A week of MBTA Observations

[Scrabbleship]

I spent the week of the 4th of July up in the Boston area and in the light of my trying to canonize the MBTA for being so much better than WMATA for doing more while generating less, I have some perspective and contrast on how things are there vs. how they are in the DC area. To keep things somewhat fair, much of my time was spent on the North Shore (namely Lynn and Saugus) which aren't near subway(/trolley) lines.

   
• Bostonians who visit DC are in love with Metrorail because of the clean trains/padded seats/nice stations, typical tourist reasons. When you give them the real fares, especially during peak hours, they start to lose some of that love. In fact, when quoting the figure for the "cheapest" unlimited ride ($202 as of next month for the cheapest MARC TLC option), it makes them feel like they're getting a very good bargain.
• At least from where I was, there is a lot of redundancy in the MBTA territory in case something goes wrong. From where I was, there are bus options alongside Commuter Rail during the weekdays that are a one-seat ride to downtown Boston or bus options to subway lines. Down the road in Woburn, those customers have the choice of Commuter Rail, express bus, and local bus to subway lines. Closer in, during the weekdays express buses run from Riverside to downtown that are faster than the D branch of the Green Line. This would be great for WMATA to consider to both relieve Metrorail and to allow a cheaper alternative for riders rather than dump everyone onto Metrorail.
• The downside to this redundancy is that on the weekends most of it either doesn't run or is curtailed to the nearest subway terminal and even then they run at skeltal headways (the "-W" routes from Lynn/Salem/Marblehead to Wonderland run hourly). The express routes from Watertown are an exception as one of the many bones thrown for abandoning the A branch of the Green Line.
• The 0700's on the Blue Line need a good cleaning as the salt air is already discoloring the stainless steel. They're also falling victim to scratchitti and the fact they have hard seats doesn't help matters (the Green Line has padded inserts, the Red/Orange converted to plush inserts).
• It's hard to believe that the 01500/01600's on the Red Line are 5+ years older than the 1000's in DC but haven't been vilified as rolling death traps yet. In fact, I think most riders in Boston don't know and wouldn't care that they're 40 years old but look and act a lot younger. The only things those the 01800's have on them (and the 01700's) are the fourth door and the interior announcements.
• About that fourth door, 4-door cars would work great on WMATA if Metrorail wasn't still in its 70's "shuttle for government workers" mindset and the cut in seats didn't hurt farther out riders who are paying a ransom for their ride to work.
• MBTA has active vendors inside fare control at some stations (and right outside at others), but doesn't have any visible food/drink garbage or problems unlike the vehmently anti-food/drink WMATA. This could be its own post, but another thing that WMATA's 70's mindset prevents from happening.
• When Metrorail was being built, they should've explored the "Spanish Solution" (doors open both sides) for some key stations and they should've implemented at the two they could've done it at (National Airport and West Falls Church). It could've lessened crowding at some stations and could have divided entering traffic from transferring traffic. This works well at the MBTA stations that use it (Park Street for Red and Green E, Wellington and Sullivan Square outbound).
• A note for bus fans in Boston: Stay out of the suburbs on the weekends unless you like absolute boredom in the form of D40LF's. The RTS's and Neoplan AN440LF's are weekday-only. The interesting stuff is in Boston proper and confined to certain routes (39 for the non-Silver Line AN460LF's, 28 for the DE60LFR's, the 71/73/77A are trackless on Saturdays only, the C40LF's are hit or miss on the 1 and 66).
• My prediction of a post-Red Sox "Kenmore Krush" was right: Took 10 minutes to get from the entry to the fare gates but got right on a train as MBTA has a "load and go" policy heading inbound. There still are people who walk the half-mile or so down through the Fens to get to Northeastern University on the E branch or further to Ruggles to avoid the crowding. Such things make Navy Yard after a Strasburg start/any rare Red Sox or Yankees visit seem painless.
• Another post I could do: Do styling and paint scheme matter? Case in point: My girlfriend calling MBTA's D40LF's (without riding them) the "ugly bus" while being in love with Metrobus's LFA's and LFR's (which she has ridden). I'll let you guys being the judge of that.
• CharlieCard is much more flexible than SmarTrip (it holds passes and can pay for multiple people at once), but lacks the ability to pay for parking which is still done via cash and varies based on top of lot. However, MBTA doesn't have the outward hostility towards non-CharlieCard holders than WMATA has for non-Smartrip holders.

