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T boss drives SUV to events promoting T ridership
By adamg on Thu, 07/10/2008 - 10:08am
Do as Dan Grabauskas says, not as he does. Sure, you can't expect the general manager of a farflung system like the MBTA to rely on his own system to get to emergencies, but, honestly, an SUV (granted, a hybrid SUV)? Really, Dan: Unless you're personally jumping out of your SUV in a bog to rescue people, a Prius will get you to trolley collisions just as fast. Also, gotta love this:
The message of Dump the Pump, he added, is to encourage people with less demanding schedules to take the T.
When can we expect the PSAs on the T?
Hi, this is T General Manager Dan Grabauskas, and if I had a less demanding schedule, I'd be right there on the platform with you, so take the T and dump the pump!
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Comments
Take the T they tell me,
Take the T they tell me, live closer to the city they insist, your not too busy to take the bus!
So I open the newspaper and find out the guy whos been whispering that into my ear lives 60 miles away from his job, and he is too busy to take the MBTA.
Seems kinda obvious to me, but if its too time consuming and inconvenient for him to get around town without his SUV then maybe we should improve the system.
Well if his schedule is too
Well if his schedule is too busy he could have the station wagon here at the office, ready to go (or better yet, use "the ride"), and could do the daily, predictable commute on the train. Not too long ago our governor wasn't too busy to commute via T everyday, on THE GREEN LINE for chrissake.
Another option
The T could get him a Zipcar membership. There are 30 cars within 0.5 miles of the MBTA headquarters and many of the T stops near the end of the lines have Zipcars parked there.
Zipcar isn't all its cracked
Zipcar isn't all its cracked up to be, unless you buy new every few years (car payments).
Don't have extra liability insurance out of your own pocket and get into an accident and you're screwed!
uh, that's not a zipcar
uh, that's not a zipcar thing, it's a life thing.
Zipcar now covers up to $300,000
"Beginning November 1, 2007, for Zipcar members 21 years of age or older, our insurance coverage consists of a combined single limit of $300,000 per accident, meaning that all third party bodily injuries, or property damage costs relating to the accident are covered in the aggregate up to $300,000."
There is a deductible of $500. Seems pretty good to me.
And that deductible is $0
If you pay a $75 waiver once a year. Insurance issues are no reason not to use Zipcar.
Zipcar coverage
(What Maya said.) You can buy a full-coverage rider if you're "accident"-prone.
not my experience at all
We've gone from owning a 10+ year old car to just using zipcar once in a while, and are spending only a fraction of what we did before.
Also
I think people have pretty much squelched your second comment about insurance. But I want to address your first comment about cost.
I pre-pay $75 per month for my ZipCar membership. I use just about that much every month on average so it works out well (for prepaying, I get 1 month rollover of unspent money and a 10% discount on the hourly/daily rates).
I used to pay $90/mo for insurance on my 1991 Toyota Celica. That doesn't include gas, maintenance, or my ability to choose any vehicle of any size.
So, I'm spending at *least* $15 less per month and getting more variety and newer cars than I was before. It's not perfect: if I want a car on the spur of the moment on a Saturday afternoon, I might have a hike or have to change my plans a bit. But in general it works really well and it'd do just fine for a guy like Dan G. who needs to run out to Lowell in the middle of a workday for something but takes the commuter rail to and from home.
I'll have to look into
I'll have to look into that... thanks guys
The last I read said they still only provided state minimums, which in the case of a crash means you could owe thousands and thousands in property and medical liability damages.
Their old policy covered their own fleet just fine, but it was the pesky other stuff that tends to be the bulk of an accidents bill.
Some more info, seems a
Some more info, seems a recent merger with flexcar was the cause for the change:
http://carsharingus.blogspot.com/2008/05/zipcar-fi...
One thing to keep in mind:
I think that's 20/40 (per/other) in MA. Still not bad, but not great also.
Eat Your Own Dogfood
The majority of the T services seem targeted at some nebulous lower class of resident. The quality of much of the services is so poor that I suspect the only people riding them are people who have no other options.
Most companies I've seen with a "we eat our own dogfood" culture end up with better dogfood.
