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Today's traffic and T report

Packed platform on the Orange Line at Wellington

At Wellington, riders take train outbound to get on inbound train. Photo by Nick Palmarazzo.

Traffic: You don't want to know.

The T: Trains are running, more or less, but slowly, and wheezing under the load of people trying to get to work and the people trying to get to the Patriots parade. Well, except on commuter rail, where the same conditions exist except for all the trains that were canceled on the more exotic lines, such as Fairmount.

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Comments

From mbta.com just now:

"Green Line E branch service suspended between Brigham Circle and Heath St due to above-ground traffic. Please utilize Route 39 bus for service between Brigham Circle and Heath St."

Yes, train service has apparently been suspended because there are too many vehicles on the roads. The obvious solution? Buses!

Just when you think it couldn't get more absurd.

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The daily "E"xcuse for suspending service beyond Brigham Circle.

It could be a sunny 90 degree summer day, and the T will still create a reason to stop service to Heath Street. And issue the same stock alert about "traffic".

Of course, when you're dealing with a management that doesn't want to run service, it shouldn't be a surprise. Too bad nobody in government or the media considers it a serious enough issue to actually investigate.

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At least this way you aren't messing up service on the rest of the E branch because all of the trolleys are stuck in massive gridlock.

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Yeah.. I agree buses isn't the answer. But remember those GL trains cannot divert from the tracks AND need to do a return trip back into the central subway. If they get delayed and stuck in traffic beyond Brigham Circle, they can't do the return trip, and then delay the whole line.

Which would you rather have? No service, a bus, or a whole subway line now delayed because of issues at one end? Your choice.

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Cops, or rent-a-cops, or deputies, or crossing guards, or intimidating grandmothers -- I don't care, could be anyone. But give SOMEONE the authority to direct traffic and issue tickets and impound the freaking cars of people who are blocking intersections, driving to endanger, cutting off trolleys, or any of the myriad infractions that contribute to the problem?

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but just look at yesterdays traffic to see how well cops worked out near MGH.. it still took people hours to get out of that area. I don't think cops directing traffic would help. If the cars have no place to go, they have no place to go!

PS - I saw as I was on my ride in someone stating that Route 9 was backed up for miles.. which would include Huntington...

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I usually go out Route 9 in the morning, but I checked traffic before I left, and Google helpfully told me that it would take 45 minutes more to drive out 9 than it would to wend my way into the city, pick up the Pike, and head west. So it sounds like it was pretty terrible in both directions.

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And tow the cars parked in the street next to snow,banks! Absurd

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Sorry but the cops have better things to do today like man a fucking parade

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My 39 bus kept stalling on the trip in before finally dying near Northeastern. Everyone was forced off and told to take the E. This could be one of the rare times a trolley provides replacement service for a bus.

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At south Huntington and rt 9, blocking traffic. Cars parked in the travel lane on Huntington next to snow banks......yet the parade is the mayors priority? Is the city being run but a child?
City is in complete gridlock.

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A couple years back, Peter Furth of Northeastern presented a proposal to create transit priority for the stretch of Huntington Ave between the Riverway and Brigham Circle. It would basically extend the Green Line median for those few blocks, cost some parking and travel lanes, have one bus/rail station in the middle of the corridor, and allow buses and trains to bypass traffic. It would have to be kept clear of snow and be on a raised median to keep cars off of it, but would dramatically improve conditions for all transit users (and emergency vehicles).

Considering that the E Line, and two of the T's top five busiest bus routes use this section of roadway (the 39 and 66) it should be a no-brainer: at rush hour it's possible there are more transit riders along this roadway than there are vehicles. But we can't take anything away from the precious drives, nosireebob. Even if it could be done for a pittance (we're talking a couple million dollars here) and would probably save the T enough in operational costs (those routes run more than 600 trips per day; if you save 3 minutes for each trip and only tally trips on weekdays, you'd save $1 million in operational costs per year) that it would pay for itself.

But, no, sorry, let's just let everyone sit in gridlock. K thanks bye.

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It's a shame the T is so eager to cancel train service in mixed traffic, but so unwilling to upgrade it with dedicated lanes.

