63 thoughts on “Feedback”

1. I want to comment on the transportation reform. I understand that we are in financial traits right now. I want to know how you can take a secure financial fund (as the pension program of the T) and merge it with the state. The resoning behind the T’s success is the funding itself. Paid in full and a concerted effort of people that care about other lives. Not so with the state pension. Kickback after kickback to do the wrong thing to benifit themselves. Not so at the T. Tring to refinaince the state through a healthy T pension. More hackwork where is the accountability. Screw the working man I see. Not all of us are apointed by the political hack. Why should my pension money be given to the state to steal. I understand theh 23 and out is not feasable. Come one now, do we give good money to be squandard. Let us not forget the pension is run by our members that have a concerted effort to succeed. Why not fund the state pensions properly and and put the money in each we just like the T. Rather than steal it from the tax payers down the road. Just like our legislator, I know money can be saved by cutting the fat from people that have no core function. Why is it our own bosses chouse us to underperform so they dont have to work as hard. Never heard of in the real world. If they judged people on the quality of performance and their ability to do the job than who they know efficiency could be their. I glad to see their might be proper structure. I like to work and know Im good at what I do but you are only can excel when the potential is there. Let the people that truley know their field run the work and you might achieve your goal. I know people think unions dont work and try to do nothing and get a paycheck. I wish people could see the education and the skills provided by the union trades that help stem the rising cost of repair and production. We are taught to do it right and safe the first time around. Their is no such thing as a free paycheck(please trust me. We take a wage reduction to come over to accomplish job security. If people knew the money differential of privitaly contacting our work to the private secter. With project labor agreements your cutting down on over run exspence, A stagering 40%. Where is the transparence their. Why would the T subcontract work out if it could save even more when their employies can do the job. Not only to their specifications but the unforciable to the average joe. We understand what hasnt work and what has; Where the problems lie in day to day operations. When is legislator that doesnt understand whats going on, going to ask where is the problems. Let them tell you how the maintance comes back and fixs problem after problem do to shoty jobs. WHERE IS OUR JUSTICE. I HAVE MUCH PRIDE IN WHAT I DO AND CARE VERY MUCH TO KNOW IM DOING RIGHT BY THE PEOPLE WHO PAY ME. JUST GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY.

2. Dear Goveroner: Thank you for making the difficult decision to raise the gas tax in order begin addressing the State’s fiscal and infrastructure repair amd maintenace chalenges. Hopefully the funds will be used by your management team in the best interest of the tax payers. Is it possible to reduce the State income tax at the same time so that Mass can better compete with other States? The increase in gas tax will help move us as a State and Nation to finally begin to address the need to deveople a substainable long term energy policy. The incremental increase on hydrocarbon fuel by taxation will help businesses and consumers support/demand alternative energy systems. I am hoping the leadership in the Fereral Governemt will have the foresight and courage to incrementally shift federal income tax onto hydrocarbon fuels. When oil prices increase in a systematic and predictable manner, say by taxation, consumers and businees will invest in long term alternate energy systems and purchase products that are more energy efficient. Thank you, Rhain Hoyland

3. Massachusetts residence are being taxed to death. The transportation system is falling apart because our Gov’t allowed it to. This is not smoething that happened overnight and we should not rush to fix the problem. Gov. Deval Patrick waited until the “11th Hour” to do something. This was his way of getting the House to approve his proposed Gas Tax increase. The Mass Pike should pay for the Mass Pike, tolls are collected so that it will pay for it’s self. You should not need to tax the Gas to pay for the Mass pike.

4. please stop posting meeting notices in your blog – blogs are for discussions

5. The bill as spelled out almost sounds reasonable. Of course you have to get by the fact that a sales tax is the worst type of tax you can levy, and that this tax will not only affect people driving cars but all goods and services that can be affected by an increase in transportation. This includes buses, trains, airplanes and absolutely everything carried by truck within the state of Massachusetts. This of course is just what the citizens of Massachusetts want to hear while we are in a recession. Besides these concerns, as trivial as they may seem, there are a couple of other points that I think need to be cleared up. It would appear that some of the money might actually be spent outside the Route 128 boundaries, but it would also appear that the money from this tax would go into the Massachusetts General Fund. Our legislature has a proven history of taking money that was ear-marked for one thing and using it however they see fit once it hits the general fund. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED. But I do not see any provisions from stopping this from happening, so I must assume that no matter what is said it will be business as usual. On top of the raise in gas tax they are proposing that we have government oversight in our vehicles. I know that the RMV is saying nothing would be done unless it can be proven tamper resistant. Considering the number of hackers trying to get into everything I don’t see how that’s possible. But from my perspective the main point is I’m more worried about what the government is going to do with the information than I am about other private citizens. What you say is going to be done now is one thing, but what provisions are going to be put in place to ensure that this NEVER changes. Since no provisions are in place, again I have to presume that it will be business as usual. So far business as usual scares me. There are some really good points being made about things that can be done to save money, why haven’t they been done before and why is everything tied together? Can we see what savings would be made by just implementing the savings measures before we start taxing everyone?