My conclusions: I still think MBTA's the better operated system vs. WMATA and things seem a little more fair to riders there. Given the enormous amount of debt they have, I'm amazed that their fares have always been historically low on the bus/subway end (subway didn't cross $1 until 2004, bus didn't cross $1 until 2007) and think that all but the day pass could use a hike and nobody would really be hurt. DC-area agencies could learn from their fare structure and redundancy plans. MBTA could learn from the DC-area agencies bus specs and countdown clocks (which would be great on all lines but would help on the Red and Green).

[WMATAGMOAGH]

WMATA's lack of redundancy to Metrorail has been pointed out on this board and also by the media at times.  It is a problem without an "easy" solution in my mind, because it is debatable as to whether or not paying to operate such services so they exist in emergencies justifies their existence.  And some "redundant" routes that WMATA has operated, such as the N7, have required high subsidies, express fares, and still don't seem to have enough ridership to be kept around (incidentally, the 11Y, 3Y, and 16Y all do fine from what I can tell). 

I don't think anyone thinks that Smartrip's having been lapped by the other smart card technologies is a good thing per se.  I'm not sure entirely why the planned Smartrip upgrades are years later than originally forecasted, or why you can't even buy a Smartrip at a station without parking (aside from Metro Center).

WMATA considered a 4 door design for the 7000s, I'm pretty sure.  Not sure why they rejected it.  Personally, I think the seating arrangement in the 6000s is a good compromise between needing to pack people in and making sure the suburban riders can have seats.

The 1000s are villified death traps because of the telescoping issues and the fact the media has harped on them because they were involved in two notable incidents (only one of which was a direct result of the 1000 Series cars being on the train involved, the NTSB has yet to report on the other but my guess is the primary cause will not be related to the 1000s being involved and I have my doubts about no loss of life occuring in the June 2009 crash if another train had been invovled at those speeds).

John would probably know if the Spanish Solution was even explored for Washington.  I agree it works well in the cities I~ve seen it used in (Madrid, Barcelona where it originates, Boston), and there is a reasonable chance I'll see how it performs in Sao Paulo when I'm there, but I'd also point out that it was abandoned in New York City, and the fact that most systems have NOT implemented it might mean it isn't so great.  For one thing, there is the potential to lose time at stations from needing to operate the doors on both sides of the train, and both sides can't be spotted for draggings simultaneously.  The point of the center platform at National Airport was to turn trains without blocking the main line, and to give yard access without blocking the mainline at WFC.  Those aren't really Spanish Solution stations.  I'm not sure how Blue Lines operated at the airport in terms of door operation back when that was a terminal, perhaps someone else does. 

Most tourists don't ride from Shady Grove to Smithsonian each time they take the Metro. I'm not surprised they don't realize how high the fares could go.  Compared to many other cities, for the trips tourists are most likely to make, WMATA's fares are comprable if not lower than those other places.

[Scrabbleship]

WMATA's lack of redundancy to Metrorail has been pointed out on this board and also by the media at times.  It is a problem without an "easy" solution in my mind, because it is debatable as to whether or not paying to operate such services so they exist in emergencies justifies their existence.  And some "redundant" routes that WMATA has operated, such as the N7, have required high subsidies, express fares, and still don't seem to have enough ridership to be kept around (incidentally, the 11Y, 3Y, and 16Y all do fine from what I can tell). 

The #Y routes work well because they're one-seat rides from areas not near Metro to downtown and they reduce crowding on the mainline routes that go to Metro. I currently take the 3Y to get to work a couple times a week and there actually is a time savings taking that to Farragut North vs. taking the 3A/B to Rosslyn, then getting on Metro, than transferring. Though a tame route in off-peak, the 3's often become a mess in rush hours and there can be lines up to 40 deep to board at Rosslyn in PM Rush.