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I wonder if other bus routes are equally catastrophic. The first bus of the day didn't arrive at its midpoint until 8:00 and by 8:40 had only made it just past Roslindale Square. The next buses have not yet come. I can't imagine that this is not happening all over the city.

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I got on the 65 bus at 8:35 (it was half an hour late and packed to the gills) and it took 45 minutes to get to Francis St. Most of the problem seemed to be the school crossing in Washington Square, which backed traffic up Washington St. past Comm Ave.

I saw four 65 buses headed outbound over the 45-minute trip, but there wasn't another inbound behind us anywhere that I could see.

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Went to Anderson for the first Lowell train. Train was shockingly only about 5 minutes late the whole way.

There were 10 T buses lined up in the parking lot. A friend talked to one inspector - they were there to protect service in case of either a commuter rail delay/cancellation and/or the trains get overloaded.

First pondering - I wonder if the T's doing this elsewhere as well?

Second thought - I wonder how many local bus routes are being shorted buses and drivers to provide extra suburban service to cope with the parade. Something for anyone stuck at a city bus stop to think about.

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Waited 30min this morning for my usual bus to Oak Grove. Eventually got a ride from a friend, passing dozens of people waiting for a bus along the route. There were about 6 buses just waiting at Oak Grove....must have taken them out of service just in case they are needed later. Ridiculous.

I'm standing next to someone who got to Wellington at 815. We just reached Downtown at 935. Witnessed an assault at community college.

And usually the morning commute is better than the evening commute...

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Got on at MGH at 7:30. Express from Harvard Sq to Alewife. Most people on train sitting. Went really well, although obviously they were in a hurry to get the train going in the other direction.

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I have a dead router and I'm sitting on the floor with my work laptop connected to my modem with an ethernet cable.I can't find a long cable so I'm sitting almost under my desk.

I would rather sit under my desk all danged day tethered to my modem than be on the road or the T today.

I love this city so much it hurts but I'm starting to look at real estate in Charleston, SC.

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But watch out for those palmetto bugs.

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.. "palmetto bugs" (quotes needed -- as everyone else calls these cockroaches). ;-}

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but they are HUGE.. my old apt in Midtown ATL had them. I almost ATE one one day because it fell into my glass of water and I took a drink without looking.

So fuckin gross.. they are like 2-3" long. All set with that.

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... we spent about $100 on tupperware-esque containers of every size and shape. The bugs would eat right through packaging materials. And then there was the creature that flew out of a bag of corn meal...

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I only had them in that apartment. Never anywhere else I lived in Greater Atlanta. (Kennesaw, Dunwoody, Decatur..)

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As it turns out we had a breeding ground for these under our (attached) garage. Once this was dealt with, the numbers decreased -- but they never disappeared.

And if you move further south -- or much closer to the coast, these are pretty omnipresent.

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Hey, y'all! I lived in Athens, GA for a while and I've seen them. I had an unpleasant incident where one thought it was a good idea to crawl into bed with me one night. My roommate described my scream as "blood curdling."

I caught Mr. Palmetto and stuck him in a jar for a couple of days before I chucked him out in the woods in my backyard. I hope one of the rattlers that used to sun itself on my driveway ate him.

I guess I'll stay with the snow piles that are taller than I am.

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... (now deceased -- having made it to 20 years old) used to spend part of her nights on bug patrol -- and we would see the results of her efforts in the morning. We finally managed to see what she did -- which was play with them until they simply wore out.

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Charleston? Have fun with that.

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Not clicking.

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was suprisingly good - only about ten minutes late into North Station. Apparently the weather is keeping most of the parade goers away (or at least causing them to take later trains), as the train was no more crowded than usual for two days after a storm.

Lucked out on the Green Line as well - snuck on an E train that had a stuck door.

Perhaps the most inconvenient part of the commute was dodging the barriers on Boylston Street, but I still managed to get into the office only about five minutes late.

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should have been scheduled for some later date, when the weather gets better. It's ridiculous bullshit. At the very least it should have been delayed until the weekend.

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And the team, which is about to commission around 100 diamond-encrusted rings apparently won't pay for them to fly back for a parade in a couple weeks.

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oh cry me a river.. they can afford it.

