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  • MBTA Bus Fleet Electrification

  • 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

 #1594036  by BandA
 
It's good that the MBTA has plenty of money and doesn't need a fare increase and isn't running a deficit. Just scrap systems that are in good condition and buy new unproven equipment. They are very smart.
 #1594222  by Disney Guy
 
Who was saying that the MBTA wire crews just put up a "slow 5 MPH" sign instead of fix problems in the overhead directly above?

Wasn't it more like putting up the sign at proper switches that operators often forgot about and dewired at?

Or rather to warn following motorists to expect the coach to slow down seemingly unnecessarily?

Like Benton Sq. which is "in the middle of nowhere." And they never finished rebuilding the short turn loop there so the facing switch was eventually taken out to eliminate the needed slowdown?) Was Benton Sq. the location of the 5 MPH sign that someone on the February fan trip included in their Youtube video?
 #1594393  by octr202
 
Benton Square has the famous "Trackless Trolley's" sign with the inappropriate possessiveness. It's on the outbound/westbound side where the switch was. Next time I walk by I'll have to see if it's still there.
 #1595364  by jbvb
 
A rumor I've heard is that the Neoplan trolleybuses might be purchased for use in Germany.
 #1595448  by octr202
 
Interesting re: sale to Germany.

Also of note, as of this weekend, no evidence of any wire coming down on either route from Mt Auburn Cemetery west to Watertown Square or Waverly Square. I have not been into Cambridge much, so don't know if anything is happening there, but I am actually surprised nothing has happened yet.
 #1595455  by Disney Guy
 
Germany?

Perhaps there are some war torn cities not too distant from there which could use some help a` la Marshall Plan to rebuild their transit systems.

Wasn't North Cambridge mentioned as an imminent focus for electrical rebuilding for battery buses?
 #1595465  by jwhite07
 
Germany makes sense. Neoplan is a German company (I think they're still in business over there), and I'm sure there are many more trolleybus cities there than here. Will the 1100s follow them too?
 #1595619  by bostontrainguy
 
Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing?

Gov. Charlie Baker . . . to make his pitch for the $9.7 billion bond bill filed last month, arguing the legislation will allow the state to reap the benefits of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in November.

Baker highlighted some of the major components of his proposal throughout his testimony.

The bill includes $6.2 billion to support core programs . . . and $150 million to support a Clean Transportation Program, which includes the goal of building out a more robust electric vehicle infrastructure.
 #1595634  by jwhite07
 
Electric vehicle = troublesome battery buses and a short, inefficient stretch of commuter rail electrification to Lynn, not century-proven technology like electric trolleybuses.
 #1595638  by eolesen
 
Never mind the fact that the newer busses will be 1000% more flexible than the trolley wire dependent busses....

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 #1595667  by jwhite07
 
Yes! So flexible that the MBTA won't have any problem moving or even eliminating service to places that have for decades enjoyed the surety and security of having transit "bound" by fixed infrastructure.
 #1595693  by eolesen
 
Ah yes.... maintaining legacy captive transit is such a better option than moving transit to where the people and demand might actually be....
 #1595710  by bostontrainguy
 
BandA wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:42 pm Should cancel any bus routes where the average speed is less than 10MPH, but that's just me...
If you apply that rule then the entire new Greenline Extension to Union would be axed.
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