I don't think anyone thinks that Smartrip's having been lapped by the other smart card technologies is a good thing per se.  I'm not sure entirely why the planned Smartrip upgrades are years later than originally forecasted, or why you can't even buy a Smartrip at a station without parking (aside from Metro Center).

A while back, GGW muckracked the Smartrip upgrade delays and found the text of the contract. Somehow Metro thought it'd be smart to not put any penalties for lateness in the contract. No penalties for lateness means six years of delays.

Buying most smart cards off-site, at least in the US, seems to be a hard task. One has to actually look hard or go to Downtown Crossing or North/South Stations to buy a Charlie Card (and good luck getting one anywhere on a Sunday, no non-machine MBTA sales on Sundays) and I couldn't find anywhere in PATCO to buy a Freedom Card. MARTA seems to be the exception but MARTA is an odd agency.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

London sells Oyster cards in each station.  Seeing as WMATA bought Smartrip vending machines, it is unclear to me why they can~t buy more and install them in the stations that don't have them.

[RailBus63]

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to Boston, but as a one-time daily commuter and long-time observer of the MBTA, I can tell you that the 'T' is just as screwed up in its own as WMATA is.  Neither system comes close to the operational discipline found on the New York City Transit system.

For starters, the MBTA system is still focused almost entirely on moving riders in and out of downtown Boston.  Minimal service is provided to the many suburban employment destinations around the city (I would love to see a system of shuttles from major rapid transit stations similar to what Bee Line operates in Westchester County, NY).  Crosstown services are few and are hampered by the typical two-lane roads found all over Boston and its immediate suburbs.  The two Harvard-Dudley routes (1 via Mass. Ave. and 66 via Allston) should be major relief valves for people who don't need to change trains in downtown to get from Boston to Cambridge, but both are plagued with delays and long running times.  The MBTA has engaged in half-hearted efforts to run the three 'CT' crosstown routes but these are still treated as stepchildren instead of full-fledged limited services, and the grand plan to establish a true crosstown transit service (the Urban Ring) is now stalled and may never be built.

Operational supervision of bus routes in general is lacking and will often result in a delay of 30 or 40 minutes being followed by three or four buses showing up at once – the next time I see a bus being short-turned in such a situation will be the first.  The new DE60LFR's on the 28 Mattapan-Ruggles route are a good start but the system could probably use another 100 artics for other overcrowded routes like the 22, 57, 77 and 111.  Maintenance is also poor at certain garages – Cabot garage received 175 NABI CNG buses in 2004 to operate all routes but needed an influx of New Flyer D40LF's in recent years just to make service.  Many MBTA buses are dinged up, with missing rub rails, marker lights broken off, tailgates that don't stay closed being common sights.  Seats rattle horribly even in the relatively new D40LF's.  Orange and Red Line trains are filthy and seem to never be washed properly – the white paint on these trains is brown now. 

None of this even gets into the massive and well-document shortfall in capital funding that has resulted in many important projects are going unfunded.  The debt accumulated during three decades of system expansion is out of control and is starving the system during the current tough fiscal times.  MBTA management has staved off the worst of the service cuts and fare increases for now, but it's only a matter of time before they will run out of money again and the state is in no shape to bail them out.  It doesn't look good.

But, hey, it's still a fun system to railfan and busfan, just like WMATA is for us out-of-towners.

[Scrabbleship]

as a one-time daily commuter and long-time observer of the MBTA, I can  tell you that the 'T' is just as screwed up in its own as WMATA is.   Neither system comes close to the operational discipline found on the  New York City Transit system.

I think that people expect different things from the MBTA vs WMATA. The MBTA's been screwed up since even before the modern MBTA came into being and people expect it to have issues. WMATA, being younger, more technologically complex, and having the "America's Subway" complex has a far higher image to live up to than a system than the MBTA. People are forgiving when congestion takes place in a 110 year old trolley tunnel. Congestion on a heavy rail line with an average age of 30 is a lot, lot less forgivable.

The two Harvard-Dudley routes (1 via Mass. Ave. and 66 via Allston)  should be major relief valves for people who don't need to change  trains in downtown to get from Boston to Cambridge, but both are  plagued with delays and long running times.

