Podcast 15 - Amateur Planner on BRT, the MBTA report, Allston ...

Ari Ofsevit, transit operations professional and the Amateur Planner (@ofsevit), joins us once again to discuss how Governor Baker's MBTA Commission Report (full pdf) used unfair comparisons and erroneous data to push a specific right-wing agenda, whether privatization makes any sense at all (and why certain people argue for it), and a vision to actually stabilize the T and improve transit in Boston.

We focus heavily on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), with "gold standard" BRT being advocated in a recent report by the Barr Foundation. We explore what better bus service could look like in the context of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea and other cities where it's needed.

A new neighborhood might be developing in Lower Allston over the next few years if the $250 million MassPike realignment project goes ahead. What would it look like? What should we learn from other "new" neighborhoods like the South Boston Waterfront? How can we build a true high-quality transit network for Allston? Ari has a plan for reducing the scale and cost of the new highway structure (part two) so that we can focus precious funds on transit and streetscape needs.

And the MBTA starts work on a winter resiliency plan. Have you been stuck on an Orange Line shuttle lately?

The Transit Matters Podcast is your source for transportation news, analysis, interviews and more. We focus on sustainable transportation planning, operations and policies in Boston and beyond. Transit Matters is a joint project of local transit advocates Marc Ebuña, Jeremy Mendelson and Josh Fairchild.

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