6. Dear Governor- Your last day in office cannot come fast enough. Thank God it will only be one term.

7. Being an employee at the MBTA impacts ones health in many ways. Not having bathrooms readily available, means not drinking as much water as needed to flush out waste. The air we breath as we circle check out buses is loaded with pollutants, the passengers we carry, cough, sneeze, sometimes blow that last puff of cigarette smoke on us. There is lots of stress in various forms: traffic, fareboxes not working properly, children screaming, people complaining or just asking questions while your are trying to concentrate on driving. Buses without enough heat in winter, A/C not working in summer with windows locked. Long hours away from family. Now we can’t even communicate with them on our break, unless we can find a pay phone that works. We have single mothers, sick spouses. Does anyone ever realize that a mother who works for the MBTA many times has to leave for work before her children are awake, then she might be on break while they are at school, but she has to be back to work before they get home from school, if she’s lucky she might be home in time to tuck them into bed for the night. I work 5:35am til 9:00am go on break, have to report to work 3:50pm til 6:30pm. Has anyone ever kept track of how many MBTA employees develop cancer? Kidney problems? Hypertension? How many catch colds or flu from passengers? The MBTA makes it hard to take sick time. We need good health care, and we earn every bit of our retirement benefit. We might as well retire after 23 years, so we can enjoy retirement before we fall ill from exposure to the hazzards at the MBTA.

8. I think that all Massachusetts elected leaders should be required to travel by public transportation a few times a month–including by BUS. Whenever I ride the T, I am always struck by how dirty and poorly maintained the undergound passageways are. It is really very disgusting sometimes. In Harvard Square, the underground Bus Stop is agrim linear pit. I’ve seen black mold growing on leaking low ceilings, low lying exposed wiring (within arms reach) due to missing light fixtures, built-up grime along walls, mucky stained floors, and “islands” of broken down heavy equipment. If this is how affluent Harvard Square is maintained, I’m frightened to imagine the underground tunnels elsewhere in the system. It’s no wonder that people have described riding our T system in Boston like a 3rd world country experience. Sending guys around with brooms won’t help at this point. But on the other hand, a lot of these tunnels don’t need pressure washing and expensive cleaning companies sent in. There are cheap solutions. For example, just give one conscientious cleaner a good bristle brush and paper towels, plus access to plenty of hot soapy water, and the Harvard Square underground Bus Stop could be at least rescued from squalor. Bottomline: Every MBTA station should maintain an active punchlist of items that need to be addressed by cleaning and “handyman” staff, and inspections by neighborhood committees might be considered. The MBTA builds huge new stations with expensive finishes and sophisticated architectural detail, and almost immediately they allow them to begin the corrosion process. This is sad. At Charles Street Station, the deterioration effect started even before the station was fully completed. Months of rusting construction detritus piles created indelible stains on the upper platform by the south escalators. I could go on and on, but it will just make me feel like an architecturally minded version of Harry Markoupoulos. So I’ll stop here.

9. Why don’t you give each person over 55 1/2 million dollars to pay off there houses and all there bills. Tell them that they need to quit there jobs. That way there would be jobs for the younger generation. The people over 55 can still collect there social security when they are 65. To me all the stimulas money is being wasted on businesses. How about the citizens that are nickled and dimed to death and can’t keep there heads above water because everything keeps going up except the money to live on. Soon people are going to be robbing from each other and killings are going to be next.

10. The interactive map posted on your blog does not work at all. I clicked on the following link, hoping to gain some insight into the stimulus funding, but I was extremely dissatisfied by the amateurish production: /wp-content/uploads/legacy-images/transportation/6a0105367f07d8970b01287670d461970c-pi.jpg As you will see, the site essentially appears to be a static, fuzzy screen grab that is also NOT user friendly since users cannot zoom to read details. You might want to fix it to make it more informative and the information more accessible. ————————————————————————– MassDOT Responds: Perhaps you clicked on the visual map inserted in the blog post. Please visit the Recovery web page that was included as a link within the blog post and is available at www.mass.gov/massdot/recovery, then go to the Interactive link on the Recovery page to what we believe is a usable and helpful interactive tool. Let us know if that works for you.