This could be applied to a plethora of relief valve Metrobus routes; anyone who has taken the E's or H's or has done the S's/70/F's/J's for long distances knows what I speak of. Of course, many of those routes go longer distances than routes of similar headways in the MBTA.

Don't forget about the 86 and its congestion problems between Resverior/Cleveland Circle and Sullivan Square.

The new DE60LFR's on the 28 Mattapan-Ruggles route are a good start but  the system could probably use another 100 artics for other overcrowded  routes like the 22, 57, 77 and 111.

The exact same thing has been said too many times about WMATA and how they have too few artics. WMATA could probably use at least double the amount they have now to make key routes all-artics, keep artics on the U8/R2 if the 60BRT's ever go on the X2, and introduce artics to other routes in need of them (F4, B30, 5A, 38B, etc.). With the Orion V's nearing retirement, a huge artic order to replace much of the 4200's would do wonders for Metrobus and schedule adjustments wouldn't need to happen since 40' high floor to 60' low-floor artic isn't much of a step-up.

None of this even gets into the massive and well-document shortfall in  capital funding that has resulted in many important projects are going  unfunded.  The debt accumulated during three decades of system  expansion is out of control and is starving the system during the  current tough fiscal times.  MBTA management has staved off the worst  of the service cuts and fare increases for now, but it's only a matter  of time before they will run out of money again and the state is in no  shape to bail them out.  It doesn't look good.

At least the state put some form of dedicated funding in place. Forward funding is better than no funding.

Besides, for all of the MBTA's debts and shortfalls and doom and gloom, their fares still are a bit too low and there are some odd inconsistencies that could stand to be fixed (express routes being nearly 3x of local, weekly pass being only $6 more than a day pass, etc.). I think the market could bear raising bus fares to $1.50 CharlieCard/$1.75 otherwise, rail fares to $2.00 CharlieCard/$2.25 otherwise and I think passes could be a bit higher to generate revenue. Compared to riders in DC, Boston riders get great bargains; remember that a MBTA monthly is less than a Metrobus weekly pass + a Metrorail weekly pass and Braintree/Riverside commuters pay 1/3 of what they'd do on WMATA.

Just as WMATA's fares are too high, MBTA's fares are too low.

[RailBus63]

I think that people expect different things from the MBTA vs WMATA. The MBTA's been screwed up since even before the modern MBTA came into being and people expect it to have issues. WMATA, being younger, more technologically complex, and having the "America's Subway" complex has a far higher image to live up to than a system than the MBTA. People are forgiving when congestion takes place in a 110 year old trolley tunnel. Congestion on a heavy rail line with an average age of 30 is a lot, lot less forgivable.

Not necessarily – I don't get the sense that Bostonians cut the MBTA any slack because they have an old system. 

At least the state put some form of dedicated funding in place. Forward funding is better than no funding.

The state legislature did the MBTA absolutely no favors by insisting that the MBTA pay off its huge debt load.  Forward funding would have been much more successful had the state assumed the debt (especially since the bulk of the money was spent on court-ordered mitigation required due to the Central Artery highway project, a.k.a. 'The Big Dig').   

Besides, for all of the MBTA's debts and shortfalls and doom and gloom, their fares still are a bit too low and there are some odd inconsistencies that could stand to be fixed (express routes being nearly 3x of local, weekly pass being only $6 more than a day pass, etc.). I think the market could bear raising bus fares to $1.50 CharlieCard/$1.75 otherwise, rail fares to $2.00 CharlieCard/$2.25 otherwise and I think passes could be a bit higher to generate revenue. Compared to riders in DC, Boston riders get great bargains; remember that a MBTA monthly is less than a Metrobus weekly pass + a Metrorail weekly pass and Braintree/Riverside commuters pay 1/3 of what they'd do on WMATA.

Just as WMATA's fares are too high, MBTA's fares are too low.

Agreed.  The MBTA still allows the belief to persist that bus fares should be lower than subway fares.  They finally got it partially right by allowing free bus-to-subway/subway-to-bus transfers for Charlie Card users  - they need to take the next step and establish a single common fare for a ride with free transfer privileges.  Unfortunately, the inner-city bus riders and their advocates will howl when and if the Authority attempts this and I have little faith the MBTA will be successful in achieving this.

