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So how will you celebrate Free T Day?
By adamg on Thu, 04/23/2015 - 10:33am
The sky's the limit tomorrow as the T throws open the faregates and lets everybody ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston (well, at least until the end of service), as a way of saying "sorry" for all that unpleasantness back in January and February.
Take that trip to Wonderland you've always wanted to? Family get together at Ruggles? Try to get on and off at every single last stop on the system?
Oh, wait, what, you already had a monthly pass so this makes you no nevermind? Don't be such a grumpypuss. Several local companies and attractions will offer discounts or even free stuff (like a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts) to people who show a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket.
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Comments
don't forget
That this also includes the late night service. So there's really no reason not to go out, have a few brews, get tanked, and take the T home on friday night.
(which after this week, I may do myself..)
Just as long as you
remember to take the T home afterwards, and don't wind up in the ventitlation shaft of the Ted Williams Tunnel instead.
"My drink must have been spiked" = the drunk's equivalent of "dog ate my homework."
So do we get another free day
So do we get another free day when the system fails from the crush load tomorrow?
Nope.
We will, however, get some FRUSTRATION for FREE!!!
Think about it!
A ride for free, AND some pure annoyance for FREE!
Apart from a few extra people
on my commuter train, the load wasn't any different this morning than on a typical Friday during school vacation week.
The only noticeable difference, apart from the open faregates, was the lack of the usual screaming announcements, in that classic berating tone that only T operators manage to do just right, to "let the passengers off first" or "the doors are closing" repeated a gazillion times. I doubt it had anything to do with the lower passenger load, as most operators (at least on the Green Line) automatically make those announcements regardless of whether or not the train is actually at crush load.
So... What...
All is now forgiven?
Ya.. about that...
Free Commuter Rail?!
If you have the day off, that could open up all sorts of possibilities. Providence? Worcester? Lynn? Hyde Park Station (zone 1)? All within your reach for free, one day only.
I remember "back in the day" taking a Saturday trip each of 2 summers to Rockport, just because the T gave unlimited access to pass holders on the weekends.
Providence? Heck, you can go
Providence? Heck, you can go all the way to Wickford!
Wickford Junction
Always reminds me of a bad 70s sit com. You know, similar to Wings except it takes place in a train station. The trials and tribulations of a small town train station and its staff.
Don't forget March and April
Don't forget March and April as well. The Needham line still isn't running properly. But the big "Thank you to our customers" at Back Bay sign from Keolis really has helped me get through the past few month. #thanksobama
Needham is the ONLY line with
Needham is the ONLY line with a NEW temporary schedule (Effective 04/27/2015) due to the signal problems at Forest Hills. Even the conductor just heard about yesterday. Maybe they should communicate with their employees!
I wonder how many people will miss the 602 train on Monday...
They sent out an alert yesterday
At the end of the day, it is an Amtrak problem. As long as there are the same number of trains per day as there was this time last year, you can't fault them. I remember reading in the Globe Magazine a short time ago about how Keolis changed the schedules on the Newburyport Line. Their goal was to be realistic about when the train would be somewhere instead of trying to meet unachievable goals.
Now, if they can't handle the revised schedule, let the griping begin.
No, it is the T's problem
Amtrak only owns the Corridor from the MA/RI state line to New Haven. The T owns it from South Station to the state line.
...but contracts maintenance
...but contracts maintenance and dispatching to Amtrak.
Do any...
...of the lines run "according to plan"?
Sage advice: during rush hour, always add at least thirty minutes to train arrival times.
(No subject)
Ride the T for Free Day
Ride the T for Free, on a work day, is an ironic apology to people who don't ride it for fun, probably have to work, and already paid for their monthly pass but that's not the end of it.
Baker wants to cut $500 million from the MBTA's budget over the next 5 years and do this while the MBTA's operating budget is already insufficient (they've resorted to spending capitol budget on operations) Similarly, the MBTA's capitol budget consists of $2.2 B on hand to fix $6B in deferred maintenance. There's more.