11. The marked deterioration in the efficacy of the T is something you apparently are aware of and yet the Transportation Secretary is quoted in today’s Globe as reassuring riders that we need not be concerned about our safety…what about our sanity and peace of mind? What about the environment and the fact that we choose to ride the T to avoid driving (carbon emissions) and because it should be less stressfull and because it is important to support public transportation! For the past two evenings I have suffered through two protracted attempts to travel from South Station to Alewife in a reasonable amount of time. I have suffered because a problematice situation was made worse by poor communication, poor planning and poor execution. Last night (12/22) there was ONE T-Alert email at 4:30 about buses between Harvard Square and Alewife and yet thousands of people were inconvenienced because it took forever to simply get to Harvard and all the while we were subjected to incomplete information recycled over and over ad nauseum on the public address system. Upon arriving in Cambridge there was a mad rush up the stairs and a press of people all fighting to get on the bus. The night before (12/21), we had also been subjected to a tortuously slow ride to Harvard and then forced off the train and down a level to the inbound track which was apparently going to go outbound, just in time to watch a train pull out of the station. The T personnel standing there agreed that it would have been a good idea to hold the train for us and then shrugged, uncaring. Ten minutes later, we were told to go back upstairs again. Among us was a couple carrying a baby carriage and someone else on crutches…the T personnel in the area were not the least bit empathetic, nor did they acknowlege that this was a frustrating situation. No one took responsibility for anything so I urge you to – acknowledge that the condition of our public transportation system is critical and put in place a plan to improve it that is felt at the level of the individual rider. Start with some sensitivity and communications training for your personnel because that would go a long way when things happen… ————————————————————————- MassDOT Responds: Thank you for sharing your concerns. The new MassDOT is currently undertaking a complete review of safety and maintenance at the MBTA and will have clear priorities and plans in place to address critical needs. We appreciate your focus on employee sensitivity and communications. Customer service is a top goal of MassDOT and the new MassDOT Board of Directors, which also oversees the T. Your comments have been sent directly to MBTA representatives. Thanks again.

12. Unable to make a comment on the Burns Bridge page, so I’m trying it here: I feel that the steel deck arch would be make the shoulders unusable for bicyclists unless the shoulders are paved such that the bicycle tires do not travel on the steel deck. Steel decks are very treacherous to navigate on a bicycle.

13. Why can’t I find any information about the road closings due to recent flooding on Rtes 117 in the Concord/Lincoln area, and the Rte 27 and 20 closings in Wayland? It’s impossible to find a way to get to Maynard from Wellesley that doesn’t take two hours!

14. Yes, for heaven’s sake, where are up-to-date bulletins on whaich roads are closed and which open? Do you perople think there’s anything more vitally important to the public than knowing what roads are open and closed?

15. There are many roads closed in the towns of Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland,and Concord due to the flooding and swelling of the Sudbury river. Many road closings are not reported such as parts of Lincoln rd leading to the Lincoln Sudbury High school, Sherman bridge road, Concord rd @ 117, Boston Post rd East of RT27 was closed, and parts of rt27 are flooded. There is a bridge on Sherman Bridge road UNDER 4 ft of water. In addition, some of the traffic diversions setup cause 2+ hours of delay in travel time, as I experienced this week. I suggest posting a map of the flooded roads and the detours to help commuters make informed decisions on how to get to work. ———————————————————————— Thank you. As we state, our list relates to state roads under our jurisdiction and about which we are aware. Always good to check with your local community for other streets and intersections.

16. Please report when Water St. in Wakefield/Saugus (Rte. 129) opens again.

17. Would it not make sense to ALPHABETIZE ( by Town ) THE LIST OF ROAD CLOSINGS? ————————————————————————- Thanks, we receive and distribute information by region, which seems to work well given the varying impacts statewide.

18. Just my two cents but if people want a Mass drivers license they should learn English. Can’t believe my tax $ are wasted on printing driving manuals in other languages. What’s next change all are traffic signs? Enough already

19. Can we get more updates on the BU bridge? Yesterday it was being detoured at 5 pm and it took 30 minutes to just cross. ============================================ Thanks. MassDOT does distribute regular traffic alerts on changes at the BU Bridge work site but will forward this to the project managers. Much appreciated.

20. TWMC, I 93 in both directions between Wilmington and 495 is an absolute disgrace.I want you to take a ride and tell me if this is exceptable. At first I thought it was temporary and would be fixed soon, it has been months and continues to deteriorate. This should be a total embarrassment for any DPW worth its salt.

