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Response to Greater Boston BRT Study Group Report

2015-08-16T18:19:00.001-04:00

by Franklyn Salimbene

After a preliminary reading of the Greater Boston BRT Study Group 2015 Report on “bus rapid transit,” I have prepared the following comments on three of its assertions. They should raise several flags for long range transportation planners.

First - Capacity:

BRT is not capable of providing the level of capacity needed to increase transit ridership. Only rail can do so. It is misleading to affirm otherwise. A simple example taken from MBTA sources demonstrates the point. The Huntington Avenue Green Line service (the E-line) runs at 5-minute headways during rush hour. The line uses two-car trains with a total carrying capacity of 353 people per train. (MBTA Arborway Study, 1999) This means that during one-hour, the carrying capacity of the line is 4,236 people. If BRT were the transit mode along Huntington Avenue, a bus would have to arrive every 1¼ minutes to equal the carrying capacity of the Green Line. This is because each 60’ articulated bus has a maximum carrying capacity of only 88 passengers. (MBTA Arborway Study, 1999) If a BRT system running at 5-minute intervals were the operational mode on Huntington Avenue, the carrying capacity would total only 1,056 for BRT compared to the 4,236 rail.

Vehicle Mode	One-Hour Capacity at 5-Minute Headways
Light Rail/Streetcar	4,236
BRT	1,056

Relate these facts to a BRT system to Lynn instead of a Blue Line extension or BRT to Hyde Park in place of an Orange Line extension and you can see an even more stark result. BRT capacity cannot compete with rail capacity.

Second - Cost:

While short term construction costs for BRT can be lower than light rail or streetcar, long term operational costs for BRT will be much higher. In planning for the future, operational costs are key. From the previous discussion consider the costs in terms of transit driver salaries. Two-car trains that can carry 4,236 riders at 5-minutes intervals over a 60-minute time period require paying 24 drivers. To attain the same capacity per hour using BRT would require running 48 buses and paying 48 drivers to operate them. That’s twice the annual salaries to achieve the same capacity as light rail. BRT would result in a significant increase in long-term costs for the MBTA.

Another operational cost factor is vehicle life. The US Department of Transportation estimates the average life-span of a bus is 12 years before a major overhaul or retirement of the bus is required. It estimates the average life-span of a rail vehicle to be 25 years. Roughly speaking this means that a BRT system would have to buy 2.1 buses for every 1 streetcar during a 25-year period. To give an example, the MBTA purchased 192 Neoplan buses in 2004/2005. These buses are now under contract for a major overhaul—after only 10 years. In 1986, the MBTA purchased 50 Type 7 streetcars. These cars are now under contract to be overhauled—after 29 years of service. In practice, therefore, the life span of a BRT bus is only about 1/3 that of a streetcar. For this reason, BRT operational costs are significantly higher in the long-run than might otherwise appear at first blush. BRT is no long-term bargain.

Third - Routing of Service:

The Study Group proposal promotes the idea that running BRT through downtown locations is advantageous. See, for example, the proposal to run BRT from Haymarket to Dudley. In the 1890s, Boston built a subway system because it learned that running transit vehicles in downtown traffic was a bad transit choice. Speaking to this specific issue, Vuchan Vuchic , the UPS Foundation Professor of Transportation Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, in a letter to Mass DEP in 2001, wrote:

Extending buses into downtown would represent a major deterioration of transit service: instead of offering reliable and fast travel in fully controlled tunnels, independent of street traffic, transit service would become strongly affected by, as well as a major contributor to street traffic congestion.

This is a lesson Boston learned once; we should not have to relearn it.

Concluding Thoughts

During the last 10 to 15 years, many cities in the United States have decided to build or expand light rail and streetcar systems. BRT projects, which were the preferred choice of the Bush administration, have given way to the Obama administration’s conviction that the best investment for cities in the long run is light rail. Major light rail and streetcar projects are underway in Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Houston TX, Kansas City, Minneapolis MN, Phoenix AZ, Seattle WA, and Washington DC, to name a few. While there might be some short-term savings with BRT over light rail, there is no cheap solution for the long-term. Boston transit has lived hand to mouth for too long. BRT is not what it seems.

Finally, I noted that among those Study Group members invited to travel to Mexico City by the Barr Foundation, there was not one community activist who supports light rail while there was at least one traveler who is hostile to it. Neither Wig Zamore from Somerville, nor Bob Terrell from Roxbury, nor Michael Reiskind or Tobias Johnson from Jamaica Plain was included. I believe that their presence and insights would have raised the questions similar to what I raised above.

Franklyn P. Salimbene, Board Member
Arborway Committee for Public Transit, Inc.

E-Line Hyde Square Extension on BNN

2015-07-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

by Tobias Johnson

Our event at the Connolly Library on July 15 unveiled 4 concepts of what an E-line terminus in Hyde Square might look like.

The concepts really got people talking, including the local press. See video below featuring Arborway Committee board member Franklyn Salimbene discussing the initiative with Chris Lovett of BNN News. Aired July 27, 2015.

Rethinking Transit Meeting: Green Line To Hyde Square

2015-07-05T11:04:00.001-04:00

By Alan Smith

Join us at the event Rethinking Transit: Extending Green Line Service To Hyde Square to discuss the ongoing initiative to extend the Green Line to Hyde Square. Don't miss this important discussion!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015
7:00 PM
Connolly Library
433 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

At this event, we will facilitate a conversation among residents, business leaders and policy makers on urban transportation and specifically the benefits of streetcars in urban settings. Concepts for a Hyde Square Terminus will be unveiled and discussed. Scroll down for a sneak peek of one concept.

Guest speaker Josh Ostroff, from Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA.org), will join Srdjan Nedeljkovic, of the Arborway Committee to lead the discussion.

See below for more information on this initiative, which has been gaining momentum for the past year or more!

A Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) planning group circulated a final document of its plan for South Huntington Avenue entitled Framework for Future Development Review for the South Huntington Avenue Corridor in March of 2013, which included the Green Line Extension as a measure that needed to be considered in their recommendations.