And I hate to tell the Pats but without the fans they are nothing. They could come back another day if the fans meant that much to them. But apparently they don't.

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Make it a REQUIREMENT of the players' contracts that, if they advance far enough to justify a victory parade, that they appear for the parade and at a day and time to be determined by the City (you know, the folks that are expending time and resources and inconveniencing normal people). Oh, you don't like that. Well then, we'll just withold 80% of your multi-million salary instead.

These people "work" for only eight weeks out of a year. Scheduling a victory parade shouldn't be based on their whiny demands.

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The Patriots don't work for the city of Boston. If the city of Boston decides to hold a parade, that's the city of Boston's decision, and if you don't like the parade, that is who your beef is with. The city can invite the players, it absolutely cannot compel them to do anything and it has no control over player contracts.

These people "work" for only eight weeks out of a year. Scheduling a victory parade shouldn't be based on their whiny demands.

Not even touching the sheer jaw-dropping ignorant absurdity of your "These people" statement, I'll just say that apparently you believe that self-righteous indignation shouldn't be based on facts.

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are expending resources BECAUSE of the Patriots. So to argue they should have no say in how and when the parade is held, which is essentialy what Walsh is doing by having it despite the fact we aren't really ready, is sheer nonsense.

I stand by my statement about the players ("these people"). They, like all "professional" athetes, have a cushy job for which they receive totally outrageous salaries. So expecting them to participate in an event that benefits both the public AND the organization should be a REQUIREMENT. Media organizations normally require their staff to participate in charity events they sponsor, why should it be any different for sports teams.

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All your verbage amounts to this. I said it already, but I'll repeat it again.

Your beef is with the city.

You have no leverage over the players.

If you want the city to hold the parade in some other way or at some other time, you need to take that up with the city, and not make silly statements about what some They should require of people over whom they have no control.

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Did the Celtics have a parade in the mid-80s when they won some championships?

I lived in Kenmore at the time and I don't remember anything of that sort. If there was a celebration, it wasn't more than a City Hall rally.

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There were no duck boats at the time. Doesn't mean there wasn't a parade, but if there had been, why would it have gone anywhere near Kenmore?

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Copley is a modest walk from Kenmore.

Generally, if there was a big to-do in Copley, we knew about it.

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Another Getty image. Caption: "Boston Celtics players victorious with Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy aboard amphibious duck police vehicle during Victory Parade. Boston, MA 6/14/1984"

I don't know if they took it into the water -- anyone else know?

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This Globe 2008 article mentions Celtics victory parades in 1969 and 1974. It also mentions victory celebrations in 1976, 1981, 1984, and 1986, but doesn't explicitly call them parades.

This Getty image of Larry Bird is from the 1981 victory parade, and shows the Old Hancock Building in the background, so it was probably taken near Copley Square.

This article on the Celtics website has a photo from the 1984 parade.

Edited to add: This Getty image shows a crowd assembled on Dartmouth Street waiting for the 1986 parade.

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Make it a REQUIREMENT of the players' contracts that, if they advance far enough to justify a victory parade, that they appear for the parade and at a day and time to be determined by the City (you know, the folks that are expending time and resources and inconveniencing normal people). Oh, you don't like that. Well then, we'll just withold 80% of your multi-million salary instead.

Yeah, that'll definitely happen. Good luck with that.

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This is all Malcolm Butler's fault.

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We could just not have a parade. Sounds like the Pats wouldn't be disappointed, and the city could have spent all night clearing street corners so cars and pedestrians can see each other a little bit better.

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I'd say 90% of people I saw this morning were just trying to get to work, not the parade. This crowding isn't really any worse than the last couple days.

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Given the circumstances with the snow the past week the parade itself should not even be in Boston! Look I'm a huge Pats fan but the city is an f'n disaster right now!! Why does the parade have to be in Boston? Why can't they do some sort of celebration in Foxborough at Gillette??? It's not Boston Patriots it's the New England Patriots. If you can't move the date of the parade till a later time then MOVE IT TO GILLETTE!! C'MON WALSHY!!!

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I've been saying this since the parade plans were announced on Monday.