Does MBTA headquarters have parking for employees? If so, why?
I know plenty of people who use the T by choice
either because they choose to not own a car, or to use the car they have as little as possible.
Better use?
Why can't he keep the car parked at the Transportation Building 95% of the time and use it only when needed? Such as the few times he needs to be in Lowell after 4 PM and wants to go home afterwards.If he did that I don't think most people would care (I certainly wouldn't). A car should be available for T personnel for emergencies, etc but Dan is using this car for his personal business (driving to and from work) only.
His chariot is nothing compared the standard T SUVs
The T has been purchasing left and right new Chevy Tahoe SUVs, which are the size of a city block...and get (are you sitting down?) FOURTEEN MPG in the 2WD version (the 4WD version is even lower!) Most of the time they're being driven by one dude who is a T "inspector"...
If you want to see a real "crime", how about the Transit Police and Boston Police, which drive unnecessarily HUGE, gas-guzzling Ford Crown Victorias? AND LEAVE THEM IDLING ALL THE TIME?! They get 18mpg in the city, and that's probably conservative, given every time one passes me, the cop is accelerating away from a stop like it's a Ferrari...
I never got what all these
I never got what all these emergency situations are.
How often do these T inspectors need to climb over a mountain of rubble with their 4 wheel drive all terrain suvs?
well, they used to be used as pushers...
the T inspector SUVs (old Suburbans) used to have giant rubber bumpers on the front so that they could put it into low-range 4WD and push a stalled bus out of the way. Now, however, they have nothing of the kind- just a big lightbar that further reduces their mileage.
Same thing with the BFD district chiefs- they have their own drivers(!) and huge Tahoes (apparently that pair of boots, radio, and jacket take up a lot of space!)
In JP when they have their regular meeting at the fire station, they leave their SUVs out in front idling with their drivers in 'em. Not only a waste of fuel, but a violation of the Anti-Idling Law (which, contrary to what police, EMS, and Fire will tell you, does not have ANY EXCEPTIONS for Fire/EMS/Police. The only exception is for vehicles which are actively using equipment which requires engine power. Ambulance on lunch break? NO...
What would the safety reason be for leaving a car idling?
Is the city so cheap it buys cars that need to be hand cranked?
Seriously... They get new
Seriously... They get new cars/trucks every few years , so its not like the car wont restart and be ready to go at a moments notice.
Id love to see a hand cranked police chief truck.
The 100-year-old trolley
Here's an interesting little story about the trolley seen below. Turns out it's 100 years old and was recently "retired" (i.e., sold off) from the Mattapan Line (it had been used strictly as a snow plow for the past 60 years or so).
fleet operators don't like start/stops
When engines stop, oil drains down into the oilpan, and when the engine is re-started, there's a momentary delay before oil pressure hits normal levels. That causes some wear. So, that's why you see a lot of "working" vehicles not shut down.
It's a problem mitigated in part by advancements in oil (both hydrocracked and fully synthetic oils), anti-drainback valves (often in the oil filter, and thus easily retrofit). It's also completely remedied by "preoiler" systems, where oil is stored in a pressure reservoir, and a check valve keeps pressure while the engine is off. When the engine is started, a solenoid valve is activated and oil immediately flows from the pressure reservoir.
The "safety" reason is the usual "Every Second Counts" song and dance, ie "What if it doesn't start and there's an axe murdering, child molesting double-parker in your home and we can't get there in time?", which was much more a concern back in the days of carbureted vehicles (vehicles not starting, that is) when it was easy to have a hot engine not start because of vapor lock.
Nowadays, engines are fuel-injected, computerized, have fault diagnostics that alert fleet operators of impending failures, etc.
Emergency vehicles also have
Emergency vehicles also have lots of electronics that have to be restarted or rebooted every time the vehicle is shut off. It can take awhile to get everything up and running. The days when you could turn the key and floor it are gone for now.
bullshit
Emergency vehicles also have lots of electronics that have to be restarted or rebooted every time the vehicle is shut off.
What? No, they don't. Ambulances have multiple electrical busses and batteries dedicated to the ambulance-specific stuff. Radios don't need "rebooting", laptops have batteries in them that last for hours, etc. They're ambulances, not space shuttles. It's not like they have Dilithium crystals or flux gate capacitors.