On June 24, 2014, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council voted as a body 12-2 in favor of the motion: “The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council recommends support for the concept of bringing the Green Line Street car service to Hyde Square.”

Furthermore, various important institutions along the South Huntington Avenue corridor have written letters to public officials in support of the extension, including the Mount Pleasant Home, the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center, and the Sherrill House.

The image above depicts one possible option for a terminus of the E-line branch of the Green Line in Hyde Square. This option follows the complete streets model of planning allowing room for automobiles and cyclists as well as enhancing pedestrian accommodation within the intersection of South Huntington Ave. and Centre Street.

Click here for a more detailed rendering of the South Huntington Ave. concept.

Rethinking Transit: Extending Green Line Service To Hyde Square

2015-01-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

By Alan Smith

Cancelled for Tonight!
The Connolly Library is closed on January 28, 2015 due to the blizzard of 2015. Therefore, this event will be rescheduled. Please stay tuned for a rescheduled date.

Join us at the event Rethinking Transit: Extending Green Line Service To Hyde Square to discuss the ongoing initiative to extend the Green Line to Hyde Square.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015
7:00 PM
Connolly Library
433 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

At this event, we will facilitate a discussion among residents, business leaders and policy makers on urban transportation and specifically the benefits of streetcars in urban settings. Concepts for a Hyde Square Terminus will be unveiled and discussed. Don't miss this important discussion!

Guest speaker Stephanie Pollack, from the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, will join Srdjan Nedeljkovic, of the Arborway Committee to lead the discussion.

See below for more information on this initiative, which has been gaining momentum for the past year or more!

A Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) planning group circulated a final document of its plan for South Huntington Avenue entitled Framework for Future Development Review for the South Huntington Avenue Corridor in March of 2013, which included the Green Line Extension as a measure that needed to be considered in their recommendations.

On June 24, 2014, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council voted as a body 12-2 in favor of the motion: “The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council recommends support for the concept of bringing the Green Line Street car service to Hyde Square.”

Furthermore, various important institutions along the South Huntington Avenue corridor have written letters to public officials in support of the extension, including the Mount Pleasant Home, the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center, and the Sherrill House.

Local leaders in the Hispanic merchant and civic community have written to public officials expressing their support for this extension, including Nobel García, owner of El Oriental de Cuba, Damaris Pimentel, owner of Ultra Beauty Shop, Saúl Adiel Cifuentes, owner of Beauty Master Salon, Ruddy L. Castillo, owner of Centre Tailor Shop, Rafael Mejía, owner of Evelyn’s Market, and president of the Hyde Square Business Association, and Luis González, owner of Crystal Fruit.

Cancelled for Tonight!
The Connolly Library is closed on January 28, 2015 due to the blizzard of 2015. Therefore, this event will be rescheduled. Please stay tuned for a rescheduled date.

JPNC Public Service Committee Supports Green Line to Hyde Square

2014-05-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

by Tobias Johnson

On Tuesday May 6, 2014 at their regular monthly meeting, the Public Service Committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council took up the issue of extending the Green Line to Hyde Square and voted 5-2 to support the concept.

The meeting was chaired by Jeff Wiesner as the usual chair, Michael Reiskind, was absent. Seven members of the Committee were in attendance and three members of the Arborway Committee, including me, attended to add supporting commentary and answer questions.

The Hyde Square Extension presentation to the Committee was made by Franklyn Salimbene in a detailed and methodical fashion. After some Q/A and discussion by the members the Committee during which some objection to the topic was raised, such as the 39 bus is perfectly adequate and the issue reopens old wounds in the community, a motion was made and a vote taken.

The motion, which passed 5-2, read:

The Jamaica Plain Public Service Committee recommends that the full Council support the concept of bringing the Green Line streetcar service to Hyde Square.

This is a significant advance for the goal of extending the Green Line to Hyde Square. Letters of support for the concept have been pouring in recently and the issue is gaining traction both politically and hopefully the Walsh administration as well the MBTA are listening.

The full Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council will take up the issue during its June 24, 2014 meeting.

Good Week For Streetcar Press

2014-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

By Tobias Johnson

Within the past five days, streetcars have seen some good press in New York Times! The first of the stories, Business Section, covers the long-awaited opening of the new streetcar line in our nation's capital.

I had the opportunity to take some pictures of the completed track in DC back in August 2012. At that time, residents believed the opening of the line was imminent.

H Street track completed in 2012.

Apparently, the cars are still undergoing testing and the H Street line will commence operation this summer. The line is the first of eight planned which is seen as a "new generator of economic wealth that will more than pay for the... streetcar lines, eventually extending for 37 miles throughout the District of Columbia. District planners are projecting as much as $8 billion in new investment within 10 years of the lines’ completion."

In fact, I witnessed the massive construction of retail and residential units going up along the corridor firsthand. A Whole Foods is even planned for 2016! Sound familiar?

Interestingly enough, unlike the studies conducted in Boston around E-Line restoration in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which concluded that there would be no appreciable benefit to streetcar restoration (compared to bus service), studies of the H Street line, concluded just the opposite:

The “visible permanence” of the streetcar “can serve as a powerful attraction to private real estate investment,” the study added. These economic benefits, the study said, “would exceed the projected cost of creating the system by 600 percent to 1,000 percent.”

Wow! What a difference in projected outcome a few years, a few hundred miles an a whole lot of politics makes!

A few days later in the Art and Design Section of the Times, an article featured the imagining of a streetcar line connecting Brooklyn and Queens. Perhaps a little streetcar envy with DC? Again, the permanence of visible transit infrastructure is a major selling point.

...while Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to refine his agenda, including that promise of 200,000 units of affordable housing, he might consider a streetcar connecting Red Hook to Astoria.

Why a streetcar? Buses are a more obvious solution. Improved bus service is an easier sell, faster to get up and running, and cheaper up front. A bus would be ... fine.