21. I do NOT like the new 511 traffic update system. It does not make sense in many ways. First…what the heck is “intersection 3” on route 93? What do they mean by that? I like the other old guy who used the boston terms like: cloverleaf….and jughandle!! We ALL know what those were!!! Plus the computer talks waaaaaaaay to slow for us new englanderzzz!!!

22. Add me to the list of people who find the new 511 system absolutely worthless. I actually searched out this site so I could voice a complaint. The system isn’t even worth using anymore. The best I do now is use Boston SmartTraveler on my iPhone.

23. Dear Deputy Chief Joseph O’Connor : Thankyou for your good sincere service with the ‘T’ . Do you think it is time to change you public service message about ” fare evasion ” to something more service orriented that could make us think more about safety and efficiency? It seems that 99.999% of the ridership are lawabiding riders who pay and do not evade the fare. It is somewhat insulting to ” harp and harp ” about fare evasion when most of us pay. I would prefer to continue reading and if I am to listen to a message from your office it would be refresshing to hear something finally new and more service oriented. Thankyou very much, John Payne, Boston

24. Does the Registry or the state make public a list of drivers who have lost their licences because of a DUI? ======================================== Thanks for the question. RMV does not.

25. I was hoping to comment on my positive experience on the MBTA- I met my fiance on it!

26. Renewing my registration was easy, quick, efficient, and most importantly, convenient. Thanks.

27. How does the new Texting Ban law effective 9/30/2010 apply to the use of MASS 511 to obtain up-to-the-minute traffic reports? Its use may require entering several keystrokes while driving — route numbers, menu selections, and other directives to the system (such as pressing 2 to change the direction of travel that is being reported)? ============================================ The law forbids texting. As MassDOT has said from the first initiation of the current 511 service in May: MassDOT reminds drivers to avoid using their cell phones while driving and encourages travelers to call into the 511 service before they leave.

28. Suggestion: Some of the ARRA money that is being used for road repair and sidewalks should be used to create above ground/overhead commuter walkways in heavy traffic areas such as Sullivan Square and around the Faneuil hall and aquarium area. There are pleny of other intersections that would benefit too.

29. Hello, I live and work within walking distance of two train stations. Gas prices being what they are I would love to take the train into work but cannot because you can’t get there from here. I live in Lawrence and work in Newburyport as do thousands of other individuals along Scotland Road. There ought to be a railway built connecting Lawrence/Haverhill with Newburyport.

30. THANK YOU INCIDENT RESPONSE OPERATORS (IRO) Hello All, Today on my way home, I was on 99 when I hit a huge pot hole. As I began to turn onto the ramp for Storrow Drive I could feel the car wobble. I limped my poor car onto the breakdown lane and I had a flat. I was so scared, stranded on the highway by myself with minimal cash and no AAA. (Note: I just purchased AAA) I called 911 and explained my situation to them and literally in all of five minutes a state trooper came. He was so nice, asked if I was all right. A minute or so after that, the tow truck came and with it my Saint Salvatore. He is the kindest most professional, worker that I have ever met in this line of work. He made sure that I was safe and comfortable, he truly made my ordeal that much bearable. All of this transpired within an hour and before I knew it, I was back on the road safe and sound. I am truly grateful and appreciative that such programs are available in Massachusetts. Had the situation happened differently, I would have ended up car-less with a child, in the middle of the winter. I could never express enough gratitude to the Incident Response Operators that helped me today. I hope that this department will be acknowledged for the important services it renders to the tax payers of this state. My Sincerest gratitude and appreciation to Salvatore and all other workers that made it their priority that I make it home safe. Thank you.

31. What is your stand point on the Mass House bill No. 4795 An Act relative to safe driving? Specifically regarding how this bill allows for health care providers to report patients who they may believe are not capable to operate a motor vehicle? Also regarding this bill what is your stand point on screening elderly drivers in person for vision test after the age of 75? Is the MNA for or against this bill? Thank you for your response, Benjamin

32. Can you Tweet this message from @WPDComm Heavy Traffic and delays on Boston Rd, Westford MA due to Rte 495 bridge work. 495 North and South Bound traffic major back ups 7am-9am. Seek alternate routes. Work will will continue into May.

33. can trucks use the exit off the tobin bridge to access the produce market during the chelsea st bridge closure??? ————————————————————————– Yes the ramp will not be effected by the bridge project. The Chelsea St. project is not going to shut this ramp or any other roadways in the Chelsea Area. The only road that will be closed is Chelsea St at the Bridge from the intersection of Marginal St. and Eastern Ave in Chelsea, across the Chelsea St. Bridge to the eastBoston Shore line.

