Metaboston

Rhode Island Police Arrest Record-Holder for Intoxication

Following a single-car (luckily) accident Rhode Island state police arrested a man with the highest blood alcohol level found in a living person in state.

"A breath test showed blood alcohol readings of 0.489 percent, followed by 0.491, [Maj. Steven] O'Donnell said, the highest readings state officials could remember for someone who didn't end up dead.

The legal limit in Rhode Island is 0.08. A level of 0.30 is classified as stupor, 0.4 is comatose and 0.5 is considered fatal, according to the health department."

The Boston Marathon is Already Over . . .

How much have you gotten done so far?

Finding "Ancient Roads" in Vermont

Towns and groups all over Vermont are engaged in researching the paths of Vermont's "ancient roads." 

"The point is to comply with a 2006 state law that gives Vermont’s cities and towns until early next year to identify all their “ancient roads.” At that point, they can add the elusive roads to official town maps, ensuring that they remain public, or turn them over to owners of adjoining land.

Unlike many other states, where towns automatically forfeit rights to roads that go unused for years, Vermont requires that they remain public until formally discontinued. That has brought fights between towns and landowners whose property abuts or even intersects ancient roads, with the towns eager to preserve public access for outdoor pursuits and the owners seeking clear titles and privacy."

It seems like a fascinating process, hopefully some of the research will be posted on the Internet:  Google Maps anyone? 

"Peter Vollers, a lawyer in Woodstock . . ., said he loved getting out and looking for hints of ancient roads: parallel stone walls or rows of old-growth trees about 50 feet apart. Old culverts are clues, too, as are cellar holes that suggest people lived there; if so, a road probably passed nearby.

Mr. Vollers heads the Vermont Expedition Society, a group of off-roaders who treasure ancient roads as a recreational asset. He recently started a company, Vermont Overland Guide Services, to help off-roaders navigate ancient roads and other rural byways."

That said, it must be nerve-wracking if you own property in Vermont and some amateur historians' fun means you will lose access to some of your land or find a troup of SUVs heading across your lawn, especially if the "road" was last used in 1795

Assessing Boston's Bike Initiative

"Boston's bike initiative now headed by former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman is receiving mixed reviews with some grateful for the renewed attention while others still bemoan the hazards of Boston biking.

"For some of the bikers who ride on the streets of Boston every morning, a major concern is resistance from city drivers and scary street conditions. Malcolm Purinton, a Northeastern graduate student, has found his two-mile commute from Jamaica Plain to class to be dangerous and even, at times, life-threatening.

"I feel every time I get on my bike here I am risking my life," he said. "You have to be on. There are no bike lanes on any roads and the drivers have no respect for bikers."

***

While the appointment of Freedman may be a push in the right direction, there is still much to be done in order to improve the conditions for cyclists across Boston, some bicyclists said.

Some bike lanes end randomly (one stops at the crowded intersection at Massachusetts and Huntington avenues). Weather conditions and concurrent construction projects also stand in the way. Dennison said these are only minor obstacles, and that although Boston has fallen behind in the past few years, the city still holds immense potential to act for the betterment of bicycling conditions."

(Image:  Cambridge-based bike advocacy group:  Bikes Not Bombs)

Cambridge Delivery Tricycles: The New Amsterdam Project

A psychiatrist decided that using delivery tricycles could help wean America from its dependence on cars and trucks so he started a company, the New Amsterdam Project, to test it out:

"In a city choked with diesel-spewing delivery trucks, the fledgling New Amsterdam Project (NAP), a Cambridge-based cargo-hauling          company, is pedaling toward profits aboard an emissions-free fleet of urban "cargo trikes."              

China, India, and other developing nations have long utilized bicycle-based delivery for many goods – but are shifting toward engine-powered vehicles. Across North America, bicycle delivery services exist in several cities. Yet pedal-powered hauling for cargo has been largely a no-show in the United States.

      

That makes NAP stand out for its sole focus on human-powered cargo delivery, says Andrew Brown, the company's founder and CEO. A psychiatrist by training and lover of all things bicycle-related, Mr. Brown launched the company last fall and now finds himself dividing time between cycling to companies where he counsels workers – and making deliveries."

