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Green Line speed restrictions not lifted, in the most T way possible
By adamg on Sat, 03/18/2023 - 1:29pm
Green Line continues to move at a glacial pace.
The MBTA announced this morning it was unable to lift the "global" speed restrictions on the Green Line this morning as it had hoped just yesterday:
While running a Green Line test train in areas where defects had previously been detected, crews identified speed signs that need to be relocated to implement block restrictions. As result, the global speed restriction will remain in place until this manual process is completed.
In an update to the update, the MBTA says:
The MBTA has identified 30 speed limit signs that need to be relocated on the Green Line, and that work is taking place today. After that work is completed, the MBTA will re-run test trains on the entire line. The MBTA apologizes for the continued disruption to service for its riders.
Yesterday, interim MBTA General Manager Jeff Gonneville had said that while the T would lift the "global" speed restrictions - as low as 10 m.ph. in some spots - it would keep in place new speed restrictions in certain track "blocks" until inspectors could go over those stretches and track workers could fix any problems they identified, so that even without the "global" restrictions, trips would still take more time.
Photo, from the Library of Congress, shows people above Altsch Glacier in Switzerland sometime between 1860 and 1890.
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Comments
Retreating faster?
Those glaciers are retreating faster than the MBTA is moving forward! I'll stick to biking, which in good days for the T is comparable in time, but not it's a no brainer to bike! Looks like a photo of the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland BTW.
I assume the T interim
I assume the T interim management knows this is an accountability "dead zone" pending the new admin. Our blue line driver this afternoon complained on the PA the entire way under the harbor, not allowed to exceed 15mph.
Imagine if the trains in Manhattan went only 15mph.
We just have to continue getting borked I guess, until we have a new manager and Gov. Healey ramps up giving a leap.
Do I sound negative I worry that I sound a little negative.
Ble Line DJs
Th Blue Line is full of these bizarre wannabe DJ drivers. The "if you're going to the Aquarium, one of myyyaayyyayyy favorite plaaaces" lady is legendary. She does this at 7 AM when the only possible people going to the Aquarium are those who work there. She also did it during the height of the pandemic when the Aquarium was closed.
I don't work at the Aquarium,
I don't work at the Aquarium, but where I do work, I like it when people show appreciation. Maybe she says that specifically for the benefit of the early-bird fish wranglers you mention. Give 'em a little boost on the way in to the job.
Reporting live from the D-branch
Global speed restrictions and one train every 20 minutes. Useless. You win, petrochemical-automotive oligarchy.
Lot of shannagans going on
The Globe has been doing some actual reporting on this (hat tip to the new editor) and some of their coverage is worth reading.
In a nutshell, the Director of Maintenance of Way (tracks) has been vacant since late last year. The previous director held the job for less than a year. The person before that retired but is now working as an outside consultant for the T (!) to do the inspections that the T couldn't produce records of having. Both people received $50k+ payouts when they left. (Presumably for unused vacation but unclear.)
The fact the T isn't being forthcoming about any of this might be bigger news than the slowdowns themselves.
In other news
"The fact the T isn't being forthcoming about any of this might be bigger news than the slowdowns themselves."
In other news, water is wet.
The T news is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Count on it.
I'm not sure about that. The
I'm not sure about that. The "getting better" part, that is.
I don't think I'm that cynical.
Yet.
But we shall see what crawls out from under the rocks in the next few months.
I have said for some time now
I have said for some time now that it wouldn't surprise me to see at least one higher-up at the T do time for something that comes out as part of this increased scrutiny, from the Feds and now from the state auditors.
Uhub Unfair to Sloths and Glaciers!
While I understand why these images were chosen to represent the current state of our rapid transit system I feel it is unfair to characterize either of those natural phenomena with the MBTA rail system. They can't help but be slow. There is no negligence involved in their being slow.
The MBTA rail system on the other hand is designed to be fast. Negligence and quite possibly malfeasance are the reason it is not.
Glaciers not being slow
There's plenty of negligence in that.