Both cruisers and ambulances have separate auxiliary batteries, too. Ambulances I think have isolated electrical systems for the 'box' in back.
Besides, it's one thing to be idling at a crime or accident scene. It's another to leave it idling while you fetch your lunch 'cause your partner doesn't want to have to endure a lack of A/C for 5 minutes.
Crown Vics provide lots of
Crown Vics provide lots of economic advantages in terms of economies of scale. They are basically like F-16s for our public servants.
Do you really think that the
Do you really think that the CEO of the corporatation that sells Hostess products eats Twinkies every day?
Hostess isnt pressuring me
Hostess isnt pressuring me to do something because its right for the public at large, they arent guilting me. Their message is clear "our food is tasty" so if I want tasty I pick up a twinkie. I would at least hope that the CEO of Hostess at least likes twinkies in some form tho.
I expect the Chair of the ACLU to be for political freedoms, the head of an environmental group to like trees, the chair of Dana Farber to donate to the cause, the principle of a school to like kids (even in a "mean love" sort of way where she is mean and makes them follow rules because she feels it will prepare them for the real world), that the governor should live in the state, and that the head of the MBTA should use the service like the rest of us. There is a difference between public entities (including the quasi public T) and private companies. That being said, how would you feel about your brand new Toyota Prius if you saw the CEO of Toyota roll up to a meeting in a Hummer or a GM Truck?
I feel your pain living in
I feel your pain living in W. Rox. We need some kind of a (half) circle line to connect the southern parts of the city as well as an extension from Forest Hills. It's preposterous that it takes upwards of 45-50 minutes to get downtown from W. Rox in the a.m.
You think that’s bad, then
You think that’s bad, then try taking it from packards corner in ALLSTON!
Take the same time give or take 15 min depending on service, and it’s only 4 miles from downtown crossing. That’s a 15 minute mile, yup, we can walk that fast!
You can walk 4 miles in 15 minutes?
One of your measurements is way off -- either the distance or the walking speed. Not sure which.
What I think they meant
I think they meant that it takes just as long from West Roxbury to Downtown Crossing as it does from Packard's Corner to Downtown Crossing (about 45-60 minutes depending on how fast the T comes to pick you up) which at a distance of 4 miles is a 15 minute mile. A regular walking pace is about 15 minutes per mile, so the Green B Line is really only saving you the effort of walking, it's by no means "rapid transit".
To be sure, 15min/mile is a
To be sure, 15min/mile is a fast pace, but I've done it before. Your time may vary.
For comparison, I've taken runs up commonwealth from Kenmore to Packards and have [/b]easily[b] beat an outbound train leaving the tunnel by several blocks.
It's really that slow along the B line!
Weird
It only takes 16 minutes to get to South Station from Roslindale.
I think you may be making a poor argument here, as the commuter rail, which already goes through West Rox, goes faster than the Orange Line. If the Orange Line were extended to West Rox, you would still get downtown faster on the Commuter Rail.
The Commuter Rail from West
The Commuter Rail from West Roxbury does get downtown pretty quickly. Of course, it costs more and you're beholden to their schedule, but the speed is pretty solid.
Consistency is a major issue on the commuter rail
I'm talking door to door. The published schedule on the commuter rail is 20 minutes from Bellevue to South Station. I can say with confidence that the trains are rarely on time, and frequently arrive 5-10 minutes late into South Station. Factoring in a 5-7 minute walk from your house, and the resulting 5-10 minute walk to a financial district office from SS, that's easily a 45 minute commute door to door.
It's better than B line hell in Allston, but the point is, the T has a long way to go making certain areas of the city more accessible by subway.
The argument for extending
The argument for extending the Orange Line is not based on time, but rather convenience and accessibility. The commuter rail does not run on Sunday, and runs too infrequently on Saturday to be of much use.
No points for hybrid, either
I don't give any bonus points for using a hybrid SUV, either. When I was shopping for a new car, I looked at hybrid SUVs, until the salesman said the hybrid technology in bigger vehicles is used to boost performance, not mileage.
