at a different amount of snow from storm-to-storm based on prior snowfall, temperature, type of snow, unrelated equipment issues, etc. They can't just say "all storms above 12" snowfall will trigger SW schedules" because 12" of fine powdery snow is different from 12" of heavy wet snow.
So honestly, yes, to the maximum extent possible the public should be informed as to when the SW schedules will be implemented, but I'm willing to bet this decision has to be much more play-it-by-ear than you'd think, and there aren't specific criteria, because these criteria might not be accurate for every storm and they don't want to over- or under-promise.
You are correct. My comment was based on
the initial alerts I got about the schedule change, which only stated "Departure times will not change" and made no mention of the SW trains.
And you have a point about knowing which trains will be cancelled in advance. However, the fact the T is unwilling to give even general criteria as to when people can expect the SW schedule to be implemented tells me that they have no real objective criteria and will make it up as they go.
My suggestion for general criteria:
Predicted snowfall less than X - normal service
Predicted snowfall more than X but less than Y - SW schedule may be implemented - check for further updates
Predicted snowfall more than Y - SW schedule will be implemented
If you ask me, it's not rocket science to do this - and will be useful for people to know.
Can someone explain what the
Can someone explain what the head house is?
The above-ground entrance.
The above-ground entrance.
Are you implying that this
Are you implying that this announcement counts as them finally announcing it? It's just the MassDOT blog, read by transportation junkies. This news has been a T alert for several weeks.
No, I chose to post this
because this announcement has far more detail than any of the T alerts I've seen on this matter.