App

MBTA Piloting Bus App for Blind Riders Developed by Perkins School, Raizlabs

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The following information was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:
Perkins School for the Blind has enhanced its groundbreaking micronavigation app, designed to help commuters with visual impairment find their bus stops, by bolstering it with new technology that makes traveling even easier. Still free to use, BlindWays 2.0 now alerts riders along select MBTA bus routes when they’ve found their outdoor stop via signals from bluetooth beacons, installed in bus stop signs, that trigger iPhone vibration. “Perkins continues to foster innovation by working collaboratively, as we are with the MBTA and developer Raizlabs on this initiative, to solve challenges for people who are visually impaired,” said Luiza Aguiar, executive director of Perkins Solutions. “We’re motivated to help create a transportation infrastructure that is equally accessible to all riders. Augmenting BlindWays to leverage beacons speeds us along that path.”
The first iteration of BlindWays was released in fall of 2016, providing users with crowdsourced landmark clues to help them navigate the last 30 feet of frustration standard GPS models leave between users and their exact destinations.

Bus Lanes

Traffic Patterns Changing to Speed Up Buses on Mt. Auburn St. During Pilot Program

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Some changes to traffic patterns on Mt. Auburn Street will be tested during a Bus Priority Pilot in effort to speed up buses on the roadway through Watertown and Cambridge. A community meeting will be May 1, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tufts Health Plan (705 Mount Auburn St., Watertown) to discuss the Bus Priority Pilot, but Watertown Department of Public Works officials gave some details prior to the meeting. The pilot will test ways to get buses down Mt. Auburn Street faster, Shuman said, because so many people use public transit to commute.

Transportation

MBTA Seeks Public Input on 5-Year Spending Plan, Hosting Series of Meetings

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The following was sent out by MassDOT and the MBTA:
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced that public meetings to present and discuss the Draft MassDOT and MBTA Capital Investment Plan (CIP) Update for Fiscal Years 2019–2023 will be held in May and that the public comment period for the draft CIP will open on May 15 and close on June 4.  Public comments may be submitted by email to masscip@state.ma.us. The draft CIP is multi-billion dollar investment portfolio  and includes all MassDOT highway and bridge projects, regional airports, rail and transit, including MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities as well as the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Public participation is essential to the success of the CIP. The public meetings are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 p.m.Boston, Auditorium, BCYF Mildred Ave, 5 Mildred Avenue
Wednesday, May 16, 6:00 p.m. Worcester, CMRPC, UNUM Building, 1 Mercantile Street
Thursday, May 17, 6:30 p.m. Barnstable, Hyannis Transportation Center, 215 Iyannough Road
Thursday, May 17, 6:30 p.m. Springfield, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 60 Congress Street
Monday, May 21, 6:30 p.m. Framingham, Nevins Hall, 150 Concord Street
Monday, May 21, 6:30 p.m. Quincy, Auditorium, Quincy Central Middle School, 875 Hancock Street
Tuesday, May 22, 5:30 p.m. Pittsfield, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, 1 Fenn Street, Suite 201
Wednesday, May 23, 6:30 p.m. Peabody, Selectman’s Conference Room, City Hall, 24 Lowell Street
Wednesday, May 30, 6:30 p.m. New Bedford, Auditorium, GNB Voc-Tech, 1121 Ashley Boulevard
Thursday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. Fitchburg, Fire Station, 33 North Street

Locations are accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available.

Sports

See How the 2018 Boston Marathon May Impact Your Day, Find Info for Spectators

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The 2018 Boston Marathon will once again draw thousands of spectators to the 26.2 mile course from Hopkinton to Copley Square, and the race may impact how you get around on Monday. See info about the T, spectator rules, street closings and more. To accommodate the race, the T will make some changes to its normal service, including altering some routes, closing some subway stations. In some cases the T has added more service to move the crowds around the area. CHANGES TO MBTA SERVICES

The MBTA provided the following information:
Subway

Due to safety concerns, Copley Station will be closed for the entire day on April 16.

Transportation

MBTA Adding Early Morning Buses to 70 Route, Others in System

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Beginning Sunday, April 1, the MBTA will begin a one-year early morning bus service pilot on its busiest key bus routes serving neighborhoods within the immediate Boston core traveling to downtown Boston, the Seaport, and key stops in between beginning as early as 3:20 a.m., MBTA officials announced. Serving residents who start their work day before many people’s alarms ring, the new routes are part of the MBTA’s continued commitment to expanding offerings for those riders who need them most. “The T’s expansion into early morning bus service will provide an important opportunity for the changing needs of Massachusetts’ workforce,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Throughout this one-year pilot, the MBTA will be able to gather important information about changes in bus ridership and analyze that data to better inform future transportation plans around the Greater Boston area.”
“The launch of early morning service demonstrates that the MBTA is acting on its top priority to put the needs of its customers first,” said Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack. “This new transit option will serve workers who must start their day earlier than most.

Around Town

Find Out More About Dedicated Bus Lane Pilot on Mt. Auburn Street

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A meeting will be held to discuss the next steps for the Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot that will include bus-only lanes for the 71 and 73 buses on a stretch of the road that can also be used by emergency vehicles and shuttles. 

Learn more about the project and the efforts to test Bus Rapid Transit on Mt. Auburn Street and Belmont Street at a meeting on Tuesday, March 27, 6-7:30 p.m at the Russell Youth Center, 680 Huron Avenue, Cambridge. Find out more about the meeting here. The meeting will focus more on issues in Cambridge.

MBTA

MBTA Announces Reduced Service During Nor’easter

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 The MBTA is preparing for the next weather system forecast to hit parts of the MBTA service area Monday night and throughout the day Tuesday with predicted blizzard-like conditions, high snow totals, and very high winds. As this weather is expected to have an effect on service, the MBTA is taking proactive measures to protect critical infrastructure and vehicles while continuing to provide service. The MBTA Commuter Rail will operate an “Extremely Reduced Schedule” on all lines for the duration of service on Tuesday. Commuter Rail schedules will be updated onmbta.com to reflect changes in train times with schedules available in South, North, and Back Bay Stations. Customers are encouraged to check the MBTA website, sign up for T-Alerts, and follow the commuter rail on Twitter @MBTA_CR for the latest updates on service changes.

Government

Watertown Gets Grant to Test Dedicated Bus Lanes on Parts of Mt. Auburn St.

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Watertown officials announced Wednesday that the Bar Foundation, as part of its BostonBRT initiative, has awarded the community a grant to conduct a pilot project testing bus rapid transit (BRT) features in collaboration with the City of Cambridge and the MBTA. The pilot will seek to create a faster and more reliable commute for more than 12,000 daily bus riders on routes 71 and 73. The pilot, which will take place during 2018, will take bus riders out of car congestion through the creation of all-day dedicated bus lanes for significant segments on Mount Auburn Street between Belmont Street and Fresh Pond Parkway. It will also include inbound “queue jump” lanes to give buses
priority in intersections on Mount Auburn Street and Belmont Street near where they meet, and timed traffic signals where feasible so that buses get more green lights. The pilot is a temporary demonstration.