The idea could be compelling for companies concerned about their carbon footprint but Mr. Brown needs to consult a branding expert.  The New Amsterdam Project is a really obtuse name; it sounds like a wonky think-tank or nonprofit in New York and then there's that TV show about a detective who can't die.

New Blue Line Trains

New Blue Line trains come into service:

"The transit agency on Wednesday unveiled the first of 94 new subway cars that will replace the current fleet of 70 cars that are nearly three decades old.

The new cars will come into service over the next 18 months."

Last Suspect in Salem Parrot Theft Arrested

Accused parrot-napper of Salem nabbed in Maryland:

"Thirty-five-year-old Joseph Murabito was arrested March 10 during a traffic stop in Frederick and was charged as a fugitive in the September theft of the baby macaw from a pet store in Salem, Mass."

Their getaway from the pet store killed a motorcyclist they hit.

Harvard student killed by Shaw's truck in Central Square

View Larger Map

A 28-year old Harvard student was struck and killed by a Shaw's truck at 6:45 this morning.  The man was hit at one of the major intersections in Central Square at Massachusetts Avenue and Prospect Street.

"No charges have been filed against the driver as of yet, police said.

Shaw's spokeswoman Judy Chong said the driver was making an early morning supermarket delivery.

"We're cooperating with the state and local authorities in the investigation," said Chong. "And our thoughts and prayers go out to all who were involved in this unfortunate incident."

Chong would not release any other information about the driver or the accident and referred all questions to the police department.

Police are not releasing the victim's name until his family has been notified."

Pickup Truck Crashes Into Waltham Police Station

Of all the buildings . . .

"At 11:55 last evening, the officers that were at roll call at the Waltham Police Department heard a loud crash at the rear of the station,' said Waltham Detective Sgt. Tim King."

"NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that Waltham police said they are not sure why the man crashed his Ford Ranger pickup truck through the station's door, but they said he was drunk."

At least no one was hurt.

Finding Boston's Next Bike Lanes with Bikers and Google Maps

View Larger Map

Boston "bike czar" Nicole Freedman enlisted the efforts of local bikers and Google Maps to help determine where useful bike lanes should be placed:

"Her team created a modified Google Map that enables cyclists to log on and trace the routes they ride every day. Watch the data pile up, and voila -- sensible bike routes. "We found out where the actual desire lines are," she said. "Using existing technology was great."

In addition to figuring out where to stripe lanes, Freedman is using Google Maps to rate streets on bike-friendliness. "

A very smart and cheap way to get a sense of the way people actually use the city rather than a top-down study.

Instructions on how to participate from Velo Fellow.

RFID Chips in Charlie Cards Hacked

The MBTA's Charlie Cards use RFID chips and now a UVA student has hacked those chips raising questions about the security of these cards and the MBTA itself.

"New research that shows smart cards with encrypted RFID chips might not be as secure as previously thought is raising concerns in Boston, where the subway CharlieCards use just such technology. The research raises the specter of thieves with $1,000 worth of equipment cracking smart card encryption and making counterfeit cards to do everything from swipe fares to gain access to high-security areas.

***

The particular RFID chip in question – the Mifare Classic, of which a billion-plus have been sold – is made by Philips spinoff NXP Semiconductors, which has been widely quoted saying that only a portion of the cryptographic algorithm has been obtained by the researchers. (The researchers have not fully disclosed their method in an effort to keep those with bad intentions from copying them.) Security experts have known all along that such chips, which generally cost less than a dollar, were crackable, but didn’t realize it could be so economically feasible."

MBTA Manager Daniel Grabauskas on Radio Boston

MBTA Manager Daniel Grabauskas will discuss MBTA issues and problems on Radio Boston's Feb. 29th show "Is the T on Track?" 

You can send in your comments to discuss with Grabauskas.

Catching up with Maine's worst toll evader (allegedly)

What happens if you just drive through the EZPass without one of those little boxes.  Well, in Maine, not much until you get near the 1300th (!) drivethrough.

"Derek M. Theriault, 28, was charged Friday with racking up roughly 1,300 toll-evasion violations totaling $1,797.50, the Portland Press-Herald reported."

MBTA loses $55 million on debt derivatives

MBTA loses $55 million on debt derivatives

"'It appears the MBTA was willing to accept short-term cash for long-term debt,' said [State Auditor Joe] DeNucci, 'and then paid millions of dollars in termination fees when the interest rates changed and became unfavorable to the authority.'”