But where’s the romance? A streetcar is a tangible, lasting commitment to urban change. It invites investment and becomes its own attraction. I’m not talking Ye Olde Trolley. This is transit for New Yorkers who can’t wait another half-century for the next subway station.

DC's streetcars with underground power c1960.

Note the lack of visible catenary in the final picture. DC's streetcars of that era were powered from below to meet the prohibition of overhead wires in the downtown region. If today's streetcars are going to connect the entire district, the ordinances and regulations will need to be reconciled.

South Huntington Ave. Institutions Support Green Line to Hyde Square

2014-04-19T10:54:00.000-04:00

by Tobias Johnson

Letters of support continue to arrive as the idea of extending the Green Line to Hyde Square gains visibility and traction.

The concept of a 0.6 mile extension from Heath Street along the length of the broad South Huntington Ave. to the dense, diverse and cultural hub which is Boston's Latin Quarter, Hyde Square, seems an easy one to buy into.

Recent institutional support along the South Huntington Ave. corridor includes the following. Click the links to read the full letter.

Letters are being addressed and written to the MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly A. Scott, MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey, City of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Representative Jeffery Sanchez and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Write your own letter of support today!

Mount Pleasant Home

Our support of extending the Green Line to Hyde Square and reducing the number of particulate emitting vehicles is an extension of our long standing commitment to a healthy neighborhood that includes our residents.

AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center

[MBTA] expanded services would benefit the neighborhood, business and the city, especially with pending construction that will bring some 1,000 more permanent residents to the area.

Sherrill House

Extending Green Line service would encourage new residents to leave their cars at home, and would make commuting by T a more viable option for those in the Hyde Square and and central Jamaica Plain area.

Hyde Square Business Leaders Support Green Line to Hyde Square

2014-03-31T09:23:00.000-04:00

by Tobias Johnson

A group of business leaders from Hyde Square sent a letter on March 15, 2014 to Mayor Walsh to urge him to support the extension of the E Line to Hyde Square.

Hyde Square Business Leaders call for
Green Line Extension to Hyde Square

View the full letter here.

Among other things, the letter asks that the Mayor

...actively support this logical and straightforward improvement in public transit which will enrich the lives of the residents along S. Huntington Avenue and Hyde Square, as well as incentivize and promote the commercial and cultural richness of our neighborhood.

Referencing “Boston's Latin Quarter” the business leaders also note that new development along South Huntington Street will see an influx of a 1000 or more new residents in coming years and the 39 bus “is incapable of adequately bearing this anticipated load.”

The signers of the letter include:

Nobel Garcia, owner Oriental de Cuba, 416 Centre St.
Damaris Pimentel, owner Ultra Beauty Shop, 401 Centre St.
Saul Adiel Cifuentes, owner Beauty Master Salon, 397 Centre St.
Ruddy Castillo, owner Centre Tailor Shop, 366 Centre St.
Rafael Mejia, owner Evelyn's Market, 298 Centre St.
Luis Gonzalez, owner Crystal Fruit, 278 Centre St.

MBTA to receive 25% of Transportation Plan Funding

2014-01-25T14:56:00.001-05:00

By Tobias Johnson

Earlier this month MassDOT unveiled its annual capital plan and while the budgeting for the next 5 years includes money for new Red, Orange and Green line train orders, the headline from our perspective might read: MBTA to receive 25% of Transportation Plan Funding. The real question is, where is the other 75% of the money going? Read the full Boston Globe article here.

Of course, the MBTA is but one part of MassDOT as a whole, and so more than 50% of the total funds are allocated to highways and roadways.

The plan hangs in the balance however, with an initiative to repeal the automatically increasing gas tax on the ballot in the fall. The gasoline tax underscores the stark policy differences between the urban eastern portion of the state and the less dense western portion of the state. The gas tax has always been a political hot potato.

It would appear, even in spite of the Governor's push to expand rail far afield from the urban core including Fall River, that planners at the MBTA are beginning to think of actually improving service in Boston including the Seaport. Looking long-term, greater use of diesel engines (DMUs) that can make more frequent stops on the Indigo line will fill in much needed service in existing poorly served areas.

See the new MBTA map projections of what service might be line in 2024.

The Transit Divide: Politics of Decline or Smart Investment?

2013-12-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

by Srdjan S. Nedeljkovic

In light of the recent piece examining the mounting opposition to Cincinnatti's streetcar project in the New York Times on Dec 23, I thought I'd share my opinion and some facts to support it.

It's always difficult for me to understand the arguments against these types of transportation investments.

Did you know that at the same time inertia and obstructionism is being threatened to kill their streetcar project, the fine folks in Cincinnati are also debating building a $1.4 billion transportation project for its eastern suburbs. Most of the cost is allocated to roadway enlargement and expansion (Rt 32/Rt 74 highway expansion). The folks in Cincinnati are also moving forward with a major expansion of their Rt 75 interstate highway, adding 4 lanes to it and building a new bridge across the Ohio River, at a cost of almost $4 billion. What gives?

None of these roadway projects will benefit the inner core of Cincinnati! None of these roadway expansions that are on the drawing board will encourage economic growth or improve the tax base in Cincinnati, which is now a townlet of only 296,000 people with a population density of 3810/sq mile, similar to that of Browning, Montana.

Cincinnati is half the size it was when many of the people engaged in this debate were born. Why do some want to encourage further disinvestment and collapse of their city?

Economists and urbanists have long argued that density plays a key role in innovation and economic growth. There are now about 476 cities in the world with more than 1 million people, and over 160 of those are in China. The question for Cincinnati is: Would we like to see growth and prosperity or will we sit by and watch further decline?

Just like in Boston, there is a battle between urban and anti-urban interests in Cincinnati. Do we spend $2.2 billion to construct the New Bedford rail project through miles of wetlands and forest with its $36 million/yr annual operating costs and $345/month commuter rail passes that is projected to service only about 4000 riders per day?

