02/03/2012

Charles River: Anderson Bridge Project Advances

The Patrick-Murray Administration is moving forward with reconstruction of the Anderson Memorial Bridge, funded by the Accelerated Bridge Program to repair or replace structurally-deficient bridges across the Commonwealth.

The $19.9 million project approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors will rehabilitate the historic bridge, often known as the "Larz Anderson Bridge," a critical transportation link connecting Cambridge and Boston. The project is one of several funded by ABP along the Charles River Basin, including the Longfellow and Boston University (BU) Bridge projects

The Anderson Memorial Bridge project will repair deterioration, upgrade structural capacity and improve local street connections and accessibility, while preserving as many of the original bridge elements as possible. MassDOT will minimize disruptions to all bridge users and maintain access during construction, which will begin in spring 2012 and is scheduled for completion in 2014.

More than $400 million in Accelerated Bridge Program funding has been allocated to Charles River Basin projects, including the Craigie Dam Bridge and Drawbridge, Longfellow Bridge, B. U. Bridge, Western Avenue Bridge, River Street Bridge and Magazine Street Pedestrian Bridge. The Craigie project is complete and BU Bridge substantially complete, while the Longfellow Bridge and Magazine Pedestrian Bridge projects are ongoing and the Western and River Street projects are in design.

MBTA Partnership: Real-Time Bus Information by Text

Starting this week, riders of certain MTBA bus routes can receive real-time bus schedules sent by text message to their mobile phones as part of a partnership with software company CooCoo.

A rider can use any mobile phone to make a schedule request and get an immediate text response. For example, bus riders can text “MBTA Bus [stop ID]” to 266266. The stop ID is available at www.coocoo.com/MBTA.

The real-time text message pilot will be expanded to additional MBTA bus routes and commuter rail trains in the coming weeks. CooCoo’s text-based service is available free of charge to commuters. The MBTA will receive a modest portion of revenues generated by advertising linked to the service.

CooCoo, a New York-based company, also has partnerships with the Long Island Railroad, Metro North Rail Road and New Jersey Transit, with further expansion planned. The CooCoo partnership is the latest innovative step by the MBTA to provide customers with real-time information about bus and train location and arrival. The U.S. Department of Transportation last month pointed to the MBTA as a transit agency leading the way nationally in these initiatives.

Visit the MBTA App Showcase to check out the latest apps built by independent developers at no cost to the T that help customers know where the next bus or train is located and when it will arrive.

MBTA Fare and Service Hearings Continue

The MBTA next week continues a series of more than 20 public hearings regarding proposed fare and service changes with four hearings in Lowell, Lynn, Boston, and Hingham. The public is encouraged to participate.

Monday, February 6, 5:00-7:00 PM, Lowell City Hall Council Chambers, 375 Merrimack Street

Tuesday February 7, 6:00-8:00 PM, Lynn City Hall Auditorium, Main Floor, 3 City Hall Square

Wednesday February 8, 4:30-6:30 PM, Boston West End, Shriners Hospital Auditorium, 51 Blossom Street

Wednesday, February 8, 6:00-8:00 PM, Hingham Town Hall Sanborn Auditorium, 210 Central Street

For a full list of future public meetings and information, please visit:
http://www.mbta.com/jointhediscussion.

Have your voice heard by sending an email with your questions, comments, and ideas to fareproposal@mbta.com. The MBTA’s public outreach process continues with the acceptance of public comment through March 1, 2012 electronically at mbta.com, by email at fareproposal@mbta.com, via mail to MBTA, Ten Park Plaza, Boston, Ma 02116, Attention: Fare Proposal Committee, and by phone at 617-222-3200/ TTY (617) 222-5146.

A final fare increase and service reduction recommendation will be made to the MBTA’s Board of Directors this spring and changes will be implemented on July 1, 2012.

MassDOT Board March Public Meeting

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors will hold its next regular public business meeting on Wednesday, March 14 , 1:00pm, MBTA Board Room, Suite 3910, State Transportation Building, Boston.    

 The MBTA Board will meet first at 1pm, followed by the MassDOT Board.  All meetings are open to the public. The meeting schedule is available on the MassDOT website.

Board Meeting Schedule