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  • More on DNC shutdown

  • Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.

Moderators: sery2831, CRail

 #15770  by Diverging Route
 

We call on the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and
the MBTA to keep all highways, subway stations, and commuter rail lines
operating as usual throughout the Democratic National Convention, as is
done for other large FleetCenter events.


Unfortunately, it won't do a bit of good. The US Secret Service calls the shots here, and they have the final say.

 #15783  by Ron Newman
 
The Secret Service would love to shut down Penn Station in NYC for the Republican Convention too, but they won't because Mayor Bloomberg has insisted that the station stay open.

Our local officials need to show the same backbone and stand up to the Secret Service's unreasonable demands.

 #15844  by helium
 
so you think that if mumbles menino demanded it stay open, it would? why would bloomberg have any authority over the feds?

 #15850  by Ron Newman
 
It would certainly help if Menino (and the mayors of Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Chelsea, etc.) forcefully spoke up. The Secret Service can't implement its plan without cooperation from local officials, and they should withhold it.

 #16171  by Xplorer2000
 
Ron Newman wrote:The Secret Service would love to shut down Penn Station in NYC for the Republican Convention too, but they won't because Mayor Bloomberg has insisted that the station stay open.
Lets see now...
Mayor Bloomberg = Republican
NYC Convention = Republic
George W. , sitting President= Republican
Vs.
Mayor Mumbles = Democrat
Canditate John Kerry = Democrat
Boston Convention, and most of the people who wil be inconvienced = Democratic....
thus does Penn Station stay open ,while Boston's commuters get screwed over to make political points...Yep, sounds about right. :wink:
...Our local officials need to show the same backbone and stand up to the Secret Service's unreasonable demands.
One of the first acts a politician does, after election, is have his spine surgically removed.... the better to slither their way out of actually having to do something constructive.......or stand up foranything.....like the voters who got them there...lol!! :P

 #18145  by Ron Newman
 
From yesterday's Somerville Journal:

City Democrats are resolved: DNC traffic plan needs work

By Brock Parker / Journal Staff
Thursday, May 6, 2004

Local Democrats are preparing for their party's national convention to
cause some major headaches.

Last month, the Somerville Democratic City Committee approved a
resolution last month calling for the state, the city of Boston and the
MBTA to overhaul the transportation plan for the Democratic National
Committee in July, saying the plan will cause severe commuter problems.

"I think the worst-case scenario is that you have a lot of people who
are forced to take unpaid vacations," said SDCC member Ron Newman, who proposed the resolution passed by the SDCC on April 21.

The resolution states plans to shut down I-93 and commuter rail service
during the convention will "seriously disrupt the daily lives of
hundreds of thousands of commuters."

But SDCC President Helen Corrigan said she voted against the
resolution. Instead, Corrigan said she sided with national Democratic
Party representative Kevin Conroy, who argued to the SDCC that shutting
down the highway and the trains are needed safety precautions during the convention.

"The Secret Service wants the roads closed down," Corrigan said.

Newman said the local committee voted in about a 60-40 split in favor
of the resolution, and argued that shutting down the highway and the
trains is a political ploy by the Secret Service under a Republican
presidential administration that will disenchant voters.

Some of those voters could be commuters from New Hampshire, which is being a considered as a potential swing state in the presidential
election in the fall, Newman said.

"They are not going to close down Penn Station in New York City for the
Republican Convention," Newman said. "We're not against the [Democratic] convention, not in any way. We just don't think it should affect people that aren't involved with it."

Newman said the SDCC's resolution has been sent to the state, the MBTA and the city of Boston, but has not generated any response, yet.

Last month, Mayor Joe Curtatone, who's also a Democrat, wrote
Republican Governor Willard Mitt Romney, a Republican, asking for state
money to offset street and transportation service closings during the
Democratic National Convention that could cost the city "tens of
thousands of dollars in police and fire overtime pay."

Transportation from Somerville into Boston has already been slowed by
the temporary closing of the Lechemere MBTA Station and the demolition
of the Rutherford Avenue Overpass, Curtatone wrote to the governor.

 #18511  by Zaphod
 
I love this thread, because it keeps my name on the front page! :D
 #27886  by Ed Canney
 
Does anyone know or heard what the DNC effects will be on the Orange line besides not stopping at North Station? Will there be more service because of the commuter rail trains terminating at Oak Grove in Malden?

 #27888  by Ron Newman
 
And why is the commuter rail stopping at Oak Grove rather than the usual Malden Center station that week?

 #27905  by efin98
 
Ron Newman wrote:And why is the commuter rail stopping at Oak Grove rather than the usual Malden Center station that week?
Oak Grove being the terminal for the Orange Line would be more ideal than Malden Center, since both side of the island platform can be used for trains at the same time(even if one train leaves the station at a time). Malden Center costs you half a platform, since trainst still have to go north to Oak Grove from there.

 #27912  by CS
 
Zaphod wrote:I love this thread, because it keeps my name on the front page! :D

And I love this forum because my name is on top of it :wink:

 #27916  by Ron Newman
 
The MBTA's DNC booklet says that
Your bag may be inspected aboard trains at Community College and Haymarket Stations.
and also
Due to proximity to the Fleet Center, the Orange Line and highway buses will not permit packages onboard larger than 6" x 12" x 4" (about the size of a loaf of bread).

 #27940  by apodino
 
efin98 wrote:
Ron Newman wrote:And why is the commuter rail stopping at Oak Grove rather than the usual Malden Center station that week?
Oak Grove being the terminal for the Orange Line would be more ideal than Malden Center, since both side of the island platform can be used for trains at the same time(even if one train leaves the station at a time). Malden Center costs you half a platform, since trainst still have to go north to Oak Grove from there.
Ed, I understand your logic, but it doesn't seem to be stated clearly so let me try to help.

Since the commuter rail trains have to terminate outside of Boston, there are two possibilites you can use to meet up with the orange line, Malden Center and Oak Grove. Normally, trains on this line service Malden Center, and not Oak Grove. Since this station will be the terminal for the Commuter Rail, it will handle a lot more passengers than the station normally would, as it has to handle loads near what North Station would (not all, since many people will not work that week) Given the ongoing construction at Malden, the fact that there is usually a train at Oak Grove waiting to go inbound as a terminal station, and the fact that Oak Grove is a surface station while Malden is elevated, the MBTA decided to use the rarely used High Level Commuter Rail platform at Oak Grove, which I am not sure if it is ADA accessible like the Orange Line platform is.

 #27942  by apodino
 
efin98 wrote:
Ron Newman wrote:And why is the commuter rail stopping at Oak Grove rather than the usual Malden Center station that week?
Oak Grove being the terminal for the Orange Line would be more ideal than Malden Center, since both side of the island platform can be used for trains at the same time(even if one train leaves the station at a time). Malden Center costs you half a platform, since trainst still have to go north to Oak Grove from there.
Ed, I understand your logic, but it doesn't seem to be stated clearly so let me try to help.

Since the commuter rail trains have to terminate outside of Boston, there are two possibilites you can use to meet up with the orange line, Malden Center and Oak Grove. Normally, trains on this line service Malden Center, and not Oak Grove. Since this station will be the terminal for the Commuter Rail, it will handle a lot more passengers than the station normally would, as it has to handle loads near what North Station would (not all, since many people will not work that week) Given the ongoing construction at Malden, the fact that there is usually a train at Oak Grove waiting to go inbound as a terminal station, and the fact that Oak Grove is a surface station while Malden is elevated, the MBTA decided to use the rarely used High Level Commuter Rail platform at Oak Grove, which I am not sure if it is ADA accessible like the Orange Line platform is.