News @ Northeastern reports on a new pedestrian bridge dropped into place (very, very carefully) over the Northeast Corridor and Orange Line train tracks over the weekend to connect the Fenway and Roxbury parts of the Northeastern campus. It took a week just to assemble the crane that would put the bridge in place.
The Huntington News reports a well meaning Northeastern student gave $60 to a guy at Ruggles who said he needed to get back to New Hampshire. Campus police caught up with him and escorted him off campus.
The MBTA reports "moderate" delays on the Orange Line due to the signal problems. Lauren Picone helps define "moderate" on the T:
It's taken me half an hour to go two stops on the Orange Line.
Boston police officers did nothing wrong when they arrested a teenager on gun charges near Ruggles station in 2015 because they had ample reason to suspect he'd been involved in a criminal act, the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled today. Read more.
Last month, workers quickly took down Samsung ads at South Station that basically called people in Mattapan phone thieves. Earlier today, Malia Lazu found a couple new Samsung ads also at South Station, that basically do the same thing, only this time swapping in Worcester and Ruggles. Read more.
State officials gathered at Ruggles station this morning to formally break ground on a $38-million project that will mean a new commuter-rail platform and a new lower busway and elevators. Read more.
Transit Police report arresting Ilirian Ziu, 50, of East Boston, on civil-rights and destruction-of-property charges for an incident on July 13 at the Ruggles station on the Orange Line.
Transit Police report they are looking for this man for an incident at Ruggles on the Orange Line, shortly after 6 p.m. yesterday. Police say the guy "targeted two females based on their perceived country of origin with verbal abuse" and, as long as he was at it, smashed a window on a passing outbound train. Read more.
Transit Police report they're looking for this guy for the unarmed robbery of a 62-year-old woman at Ruggles around 8:05 a.m. on June 27.
If he looks familiar, contact detectives at 617-222-1050 or send an anonymous text tip to 873873.
Sunday is no fun day when an outbound train dies at Ruggles, causing what the MBTA calls "minor" delays.
Transit Police report a woman was hit by an outbound Orange Line train at Ruggles around 12:30 p.m. Her death remains under investigation, but police say they do not suspect foul play.
Buses were called in to shuttle riders between Jackson Square and Back Bay as the investigation continued.
The MBTA today announced that a long planned upgrade to Ruggles station should get underway next year. In addition to a new 800-foot long commuter-rail platform that will let more trains stop at the station, the T is also planning an overhaul of the lower busway, replacement of four elevators and the addition of a fifth and expanded pedestrian canopies at either end of the station. Read more.
Around 8 a.m., Adam Kessel boarded an inbound Needham Line train only to find (again):
Bodies packed tight, including in vestibules between cars. Unsafe, uncomfortable. Illegal?
A few minutes later, he checked in from Ruggles:
Train just left Ruggles with dozens unable to deboard, trapped on train. No one around to hear shouts.
Around 2:40 p.m. by a train headed towards Forest Hills, the Huntington News reports.
Service in both directions was halted so Boston firefighters could recover his body and Transit Police could investigate the incident. The T swapped in shuttle buses between Jackson and Haymarket.
Hilary reports the line of trash cans put into service as rain catchers at Ruggles station today was even longer, but she just didn't have a wide-enough-angle lens to fit them all in, but, hey, at least they're not shutting the entire T down for 29 hours to inspect power cables like down in DC, right?
Robert Orthman watched a Dunkin' Donuts truck storrowed at the Ruggles busway this morning.
Transit Police report arresting Abdulkadir Abbas, 33, for allegedly punching out a window on an Orange Line train at Ruggles last night.
Police say Abbas punched the window around 10:15 p.m., then got on the train - where passengers promptly pointed him out to arriving officers.
Abbas is scheduled for arraignment today in Roxbury District Court on a charge of malicious destruction of property over $250 - police say it will cost $430 to replace the window.
How else to explain the apparent time dilation on the Orange Line this morning, in which the T is reporting only "minor delays" due to signal issues at Oak Grove. Or as Joe explains:
Aaaaaand to summarize, sat in my seat at 6:59 at Oak Grove, arrived Ruggles 7:58.
Federal, state and city officials gathered at Ruggles station this afternoon to announce a $20-mllion federal grant to build a second commuter rail platform at Ruggles - and fix the crumbling part of the existing platform.
Officials said the project will increase capacity in Ruggles just as Northeastern and other nearby landowners even further develop the area, bringing new jobs - and increased demand on commuter rail. "Roxbury is the location of the future," Sen. Ed Markey said.
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