Commuter Rail, MBTA, Podcast, Planning Guest User Commuter Rail, MBTA, Podcast, Planning Guest User

Podcast 17 - Commuter Rail: filling the gaps in local and regional transit

We turn our attention to the MBTA Commuter Rail network and how it must be be part of the solution to many of our local and regional transportation challenges. Regional rail is a very important component of the transit network in terms of tackling street and highway congestion and, if designed well, can actually fill both local and regional travel needs. With the North South Rail Link, many suburban rail lines combine for frequent, high capacity transit service in the city's core.

Frequent service on the Fairmount Line can open major new opportunities for Boston's chronically underserved areas and represents a smart transit investment. Also, why we should ditch the traditional park-and-ride model in favor of building infill stations to add new options in already dense places, improving walk access to existing stations, increasing span and frequency, and other things that will increase ridership... and no more suburban rail extensions! But yes to intercity bus service and the new MassDOT Bus Plus program!

We finish with a discussion of how to handle the delayed Green Line Extension, and we even found time to rant about rail shutdowns, shuttle buses, the Government Center fiasco and the reality that changing ridership patterns mean we're making all kinds of trips on the T at all hours.

We turn our attention to the MBTA Commuter Rail network and how it must be be part of the solution to many of our local and regional transportation challenges. Regional rail is a very important component of the transit network in terms of tackling street and highway congestion and, if designed well, can actually fill both local and regional travel needs. With the North South Rail Link, many suburban rail lines combine for frequent, high capacity transit service in the city's core.

Frequent service on the Fairmount Line can open major new opportunities for Boston's chronically underserved areas and represents a smart transit investment. Also, why we should ditch the traditional park-and-ride model in favor of building infill stations to add new options in already dense places, improving walk access to existing stations, increasing span and frequency, and other things that will increase ridership... and no more suburban rail extensions! But yes to intercity bus service and the new MassDOT Bus Plus program!

We finish with a discussion of how to handle the delayed Green Line Extension, and we even found time to rant about rail shutdowns, shuttle buses, the Government Center fiasco and the reality that changing ridership patterns mean we're making all kinds of trips on the T at all hours.

The Transit Matters Podcast is your source for transportation news, analysis, interviews with transit advocates and more. By offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media, we can achieve a useful and effective transportation network.

Transit Matters. Subscribe or sign up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Follow and engage us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or email feedback@transitmatters.info. We always love to hearing from fellow transit riders, and we have some very exciting things in the works so stay tuned. 

Like this podcast? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified of new posts and episodes. 

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Funding, MBTA, MBTA Bus, MassDOT, Podcast Guest User Funding, MBTA, MBTA Bus, MassDOT, Podcast Guest User

Podcast 16 - Former MassDOT Secretary James Aloisi on the state of transit in Boston

Former MassDOT Secretary James Aloisi joins us to share his thoughts on the MBTA fiscal and management control board - how focusing on the bottom line distracts from improving and expanding our transit network - and how we can achieve a robust, efficient and egalitarian transportation system in an era of public sector austerity.

What reform could the T make to improve service? What does revenue mean and how do we get there? What can cities do? Can the private sector or “innovation” help us use real-time data more effectively to create a better regional transportation network? We review lessons from past political struggles, including the “four constituencies” of any project and challenges of trying to do things differently within structures designed to preserve the status quo. 

Former MassDOT Secretary James Aloisi joins us to share his thoughts on the MBTA fiscal and management control board - how focusing on the bottom line distracts from improving and expanding our transit network - and how we can achieve a robust, efficient and egalitarian transportation system in an era of public sector austerity.

What reform could the T make to improve service? What does revenue mean and how do we get there? What can cities do? Can the private sector or “innovation” help us use real-time data more effectively to create a better regional transportation network? We review lessons from past political struggles, including the “four constituencies” of any project and challenges of trying to do things differently within structures designed to preserve the status quo. 

James Aloisi remains a leading voice in local transportation politics. Follow him @JimAloisi and read his articles in CommonWealth Magazine to stay informed.

The Transit Matters Podcast is your source for transportation news, analysis, interviews with transit advocates and more. By offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media, we can achieve a useful and effective transportation network.

Transit Matters. Subscribe or sign up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Follow and engage us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or email feedback@transitmatters.info. We always love to hearing from fellow transit riders, and we have some very exciting things in the works so stay tuned. 

Like this podcast? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified of new posts and episodes. 

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MBTA Bus, MBTA, Podcast Guest User MBTA Bus, MBTA, Podcast Guest User

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

Ari Ofsevit, transit operations professional and the Amateur Planner, 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.

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.

Like this project? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the RSS feed (blog | podcast) or via iTunes to be notified of new posts and episodes.

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