34. Please limit construction to nights. Having a major highway construction during the day is an absolute nightmare. Many other states limit their major highway construction to nights when traffic is already limited. Please strongly consider doing the same.

35. All the mowing along the Mass Pike is a huge waste of money. One day in May I saw one mower followed by three safety vehicles! Why would you mow in May to begin with. I can understand mowing once a year to keep trees from growing too close to the road. By limiting mowing you would save money, decrease the risk to workers and drivers, pollute less, and better protect the environment.

36. Clearly the Berkshire group has been “smoking” too much grass. I 90 has never looked worst, since the merger. It now looks like a cow pasture…an unkept, littered cow pasture, with multiple guard-rail hits, and a rough bumpy ride to boot. It’s a shame that in the early 90’s the Mass Pike was in the top ten safest and cleanest roads in the country; and look now how far we have fallen. And when are the tolls going to be reinstated? Under the old Mass Pike, the road was paid for by toll revenue; ie we didn’t pay for it unless we used it. Now our tax money is used to maintain the road. I’ve seen studies that over 60% of the traffic in the free zone is from out of staters. Why are we paying so people from NY, and Conn, can ride for free? It has been quoted by sec. Mullen, that we are only losing $12 million a year in the free zone, and that is just a drop in the bucket. Doing some quick math here……$12 million per year for 10 years, (which is how long the tolls have been free), equals $120 million in total lost revenue; still a drop in the bucket? I’d like to see his bucket! My point is this…..the transportation merger is trying to use the Mass Pike to bail out 2 failed state agencies, the MBTA, which has been in the red since day 1, and Mass Highway, which every year takes out a 20 year note to cover it’s overages. That’s not what the Mass Pike was designed for. In short I don’t see any savings from this merger, and districts 1 on the Mass Pike have never been worse because of poor management from Peter Niles; a guy that has never managed a high speed roadway like the Mass Pike.

37. The Route 128 station in Westwood has real issues. for the past month at least there has been so much smelly, dirty water near the entrance. Lately this water has turned into a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. There are also large dirty smelly puddles on the other side where passengers are picked up. The building has not been maintained. The people that work at the building are aware of the issue and merely ahve put cones around this water. Isn’t it time the state took a look at these problems and got them corrected. Why do commuters have to put up with this dangerous condition endlessly? Cody ————————————————————————- MBTA is aware and responding. thanks

38. HOW CAN YOU IGNORE REPORTING ON YOUR LATEST DELAYS TO THE GREEN LINE EXTENSION IN YOUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND ON THE BLOG? EVERYTHING IS NOT ROSY, BUT SELECTIVE INFORMATION SHARING SURE MAKES IT SEEM THAT WAY. —————————————————————————- Thanks for the comment. A news release with the latest information on the delay was distributed to the public and is copied below. MASSDOT/MBTA PROVIDE UPDATE ON TRANSIT PROJECTS IN A FILING WITH STATE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS (8-4-11) Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) CONTACT: Joe Pesaturo jpesaturo@mbta.com August 4, 2011 MASSDOT/MBTA PROVIDE UPDATE ON TRANSIT PROJECTS IN A FILING WITH STATE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS In a report submitted today to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in conjunction with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) presented an updated timeline for the complex project to extend the Green Line north of Lechmere Station. The Green Line extension is one of the public transit projects required under the amended State Implementation Plan, and the report filed today provides status information on each of those projects, which are required to be built by the Commonwealth as air quality mitigation measures for the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel. GREEN LINE EXTENSION TO SOMERVILLE AND MEDFORD Over the past four months, the Green Line Extension project team performed a cost and schedule analysis that thoroughly examined all aspects of the project and the actions required to move it forward expeditiously. As a result of this analysis, the projections for the Green Line Extension project have been refined. Under the revised timeframe, passenger service would begin no earlier than the fall of 2018 and no later than the summer of 2020. The schedule is contingent on the MBTA taking full ownership of property required for construction. Benefitting from lessons learned on the Greenbush Commuter Rail project, in which the MBTA did not take ownership of needed properties until after the Design/Build process began, the Green Line project team aims to prevent the issues that cost the MBTA both time and money. Seeking to accelerate the timeline where possible, MassDOT and the MBTA are actively considering strategies that could mitigate schedule impacts and improve upon the dates for passenger service on the Green Line Extension. The strategies under consideration include the development of a ‘phasing’ scenario that would allow for some stations to open for public use while others are still being constructed. In addition, the MBTA plans to request a ‘Letter of No Prejudice’ from the Federal Transit Administration. This could allow the project to move forward more quickly while still preserving the potential to seek federal reimbursement for state money used to advance the project. In the meantime, progress continues to be made. – Environmental review documents, submitted to the Federal Transit Administration, will be released this year upon FTA approval. MassDOT hopes to receive a Finding of No Significant Impact from the FTA for the Green Line Extension project this fall. – A new Program Management/Construction Management/Preliminary Engineering technical team is currently working under an initial contract to perform Advanced Conceptual Engineering, which will lead to Preliminary Engineering and then to the initiation of procurement of a Design-Build team to complete the design and start construction. – MassDOT and the MBTA continue to work with the FTA to seek funding for the Green Line Extension project under the FTA New Starts capital funding program. – The procurement of 24 new Green Line vehicles needed to support the operation of the Green Lin Extension is now underway.

