The T and Large Events

[ExCon90]

I can understand the Red Sox wanting instant gratification, but somebody in municipal government should have sat them down and explained the facts of life -- or at least talked to the T first.

[Disney Guy]

Did any train depart half full because the platforms were full of passengers for different trains and there were plenty of passengers for that train but who were queued up well outside the station?

Would it have been acceptable to delay a train scheduled for slightly before the end of the parade so that the train could be better filled? Would the T waive the fine if Keolis were to do that?

Some of the players were not Mass. residents and, if the parade were delayed a few more days, they would have already gone home and therefore not participated.

[RenegadeMonster]

Did any train depart half full because the platforms were full of passengers for different trains and there were plenty of passengers for that train but who were queued up well outside the station?

Would it have been acceptable to delay a train scheduled for slightly before the end of the parade so that the train could be better filled? Would the T waive the fine if Keolis were to do that?.

I worked from home because I could to avoid all this as I live in Salem.

My phone was blowing up with text alerts from the T all day.

According to the text alerts, Trains would be held until at capacity at North Station. They sent out an other text alert stating trains my also depart ahead of schedule if they reached capacity.

So, it sounds like they were filling trains. I don't think anything left half full.

Several additional trains were also added based on the text alerts I received as well.

In my opinion, they did the best they could with the situation.

The T just does not have enough CR Trains and Trues, let alone enough cars to handle the capacity that was needed.

[MACTRAXX]

Regarding the comment attributed to Divya Amladi in the Globe story, I assume the T was not consulted in planning the parade on Halloween. Philadelphia had a similar experience when a victory parade was scheduled for a weekday. It stands to reason that no transport operator can be expected to have standby equipment and crews to handle substantial additional passenger loads during a weekday rush hour. Whoever decided to schedule the parade for a weekday, Halloween or not, has some things to answer for.

EC90 and Everyone:

Ten years ago to the day - Friday October 31, 2008 - Philadelphia celebrated the Phillies 2008
World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays with a victory parade overwhelming the SEPTA rail
system. I found three relevant topics from back then in the SEPTA-PATCO Forum:

SEPTA Prepared to feed into Phillies Fever (9 pages - 10/21 to 11/6/2008)
viewtopic.php?f=72&t=56017" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
SEPTA ridership at historic high for Parade (5 pages - 11/1 to 11/6/2008)
viewtopic.php?f=72&t=56342" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PATCO and the World Series Parade (1 page - 11/3 to 11/10/2008)
viewtopic.php?f=72&t=56403" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of the biggest problems with holding an event such as this one was fare collection...
With large crowds many one way or round trip fares were not collected going into Philadelphia.
Scheduling this event at the end of the month and week overwhelmed Center City sales agencies
in particular especially after the Parade was completed in the afternoon and evening when parade
goers directly competed with regular commuters and Friday afternoon getaway riders to purchase
transportation - and this did not even mention extra ridership going to/from Halloween events...

MACTRAXX

[MACTRAXX]

The T isn't at fault for once. They were getting ready for Halloween in Salem, and built the day's schedule around that. But then the Sox wanted their parade as soon as they could make it, and the T had to scramble to get enough trains out there. Weekday rush + Halloween puts the CR near (but not at) capacity at the time it was planned for. Now, add 50% a normal day's riders, and you have a system well over capacity, which by some miracle didn't break down. ExCon90, I agree, some Red Sox employee has to answer for this.

ZZ: Was Halloween in Salem the largest event served directly by MBTA Commuter Rail outside of
Boston? Are there special Halloween events in central Boston that attract extra ridership?
Scheduling the Victory Parade on Halloween - and the end of the month of October - no doubt put
extra pressure on any MBTA sales outlets as a prime example. Boston has had more experience
with victory parades for its sports teams during the past 20 years then any other city has had and
the MBTA likely has a "game plan" that they use when the need is there...MACTRAXX

[Red Wing]

I don't remember which news outlet I read it in. The article said the commuter rail had every piece of equipment running that they could extending all the sets they could to 8 cars. They also did extra runs that they could. I give them a pat on the back for that. At fear of straying from RR.net Maybe it's time to coordinate with more boats and buses.

[Arlington]

Weekend fares should be a flat $3 and $10 unlimited.

[ziggyzack1234]

The $10 unlimited is one of the best idea's they have ever had. They just need to keep it.

As for a flat $3, that will never happen. What needs to happen, or rather not happen, is the $4 jump from zone 1A to 1. The amount each zone fare steps up is fine, but starting at $6.25 is just ridiculous.

1A is fine at $2.25
1 should be $3.00
2 should be $3.50
3 should be $4.25
4 should be $5.00
5 should be $5.75
6 should be $6.50 (<== past IRL zone 1 fare now)
7 should be $7.00
8 should be $8.00
9 should be $9.00
10 should be $10.00

[CRail]

An express bus from Waltham is $5.25. A dollar more for a train ride doesn't seem outrageous. I don't think Porter Square to North Station should be the same price for a direct commuter rail ride as a subway ride involving connections, nor do I think West Medford to North Station should be $1.75 cheaper on the train than it is for a bus from there to Haymarket.

[The EGE]

Then the express buses should cost less. Having commuter rail fares equal subway fares provides more mobility to riders, and that will only be more important as CR frequencies are increased.

[RenegadeMonster]

Patriots Parade today. As expected there is heavy rider ship.

Commuter rail will be adding extra trains where possible.

Also, Some trains not scheduled to run express are running express when they reach capacity skipping the rest of the stations on the way in.

How does that work if someone on the train needs to get off at once of those stations? Also, hopefully the extra trains they add are short turn trans to collect all the people the full trains are skipping.

[chrisf]

Keolis ran some extra trains but started at least most of them at the outlying terminals.

[harshaw]

In my line of work we write "corrections of error" when things don't work out operationally. I suppose you can state the Keolis did an OK job today at the Pats parade given the large demand, but I'd like to see them talk about what worked and what didn't work.

[benboston]

Yeah, I saw pictures of the stations, and they appeared to be very crowded.

[harshaw]

The delays are the worst I have ever seen. Over 90 minutes late.