Or do we make investments in relatively low cost, smaller, but high impact urban projects like the Hyde Square extension that can help keep our city neighborhoods strong and vibrant?

It's a clear choice to me!

Hyde Square Extension Stands Up to Streetcar Expansion Criticism

2013-05-26T15:31:00.000-04:00

by Franklyn Salimbene

Let's take a look at how the criticisms of Eric Jaffe, in his piece for the Atlantic Cities titled The Case for Caution When It Comes to Building Streetcars, hold up against the proposal to connect Boston's Hyde Square to the E-line.

Jaffe raises several valid planning issues for operating an effective streetcar line. Fortunately, the extension of the E-line we propose to Hyde Square meets the cautions he raises for implementing an effective transit line. In fact, Jaffe is making our case stronger.

Critique 1 - Should be longer than 1.5 miles; clearly a short line along a walk-able route is an interesting amenity, but not very useful.

The E-line, of which the extension to Hyde Square would be the southern terminus, runs north to Lechmere in Cambridge and is over 5 miles long.

Critique 2 - Should operate on a frequent schedule; when open, the Atlanta streetcar service will operate every 15 minutes - who wants to wait when walking that short route is possible?

E-line service is every 6 minutes (rush hour); 8 minutes mid-day; 10 minutes evening. The fact that streetcars carry more riders than buses is a positive advantage when service is frequent.

Critique 3 - Should expand the city’s transit footprint.

The proposed Hyde Square extension does that by terminating the subway in a much denser more vibrant neighborhood, Hyde Square. The #39 bus does not currently achieve this.

Critique 4 - Should be feasible without federal transit funding; federal dollars will always nudge transit agencies toward a preferred transit project.

Really? What transportation project does not involve federal money of one type or another? This is true of every federal transit dollar spent including highway money and happened under Bush when federal dollars were encouraging BRT, but many of those projects, the Silver Line included, were BRT in name only—no separated right of way, no real structural physical presence on the street save for up-scaled bus shelters. It's the physical infrastructure that attracts riders.

Critique 5 - Must improve mobility and connectivity.

A Hyde Square extension of the E-line would be faster than the bus because of a separated right of way (Huntington Avenue), connect directly into the larger subway system (central subway), and go into the heart of downtown (not just the Back Bay).

Critique 6 - Must not lead to the loss of “affordability.”

Proper zoning that includes adequate below-market housing units should be part of a plan that accompanies streetcar lines; these units are included in the BRA’s proposal for South Huntington, and there is already a tremendous transit dependent and under-served population along the corridor.

Dueling Streetcar Cities

2013-05-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

by Tobias Johnson

As if right on cue, in the wake of the nomination of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Anthony Foxx for the position of Secretary of Transportation and the recent examination of Charlotte's successful streetcar line as a potential model for improving other urban cores, arguments emerge that the brakes need to be applied.

As a rebuttal to last week's Salon piece, Are Streetcars the Future of Public Transportation? by Jeff Turrentine, this week, in a piece for the Atlantic Cities, Eric Jaffe points out that streetcars are not the end-all-and-be-all of urban transportation, but rather only have potential benefit within the larger context of careful and well-considered urban planning. Of course, this is no great revelation to those familiar with what makes great urban spaces work.

Jaffe states:

Done right, as in Portland, streetcar lines can be parlayed into millions or even billions of dollars of economic development for a corridor. Well-planned routes can also expand a city's transit footprint into areas where subway or metro expansion wouldn't be financially feasible.

But Jaffe continues by citing line length, frequency, economic development, zoning and gentrification as variables and potential pitfalls when it comes to planning and implementing a successful project. Atlanta's new streetcar, set to open next spring, according to Jaffe is beset with precisely these problems and may not be the success planners and politicians hope.

In the end, Jaffe and Turrentine are not so far apart in their positions on the use of streetcars as part of an urban mobility system.

Turrentine:

Adding a streetcar line can’t, by itself, lead to $3.5 billion in dense development, attract desirable demographics, or curb a city’s carbon footprint any more than joining a gym – by itself – can get an unhealthy person in prime physical shape.

Jaffe:

Ultimately these concerns must be addressed one city at a time. For some places, in some corridors, with proper planning, streetcars might inspire that perfect blend of development and mobility and community.

After all, both can both agree on the success of Portland and both are nuanced enough in their analysis to acknowledge that urban transportation systems are complex and additions and modifications need to be well considered even while Turrentine appears more positive and Jaffe more circumspect.

Obama's Nomination for Transportation Secretary Understands Streetcars

2013-05-21T13:04:00.000-04:00

by Franklyn Salimbene

Occasioned by President Obama nominating Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Anthony Foxx to head the U.S. Department of Transportation, streetcars once again are garnering lots of well-deserved attention, especially since Charlotte's line smashed all ridership projections hitting its 7-10 year target of 12,000 riders in the first 45 days.

In a Salon piece this week, Jeff Turrentine raises the question: Are Streetcars the Future of Public Transportation? His answer makes a strong case that indeed they are “part” of the future.

From the piece:

Right now the list of cities looking to introduce new streetcar lines or extend existing ones reads like a back-of-the-envelope tally by members of the NBA’s expansion-team task force, circa 1978: in addition to Charlotte, there’s Dallas, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Fort Lauderdale, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Tucson, among others.

While Turrentine recognizes that buses might be cheaper and have a place, he also correctly points out that streetcars have a certain leverage that buses totally lack—a “unique attractiveness to get people out of their homes and into stores, restaurants, cafes…” and more importantly, out of their cars.

In the end streetcars are part of the public transit solution for the urban core. As cycling and walking, two very old ways to get around, have been re-emphasized as part of the 21st Century’s contribution to urban transportation, so to have streetcars become part of that re-emphasis.

Speaking of Portland and the neighborhoods served by streetcar Turrentine cites the carbon-saving benifit:

...residents of these neighborhoods can boast a per-household carbon footprint up to 65 percent lower than the ones taken up by their suburban counterparts; likewise, employers who set up shop along the streetcar “corridor” can claim a footprint up to 45 percent lower.