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I overslept and only gave myself an hour to get from Somerville to Ruggles. Big mistake.

86 bus was fine, if 10 minutes late, but at Sullivan I had to wait about 45 minutes before squeezing onto a train, and it then took 20 minutes to get to North Station.

Things emptied out after State and DTX, but getting on at Sullivan was the most ridiculous experience of my life. I didn't realize people even could squeeze together that closely, and the operator spent 10 minutes lecturing us "see, this is what happens when you block the doors!"

Things need to get better soon. This is getting absolutely ridiculous. I would have taken a picture of the crowding if I could have moved my arm.

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When I used to live in Malden Center and needed to go inbound during rush hour, I sometimes took the train the wrong way to Oak Grove, so I could get on an empty inbound train. I see other people are doing similar today it's so bad.

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There was someone at Sullivan this morning advocating the same.

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2 f**kin hours.

I left my house at 745. The tracking app was down so I had to just stand there. Over a course of 45 minutes, 3 jammed 111's and 2 jammed 116's went by. Finally a 116/117 came at 8:30ish. Asked the driver when I got on the bus how Meridian Street was (because I was hesitant to get on that bus due to issues with the previous storm).. his reply "it sucks". Not that the Tobin Bridge was any better, it wasn't moving from what I could see.

Drove down Meridian Street.. having to stop at every G-d intersection to allow traffic to go by because the bus cannot fit down the streets.

Arrived at Maverick at 9am. Trains were so full that I had to wait for 5 trains to go before I could actually get on (and not be pushed on). Got on train at 9:30.

Arrived at work at 9:45 with a look of death on my face.

And to think I left at my normal time and I didn't need too because I was at work till almost 10 last night. I only went in this morning to avoid the Patriots parade crap later on in the day. Apparently I was wrong in thinking this.

The roommate left the house at 7:10 and drove in. Took him 90 minutes to get from Chelsea Center to the Macy's complex.

It's a mess out there folks... NOT looking forward to the evening commute.. I may leave early.

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If they shoveled their sidewalks as well. None of the sidewalks next to the bus yard in south Boston by the west Broadway stop are shoveled. Thanks T!

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I live and work on the south shore and it took my coworkers (who also live in the vicinity of the south shore) 2 hours to get to work. They live 30-40 minutes away. I live 20 minutes away and managed it in only 1 hour. Traffic is ridiculous. After hearing about nightmare commutes I am so happy that I do not work in Boston anymore

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My husband tried to drive me to Forest Hills, so that I wouldn't have to deal with either the non-existent 50 or trying to jam into one of the buses in Rozzie Square.

30 minutes later, we were still stuck somewhere on Hyde Park Ave. I got out near Eldridge Street and hoofed it in the street the rest of the way.

The one minor miracle was the train I got on went express to Jackson but then all bets were off. It was an hour to North Station.

Overall - 2 hours to go six miles.

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A few suggestions of how to make life on a lousy situation a little less lousy:

Think about your neighbor on the subway and bus. We are standing cheek by jowl and butt to butt.

So take off the backpacks. That creates a little more space - for you! If your neighbors used less space with their backpacks then you could get on that traing instead of waiting for another 20 minutes later.

Don't use the gadgets. Folks are trying to be polite by not knocking into you and causing your to drop the phone. But that takes up more space - so that you standing on the platform can not get on the train. And if you must use it turn down the volume. Anyone who cares about their hearing and chooses to not blast their ears with tinny tiny earbud bleed will appreciate not being surrounded by the piercing electronic scream.

Don't punch you neighbor in the back because they are too close. The steel can is crowded. Plus you neighbor might do more than punch you back.

The crowding is a pain. But we can make the experience either utterly gross or begrudgingly tolerable.

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People taking off their backpacks doesn't make said backpacks disappear. They're still there, taking up space, just not behind the person. And if my experience on the orange line this morning is any indication, you can't exactly put it at your feet because there is physically no room. The only place you could put it to free up more space would be holding it above your head, and no thank you.

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Generally, people leave space in front of their body, particularly when you're facing the seated riders, so moving your bag in front of you can free up some space. ditto with putting it between or on your feet (but only if it's not slushy and gross down there). At any rate, you're less likely to smash it into people you can't see.