***

“'These rate swaps were highly speculative, risky and complex, and have proved costly to the riders who are paying increased fares and the taxpayers who subsidize the MBTA,' said DeNucci."

How long until a rate increase?

MBTA commuter line pioneers WiFi trains in US

The MBTA will begin to provide free WiFi service on trains on the 45 mile Worcester-Framingham-Boston line this week with plans to eventually extend service to all commuter lines. 

"The Worcester-Framingham-Boston line, [Lt. Gov. Timothy P. ] Murray said, is a good place to start testing the service, in part to make up to commuters for some of the problems with periodic delays. 'This is a way to mitigate some of the problems we have had over the last year as we try to improve service, and we really want to bring it to the whole commuter rail system,' he said."
A great idea for using that dead time on the train;  will the spread of WiFi on commuter trains and other public transport help to speed the decline of paper newspapers?  Interesting that commuters noticed the WiFi as it was being tested before any official announcement. 

While trains overseas have WiFi this is an apparent first in the U.S.

"This would be likely be the largest deployment of train-based Wi-Fi outside of Europe, where GNER in the UK and SJ in Sweden have a couple dozen trains on a small number of lines unwired. This trial uses Sprint’s EVDO service through an external antenna mounted on each car; 45 coaches are currently set up for Wi-Fi. The authority has already received piles of enthusiastic comments. No word on which service provider (if any) is involved among the several companies that unwire trains." (There's more technical info from WiFi Net News on the plan for the aficionado).

(via Endgadget)

Why Medford is divided about the Green Line extension; Will Medford become Somerville or Arlington?

Why Medford is divided about the Green Line extension.    Some look forward to higher property values others worry about gentrification, crowding, and noise.  Will Medford become Somerville or Arlington?  And behind all those issues is frustration that residents have "been given little chance to provide input to a project that seemed ordained by officials elsewhere."

Interesting article on the uniqueness of the Boston subway system

Interesting article on the history and the uniqueness of the Boston subway system.

The Mattapan Line and its beautiful old trolley cars.

The Mattapan Line and its beautiful old trolley cars.  The picture left  is by Richard Panse with more gorgeous pictures at Subchat.  You can also see more of his great photography at Railroad Picture Archives.net.

The cars themselves are rare gems of public transport, holdovers from a golden age of urban trolleys: 

"The President's Conference Committee car is truly a survivor. It had certainly done what the designers had intended- to serve reliably in everyday rapid transit service. So well-designed are these cars, that they often serve for more than one owner for years at a time. It used to be that most major cities in America had large fleets of these cars in service. With the retirement of Newark's fleet in 2001, that only leaves San Francisco and Boston as the only regular operators of the streamlined trolleys.

Once the backbone of Boston's streetcar and subway lines, the PCC is now limited to a unique shuttle operation serving some of the south suburbs. The Mattapan High Speed Line is one of the few places where you can still ride a PCC in regular service. A free shuttle service tacked onto the end of the Ashmont terminal of the MBTA Red Line, the ride is like a step back in time.

__

The fleet consists of 11 cars, all originally built for Boston under a wartime construction contract with Pullman-Standard, and were delivered in 1945-46. A recent rebuilding program is restoring these cars to their original appearance, including the original 1950's orange-and-cream MTA scheme."

The Big Dig is officially over today

Forget about New Year's Eve.  The Big Dig is officially over today.  But after 16 years and "a history marked by engineering triumphs, as well as tunnel leaks, epic traffic jams, last year's death of a motorist crushed by concrete ceiling panels and a price tag that soared from $2.6 billion to a staggering $14.8 billion, there's little appetite for celebration."

The Anger Lot: the perfect name for the parking lot at the Porter Square Mall

The Anger Lot: the perfect name for the parking lot at the Porter Square Mall.  It's like the teachers' parking lot after Bart Simpson repaints  the lines just a bit too small for a car to fit.

MBTA Texting! LOL

MBTA texting riders about delays and problems.  If at first you don't succeed . . .  Actually it's a good idea and as long as they're willing to give up on programs that don't work (T-radio) then they should keep experimenting.