Cities need as much help as they can get to reduce reliance on automobiles. Turrentine is right—streetcars are part of the solution.

South Huntington Ave. BRA Framework - Our Review

2013-04-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

by Srdjan S. Nedeljkovic

Last week the BRA released its draft guidelines for the South Huntington Ave. corridor. The Framework for Future Development, as they are calling it, includes the E-line extension to Hyde Square in the plan but only as a "longer term" improvement (page 35), which is defined as being more than 8 years (page 43). Most importantly, the Hyde Square extension was placed in the category of an "action item not contingent upon new development review" (page 46).

Extending the E-line to Hyde Square should be a short-term priority (short term, implemented by 2017). Any new development review should be made contingent on there being improved transportation resources in the corridor. Such a review would conclude that the E-line extension to be the most cost-effective choice.

If we expect to promote new high quality development in the corridor (and this is already coming), it must be accompanied by high quality and cost-effective transportation investments.

Please read the Arborway Committee's Review of the BRA Framework to see how the Hyde Square extension is consistent with the goals of the BRA Framework process thus far.

Misleading Hyde Square Cost Figures

2013-03-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

by Srdjan Nedeljkovic

In the most recent issue of the Jamaica Plain Gazette reporter Ryan Deto paraphrases BRA Transportation Manager Jim Fitzgerald as saying that an extension of the E-Line to Hyde Square would cost a billion dollars and take a decade to implement. Full story here.

Wow, that's a ton of money for less than a mile of new track and catenary! Perhaps Deto heard "billion" when Fitzgerald said "million." Or, given the credibility of the BRA and Deto as a reporter, it's more likely that Fitzgerald just has his figures all wrong.

Perhaps Mr. Fitzgerald just has this 0.7 mile project confused with the 80 mile rail extension to Fall River, which will cost in excess of $1 billion. Recall that reconstructing the tracks from Brigham Circle to South Huntington cost $3.5 million in 2006 and that the Hyde Square extension is just twice that distance. Add in the costs of the electrical system, and we're looking at a cost of under $20 million, which is consistent with the costs of recent streetcar projects in other cities that are being done at $20-$30 million per mile.

The Tucson streetcar, which runs a distance of 3.9 miles, includes a bridge and a maintenance facility, as well as 8 new streetcars at $3.6 million each, is programmed to cost $196 million.

This kind of talk of reminds me of this off-the-cuff cost estimate that can cause lots of misinformation. When the governor expressed his displeasure at the idea of burying utilities to prevent incessant power outages, he plucked a figure out of the air ($1 trillion, or about 8% of the national GDP) and said it would be impossible.

Yet we are led to believe we should support a 20% increase in our state income tax to facilitate rail lines from the Berkshires to the Connecticut border at a cost of $114 million for just the Massachusetts portion. Eventually the Berkshire train will run to New York City, but only if Connecticut comes up with the funds for it to go through their state. And if you believe in the "research," the line to New York will carry 2 million trips per year, or about 5480 one way passengers per day, mostly 'students, second homeowners, and visitors from New York City.'

As John Deacon, the late MA Sierra Club Transportation Chair, was fond of saying, it looks like the officials are once again trying to "cook the books" to meet their political will in deciding which projects to support.

Next Stop Hyde Square!

2013-03-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

by Alan Smith

Join the Arborway Committee as we work to improve Jamaica Plain by supporting the extension of the E-Line from its arbitrary end at Heath street, to the rich cultural and business nexus that is Hyde Square!

Come to our launch event featuring Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation!

Next Stop Hyde Square!
A Film and Panel

Thursday April 4, 7:00 PM
Connolly Branch Library Auditorium
433 Centre Street, JP

Click for larger image

This initiative makes sense, especially in view of the comprehensive redevelopment process now under way in the .7 mile stretch of the South Huntington Ave. corridor. Follow that BRA process here.

Nearly 400 more units are planned for this area, an influx of residents that far outstrips the transportation options currently available.

The Arborway Committee strongly endorses this extension, and will present its position at our launch event on April 4, 2013 at the Connolly Library.

Join Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation along with local Jamaica Plain leaders Michael Reiskind and Damaris Pimentel in a panel discussion after the screening.

Portland: A Sense of Place is an acclaimed documentary that chronicles the recent social and economic transformation of Portland OR, thanks to promotion of public transit, including the development of a vitally important streetcar system.

For more information on this important step to improve public transportation to our neighborhood, and to find out what you can do, click here to visit our web site and signup for our newsletter.

New Housing Developments Drive Look at E-Line Extension in JP

2013-03-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

by Tobias Johnson

The Banker and Tradesman reported yesterday that the BRA would push the MBTA to extend the E-Line branch of the Green Line farther down South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain to support more than 400 new housing units along that nearly mile-long corridor.

Extending the Green Line is one of a laundry list of improvements the city agency is considering as part of a comprehensive study to create guidelines for future real estate development along the South Huntington Avenue corridor that connects Huntington Avenue to Perkins Street

It’s well known that the area is under-served by transit with the Rt. 39 bus at crush capacity most of the time while mired in traffic and the existing Heath Street terminus of the E-Line under continual threat of abandonment by the MBTA. In fact, in July of 2012 Green Line travel on the E-Line was suspended on the weekends beyond the Brigham Circle stop only to be reinstated temporarily late in 2012 when controversy over the proposed mega-developments at 161 and 105A South Huntington Ave. heated up.

Meanwhile, the VA is building a new expanded parking garage, and the many other institutions along the corridor have all expanded their parking facilities in recent years. More than 400 units of housing are planned for the area at a parking ratio less than 1 space per unit, half the City's zoning requirement. Those ratios are known as Transit Oriented Development (TOD) ratios and are predicated on proximity to quality transit. The BRA had better push for some improved transit options!

