CHARLIEBLOG 3.0 AT TRANSITHISTORY.ORG
CharlieBlog at TransitHistory.org
Rest in Peace, THE Forums at BoardZero.
Well, perhaps you knew that THE Forums at TransitHistory have been down for about a week now. We were hoping they would be back up for their second anniversary, but instead of this, we received news that they are GONE. Completely.
"Unfortunately we had a crash last week which corrupted our backups of all our forums," according to BoardZero. "I'm extremely sorry to say that we are not able to restore your previous posts. We've since fixed the issue that caused it (moving from phpbb2 -> 3.0) and added additional backups to our system so your data from now on is extremely safe."
"We lost a lot of great community data, but most have started back up again and are rapidly getting back to speed. Although you have to re-register your forums, a lot of speed, security, and features have been added. I personally enjoyed your forums, feel free to let me know if you have any questions or need any help getting set up."
I'm not so sure. We had so many outages over the last year that we're very uncertain if we'll remain with BoardZero.
Stay tuned to TransitHistory.org and here in the Blog for the latest on our saga...
We WILL rebuild. And hopefully quickly.
TransitFan Episode 13: Happy Birthday THE Forums
Please tune in tonight at 7:30 (www.transithistory.org/tfan) for a new, LIVE episode of The TransitFan Podcast over at TransitHistory.
Tonight we're discussing the latest transit news, including three fatalities in the last week, Fung Wah, and more Legal Sea Foods developments.
PLUS... We're celebrating the SECOND ANNIVERSARY of THE Forums (which are currently down, thanks to BoardZero - how apropos)! Call in and share your grins and gripes about our lovely Forums.
Episode 13 airs Live TONIGHT at 7:30PM on BlogTalkRadio and at www.transithistory.org/tfan
Subscribe and download past episodes through iTunes and at podcast.transithistory.org
Tonight we're discussing the latest transit news, including three fatalities in the last week, Fung Wah, and more Legal Sea Foods developments.
PLUS... We're celebrating the SECOND ANNIVERSARY of THE Forums (which are currently down, thanks to BoardZero - how apropos)! Call in and share your grins and gripes about our lovely Forums.
Episode 13 airs Live TONIGHT at 7:30PM on BlogTalkRadio and at www.transithistory.org/tfan
Subscribe and download past episodes through iTunes and at podcast.transithistory.org
Fung Wah crash kills 1, injures 4 in NYC
A pedestrian was killed early this morning when a Fung Wqh bus hit a dump truck in New York City. The bus then crashed into the United Commercial Bank building on Bowery Street in Chinatown.
A 57 year old woman was struck in the collision and died. Two passengers and the bus driver were also injured in the collision.
There aren't any more details yet, but this surely isn't good news for Fung Wah — just another accident to add to their repertoire. I'll reserve judgment until more details are released...
Update: WNBC reports that the dump truck hit the bus after coming off the Manhattan Bridge, so perhaps the Fung Wah was an innocent participant in this — looks like it got hit and forced onto the sidewalk and into the building by the dump truck.
Update 2: New York Times reports that the bus was parked, with cargo doors open, as passengers were waiting to board. The dump truck lost control coming off the Manhattan Bridge and struck the bus, sending it around and into the building, also striking a parked NYPD Counterterrorism Unit, injuring two police officers. Sounds like this is completely unrelated to Fung Wah, simply wrong place wrong time for them.
Update 2: New York Times reports that the bus was parked, with cargo doors open, as passengers were waiting to board. The dump truck lost control coming off the Manhattan Bridge and struck the bus, sending it around and into the building, also striking a parked NYPD Counterterrorism Unit, injuring two police officers. Sounds like this is completely unrelated to Fung Wah, simply wrong place wrong time for them.
