The MBTA, Everyone's Favorite

I know, for a fact, that you have all heard about the service cuts threatened by the MBTA if they don't receive money help from the state. When things like this happen, everyone has an opinion too, usually based on their own interests, but not always. So here's my take on the whole situation, doing my best to talk about all aspects of the proposed cuts, not just those that directly effect me.

Now to toot my own horn for a second, not only do I read the news about the MBTA, I also frequent a forum dedicated to MBTA Operations. Members include frequent passengers, railfans, MBTA employees, and other railraod employees alike. So while the biased Herald and Globe write stories to sell papers, this forum discusses the reasons things are done a certain way. Now on to the bashing, (or applauding, in some cases) of the MBTA.

The MBTA plans to eliminated all (304) Customer Service Agents in all subway stations. I'm mostly for this move except that the one useful thing CSA's do is prevent fare evasion. Other than that, all these overpaid, under educated workers do is coddle dumb ass tourists who are too stupid to read a map or figure out the fare vending machines. If you can't figure out that the Museum of Fine Arts stop on the Green Line lets you off at the MFA or figure out a vending machine that has fewer choices than a soda machine, you probably shouldn't be wandering around the city alone anyways. Unfortunately for you, the T plans to get rid of these high school educated hand holders who make $19.10 per hour (source) in order to save $18.5 million a year.

Something the MBTA should eliminate, but didn't appear in their proposal, is train attendants. These are the 2nd employee that ride in the 4th car of Red and Orange line trains, for the sole purpose of opening the doors. Unfortunately, they are union workers and are quite safe in their $19.34/hr job. According to some employees on the forum, their job helps maintain safety on the train. However, they are not police officers and I feel fairly safe betting money that if I were getting mugged they would not leave their little cockpit to come save me. Besides, a union worker doing something not in their contract? Funny.

Other systems both in the US and abroad have proved that a single operator can safely handle a train. Even our own Blue Line uses a series of mirrors and cameras to allow the single operator to view the entire platform. Overseas, several transit systems even use automated trains, without any on board human operator. Why is Boston so behind the times?

The T plans on removing several stations from the B & C Green Line routes. All I have to say is about time. Yes BU gives a lot of money to the city, but they don't need so many Green Line stops that their students at BU East can piss on their students a BU central. In these areas, stops are literally only a block and a half apart. This leads to all the congestion in the Green Line central subway (Copley to Government Center) where all 4 lines converge and is the root cause of all the service irregularities on the Green Line. Fewer stations will require fewer trains for equal service, thus lightening the load on the central subway and increasing Green Line overall service.

The T plans to eliminate E trains on the Green Line during the weekends. Apparently, Northeastern doesn't give the city as much money as BU and will have to forgo subway service on the weekends. This idea is just absurd. The 2 largest weekend tourist attractions in the entire city are on the E (Prudential Center and Museum of Fine Arts). This alone makes the idea ludicrous, but don't forget the 2 colleges and numerous residents of Mission Hill and Jamaica Plains who have been getting shit on by the MBTA since they "suspended" Green Line service to Forest Hills 25 years ago. The proposal also plans to shorten the route even more, turning trains at Brigham Circle during the week. nothing say fuck you to residents of Jamaica Plains like a good old 25 year ass pounding. Not to mention the 39 bus will probably be one of the routes canceled as "redundant" as it parallels the entire E branch, or what's left.

The T plans to eliminate all commuter rail trains on weekends and after 7pm during the week. This is just nucking futs. I guess it's how they plan on dealing with the fact that tourists will be hard pressed to get to the Pru on the weekend...just don't let them in at all. On rare occasions I take the 7pm train home from work, and it's 7 double deckers are all full. Providence trains are quite full until 9-10pm every night (seeing as they connect 2 state capitals) and I'd imagine the other lines still have decent ridership until at least 8pm. 7pm is simply too early to stop service and all this will do is force so many commuters off the train for fear of working late and not getting home that ridership will tumble until the entire MBCR collapses.

In addition to all these cuts, the T plans a 50% cut in all off hour and all weekend service across all modes of transportation. Imagine waiting 2 hours for a bus, the MBTA plans to make it a reality for you. This proposal would cripple the city of Boston. Business would relocate outside the city so their employees would be able to get to work. Rush hour traffic would worsen exponentially as more people would drive into the city. Tourism would go out the window as the tourist would have no way to get here and no way to get around once they did. Crowds after games at Fenway and the Garden would turn riotous as they attempt to pack onto trains and buses for fear of waiting another 40 minutes for the next one. All these reasons, and specualtion from several insiders lead me to believe this is all just a scare tactic by the MBTA to force the city and state to help with their financial trouble or lose millions of their own from businesses and tourism. I hope I'm right.

The underlying problem for all this mess? Look in the mirror, it's you! People do something stupid and get hurt on a train or bus, what do they do? They sue and force the MBTA to spend huge amounts of money on insurance and in addition make America home of one of the most regulated railroad countries in the world. Disabled? Instead of using The Ride (an MBTA service specifically for elderly and disabled residents) they force the MBTA to spend billions on new equipment and installing and elevator in every subway station in Boston, regardless of surrounding landmarks like the Old South Church. I'm not saying the T wasn't mismanaged, because it certainly was and is, but society also needs to suck it the fuck up and walk the extra block to get to their subway stop.