39. How do I send an email to Rachel Kaprielian? I read her background is heavy on the customer service. I just had an awful experience at the Worcester RMV. She needs to know this! And she also needs to know about the clerk in Boston who went above and beyond her responsibilities to help me out. I just had to make 2 trips to the RMV in Worcester with a broken foot and a sprained back, thanks to poor customer service. ————————————————————————– Thank you, and we forward all comments to Registrar Kaprielian or other staff upon request.

40. I read in the secretary’s October report that “Under Celia’s leadership, the customer wait time at the RMV branches and call center was reduced by more than 50%”. As I write this I can tell you that I have been on hold waiting for an agent at the call center 1 hour 48 minutes. The secretary seemed pleased with this service level improvement, but you clearly have a long way to go. If you are going to continue to have obscene wait times for your call center I suggest the following: >Provide an announcement that suggests the estimated wait time. This is a common practice for most call centers these days. > Consider a periodic announcement with an updated estimated wait time or at least some indication that the call will be answered. >For on hold callers consider playing a local radio station or a music selection that is less annoying than the repeating 30 seconds of elevator music. ——————————————————————- Thanks. Your comment and suggestion have been passed along to RMV leadership.

41. Please comment on how long the new single lane jersey barrier enforcement will continue on the Exit 12 offramp from 95N to 128 (Canton) will continue. Why was there no warning of this change, it has cost many drivers much valuable time that they might have planned for had they seen it coming. I was backed up to route 1 in Sharon this morning and there weren’t any happy faces in the crowd! —————————————————————————- We have received several emails and phone calls regarding the jersey barriers recently placed on the ramp from I-95 north to I-93 north. We are aware that cars often form two lanes of traffic throughout the length of this ramp. Although the ramp begins with two formal lanes, it tapers down to a single lane prior to entering I-93 north. The existing ramp was not designed to carry two full lanes of traffic entering I-93 north. The barriers will allow MassDOT’s contractor access to the slope on that side of the ramp to construct a retaining wall, and to widen the ramp. When this work is complete, the ramp will carry two full lanes of traffic as well as a shoulder on the right hand side, which will improve safety and meet design standards for a two lane ramp. In addition, Route 93 will be widened to 5 lanes from the Route 95 merge to the Route 138 off ramp, which will significantly improve the safety and efficiency for traffic entering I-93 north. Similar improvements will be constructed on the same section of I-93 south to provide for a two lane ramp to I-95 south. We regret the temporary inconvenience this will cause. However, the contractor cannot maintain the current width of the ramp during construction due to the steep slope on the right side of the ramp. Upon completion of construction of the retaining wall, the ramp width will be increased to thirty feet, allowing for much safer driving at this location. In the interim, MassDOT is exploring any other feasible measures that can be implemented to provide additional width on the ramp.

42. Is Route 2 from North Adams to Orange open without detours? I didnt see any updates since Irene? Thank you ————————————————————————– Work is progressing; however, Route 2 remains closed in the Florida-Charlemont area, between Mile Markers 21 and 27. A detour posted on site and on the web remains.

43. Will Route 2 in the Florida-Charlemont area, between Mile Markers 21 and 27, re-open tomorrow? Thank you. —————————————————————————- Route 2 as of today, December 15, is now reopened in the Florida- Charlemont area.

44. The cities you are comparing the costs to have a service that is operable through the night e.g. New York. How can you now deem it appropriate to reduce commuter service and bus service and yet increase the cost? For some residents there will be no weekend commuter rail service but we will now pay an increased ticket price? Why cannot MBTA manage their finances without passing the burden to the paying customer? This is ludricous.