All Hell breaks loose on the T -- Thanks, Celtics
Today's Celtics parade is wreaking havoc on poor, unsuspecting commuters all around the MBTA this morning. Here are some examples:
Parking levels:
Braintree (FULL)
Riverside (75%)
Woodland (80%)
Alewife (FULL)
Quincy Adams (FULL)
Commuter Rail:
ALL Lines - Expect delays due to heavy ridership
Lowell train #312 running nonstop to Boston due to crowding
Woburn train #352 running 20 late
Haverhill train #212 running nonstop from Reading b/c overcrowding
New/Rock #110 experiencing 30+ minute delays
New/Rock #198 is CANCELLED at Salem
Providence #906 experiencing 30+ minute delays
Bus:
Bus routes 9, 10, 39, 43, 55, 352, 354, 355 are all diverted to various degrees
Silver Line:
Terminating at New England Medical Center Sta.
Perhaps the best news of the day is for Forge Park commuters, as scheduled track work has been canceled, giving them a ride on a train rather than a bus — although it will still be just as crowded.
The way home will be bad too, as "queuing systems" will be in place and North and South Stations, as in past parades, limiting access to the stations and organizing people into line-specific boarding areas. South Station will have access restricted to the Summer Street entrance, except (i suspect) the Post Office side entrance, which will likely be forgotten, so if you want to sneak in, try that first, though don't blame me if they've got that blocked too.
Good luck to everyone today. I'll be in town later and I'll have a live report on the TransitFan Podcast tonight at 7:30, transithistory.org/tfan
Support TransitHistory financially! Please visit our sponsor.
Parking levels:
Braintree (FULL)
Riverside (75%)
Woodland (80%)
Alewife (FULL)
Quincy Adams (FULL)
Commuter Rail:
ALL Lines - Expect delays due to heavy ridership
Lowell train #312 running nonstop to Boston due to crowding
Woburn train #352 running 20 late
Haverhill train #212 running nonstop from Reading b/c overcrowding
New/Rock #110 experiencing 30+ minute delays
New/Rock #198 is CANCELLED at Salem
Providence #906 experiencing 30+ minute delays
Bus:
Bus routes 9, 10, 39, 43, 55, 352, 354, 355 are all diverted to various degrees
Silver Line:
Terminating at New England Medical Center Sta.
Perhaps the best news of the day is for Forge Park commuters, as scheduled track work has been canceled, giving them a ride on a train rather than a bus — although it will still be just as crowded.
The way home will be bad too, as "queuing systems" will be in place and North and South Stations, as in past parades, limiting access to the stations and organizing people into line-specific boarding areas. South Station will have access restricted to the Summer Street entrance, except (i suspect) the Post Office side entrance, which will likely be forgotten, so if you want to sneak in, try that first, though don't blame me if they've got that blocked too.
Good luck to everyone today. I'll be in town later and I'll have a live report on the TransitFan Podcast tonight at 7:30, transithistory.org/tfan
LIVEBLOG: Celtics win; Long night begins on MBTA
The Celtics have won the championship at the Garden, and crowds are beginning to gather and grow outside.
Needless to say, if you have the misfortune of riding the MBTA at this late hour, God speed.
North Station will be a madhouse — both subway and Commuter Rail — with the station likely being shut down or having access limited. Updates will be provided here for a while.
North Side Commuter Rail trains were scheduled to leave 15 minutes after the end of the game, but there will likely be a longer hold tonight due to crowds.
More as it comes in...
<< MORE >>
T... The Brainer Route.
Methinks someone had writers block in the marketing department.
The idea of comparing the MBTA to gas prices is great, as is the "No brainer" line I suppose. But the way it is broken up in this MBTA.com self-advertisement is a bit peculiar.
"No" in reference to the gas prices is fine. But "Brainer" in reference to the T? C'mon. Its not even a real word, and "T" and "brain" don't always go hand in hand.
And why couldn't they have used a photo of an actual T sign instead of simply the computerized logo? It would have gone better with the gas station sign.
