The MBTA announced Friday that it expected it would end global speed limits on all trolley and subway lines this weekend, but admitted block restrictions remain in place. According to the MBTA, block rate limits are a stretch of track “that may contain multiple defects that need to be investigated or corrected as each defect is validated and corrected,” MBTA Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “We are taking a conservative approach as we continue to address this issue,” Gonneville said. “The MBTA has lifted the global speed restriction on the Mattapan Line and I am optimistic that we will be able to lift the global speed restriction on the green at the start of service,” said Gonneville. The MBTA presented a series of pie charts showing the remaining block rate restrictions that remain in effect. 80%. The MBTA’s monthly speed limit report, released in late February before global speed limit measures were implemented by the transit agency, estimated the number of Blue Line tracks with speed limits at 1.6%. In the January report, the speed-restricted runway was set to 0%. An MBTA spokesperson said Friday that the restrictions were added “as part of the ongoing process of validating and verifying inspection data collected during the previous geometry track scans.” “Some of these speed restrictions will require corrective action and will take longer than others to resolve and lift,” Gonneville said. “We’re actively working on that right now and working on those plans.” Once end-to-end speed restrictions on the Green Line are lifted, about 16 percent of that line will be subject to slow zones, according to MBTA data presented Friday. Slow zones cover 22 percent of the Mattapan Line. The T said Friday that 24 percent of the Red Line and 22 percent of the Orange Line still fall under slow zones, a combined percentage of 31.9 percent that didn’t change over the course of the work week. newly imposed delays are located. The MBTA said it planned to unveil a more dynamic dashboard that would provide riders with more real-time speed limit information. Gonneville said the dashboard would be unveiled at next week’s MBTA board meeting. The widespread mandatory slow zones, announced and ordered last Thursday evening after MBTA officials determined they lacked sufficient documentation to prove they had corrected previously identified track defects, continue to saddle riders with slower, less reliable and busier rides. The Department of Public Utilities, which serves as the government agency responsible for MBTA safety oversight, inspected a section of Red Line track on Monday, March 6, noting concerns about the quality of the tracks. On Tuesday, March 7, DPU Rail Transit Safety Director Robert Hanson sent MBTA officials six letters ordering corrective action. On Thursday, March 9, the MBTA implemented a system-wide slowdown and then replaced the universal speed limits with a vaguely defined patchwork on the red, blue, and orange lines. In a statement to WCVB, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s office said Gov. Maura Healey has been in touch with MBTA management about the speed limits and instructed them to conduct runway inspections as quickly and safely as possible and to update the public on a regular basis. . “We are in the final stages of our search for the MBTA General Manager and will have more to announce shortly,” Karissa Hand, the governor’s spokesperson, said in a written statement. This report uses information from the State House News Service.
The MBTA announced Friday that it expected it would end global speed limits on all trolley and subway lines this weekend, but admitted block restrictions remain in place.
According to the MBTA, block rate limits are a stretch of track “that may contain multiple defects that need to be investigated or corrected as each defect is validated and corrected,” MBTA Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville said at a press conference Friday afternoon.
“We are taking a conservative approach as we continue to address this issue,” Gonneville said.
“The MBTA has lifted the global speed limit on the Mattapan line, and I’m optimistic about that [Saturday]will we be able to lift the global green speed restriction at the start of service,” said Gonneville.
The MBTA presented a series of pie charts showing the remaining block rate restrictions that remain in effect.
The Blue Line, with service from downtown Boston to Wonderland station in Revere, has the majority of the track that must be reduced speed, at 80%.
The MBTA’s monthly speed limit report, released in late February before global speed limit measures were implemented by the transit agency, estimated the number of Blue Line tracks with speed limits at 1.6%. In the January report, the speed-restricted runway was set to 0%.
An MBTA spokesperson said Friday that the restrictions were added “as part of the ongoing process of validating and verifying inspection data collected during the previous geometric track scans.”
“Riders should continue to plan for longer headway times and additional travel time throughout the system,” Gonneville said.
“Some of these speed restrictions will require corrective action and will take longer than others to resolve and lift,” Gonneville said. “We are now actively working on that and are working through those plans.”
Once end-to-end speed restrictions are lifted on the Green Line, about 16 percent of that line will be subject to slow zones, according to MBTA data presented Friday. Slow zones cover 22 percent of the Mattapan Line.
The T said Friday that 24 percent of the red line and 22 percent of the orange line are still below slow zones, a combined rate of 31.9 percent that didn’t change over the course of the workweek.
The MBTA has not provided details on where the newly imposed delays are located.
The MBTA said it planned to unveil a more dynamic dashboard that would provide riders with more real-time speed limit information. Gonneville said the dashboard would be unveiled at next week’s MBTA board meeting.
The widespread mandatory slow zones, announced and ordered last Thursday evening after MBTA officials determined they lacked sufficient documentation to prove they had corrected previously identified track defects, continue to saddle riders with slower, less reliable and busier rides.
The Department of Public Utilities, which serves as the government agency responsible for MBTA safety oversight, inspected a section of Red Line track on Monday, March 6, noting concerns about the quality of the tracks. On Tuesday, March 7, DPU Rail Transit Safety Director Robert Hanson sent MBTA officials six letters ordering corrective action. On Thursday, March 9, the MBTA implemented a system-wide delay, then replaced the universal speed limits with a vaguely defined patchwork on the Red, Blue, and Orange lines the next morning.
In a statement to WCVB, the Massachusetts governor’s office said Governor Maura Healey has been in contact with MBTA management regarding the speed limits and instructed them to conduct runway inspections as quickly and safely as possible and to update the public on a regular basis. to hold.
“We are in the final stages of our search for the MBTA General Manager and will have more to announce shortly,” Karissa Hand, the governor’s spokesperson, said in a written statement.
This report uses information from the State House News Service.