45. Could you use email and Facebook for communicating too? I prefer those over Twitter and RSS feeds. Thanks

46. Both increase the cost by almost 50% AND end weekend trips in and out of Boston? Are you people out of your mind? I am a T-dependent non-driver. I “mixed-mode commute” (bicycle and train). I work in Boston some weekends, and I have other family members who use the commuter rail on weekends and weekdays. In essence, you are proposing cutting Boston off on weekends. You are also proposing making the line to Warwick Airport useless on weekends for weekend travelers. This is: -an abandonment of your obligation to maintain at least minimal travel options to those who do not drive or do not own cars; -an abandonment of your obligation to support and enhance non-automotive means of travel between Boston and other cities and towns in the area; -an abandonment of the principal that public transportation is reasonable and necessary for both occasional users and regular users; -penny-wise and pound-foolish. Having used trains (on both the weekends and the weekdays, and particularly the Providence Line), I can report that the trains rarely travel empty. They may not be generating peak ridership at any given point, but that is why you “average” costs throughout the fares. Double the cost and halve the service? This is a proposal designed to destroy the system, not improve it. You cannot possibly be serious, nor are you acting to benefit ALL of the public.

47. A big thanks to the Mass DOT folks at the Peabody location. I had unknowingly lost a roof top carrier on my return trip from Maine and didn’t discover it until I returned home in RI. I thought it was gone for good but a few days later I got a call from Larry in that office saying they had found it. I went the next day and the whole crew helped me secure it on my vehicle for the trip home. Five 5 stars for their considerate help! Please forward this to the Commissioner and Gov. Patrick. ——————————————————————— You are welcome, Bob, will forward and good to know you got it back.

48. I want to comment on the amount of litter on the roadways. This year it is worse than ever! I commute via 2, 95, 93 and sometimes 495 & 3, and all the roads, cloverleafs, on & off ramps are filled with litter. Is funding a problem? The weather? The states that boarder MA do a much better job with litter control. Does anyone else recognize this problem? ———————————————————————- Thank you for the comment, Gary. It has been forwarded to the district Highway office in those areas. Major cleanup begins early spring, after the winter weather road clearing season. The absence of snow cover this year increases the visibility of debris that has accumulated. Some other locations may be more rural with fewer vehicles and fewer interchanges with heavily populated and developed urban areas

49. what is the official open date of the Chelsea Street Bridge to commuter traffic? ———————————————————————— Maureen: All required work is expected to be complete and allow a bridge opening to traffic to be scheduled by the end of April. MassDOT will announce publicly an exact opening date in advance.

50. Could someone please tell me what the deal is with the new flashlight teams posted at every red line station and what their purpose is? Ever since the morning rush hour Red Line meltdown at Harvard Square last Wednesday, there have been 2 T employees posted on each platform all day long – every day – just waving little flashlights as people get on and off the train. Even if there is no one on the platform. Yesterday I had to make a trip at 1pm and I saw 2 of these neon clad folks sitting on benches at both Harvard and Central, sleeping (not getting up for the flashlight routine when the train came) which is fine because there was no one to direct anyway. If the MBTA is so cash strapped, why do they all the sudden have these dozens of employees doing a completely meaningless task. They are more in the way of the riders getting on and off than anything else. Yet another ridiculous move by the MBTA as far as I’m concerned.

51. Are you kidding me? The State Police towed cars on Patriots Day at a Park and Go for expired stickers! You try to do the right thing, carpool with another family on Patriots Day and take the kids to watch the marathon. Come home and see that car has been towed from a Park and Go!!!!?!?! Talk about trolling. The DOT and State Police have stooped pretty low when they are trolling for revenue on parked cars at a Park and Go! Embarrassing.

52. I want to ask a simple question can you be in a rest area and parked in a no parking area with a bunch of other trucks which made the sign not visable but parked there, Is it possiable to get 2 tickets in the same day parking in the same spot and there was 6 hours between the tickets ??? can you please answer this for me I told the person i was talking to that is not possiable.. Please tell me that cant happen

53. Bridge Openings Should be Prohibited during Rush Hours This is a subject that has bothered me for some time. Commuting from Weymouth to work each morning twice this week the Fore River Bridge has been up during rush hours i.e. 6:00 to 8:00 am. This has tied up a significant amount of road traffic in the interest of marine traffic. Early in my carrier in the 70’s I worked at the Kendall Power Plant on First Street in Cambridge where we ordered fuel barges for the power station. At that time we were prohibited from ordering barges during the rush hours because it would tie up traffic near the Museum of Science. It annoys me that this policy does not exist with the openings of the Fore River Bridge. When this subject is brought up in public forums the local politicians state that the Coast Guard makes the call as to when the bridge opens. Their statement is that the tide determines when the bridge opens for marine traffic however, when tied up one morning I noticed that the tide was low contrary to this statement. I would like to see the local politicians make a stronger stance on this issue