But aside from that, cool ad!
Mattapan trolley hit by tree branch, 3 injured
WHDH Image
Around 1:15AM this morning, a Mattapan High Speed Line PCC trolley was struck by a tree branch during a thunderstorm.
The branch went right through the fron window of the car, injuring the operator and two passengers. The passengers were treated at Carney Hospital, while the operator denied medical treatment.
There was no track damage, and no serious visible damage to the trolley, though it will likely require a new windshield.
Assuming the car will be placed out of service until repairs are made, this temporarily reduces the PCC fleet at Mattapan from 9 active cars to 8, as a tenth car is already out of service awaiting A/C installation.
Here's hoping the car recovers quickly!
FireWatch: Red Line earns its color
Just when we thought we didn't need to make a "FireWatch" graphic, another fire erupted on the Red Line, this time near South Station.
The small fire broke out early Saturday afternoon, in an electrical box, on a day when the Red Line was already being bused between Park/Charles and Kendall due to Longfellow Bridge track work. While crews needed access to the tracks, service was bused - first from Broadway, then from JFK/UMass all the way to Kendall. AND it was a busy weekend in the city with several events going on Saturday afternoon.
Those seeking shuttle bus service at Downtown or Park were urged to walk to other points, as the GLBT Pride Parade had several streets near Park Street blocked off at the start of the fire.
Things were back up and running by the evening, but the inconvenience damage was already done.
Not a good day for the MBTA.
<< MORE >>
The small fire broke out early Saturday afternoon, in an electrical box, on a day when the Red Line was already being bused between Park/Charles and Kendall due to Longfellow Bridge track work. While crews needed access to the tracks, service was bused - first from Broadway, then from JFK/UMass all the way to Kendall. AND it was a busy weekend in the city with several events going on Saturday afternoon.
Those seeking shuttle bus service at Downtown or Park were urged to walk to other points, as the GLBT Pride Parade had several streets near Park Street blocked off at the start of the fire.
Things were back up and running by the evening, but the inconvenience damage was already done.
Not a good day for the MBTA.
<< MORE >>
This CEO looks like a jackass
Boston Globe Photo
Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz (pictured) offered a sarcastic apology today to the Boston Carmen's Union in response to their anger over an ad placed on trolleys that said, "This conductor's face looks like a halibut."
And I quote from a new radio ad:
"We should have never, ever said, 'This conductor has a face like a halibut,' when the truth is, most conductors don't look anything at all like halibuts. Some look more like groupers or flounders. I've even seen a few who closely resemble catfish. And there's one conductor on the Green Line that looks remarkably like a hammerhead shark. So we feel very badly about this mischaracterization, and we won't let it happen again."
Now, this is all humor and I can understand that. I don't think that the original ad was that huge of a deal, and a simple apology and retraction of the ad would have been fine. But Berkowitz responded with this back-handed, joking remark in a new radio advertisement. What an ass.
The Carmen's Union responded again, saying Berkowitz is an "elitist" and urging a boycott by all unions of Legal Sea Foods. While this, too, is rather extreme, their anger is now fully justified.
If it was one of these ads on the side of the trolley in which a Green Line operator was killed last month, I don't think he'd be as sarcastic.
TransitFan Podcast Returns TONIGHT!
Brace yourselves — the TransitFan Podcast returns TONIGHT at 7:30PM!
Charleston and I will be discussing the latest Boston Transit News, BoltBus vs. MegaBus, the Longfellow Bridge, the Peter Witt car display, the Green Line collision, upcoming events at TransitHistory, and much more! Plus, you can call in live during the show and join the discussion!
Join us before the show for a live AIM chat (screnname: TheTransitFan).
7:00PM AIM Chat AIM Screenname: TheTransitFan
7:30PM TransitFan LIVE www.transithistory.org/tfan
TransitFan Podcast Archived at podcast.transithistory.org
and Subscribe & Download through iTunes!