A more logical and beneficial terminus of the E-Line would be the vibrant neighborhood of Hyde Square, which is great urban destination. For more information on this topic, see our website.

Notes on the MBTA Green Line Operations Meeting January 17, 2013

2013-01-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

By Srdjan Nedeljkovic

Meeting organized by Representative Marty Walz (Boston) and Senator Brownsberger (Belmont)

MBTA representatives: Joe Cosgrove (director of development), Sean McCarthy (head, MBTA control center), Bill McClellan (superintendent operations), Jeff Gonneville (chief mechanical officer), Melissa Dullea (director of planning and schedules), Marie Trottier (chief accessibility officer), Mike Turcotte (manager engineering and maintenance), John Davis (chief financial officer). DOT: Secretary Rich Davey

Presentation by Joe Cosgrove:
MBTA operating budget $1.7 billion per year, capital budget is $4 billion (about 50% support by federal funds).

There are 205 Green line cars, 110 are Kinki Sharyo (1987, 1997) and 95 Breda cars (2007). Due to repairs, etc, there are 155 cars available. In early AM peak, 146 cars are used. There is no ATO (automatic transit operation) system in place.

The T carried 400 million passenger trips in 2012, with a typical weekday ridership of 1.3 million (Red line 252K, Green line 226K, Mattapan 5K, Silver line 30K, Bus 358K, Private 3K, Commuter rail 130K, Ferry 5K, the Ride 8K, Blue line 59K, Orange line 193K)

Historical overview: Boston first city with trolleys in 1889, in 1896 constructed subway which opened in 1897. Now Green line has 226K daily riders, busiest light rail system in country, 66 stations, 205 cars. The surface Green line has 4 branches, 53 stations (21 accessible), on board fare collection.

Accessibility plan: Government Center is planned for 2013 at $62 million. Elevator systems have been put in place at Park Street , Arlington, Copley, and Science Park. Budget for accessibility has been $200 million.

At capacity, trains run every 30 seconds in Central Subway, 13 stations (of which 9 are accessible). There are 8 three-car trains in the morning and 8 in the evening. The 3-car trains run only on the B line and the D line. Each train can hold up to 220 people. When all trains are running, there is a strain on the overall power system. The signals are from the 1920’s. Both the power system and the signal system needs to be upgraded.

Expansion to Somerville: the Union Square loop will open in 2018, the College Avenue extension will open by 2020. Will have 6 stations. Cost is $1.3 billion (expect 50% from federal New Starts funding). This includes 24 new vehicles and a new maintenance facility.

Green line tracking system planned for 2015, combination GPS and transponder system, $15 million.
Current spending: $470 million annually to maintain “state of good repair.” All expansion money comes from either state of federal budget (not MBTA budget currently).

Governor’s new tax plan: would raise $13 billion over 10 years, of which $8 billion would be for repair and $5 billion for capacity expansion. The goal is to triple non-auto mode share from 1.3 million annual trips to 2.2 million annual trips.

Currently there is no transit prioritization system at street level. This is a priority. The T operators use an auto block system, like a traffic light, to space out trains. The new plans also call for power system upgrades, $750 million for new cars (200 cars) so there can be more 3 car trains.

Comments from audience:
1. Rich Pair, A Better City. No major comments. Supports real time signaling.

2. Citizen. Supports signal priority for trains over cars when crossing streets.

3. Robert Solomon, Newton Highlands. Supports ADA accessible Newton Highlands station.

4. Matt. Upset that B line takes 90 minutes round trip, costs $220 per hour to operate a vehicle. Signal priority would improve service and decrease operating costs. Supports on board payment with all doors opening at stations. Supports proof of payment. Consider eliminating some stations to increase speed.

5. Alan Smith, Arborway Committee. Supports extension of E line to Hyde Square, 7/10 of a mile for less than $10 million, as new development is planned (400 housing units).

6. Citizen. Opposed to “express” trains that dump people at stations before their intended stop.

7. Citizen. Upset at slow speed of service. Advocates for signal timing priority, 3 car trains, stop consolidation, new boarding process, new signal system to keep trains from bunching.

8. Citizen. Upset at service in East Cambridge, too few trains, only use E line, 25 minute headways. Anticipates improvements when extension to Somerville starts.

9. Citizen. Upset at poor accessibility at Symphony station. Would cost $20 million. Also, Hynes is one of 4 stations that is not yet accessible, along with Government Center, Boylston. New tax plan would take $3 billion of burden off the MBTA budget and would allow MBTA to program funds to make all stations accessible.

10. Citizen. Advocates for B line express trains to Packards Corner. Also wants to improve pedestrian crossing near Boston University.

11. Citizen. Advocates for express trains Park Street to Kenmore during Red Sox games.

12. Citizen: Advocates for signal priority for buses as well as trains. Also advocates for Blue-Red connector, all-door entry system with validators at each door, and stresses importance of counting all ridership.

13. Abigail Fourey, Brighton. Wants fast, frequent service. Trains now go every 88 seconds at peak times in central subway. Advocates for turn around at Kenmore.

14. Citizen. Advocates for express trains on B line during rush hour, to reduce headway to 5 minutes.

15. Myron Miller, Back Bay. Advocates for Urban Ring and Blue-Red connector to offload volume on Green line.

16. Citizen, Brookline. Comments on crowbar use to route trains at Cleveland Circle. New track sensor system will be put in place.

17. Eric, Northeastern. Advocates for tracking trains in real time and for signs to do that.

18. John Kyper, Sierra Club. Advocates for second subway track in central area, Blue Red connector, reopen Arlington entrance to Berkeley Street, and cross-over at Government Center.

19. Tom Yardley, Longwood Masco. Represents 24 institutions, 45K employees, 44% dependent on MBTA. Advocates for improvements in central subway capacity, LMA needs improvements in D and E line and central subway.