Jim D.

[Scrabbleship]

Not necessarily – I don't get the sense that Bostonians cut the MBTA any slack because they have an old system.

I don't see there being modern Boston versions of such critical rider blogs/twitter feeds such as Unsuck DC Metro or POPT-DC (though the MBTA did have Bad(T)ransit years ago to be fair). I also see that riders are much more likely to grit their teeth and bear the MBTA sucking or having problems than those in DC. Maybe it's the fact that WMATA set a high standard or that the activist streak is a lot higher than in DC than in Boston, maybe it's because MassDOT at least gives the illusion of accountability whereas WMATA has none. I also think that the cost component of things matters, far more riders in DC pay per ride and pay out of pocket versus Boston.

The state legislature did the MBTA absolutely no favors by insisting that the MBTA pay off its huge debt load.  Forward funding would have been much more successful had the state assumed the debt (especially since the bulk of the money was spent on court-ordered mitigation required due to the Central Artery highway project, a.k.a. 'The Big Dig').

That was a sneaky and poor move by the Commonwealth and that there should've been some line drawn for things that were the Commonwealth's fault. The Commonwealth also should have put the MBTA's feet to the fire for the Blue Line to Charles and the Green Line's return to Arborway among other mitigation projects.   

Agreed.  The MBTA still allows the belief to persist that bus fares should be lower than subway fares.  They finally got it partially right by allowing free bus-to-subway/subway-to-bus transfers for Charlie Card users  - they need to take the next step and establish a single common fare for a ride with free transfer privileges.  Unfortunately, the inner-city bus riders and their advocates will howl when and if the Authority attempts this and I have little faith the MBTA will be successful in achieving this.

This seems to be a problem in any city with split fares. Is there any published proof about how many riders solely ride buses and never set foot on rail? This same problem is hamstringing WMATA as concern for the inner-city poor is fleecing suburban rail riders as it's assumed all suburban rail riders are upper middle class and get transit benefits. News flash: this is not true and it's hurting a middle class that can't afford to live in DC due to high rents but is being slowly soaked in high transit fares. Seeing Boston commuters, even quite a ways into MBCR territory, getting more for less makes living where I am look less and less desirable.

Save for the day pass, MBTA fares in general are too low. The single-ride fares could stand an increase, so could every pass outside of the day pass. This would give them much needed revenue. I know that if I were in Boston fares would be the last thing I complain about, everyone there gets a bargain.

[Perry]

How are suburban riders being fleeced?  They have the longest commutes, hence more resources have to be poured into providing service.  Just move out of DC already and spare everyone else...

[Scrabbleship]

How are suburban riders being fleeced?  They have the longest commutes, hence more resources have to be poured into providing service.  Just move out of DC already and spare everyone else...

Compared to other commuters of similar distances in other cities, I think DC suburban riders get the short end of the stick. If distance-based fares are so good and agencies are migrating to smart card-based systems, why have we heard nothing of other agencies going to a DC-based model if they're so hard up for money? Remember, when CharlieCard became active system-wide (which everyone saw as "the T wants to go to distance-based fares"), the farthest out commuters got a nice fare cut and this is from an agency in constant financial peril. Granted that the closer-in west-of-Kenmore riders got a hefty fare increase, but same idea.

I think the fares in both Boston and DC could be a little more fair to riders. I think that if Montgomery or Fairfax counties had an elected politician on the Metro board (a la Graham or Zimmerman), I think that things would be a little more even than they are now.

[Perry]

Per mile, it's more expensive to transport someone from far out.  If you have to travel 20 miles, why shouldn't you pay at least double what someone who is traveling 5?

Metrobus used to have zone bases fares, but dropped them.  There are times where those aren't a bad idea and I've even proposed doing something like that in Las Vegas at some point.

Do you think someone that takes Amtrak from DC to Boston should pay less than someone taking it to Baltimore? 

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Not necessarily – I don't get the sense that Bostonians cut the MBTA any slack because they have an old system. 