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When my old manbag finally was too dirty to use anymore.. I went and got a new bag. I needed something larger, but I didn't want a backpack (because I have three already) for this very reason. My old manbag (a small messenger bag) was easy to flip to the front for crowded trains. Backpacks are a pain to deal with on a crowded train.

So this is what I ended up with... pricey but well made and perfect size. (so much so I've been asked where to get it). I got it at Kenmore Army Navy downtown (yes I know amazon is cheaper but I buy local when I can)

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Now worn out, purchased at The Garment District: http://3sne41qck2a29kynp2v7lhk6a3.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/blo...

I had it in a gray plaid. It was great. Waterproof, held my netbook, carried most documents. Easy to wear and adjust for T riding, but small enough that I didn't overload it as a carry-on.

I think it was $25-30.

If you are willing to spend some $$, LL Bean packs are exceptionally durable. I bought a pair from the Freeport factory outlet in 2009, one for each boy, and they are still in service. Machine washable, too.

I currently use a Rickshaw bag, but that was a special present.

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I went up in size a little. The Rapdom bag expands and has a gazillion pockets. I needed something that could carry gym stuff (clothes. shoes. water bottle) but compress when it wasn't full.

I'm just upset because I learned a few months ago EastPak no longer is around. I have an awesome Chaos bag I got like 15 years ago but its just so dirty now (and smells when it gets wet). Still to this day no strap has broke, no zipper has broke, no seam anywhere has started to rip. Ask me how many backpacks I tried to replace after this one got too old (and smelly) to use... too many cheap ones!

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If it's just too smelly that you can't use it, try sending it through the washing machine. You've got nothing to lose if it doesn't survive the process. Turn it inside out, if possible, close zips, buckle buckles. Definitely try to close velcro. Then air dry it.

I will keep my fingers crossed.

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Yeah I didnt think to wash it. Where the smell comes from is....

long time ago I was a power walk. I walked everywhere.. like miles a day. (and still do on nice days). I sweat a ton.

This was the bag I wore at the time. It has padding along the back which sucked up all the sweat... hense why it smells.

OK I suppose I could wash it. I hate washing some things like that because they tend to 'lose their shape'.

But yes you're right.. I really do have nothing to lose. I do love that backpack...

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Washing certainly shortens a bag's lifetime, but I've washed my daughter's school bags in cold over the years with generally good results, although that was more grime than stank.

There are tech washes you can use that help retain waterproofness. When we needed to wash our tent after a Girl Scout camporee (in a field where it rained the entire weekend with 40 mph winds), I bought a bottle and it's worked great for that kind of gear. I've also used Tide Sport but it's kind of perfume-y.

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Their commuter rail alerts (well, for the Haverhill Line at least) are indicating actual time frames for the delays (i.e. 10 to 25 minutes) instead of the "minor, moderate, severe" nonsense they've been using on the subway lines.

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Commuter rail alerts typically have time estimates. Granted this is easier for commuter rail since each alert is specific to a single train running on a published schedule. No one has the schedule for subway trains.

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of the T alert system gave time estimates for subway delays as well. Presumably, the current "minor, moderate, severe" levels of alert are also based on time estimates. But I guess it's easier to give a vauge discalimer than an actual time estimate, even if it's an approximate one.

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Oh, yes, that's right. The commuter rail kept their time estimates, subway lost them.

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weren't bad enough, just got an alert that they are now terminating the other end of E service at Park Street.

So I guess they've abandoned their other orphan child - service to Lechmere - for now.

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This morning what is a normally a 45 minute commute for 6.5 mi... became a 2+ hour commute going home and coming into Boston today.
The busses that are supposed to run every 7 minutes were non existent or running every 30 minutes ( we are talking about the 77 and the 1 bus....THE $&*#ing 1 BUS)
All mbta status apps like inext bus, transit, catch the bus were completely down, gridlock traffic and people were surprisingly not killing each other.
What are we paying for?

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... it serves mostly poor neighborhoods, which is why it is constantly canceled. The myth that there is commuter rail service on the Fairmount is lip service and window-dressing. You can't build ridership if you don't run the trains.

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