Thursday, May 23, 2013
Traffic spikes around the region during the three-day holiday weekend, so the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is taking steps to easy the pain for drivers.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has released a list of its accommodations for drivers on one of the heaviest traffic weekends of the year. Here’s what driver’s can expect this Memorial Day Weekend, provided by MassDOT: A specific note on where traffic is heaviest, from MassDOT: "Traffic is especially heavy at the I-84 interchange at Exit 9 in Sturbridge on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and at Exit 11A, I-495, which handles cars headed south to Cape Cod and north to New Hampshire and Maine. In 2012, the Friday before Memorial Day was the 13th busiest day on the Turnpike in terms of toll transactions with approximately 350,000 logged between I-95 and the New York Border." SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Ahead of the Memorial Day travel season, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has joined with AAA to make EZ-Pass transponders more readily available.
With the summer travel season coming up, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation wants drivers to cut back on cash and link up to the EZ-Pass system. MassDOT has joined AAA of Southern New England to make EZ-Pass transponders available at over 15 AAA offices, according to a press statement Thursday. According to the statement, there are still over 155,000 daily cash transactions on toll roads throughout Massachusetts. With the state heading toward a cashless toll system beginning with the removal of cash tollbooths on the Tobin Bridge in early 2014, state transportation officials are encouraging motorists to get ahead of the changes by enrolling in the EZ-Pass program early. “The availability of transponders at AAA branches is one …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The twice-daily express commuter rail made its debut Monday.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation alongside other agencies launched a new express commuter train between Worcester and Boston Monday morning. The train runs along the Worcester/Framingham line twice daily: once toward Boston during the morning commuter and once toward Worcester in the afternoon, according to MBTA.com. During weekday mornings, the train will depart from Worcester’s Union Station at 6:20 a.m., make a stop in Framingham at 7 a.m., make another stop at Back Bay Station at 7:37 a.m. and finish the run at South Station at 7:43 a.m. In the afternoon, the train will depart from South Station at 5:35 p.m., stop at Back Bay Station at 5:41 p.m., make a stop in Framingham at 6:13 p.m. and finish in Worcester at 6:43 …
Friday, December 21, 2012
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is urging residents to drive safety and use public transportation.
During the holidays, we're all in a rush to get to our respective celebrations and enjoy the holidays. Unfortunately, also during this time of the year, the weather doesn't always cooperate. Information for Drivers With some wintry weather in the forecast, drivers should be prepared to encounter varying roadway conditions as they head to their holiday destinations, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT.) MassDOT encourages residents and visitors to drive safely and use public transportation where possible during the upcoming holidays. Although holiday traffic is the worst around Thanksgiving, road conditions can still get pretty congested during peak travel times. “Historically the days surrounding …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The new lighting scheme allows MassDOT to create custom colors for special events.
Last week, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary and CEO Richard Davey celebrated the relighting of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge with local officials, community leaders, the Zakim family and The Lenny Zakim Fund. “Since construction, this bridge has served as a symbol for the Commonwealth,” Davey said. “Today, we renew our belief that a bridge can be more than a symbol. It can help build community. This new color technology will allow us to promote, engage and inform our community in a sustainable way.” “Lenny’s life and life work bridged all of greater Boston’s diverse communities, just as this beautiful bridge joins Boston’s neighborhoods together,” said Jude Goldman, executive director of The Lenny …
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The proposed increases would be disproportionately detrimental to youth, seniors and the disabled, protesters say.
If the Department of Transportation passes its proposed MBTA fare increases Wednesday afternoon, Curtis Shelnut could face some difficult decisions, such as which dialysis session to skip or which medical appointment to miss. "This is my livelihood," Shelnut, who lives on St. Botolph Street, said of his access to medical services, which is provided by the MBTA's The Ride. "I'm speaking from the heart now. They cannot do this to us." Shelnut was one of a dozen or so protesters in front of the State House late Tuesday morning. The group is staging a 24-hour vigil to urge the Legislature to cover the MBTA's $91 million deficit. "Failed Forward Funding legislation and Big Dig debt have bankrupted the T and should not be allowed to destroy the …
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The South End escaped the majority of service cuts, but residents could soon be paying 23 percent more to get from point A to point B.
The South End will see only a minimal impact from service cuts if the current Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority budget plan is approved this week, but riders will be paying more to get where they need to go. MassDOT officials released what is likely to be the final plan to address a $161 million MBTA budget gap yesterday, and while the new proposal utilizes far less severe cuts to vital transportation services than previous plans, it does call for a 23 percent overall fare increase and the complete elimination of four weekday bus routes. Fourteen other bus routes would be modified under the new plan. Weekend commuter rail service would be cut on some lines—such as Greenbush, Plymouth/Kingston and Needham. Additionally, Green Line…
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The current $1.70 subway Charlie Card could go to $2.25 or $2.40.
The MBTA’s struggles with a growing budget gap will probably mean significantly higher fares for South End riders come July. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) released two MBTA service proposals Tuesday. Both proposals would not only raise rates but also include some service reductions and eliminations. [How to make your voice heard] According to information from a Mass.gov blog, one scenario (Scenario 1) proposes an overall fare increase of 43 percent, while the other scenario (Scenario 2) relies more heavily on service reductions and eliminations and only suggests a 35 percent fare increase. Each proposal looks to close a projected $161 million budget gap for fiscal year 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013), the statement…
No meetings will take place in the South End, but several are nearby.
With two service proposals now on the table, the MBTA is taking public comments and has scheduled a series of meetings where the public can weigh in. [More information on the proposed T fare hikes and service reductions and eliminations] Public Comments Public comments can be submitted electronically at MBTA.com, by telephone at 617-222-3200, or be emailed to fareproposal@mbta.com or mailed to: Fare Proposal 10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910 Boston, MA 02116 The deadline for public comments is March 1. Public Meetings Here are the five closest meetings to the South End in chronological order: Boston (Roxbury) Roxbury Community College Auditorium 1234 Columbus Ave. Thursday, Jan. 19 6 to 8 p.m. Boston Transportation Building Floor 2, Conference …
42.328857
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1234 Columbus Ave # End, Roxbury Crossing, MA
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Rayleen Gaudet Nunez
7:30 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
I think the raises to fares are cuts to services are equally excessive. If the T wants to save money, let them reduce the number of trains that run between rush hours. Generally, there are four or more that are only half full. The commuter rail, during rush hour service is even worse, with only five to six people to a car during non-rush hours. Transit riders need transportation during weekends … more ›