Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Transit

Traffic congestion on I-93 southbound in downtown Boston, pictured around 2 pm on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

Addressing the Climate Emergency Could Deliver A Big Payday to Transit

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 15, 2019

At a public workshop in Chelsea Tuesday evening, Massachusetts officials said that they are committed to improving air quality and funding better transit options, particularly in low-income and racially diverse communities, while they design a new “cap and invest” program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Twelve states and the District of […]

The MBTA's first new Orange Line train in over 30 years began serving riders on the morning of Wednesday, August 14, 2019. More trains are expected to enter service every few weeks until the entire fleet is replaced in 2022. Photo courtesy of the MBTA.

Fresh and Less Squeezed on the Orange Line

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 14, 2019

The MBTA’s first new Orange Line train in decades started carrying passengers this morning after months of delays, to positive reviews and some spontaneous applause from riders: I rode the new train for 1 stop at lunch and IT WAS GLORIOUS!! Smiles everywhere! Some people clapped once the shock was over. What hope! So ignore […]

An MBTA Route 73 bus travels along Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge during the "pilot" phase of bus priority measures in fall 2018. Photo courtesy of Ad Hoc Industries via BostonBRT.

Cambridge, Watertown Declare Success for Mount Auburn Bus Lanes

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 12, 2019

The “pilot” phase for the new Mount Auburn bus lanes in Cambridge and Watertown is over, and the two municipalities are making the new bus lanes and transit-priority traffic signals a permanent amenity for riders of the 71 and 73 MBTA’s “trackless trolley” bus routes. “Based on the results of the evaluation and the extensive […]

New MassDOT Congestion Study Offers Few New Solutions

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 8, 2019 | 1 Comment

An overdue MassDOT study of statewide traffic congestion confirms what many already knew: that crowded roads, buses and trains are pushing the Boston region's transportation system to a "tipping point" where travel times are highly unreliable.

An "under the hood" view of the MBTA's new battery-powered Silver Line bus vehicle. Courtesy of the MBTA.

Batteries, Or Overhead Wires? The Debate Over Zero-Emission Bus Technology

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 5, 2019 | 1 Comment

The MBTA this week celebrated the addition of its first purely battery-powered buses to its fleet, with five new Silver Line vehicles. But some transit advocates were less impressed, saying that instead of relying on unproven battery technology, the MBTA should expand its fleet of electric trolleybuses, which draw their power from overhead wires and […]

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority buses at the Springfield Union Station in July 2017. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Newflyer504, licensed under Creative Commons.

Beacon Hill Boosts Regional Transit Authorities, With a Catch

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 30, 2019 | 1 Comment

A new budget passed in the Massachusetts State House last week would increase funding for the state’s fifteen Regional Transit Authorities, which operate transit services for the millions of Bay State residents who live outside of the MBTA’s fixed-route service area in greater Boston. The fiscal year 2020 budget passed last week in the Massachusetts […]

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