Baker wants to repeal the law that limits MBTA fare increases to 2.5% a year, even though MBTA fares have already increased 28% since 2012.
Boston has the third highest income inequality in the nation. Over half of the kids attending BPS live in poverty. 95% of all new income goes to the top 1%. The top 1% in Mass pay the lowest rate of taxes than everyone else. People who earn the least pay the highest rate and people who earn the most pay the lowest.
I agree
baker is going to 'fix' the T.. and pigs will fly out of my butt.
edit: removed the rest of my comment because frankly, I'm just in no mood to get a debate today on here. But I do agree with what Anonymous says.
Fix
Like a dog or tomcat is fixed.
Boston's income inequality
Boston's income inequality does have a lot to do with the city offering more subsidized housing units than any other city of similar size.
For new housing developments,
For new housing developments, the city requires 15 percent of the units to be affordable.
The units are available to households that make up to 70% of the median income for the city (up to $68,950 a year for a family of four, which is nearly double what two full-time minimum-wage earners make.)
Olympic-fueled gentrification would accelerate housing prices already on the rise.
It's called public relations
Yes, the T could use more money, but my gut is that Friday is a combo of "look, the system is not as screwed up as it was in February" and, for the pass folk, "we'll give you a discount since we were all screwed up back then." The goal is to keep people from abandoning the system. It's done in the private sector (food places have free food giveaways) all the time.
As far as income inequality and fares go, I am still paying less ($75 versus $79) than I was a decade ago, so it would seem that something has to give.
Enjoy the free T. Or enjoy something else. Be happy for a while. It goes a long way.
Pass discount -right.
Only if I submit 27 forms (not really) to my vendor so my deduction can be reduced for May, and then have to submit another 27 forms (not really)to my vendor to increase my deduction again for June.
Please don't insult me by stating that this is somehow not the T's problem. The vendor is acting as an agent for the T, therefore, it should be incumbent upon the T to insure that the discount is credited to their customers in the most expeditous way possible. And I fail to see how requiring each of their customers to submit forms, not once - but twice - to obtain a discount is more efficient for the vendor than just saying - OK, we'll automatically reduce the deduction for all our customers by 15% for May.
I won't say it's not a T problem
But at the end of the day, the T is offering the discount. If the argument is that people cannot avail themselves of the discount, what is the alternative? No discount for anyone?
As you kept on harping on about another topic, you do the paperwork to reduce the deduction, then you do the paperwork to increase the deduction. It's not rocket science.
Rocket science, no.
But my point is this. Why is it necessary for people to have to take deliberate (and IMP unnecessary) steps to avail themselves of a discount just because they get their pass through a vendor, when others who buy their pass directly from the T will get the same discount automatically?
That's the problem here.
True, but
How could they reconcile the means vendors use with the discount itself?
In a very minor way, it reminds me of the tales of the change to the Health Care Connector. We laughed at it, unless we were dealing with it, but I am guessing there was enough change to Romneycare when Obamacare came around that the systems got all henky.
I mean, how do you change the cost for a single month without doing something twice?
You should be happy you have
You should be happy you have the vendor option.
My employer won't let me buy pre-tax transit passes. (Not only won't they pay for them -- they won't let *me* pay using a payroll deduction.) So while you have to fill out 2 forms once to get a 15% discount, I have to pay ~30% more for my commute in perpetuity.
Blame your vendor or job
My employer just put out an e-mail saying that they would kick in the usual amount, just pull less from the paycheck. That simple.
Perhaps your employer or their vendor is simply officious?
And Deval?
He raised taxes, raised fares, let grant money expire and what did we get for it? A corrupt and mismanaged union run MBTA where no one comes to work and people retire at age 55 with massive pensions. Of that $2.2B capital budget half of wasn't even used!
So you propose more of the same?
Gloucester included?...
Is the T to Gloucester included?...
Yes
All Commuter Rail routes and destinations are included.
Celebrate?
