Official T OPTO Discussion(One Man Subway Ops) Rapid Transit

The EGE wrote:I'm curious if gorillapods are allowed. Basically giant pipe cleaners that screw into the camera bolt; you can wrap them around a bench or even your shoulder.

Seeing as how the legs are about eight inches long, I'd be extremely surprised if anyone gave you a hard time about one. People's backpacks take up more space! (and tripping over the legs requires you to pretty much step on the camera)

Although they probably won't bother you, they have every right to since it's still technically a tripod.

What if I attach it to my shoulder? Do I then become a bipod?

With all due respect I fear we're getting a little bit off topic. I'm sure there is already a topic dedicated to MBTA photography and the rules in regards to taking pictures on the T (if there isn't then there apparently should be). Lets try to get back on the OPTO discussion.

If anyone else has had a chance to view my video essay and wants to say something (good bad or indifferent) I'd greatly appreciate the feedback.

Thank you all so much.

You mention the Orange Line had a dismal winter and that previously the line had better records. However, that was a terrible winter we had, and just about everything in the system suffered. Depending on how things go this winter, I wouldn't be surprised if it was back to normal.

Thank you for the reply!!! Glad you took some time to watch the video. It means a lot to me.

The point I was going for with the Orange Line chapter was that the delays weren't caused by OPTO but rather that OPTO resulted in diminished communication between the MBTA and its riders. Again thanks for the view.

I got on a Red Line train Tuesday Morning and the motprperson was dinb g the work of both himself and train C/R, although an official was riding in the cab along with him at all times to be sure the crewman was doing everything fine. However on the way home, my traiun (Braintree) had both a T/o and C/R, the T/O was not alone

Yup they're running practice OPTO trains to complete Motorperson training hours. Only seen them a couple times. Each time I've seen the OPTO train roll through (at Park and DTX) the amount of time it takes to load has been obscenely long (probably part of training - making sure the platform is absolutely cleared).

Oh I see....they're just practicing. So maybe at the end of this calendar year they'll likely convert to One Man Train Operations on the Red Line, but they have to fix up some of the monitors along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed your video. It is very clear you did your homework. My posts in this thread should make it clear that I strongly oppose this movement, and for numerous reasons. You not only touched on but blew away many of the key issues and arguments. You made many of the arguments that I have, and some I didn't think of. Plus you QUOTED ACTUAL SOURCES for the data used to make your arguments, thus making them fact and not opinion. Every person who rides the T or transit elsewhere should see this video, as this is a growing world wide trend.

CRail wrote:I thoroughly enjoyed your video. It is very clear you did your homework. My posts in this thread should make it clear that I strongly oppose this movement, and for numerous reasons. You not only touched on but blew away many of the key issues and arguments. You made many of the arguments that I have, and some I didn't think of. Plus you QUOTED ACTUAL SOURCES for the data used to make your arguments, thus making them fact and not opinion. Every person who rides the T or transit elsewhere should see this video, as this is a growing world wide trend.

I also saw that video and upon my further review, I am, like you, opposed to eliminating Red Line C/R's, since they can also troubleshoot faster door problems. So let's see what MBTA Administration has to say about this. Keep C/R's on the Red Line!!!

Thank you Robert and CRail for the support!!! Your kind words really mean a lot to me.

I've been working on this project as a whole since March. The video is the last piece of a three-pronged project which also includes a written essay and a photographic history/essay. I feel like I owe many of the people on this board a thank you as I used the thread as a backdrop for some of my basic research. The research itself was done via the MBTA's annual Blue Book, "Born Broke" from the T's Independent Advisory Panel, literature passed out at the MBTA's public hearings on the topic, The D'Allesandro Report, The NTSB's reports on the Boston crashes of 5/08 and 5/09 as well as the report on the DC Metro crash of 6/09 (boy did those take a while to read), off-the-cuff conversations with Red and Orange Line Motorpersons Train Attendants and Inspectors, and the congressional summary of the Carnahan Bill.

The written essay was sent to the Governor, then Secretary of Transpiration Jeff Mullan, various Massachusetts legislators, and then General Manager Richard Davey. I received a 2 page letter from GM Davey explaining his appreciation for the arguments put forth but reinstating the MBTA's viewpoint that one person ops will better serve the riding public and that the MBTA does not make decisions solely by following national trends.

Also, just received confirmation from the T that OPTO on the Red Line will begin with the spring rating in March.

It was slated to begin in the fall rating, then pushed back to the winter rating, and now back to the spring. I'm not sure what the hold up is but the longer the better.

The hold up is being caused by several things. The first is making sure all Motorpersons (and Train Attendants being reclassified as Motorpersons) receive the proper platform and door training for "safe" OPTO travel. The second is a laundry list of concerns from the disabled community. Their concerns include doorway safety, proximity of a uniformed employee, and various infrastructure concerns. Apparently the Orange Line experienced a huge spike in claims/complaints by persons with disabilities regarding doorway safety post-OPTO. Something about a room filled with blind peoples sticks and elderly peoples canes that were taken by trains at stations where the Motorperson can not see the doors on all cars.

Other problems to lop onto what I'm sure is a whole list of contributions to delays: the regular truncation to Harvard until Spring (and since half the trains will be reversing on the outbound platform, they don't have a monitor to see the doors), and Porter is under construction until Spring which poses potential problems in line of sight maybe, as well as potential risks to monitors and almost certain risk to cameras. These are both supposed to end in March 2012.