I havent set foot on an MBTA vehicle since the spring of 2005, but on previous rides, people have certainly complained plenty about delays, especially on the Green Line where a ride without lots of stops and starts in the tunnel and long station dwells seems to be the exception, not the rule, based on my experience.

[Scrabbleship]

Per mile, it's more expensive to transport someone from far out.  If you have to travel 20 miles, why shouldn't you pay at least double what someone who is traveling 5?

Metrobus used to have zone bases fares, but dropped them.  There are times where those aren't a bad idea and I've even proposed doing something like that in Las Vegas at some point.

If distance and zone-based fares are so good, why have so few cities adopted them? Beyond the Owings Mills/Braintree/Riverside examples, why should someone coming in from Far Rockaway to Midtown Manhattan pay the same $2.25 as someone who is going from Grand Central to Penn? Why should someone who is going from Rosemont to the Loop pay the same $2.25 as someone going a couple stops on the Loop? When I visit relatives in Atlanta, I often take the entire Red Line from Airport to North Springs and MARTA makes $2 off of me. Given their being chronically cash-strapped and seen as a burden by the rest of Georgia, why aren't they wanting to get more money off of me? DC seems to be in the minority in this mindset.

On another board, someone suggested that the Subway in New York should go to zone fares. That idea was shot down because it'd be a tax on the poor and middle-class who live in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx because the cost of housing is cheaper there versus in Manhattan. Quite the opposite mindset than the "everyone outside DC is rich" stereotype that exists with Metro.

Not necessarily – I don't get the sense that Bostonians cut the MBTA any slack because they have an old system. 

I havent set foot on an MBTA vehicle since the spring of 2005, but on previous rides, people have certainly complained plenty about delays, especially on the Green Line where a ride without lots of stops and starts in the tunnel and long station dwells seems to be the exception, not the rule, based on my experience.

I can never think of one time I've ever had a major Red Line delay in Boston and it wasn't a delay for me. Due to delays, a train I was on was offloaded at Davis so it could go back in service at Alewife.

The Green Line, due to that the Government Center-Copley trunk is handling 4 lines at once (3 between Copley and Kenmore), is a special case because it's both old and running trains a fraction of the size of other lines/systems. The same statements could be applied to the Subway-Surface in Philly to be honest as well.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

The Green Line, due to that the Government Center-Copley trunk is handling 4 lines at once (3 between Copley and Kenmore), is a special case because it's both old and running trains a fraction of the size of other lines/systems. The same statements could be applied to the Subway-Surface in Philly to be honest as well.

Special case?  Old?  These sound like excuses to me so you can make the point you want to make about WMATA and the MBTA.  I'm not buying this.  Why aren't you blaming the people who designed the Green Line tunnel for not knowing over 100 years ago that the trolleys would be overcrowded and prone to the same bunching delays that caused them to get moved underground in the first place?  Why didn't they know that high level boarding is superior to low level boarding?  Need I go on?

If distance and zone-based fares are so good, why have so few cities adopted them? Beyond the Owings Mills/Braintree/Riverside examples, why should someone coming in from Far Rockaway to Midtown Manhattan pay the same $2.25 as someone who is going from Grand Central to Penn? Why should someone who is going from Rosemont to the Loop pay the same $2.25 as someone going a couple stops on the Loop? When I visit relatives in Atlanta, I often take the entire Red Line from Airport to North Springs and MARTA makes $2 off of me. Given their being chronically cash-strapped and seen as a burden by the rest of Georgia, why aren't they wanting to get more money off of me? DC seems to be in the minority in this mindset.

Compare the distances from the stations you chose to the center of town in those cases, and then compare it to DC.  I think you'll find that the extreme ends of the line in DC are further from downtown than they are in most other cities.

[Perry]

Jason just wants a reason to constantly bash WMATA.  Yeah they are having problems right now, but he'd rather have a flat fare so things could be 'fair' and similar to other systems than do things that they should be doing.  When WMATA can carry 10 times the amount of passengers they do now, they can talk about a flat fare.

Last I checked, there was nobody forcing anyone to ride it...if you don't like the system, don't take it.