20. Citizen, Brookline. Concerned about boarding of E line on Huntington Street in traffic.

21. Bradley Clark, Boston Street Railway group. Advocates for 3 car trains and improved power supply.

22. Peter Nagy, Brighton. Advocates for more one-car trains when ridership low late at night.

23. Erin Webster. Advocates for real time schedule signs at stations.

24. Janice. Advocates for making all stations ADA accessible.

25. Srdjan Nedeljkovic. Advocates for Green line extension to Needham due to high ridership and high economic development potential. Supports new pedestrian access at Riverside to existing office building. Supports immediate ADA accessibility at Newton Highlands. Supports systems to improve safety on D line, such as automatic train disabling in cases of operator error.

26. Mr. Pendleton. Supports connection between D line and E line at Brookline Village.

Principles for the Casey Design Advisory Group

2012-06-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

Summary

We believe that public transit connectivity is one of the most critical elements around which to develop alternative design concepts. Transit connectivity is essential in setting the stage for sustainable growth in the Forest Hills area in the 21st century.

Forest Hills is currently a significant transit hub within the MBTA system. Therefore, a key element in the design of the Casey Arborway Project should address Public Transit Vehicular Movement into and out of Forest Hills Station

Because Forest Hills is a significant hub, we recommend that the following elements be considered as part of the final Casey project design:

Future growth of public transit should be expected and future rail expansion including streetcar/light rail upgrades of targeted bus lines should be included or at least not be precluded as part of the Casey Arborway Project Design process;

The new design must retain and improve upon surface station loading points for transit vehicles allowing easy access for pedestrians and cyclists;

The design should support walkable urban environments and encourage a parkway rather than a highway;

Any development should be transit-oriented, and all options for improved access to Forest Hills station, the Arboretum, Franklin Park, and the surrounding neighborhoods by multiple means including transit, foot, and bicycling must be strengthened.

Detailed Discussion

Energy Policy, the Environment, and Transit: By implementing a design with a holistic approach to improving multimodal transportation options, we can help reduce reliance on the automobile as the sole means of travel. This will have benefits in terms of energy and environmental policy for generations to come. By advocating for such a design and protecting the integrity of our existing neighborhoods, we will be promoting both responsible community growth and responsible energy practice. A true multimodal approach towards improving transportation options at Forest Hills will decrease pollution of the air we breathe and lead to a healthier community.

Roadway Design and the Parkway System: We strongly endorse the reserved roadway for the 39 bus at Forest Hills station. We also endorse the plan’s accommodation for pedestrians, cyclists and green spaces. We oppose, however, any roadway design that includes more than four lanes for automobile traffic.

Mobility and Access: Design solutions for the Casey Arborway Project should work to improve mobility for all transportation modes, including public transit, walking and cycling. As part of improving multimodal access, construction plans for Forest Hills should not preclude designs for streetcars/light rail as a component of future transportation planning. With increased use of public transit expected, streetcar/light rail service will one day form the basis of future growth of an economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and equitable rail-based transportation infrastructure that could extend from Forest Hills to Roslindale, West Roxbury, Mattapan, and Hyde Park.

RT39 Bus Improvement Final Design Meeting

2012-06-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

By Karen Wepsic

I attended last night's meeting at the Kennedy School about the construction plan for the Route 39. It was apparently the final design meeting for the improvement project. The 90% design document can be found on the MBTA website.
Ralph DeNisco and MBTA Project Director Erik Scheier did the joint presentation.

They are waiting for the final construction documents to be signed with McCourt.

Apparently, the abutters have to agree (in writing) to any bulb-outs so there are still a few issues confirming that design aspect. Things look good for the bulb-outs, however, and if it turns out not to be the end of the world or even better - that folks like them - that should give us some hope for future quality transit infrastructure.

There will be another separate process for the final section of the route (Copley to Back Bay) and there is a chance we could get the route to turn at Copley to shorten the trip time to Back Bay Station.

With the shorting of the E Line at Brigham Circle on the weekends there will be "no" increase in Route 39 service. Also, let's remember that these "improvements" should have been completed by about the year 2000. So the MBTA is at long last fulfilling its duty - only about 10 years behind schedule - par for the course I suppose.

The Gazette reporter was there so look for a story in the next issue.

Copies of the final plan can be found here.

Equal or Better - Poster

2012-03-22T14:01:00.000-04:00

Equal or Better - Join Us April 9, 2012

2012-03-20T12:25:00.002-04:00

Please Join us!

Monday April 9, 2012
Connolly Library Auditorium
433 Centre Street, JP 02130
6PM Sharp

In 1987 the Washington Street Elevated train was torn down and community members furiously awaited rapid replacement service between the minority neighborhood of Roxbury and the employment center of Downtown Boston. Fifteen years later the official replacement service, The Silver Line, debuted. It was called 'rapid transit' but looked and acted like a bus.

Equal or Better, the Story of the Silver Line, explores the history of transportation equity in America through the lens of three communities in Boston. It unearths a story of environmental justice, race relations, and probes how tax-dollars are allocated for transportation in this nation.

See trailer for the film here.

Also, check out the original film poster here.

MPO's Draft LRTP Now Available for Comment - Where's the Rail?

2011-08-18T09:00:00.007-04:00

by Srdjan S. Nedeljkovic

The Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) 25-year Long-RangeTransportation Plan (LRTP) is now out.

The public comment period for the long range plan began Monday, August 15 and will end on Tuesday, September 13.

See the LRTP at the CTPS website.

Unfortunately, the LRTP is abysmal in terms of transit planning. The only rail transit project in the state's 25-year vision is the Somerville/Medford Green line extension, and there is great uncertainty on its funding. As you may know, this project has now been pushed back possibly to 2018.

Is anyone surprised by this delay?!

In the proposed LRTP (chapter 8, page 7), it is noted that about $7 billion of funding is being budgeted for projects in the plan. Of that amount, practically all of the funding is for highways (87%). The only exception is for the Somerville Medford rail extension. This project is now estimated at an unbelievable $1.12 billion for the Somerville portion and another $140 million or so for the Medford part.

