BOSTON — An advisory group studying six different plans for the future of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has thrown its support behind the most elaborate, and most expensive, plan.
Members of the 25-person panel held an hour-long meeting with the MBTA’s governing Fiscal and Management Control Board on Monday, saying their preference was for a fully electrified commuter rail system which would offer trains on 15-minute headways systemwide, CommonWealth magazine reports. The estimated cost for that plan: $28.9 billion in 2020 dollars.
The board is scheduled to vote on its preference for the commuter system’s future next Monday, and board chairman Joe Aiello told the magazine, “It’s going to be live and pretty messy.”
Other aspects of the “Full Transformation” plan, as outlined in an MBTA presentation, include high-level platforms at all stations, 59 miles of new or additional track, and new electric multiple-unit equipment for the currently diesel-only MBTA. The agency estimates this could lead to 225,900 additional boardings per day, an increase of 150%. The other five alternatives provide increases estimated at 13% to 54%.
The advisory group’s recommendation does not address how to pay for the project.
I’ve watched the advisory board in action. It is heavy with Mayors, state representatives and others who do have a stake in the commuter rail network.
I’m not sure how you define “skin in the game.” It isn’t operating people on the advisory board and not transportation planners either. They don’t think like engineers and they don’t have the skills to push back on the planners or question the price tags. What they are thinking about is the results – to their town, to riders, to development, to the economy.
There seems to be significant political support being gathered behind electrification and other elements of this plan. I’m not sure if it will all happen, but I’d bet we see some very significant advances. And yes, I think some big money will be spent.
Is spending big money worth it? In general, looking around the states and Europe, projects like this produce benefits to the regional economy many times in excess of the amount spent. And the Boston area is at the point that something needs to be done. Traffic in Boston is worst in the nation, or close to it. Without more investment in transit, the economy chokes off. Housing is scarce and people are moving further out. And the historic “gateway” cities (places like Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill) seem to be poised to shake off their problems and become part of the regional economy in a much more forceful way — but they really need a more robust commuter rail network to get there.
The electrification is a surprisingly small portion of the total price tag. Measured in billions, but only a few.
It IS worth it, even if the service doesn’t increase at all. As it is, you dozens of trains on each line, all day. Over time, electrification pays for itself – it just takes more time than Wall-Street can justify.
RICHARD – The Riverside electricifcation is clearly a success and just as clearly was built on the cheap suitable for a fraction of the ridership it has.
Any current project as proposed in this article would cost many times more per mile, above and beyond inflation.
We should remember that sixty or so years ago the Riverside branch of the Boston and Albany was electrified and now runs- quite frequently- as part of the Green Line. Is this a model for other Boston lines? Has the area along the Riverside line benefited from the change in the years since? Or was the whole thing a big mistake? Just wondering…..
JFT, maybe your comments will bring out the spelling-punctuation trolls that lurk on this site. I’m sure you meant “Do not overestimate…..”
I bet that very few of those who comment ever rode an electric train before. The benefits of electrification extends well beyond lower operating costs and lower emissions. Those trains accelerate faster and ride much more smoothly than diesel-hauled or pushed cars. Do not underestimate how faster speed and shorter run times can draw additional ridership.
Oh, My, God, this makes me ashamed to be a born – and – bred Bay Stater (and veteran rider of the NYNH&H Providence Local and the MBTA Red Line) and makes me feel justified I’ve lived in the Great Lakes region for the last 50 years.
Never, never, never have a bunch of civilians/ citizens on an advisory panel with no skin in the game make recommendations.
Here’s a railroad that can’t afford electric locomotives where there already is wire (Boston to Providence to Theodore Francis Green State Airport), proposing to extend catenary hundreds of more miles.
If I recall what I learned in Ivy League engineering school, “225,900 additional boardings” is taken to four significant digits. Giving a fake degree of fake precision where even the first digit is a wild guess – not even that, pure wishful thinking.
BTW we were in the Boston – Providence suburbs last month. Know something? Air transport is booming at both Boston Logan and Rhode Island T. F. Green. I know I’m talking apples and giraffes, long distance vs, local commute. Same principle, though: —- be realistic or you lose the game to the other side. Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers can connect a Hail Mary into the far corner of the end zone. The rest of us need to advance the ball a couple of yards each snap.
nad the 225,900 additional boarding will bring in how much revenue? How does that compare to theincrease in costs?
Since projects of this scope always seem to have their costs way underestimated, it does seem that electrification of all the lines won’t be the best use of funds. Plus estimates of increased ridership are always questionable. Mr. Carelli’s suggestion certainly makes more sense. There’s nothing that prevents diesels from maintaining 15 minute intervals in commuter service, especially with high level platforms everywhere.
Run electric engines on the NEC and retire the oldest diesels. Electrifying the other lines isn’t worth it
CHRISTIAN LENHART
Let’s see, off the top of my head, starting with South Station services as I’m a native south suburbanite;
Boston – Worcester – about 42 miles
Boston – Quincy – Braintree – Kingston – about 30 miles
Plymouth branch to above – about 10 miles
Hingham branch to above – about 5 miles
Braintree to Massachusetts South Coast – about 50 miles as it would branch to both Fall River and New Bedford
Readville – Norwood – Franklin – about 30 miles
Canton Junction to Taunton – about 15 miles
Jamaica Plain to Needham – about 10 miles
So far I’m up to, off the top of my head, about 192 miles, that’s just the B+A and the New Haven, haven’t gotten to the B+M yet, probably a little more than the above for B+A and NH combined.
Electrify all that, CHRISTIAN? See ROBERT’s post below.
I say go big or go home. I think the advisory panel has the right idea.
Mr. Carelli has the right idea. Anything further is just BS.
“The advisory group’s recommendation does not address how to pay for the project.” – Typical