Yeah, they can boost acceleration
Handy for when the T general manager needs to pull a trolley out of a ditch with his SUV.
The mileage gains are not impressive, especially for the larger SUVs, except as a percentage (increasing an SUV's MPG from, say, 10 to 15 MPG is still kind of pitiful, but it's also a 50% increase).
Massport doesn't seem to know this though
1smootshort.blogspot.com...hybrid-stuck-to-back-to-your.html
Well, This Explains Things
No wonder why the T doesn't say boo when delays occur on some of the more far-flung branches of the commuter rail - such as the Worcester line, the Franklin line, and some of the North Shore Lines.
Never mind that a lot of T employees don't use the system, but the person who is supposed to be the biggest advocate finds the T "inconvenient." WTF.
I thought it was pretty bad when he jetted off to Thailand back in the winter when Amtrak was slated to go on strike. This is just a slap in the face to all of us - who are funding the T through our fares and our gas taxes. He isn't worth $1 - how they can justify paying him $255,000+ is beyond me.
He's a fat cat political appointee who isn't capable of working anywhere except on the public trough. I have more respect (which is already nil) for people milking the system through workers' comp and welfare than I do for Danny G. He's a horrible public servant.
i agree
I think improvements on timeliness and service would be far more likely if the guy who runs the organization experienced the same problem as riders, such as long delays, lack of communication about delays with riders, reckless bus driving/
isn't the ford escape a
isn't the ford escape a small suv? whats the problem? when the governor calls a state of emergency for snow all these people have to still report to work...so i would think the suv is for driving in inclement weather.
I drive a full sized sedan ,
I drive a full sized sedan , front wheel drive, that has better mileage than a small suv, and I make it through the snow. If the snow on the road is so bad that Danny has to use his four wheel drive and drive over snow dunes he shouldnt be driving that 60 miles to work. On second thought if his job is so essential to the fucntion of the system maybe he shouldnt live 60 miles away. If it was that important he would live near a subway line (dont talk to me about price, you can find plenty of affordable houses on the blue line in East Boston and Revere) so he could get to work on a moments notice.
if you made 255,000 dollars
if you made 255,000 dollars a year you probably wouldnt live in revere or east boston either
Not my problem he is too
Not my problem he is too much of a snob to live in Revere. Let him buy his own damn truck then. Why are we paying for him to drive while Im slogging my way to work everyday on an overcrowded train?
I regularly pass SUVs stuck
I regularly pass SUVs stuck in the snow on hills in my '91 FWD Jetta. SUVs being better in inclement weather is complete BS. The only thing a truck is better at is pulling things, or going off road, where you need increased height
Were they 4WD??
I doubt it, or they had totally bald tires. Some people buy SUVs with 2WD, though mostly in southern states. 4WD with all-season tires beats any 2WD. I've pulled people out of ditches.
Problem with SUVs
The problem with SUVs as I see it is the higher center of gravity. This means when they start fishtailing, they're more likely to flip over than a regular car.
I think what ineedaname is referring to is the phenomenon of people thinking that because they are driving an SUV they are suddenly invulnerable, so they stop paying attention. He gets up the snowy hills in his Jetta because he's paying attention. (I get up the snowy hills in my MINI because it's got traction control).
If people are bad drivers, the consequences will likely be worse in an SUV. Instead of just spinning out in the snow, they'll flip out or go over the median. I remember coming down from Loon in a snowstorm and seeing the side of the road just littered with flipped SUVs. (That's when I pulled off and checked into a hotel).
Flipped vs. hills
I absolutely agree with the flipped-SUV syndrome, you see it all the time. Between that and just thinking you can't get stuck - but you can. I learned that 20 years ago. ;-)
But, that isn't what he said. He just said that SUVs were getting stuck on hills. Doesn't make sense with 4WD.
Just FYI: Herald didn't break the story
A little birdie reminded me that MassInc.'s CommonWealth and the Globe Magazine both reported on the GM's non-T commute back in 2006. From the CommonWealth profile (free registration required):
Globe Magazine article.
So if you were going to get
So if you were going to get from Ipswich to Lowell you would take the Newburyport line into Boston, and then the Lowell line back out? Didn't think so.