Looking at the draft LRTP, that's about it for rail projects. Apparently, there is no money for anything else. The state is arguing forcefully to remove the Red-Blue connector from the list as well. Looking through the document and the criteria for project viability, the state does not consider any other rail projects for funding.

One question I have is: How is it that the costs for the 5.3 mile Green line extension to Somerville/Medford have ballooned from $375 million (2003 PMT) to $1.26 billion?

In February, the MBTA Board of Directors had asked for $95 million for design and planning. Apparently, $22 million was approved..

That's a lot of money just for design. After all, this is just a 5.3 mile project along an existing railway bed. I'm sure there are a million (billion!) reasons that the state uses to explain these costs. But I am skeptical that anything could justify such a massive change in the budget and such a hefty expenditure.

Just look at some other costs of light-rail projects happening nationally. Norfolk's project came in at $43 million per mile and has some similarities to the Somerville/Medford Green line extension, which is now projected to cost about $200 million per mile. How is this possible?

We're in seemingly impossible times right now. How can any new rail project ever get built with such excessive costs being projected for the Somerville/Medford extension? By jacking up the cost of the Green line extension project, and then delaying it practically another decade, the message by the State is unfortunately loud and clear: if it were up to the State, there would be no more rail projects in the foreseeable future.

Winter Transit Blues

2011-02-05T13:00:00.003-05:00

by Tobias Johnson

It's painfully ironic that the long-awaited push for efficient transportation systems now being championed by the Obama administration which includes money for both inter-city and intra-city rail systems (specifically streetcars) should dawn just at the time when things look bleakest for metro-Boston's rail network.

Perhaps the federal government will step in and play the role of Boston's White Knight. Yet the hole our state leaders have dug, over the past several decades, for Massachusetts residents in the arena of public transportation is so deep, that no federal assistance can possibly cure our ills until such time as we get our own fiscal house in order. Certainly, when year after year, one sees state officials fail to address the systemic funding problems of the MBTA, ignore good ideas that have merit and kick the can down the road, activists and T riders alike have a right to be angry.

Winter can be a difficult time to get around and this winter especially has exposed the vulnerabilities of our public transit infrastructure and the perspective is scary.

Boston Magazine recently dissected the T's safety record, maintenance backlog and debit and posed the question: Is the T Safe To Ride? As informative as the article is, and as staggering as the T's debt is today, several important financial obligations were missing. Just to name two, there was no mention of the old commuter rail coach and locomotive stock rapidly approaching its end-of-life. Also beyond their 14-year-FTA-life-cycle are around 200 buses dating from 1994.

The Boston Globe did pick up on the aging commuter rail fleet in a piece today anticipating a meeting between the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (the operators of the commuter rail network for the MBTA), the state transportation secretary, the MBTA general manager, and the House and Senate chairmen of the legislative transportation committee to discuss poor winter-time performance.

In January, fewer than 73 percent of commuter rail trains arrived at their final destination within five minutes of the scheduled time. Thousands of trains were delayed by more than 850 hours, and 111 were canceled altogether. [Possibly because] more than three-quarters of the 80 locomotives and 410 coaches owned by the T are approaching or have exceeded the manufacturer’s suggested life of 25 years.

But what about the courtesy of notifying the passengers standing out in the sub-zero temperatures? Anyone remember the “real-time” transit information displays which should have been working a decade ago – yet another testament to the T's failed project management.

In short, the T is loosing riders at a time when high fuel costs and consciousness over the health of our planet is attracting people toward public transit.

20-year rider Beth DelBono waited in disbelief as a train preparing to make its first trip of the day (the 602, scheduled to leave at 6:45 a.m.) had to be scratched before it could move. An electrical problem in the control car — the lead coach where the engineer operates on inbound trips, while the locomotive is pushing from the rear — forced the rail company to swap that car with the one on the next scheduled train, and to send a crew to repair it on site, resulting in a nearly half-hour delay.

"It just seemed like a final blow,’’ said DelBono, who works in research at a Boston hospital.

As a second-generation commuter rail rider, she was once an advocate for the financial and environmental benefits of riding the train.

For those of us who live along the Arborway corridor, chronic overcrowding and aggravatingly long travel times to go short distances like 2 miles are a painful daily reminder of the MBTA's 25-plus-year-long urban disinvestment initiative.

MA Appeals Court Rules on Green Line Restoration

2011-01-31T20:00:00.005-05:00

By Tobias Johnson

As Boston transit watchers recall, the Arborway Committee argued our appeal for the restoration of E-Line streetcar service in Boston before the Appeals Court in November. On Jan 25, 2011 a decision was handed down in our suit against the EOT. You can find a PDF of the Memorandum and Order online here.

In their written opinion, the three justices who comprised the panel declined to agree with us that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Exec. Office of Transportation (EOTC, parent of the MBTA) and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) in 1990 had been extended by the Department of Environmental (DEP) environmental regulations (CMR 7.36) promulgated in 1991 which were born out of the MOU through a well understood public process.

They upheld the lower court dismissal of the suit on the grounds that it was not filed in a timely manner - statute of limitations. Unlike the lower court ruling, however, this opinion made sense, although we certainly don't agree with it. The Appeals Court decision demonstrated the justices' understanding of the complex case and their competence in writing a clear and concise opinion.

Although the decision is a disappointment and metro-Boston has lost an irreplaceable link to the central subway system in an obvious and egregious pattern of decades of MBTA disinvestment, the goal of restoring Green Line service to Jamaica Plain remains as valid and as good as ever from a policy, transportation, environmental, and energy standpoint.

Our cause is justified.

I'm reminded of the Rule of St Benedict, a copy of which I have with a series of meditations entitled - "Always We Begin Again." The Arborway Committee now moves to the next stage and the Go Green campaign continues. We will continue to uphold the principles of equity, energy efficiency, and economy in our advocacy.

Always we begin again.

We will continue to raise public awareness around transportation generally and will set the stage for future efforts that will achieve the restoration of this valuable public transit project.