Abolish the MBTA Authority Structure

By ralphlopez on Wed, 11/07/2007 - 8:52pm

The art show went from 6-8, so I figured if I looked for the bus 86 from Harvard Square to Lechmere at around 6:30, I could enjoy at least one glass of wine and catch an hour maybe 45 minutes of the show. The stop was full of people shivering at 6:35, and finally 20 minutes later the 86 came, nearly empty, AND WENT RIGHT BY! That driver didn't even look at us. Hoping the driver knew what he was doing and there was a bus right behind, we stood shivering for another 15 minutes until I for one gave up. It would have been 7:30 before I got to the art show if I was lucky, a then a cold walk back to the Kendall Sq. Red Line. Thanks, MBTA, I could have used that glass of wine. In the meantime one out-of-service bus went by, two # 1s, and three 66's went by. THREE! This is pretty typical of Boston T service everywhere in the hub.

NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE UNLESS we start gathering around the idea of the T as an accountable agency. It is an "authority" run by a quasi-public board whose members are chosen by a process that makes them unfire-able, except for the GM. Who can only be fired by the board. The board must be abolished and converted to a cabinet-level executive agency, accountable to the governor. The beauty of this is you know who to blame when service is lousy, and make him pay for it at the ballot box.

The irony is that the authority structure was meant to do exactly what it does: shield the T bureaucracy from political pressure. My question is the obvious: Why should the service most directly impacting ordinary peoples' lives, built with all public money, be shielded from political pressure? I googled the title of this blog and strangely enough guess who wants to do just what I'm saying? Duval Patrick. So next time you are standing on a platform with smoke coming out of your ears at the incompetence of it all, have this number in your cellphone contacts and tell Duval, while you are still hopping mad that you had to stand like a sardine while 4 empty trains went by the other way, Yea! Make it happen! Don't bother calling the T. They really don't care.

Governor's office: 617.725.4005

Live in Somerville or Cambridge and mad that they didn't pass impeachment yesterday? Look at the new website Capuanotraitor.com

Topics:

The T

Free tagging:

Deval Patrick

buses

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Comments

wrong bus?

By Ron Newman on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 9:05am.

If you wanted a bus to Lechmere shouldn't you have taken the 69?

So you were trying to go

By Jake on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 9:51am.

So you were trying to go from where to where, exactly? I assume you were waiting at Harvard Square, in front of the gates. The 86 goes nowhere near Lechmere - you'd have to get off near Union and hop an 87 or 88. I'm so confused...
But, from the sounds of what you are saying, Robert Duvall is now our governor?! Sweet... I mean, he was a pretty badass consigliere, so I'm sure he's up to setting the T straight too.

All buses are not created equal

By Molly Clare on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 10:47am.

One of the first lessons one needs to learn around here is that the bus map does not tell the whole story. Yes, the map implies that a bus runs from Russell Field to Central Square via Porter (the #83). But the #83 is a mythical beast. It "comes" every "half an hour," but I've tried to take it three times and never once caught sight of my elusive quarry. I thought I spotted it once, but then I realized it was a mirage, like the handsome man bent over me offering me a flute of Dom Perignon.

really?

By Ron Newman on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 10:49am.

I've taken the #83 any number of times.

And do you ...

By adamg on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 10:53am.

Have a flute of Dom Perignon at the ready?

I used to live at the

By EricaG on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 12:29am.

I used to live at the intersection of the 83 and 86 buses, and found the 83 vastly more reliable. However, that involved going out to wait early, and being willing to wait up to 15 minutes beyond its supposed arrival, and being willing to call a cab if the bus hadn't come after that because then the odds were that run wasn't coming ever and the next bus would be maybe in an hour. But, uh, it exists.