54. This may be a little out of left field or maybe something that has already been suggested. Would it be possible to some how alert people who utilize the Chelsea street bridge regularly that the bridge is going up, or closed and therefor unable to cross it? Maybe a smartphone app or even just a website, a text alert or something? Anything would be great!!!

55. Is there an end date set for the lane closures on the Tobin Bridge? The night time traffic is unbelievable. A complete stand still. Why not have these projects done overnight? When it’s not such a huge impact on commuters. ———————————————————————— This necessary work continues through November and is focused on night hours to the extent possible: Beginning Monday, April 30, 2012, there will be a permanent left lane closure in place on the lower deck of the Tobin Bridge NB until further notice. There will also be an additional nighttime NB center lane closure in place from 9 PM to 6 AM.

56. A modest proposal: give older drivers an incentive to give up their driver’s license by offering a voucher or credit they can use on the T or The Ride. Make the incentive big enough to actually be tempting, recognizing that the T or The Ride will never be as comfortable or offer the same independence as one’s own car. ————————————————————————– Thanks for the idea, forwarded to the MBTA and RMV.

57. I commute to work early in the morning to avoid traffic and I go through the tunnel before 5 AM. If one of the tunnel exits is closed – for instance this morning the Storrow Drive exit was closed – I really wish this information was posted on the overhead signs in enough time for me to take evasive action before I get to my exit. But once again this morning, Storrow Drive was closed with out any notice in the tunnel. So I had to go back out over the bridge into Somerville in order to double back to work. My preference is to get off at Government Center – the exit before – so I could go straight over the longfellow bridge into Cambridge. I would’ve liked to have seen a warning that my exit was close before the Government Center exit. And there should be one, because this something the taxpayers paid for this during the Big Dig. So it would be great if these warning signs were used. Occasionally there will be a sign there and I can make that exit, this morning the sign was blank – there was nothing. This happens way too often. I wish MASSDOT would get their overnight construction procedures down, so that commuters – the people that use and pay for these roads and services – would not be so inconvenienced.

58. I scheduled an appointment at the Revere RMV so that I wouldn’t have to stand in line to convert my license. However, upon arriving at the Revere location (30 minutes early), I was told that I would have to stand in line with all of the other customers who had not made appointments. If I had known that I would have to stand in line anyway, I would not have bothered to make an appointment and I would have arrived earlier. It was a waste of my time, and there should have been two separate lines offered. I hope the MA DOT will work these issues out ASAP so that the appointment system will work.

59. I wanted to find out if Route 2 had reopened. I couldn’t sort the posts by date and so got nothing but outdated information. I did find a story saying you won an award for the quick repairs (congratulations!) and that they are completed, but that was the long way around to get the information. ——————————————————————— Thanks. We had numerous blog posts on the project, including posts upon completion. All are time stamped. We keep them posted for public information but always encourage people to check the most recent post or contact us for assistance.

60. Is there any place to get interactive or live traffic updates in the Western end of the state, i.e., I-91 and I-90? I watch the tweets but rarely see anything in this end of the state; my drivers run the whole length of the Pike and N/S to VT, CT, RI and ME for the Postal Service, and I’d really appreciate knowing when there are accidents, construction backups etc. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right place? Thanks for any help you can offer! ————————————————————————- We do post on Twitter highway operations accident/traffic interruption alerts statewide as they are received. Also recommend statewide Live Traffic Cams: http://www1.eot.state.ma.us/

61. It’s Tuesday, October 30, 2012 and there is no information on highway conditions post Hurrican Sandy. Seems like that would be a priority as people have to find the safest route to work by 10am today.

62. What is the law regarding signs attached to the "cages" over our interstate hwys? I see some signs/flags etc left for some length of time and others are told while in attendance of these signs they cannot be attached and must be taken down.

    MassDOT response: This can be a safety issue. Displays that are properly secured and present no hazard to drivers may remain in place. We are removing signs, bedsheets and displays that are hazardous or that are not properly secured.

63. why does it say "Name (optional, will not be published)" and everyone's name is published?

    Mass.Gov Answer: Thanks for your comment. Name is optional on comments to blogs. Will be published if included.