No appreciation or celebration. Still not happy that the mismanagement cost me a vacation day and extra 200 to drive and park for the month of February. And their idea of making up is to lose millions in revenue tomorrow and next month as well. the only thing worse was the commuter rail. When will we see the real numbers, what the T and commuter lost in revenue this winter?
Did the commuter rail save
Did the commuter rail save any labor costs when they cut half the trains for a month?
If so, does the T see any of that savings, or just Keolis?
The T has been squeezing
The T has been squeezing millions in fines out of Keolis; that's how they get their money back I gather.
Presuming that Keolis didn't
just decide to write a check to the T for the maximum fine amount called for in their contract. Apparently, that's what MBCR used to do.
Free sunset cruise
Take a round trip to Hingham. Beer and wine available (although, I assume not free).
Hingham/Hull ferry!
Hingham/Hull ferry!
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/boats/
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/boats/
Can I get free parking at work instead?
I've given up on the T and drive to work now. I park in a garage near my work that costs $5/day. Can I get $5 for my parking fee? Maybe a couple of bucks for gas?
$5?
Cheap. Closer to $20 downtown - even in the mud lots!
Did your parking lot shut
Did your parking lot shut down for days, even after the roads were plowed? Did it have a 50% reduced capacity for 6 weeks after the last blizzard? Did it leave you stranded in the cold for 90 minutes on multiple occasions?
Fat chance, but I wish it was
Fat chance, but I wish it was free this Saturday as well, as I am going to the North Shore and would benefit from the freebie, unlike tomorrow.
I'll be jumping turnstyles
ironically.
Free T Day should be Criminal Simulator 2K15.
Instead of giving out free rides...
Just shut off all the faregates, and allow everyone to hop the faregates. Those who attempt to use their card get fifteen dollars deducted from it (to simulate a system hack). Cops will meanwhile for the day only sit in vans and only come out when the shooting happens.
By the way, the only
By the way, the only difference I will notice on my bus commute tomorrow is that nobody will hold up the passenger line by putting in cash.
Buses
I'm concerned how crowded the buses will be tomorrow.. ugh.
Don't worry
Don't worry, Cybah. It's not like they could actually be any more crowded than they already are...
ugh
remember I ride three out of the 15 "key bus routes" so they are always crowded. I just fear more people will ride tomorrow than normal since its free.
Then again half of the fares on these routes are 'wave ons' anyways since they are so crowded and paying actually slows down the boarding.
By using uber anyway
By using uber anyway
Moving Day
I was going to rent a U-Haul to move my 2-bedroom appt from JP to Charlestown, but thanks to the T I'll move for free on the Orange Line. I just need to see if I can reserve a whole car.
How to reserve a full car.
1. Eat tons of garlic
2. Breathe out thru mouth. HEAVILY.
3. Stuff as much stuff as you can into a survival-grade backpack.
4. Repeat step 3 until you have 4 backpacks (2 for the front, 2 for the back)
5. Buy sunglasses.
6. Buy a suspicious-looking suitcase
7. Get on car, use backpacks to push random mom with dying child in stroller out of the car.
8. Place suitcase on a seat and leave.
9. ???
10. Watch as entire train car empties out.
You may also wish to learn good public speaking for your interrogation.
"the ride"
I just scheduled a trip to Foxwoods with The Ride. Wish me luck!
LOL
You did not!
discounted may monthly passes
So what's the deal with the discounted may monthly/weekly passes that we were promised? it's kind of confusing as written on the MBTA site "On April 24th, 2015 the MBTA will offer FREE service, great deals and 15% discounts on weekly and monthly passes in May" --do we have to buy the monthly pass on the 24th in order to get the discount?
My employer says they are coming
If you buy yours in person, you should be charged 15% less. If your employer buys them for you, ask whoever handles benefits.
I get my pass through work
and I saw the discounted cost on last week's paycheck.
I'll be "celebrating" tomorrow by taking the commuter rail instead of a bus to work.
All passes for May are
All passes for May are discounted 15% regardless of when you buy them. They went on sale through ticket machines on April 15th, and I can confirm they are 15% off.
If you get it through your employer, the amount of the deduction from your paycheck will be 15% less automatically.
If it's anything like any
If it's anything like any other day, I suppose I'll get to not have to pay anything to enjoy sitting in the dark on the Blue Line, and even be able to enjoy the smell of a burning, disabled Red Line train entirely at no charge. I'll be able to not ride the suspended-due-to-traffic Green Line all day, again entirely on the T's dime, and even not get anywhere on the Orange Line due to switching and signalling issues--entirely gratis!
I suppose I'll start my day by not being able to get to Boston by not having to pay for a broken-down, late, or outright cancelled Commuter Rail first. And finally, I'll be able to get stuck in traffic on an MBTA bus that won't come anyway, without having to pay for the experience.
I will celebrate it knowing
I will celebrate it knowing the irony that Bakers free T day gimmick is estimated to cost ~5million, which is near the annual cost cuts the late night service received. So 1 free day gimmick = a years worth of cuts to the late night service?
How are you tracing this back
How are you tracing this back to Baker? The decision to offer a free day and 15% off passes in May was made by the MBTA Board composed of Deval Patrick appointees.
That $5M figure is also a combination of the cost of the free day and the pass discount, not just the free day. Whereas I think the one free day is a silly and meaningless response to the T becoming virtually unusable for the entire month of February, the discounted passes, good for the same time period, a month, is an entirely appropriate response. The $5M loss is a quantifiable sacrifice they're making to try to draw back all the riders they lost, permanently, due to February's debacle (in fact, one posted above), the dollar-figure loss of which hasn't been - and may not be able to be - quantified. What would you suggest they do? Tell their customers to go screw, "sorry, not our fault," and then when they do their stats at the end of the year find out they've lost $10M or $20M due to riders burnt by February never coming back?
He's the Governor, if he didn
He's the Governor, if he didn't agree with the free T day/pass gimmick he could have stopped it. This guy doesn't want to have any responsibility as governor he just wants the perks to help his old boys network (like his mentor Weld becoming a lobbyist right after the election). Baker is like spoiled brat Bush, he thinks having an MBA is the secret to solving all our problems but wants none of the blame when things fall apart.
We're sorry
This scene from South Park is really the only thing I could think of when I read about Free T Day.
Also they should have coordinated with Ben and Jerry's so you could Free T Day to Free Cone Day. #MBTAFAIL.
Heads up. If you go to UDG
Heads up. If you go to UDG don't except free coffee with your muffin. Went there early this morning and no one there knew what I was talking about when I mentioned the offer.
Had the same experience at McD
I went to two McDonalds on the way into work. First knew nothing about the advertised deal. Second told me that I needed a coupon that the T was handing out. Just for fun, I stopped at two more later, and both said they were not honoring the deal.
So the T gives these companies "free" advertising and then no one honors te offer. In my mind, the companies that elected not to honor the advertised deal owe the state some money.
What, you've never heard
the disclaimer "Price and participation may vary" that's tacked onto every Dunkins or McD's promotion ads.
offer
To be fair, the offer detail does say:
Got to North Station at 8:30
No evidence of anybody handing out McD's coupons.
I will celebrate it
by staying away from the T
Today's Red Line amusement
On today's commute, the conductor said in a very jaunty tone, "Today is Appreciation Day on the MBTA, free rides all day in appreciation for, ah." And then he just stopped talking. I think he realized that he was about to say something he shouldn't.
(hey, I thought it was funny)
Not everyone seemed to be on
Not everyone seemed to be on board (sorry) with this plan. The 300 or so people on a Providence bound train this morning were hearded onto (at first) 2 coaches, which is de rigeur with the typical ridership on off-hour trains. Conductors grudgingly, or so it seemed to me, were forced to open up more coaches and voices were being raised before we had even left Boston.
Has nothing to do with
it being "free fare" day, and everything to do with an idiotic management policy than mandates that the maximum number of people be crammed into the minimum number of coaches.
The fact that the MBTA also fails to acknowledge that their customers don't want the "3 and 2" seating, and only use the middle seats when they are forced to, only exacerbates this policy.