Video from the 2007 Santa Speedo Race in Boston

Video from the 2007 Santa Speedo charity race with runners stripped down on a very chilly day in Boston with the "warmup" above as the racers get ready for the start and the racers on Newbury Street below.

In New England you're most likely to hit a deer in Vermont

In New England you're most likely to hit a deer in Vermont which is rated at highest-risk with 1 in every 133 cars in the states is estimated to hit a deer.  Massachusetts has more comforting odds with 1 in every 1,084 cars in deer-car collisions.  (Graphic: NY Times)

Comprehensive treatment of the song Charlie on the MTA that gives its name to the Charlie ticket

Comprehensive treatment of the song Charlie on the MTA that gives its name to the Charlie ticket.  Including the history of its inspiration:

"In the 1940s, the MTA fare-schedule was very complicated - at one time, the booklet that explained it was 9 pages long.  Fare increases were implemented by means of an "exit fare".  Rather than modify all the turnstiles for the new rate, they just collected the extra money when leaving the train.  (Exit fares currently exist on the Braintree branch of the Red Line.)  One of the key points of the platform of Walter A. O'Brien, a Progressive Party candidate for mayor of Boston, was to fight fare increases and make the fare schedule more uniform.  Charlie was born.

The text of the song was written in 1949 by Jacqueline Steiner and Bess Lomax Hawes.  It was one of seven songs written for O'Brien's campaign, each one emphasized a key point of his platform. One recording was made of each song, and they were broadcast from a sound truck that drove around the streets of Boston. This earned O'Brien a $10 fine for disturbing the peace."

The Kingston Trio above popularized it but weren't the first to sing it.

Bike Attorneys of Boston

Bike attorneys of Boston. "Attorney and bicycling advocate Andrew Fischer also represents bicyclists who have been involved in accidents, including accidents with motor vehicles. Mr. Fischer’s bikeattorney.com web site provides a resource for cyclists who have questions about legal services."

Abandoned Stations, Tunnels, and Entrances of the MBTA

Abandoned stations, tunnels, and entrances of the MBTA.  A very cool compendium.

Miskatonic U. Rah Rah Rah!

Stand out from the crowd of Harvardians on the Pike with this Miskatonic University window sticker.  Miskatonic is notorious for its appearances in the writings of the great horror author from our little southern neighbor and this sticker shows your mastery of ancient eldritch knowledge not just the liberal arts.

The Only Jazz Song About the Fung Wah Bus?

Is Daniela Schachter's The Boat and the Storm (Fung Wah Blues) the only jazz piece that's been written about the notorious bus line?  The song's not available for listening on her website but the album by the Berklee grad is worth seeking out.

Boston Drivers Only Third Angriest in the Country

Hard to believe but Boston drivers rate only as the third worst in the country for road rage after Miami and New York.

Zombie March--May 12!

Only a couple more days until the Halfway to Human Davis Square to Harvard Square Zombie March.  Looks like a good weekend for the undead to rise and seek brains.  It's likely to be cool enough for zombies to embrace a 28 Days Later full-speed run as well as the classic Romero slow stumble.

If you miss this one, there's another coming up in July but the route proposed is a marathon:  South Station to Harvard Square.

Most Dangerous T Stops

The Boston Herald put together a list of the most crime-ridden T stops based on incident statistics.  The Herald uses a fancy interactive map with the dangerous stations pulsing away requiring you to look at each one (and perhaps improve page counts).  The full list:

1. Forest Hills
2. Ruggles
3. Dudley Bus Station
4. Ashmont
5. Back Bay
6. Downtown Crossing
7. Park Street
8. Fields Corner
9. North Station
10. JFK/UMass

Lost Knitting on 71 Bus

Lost notice for riders of the 71 Bus from Sheepspyjamas:

"If any of you happen to be riding the 71 bus between Watertown and Harvard Square and notice a Woolcott and Company shopping bag containing:

A copy of Simply Socks
A ball of quite beautiful worsted weight hand dyed yarn
An in process red and black socks, toe up, boat sized (size 13) sock for my husband (and I just finished the heel and started the ribbing) -...
And the prize winner of all the bag contained: All the pieces, blocked and ready for assembly (I was going to work on them at lunch today) to Pojke-Dot's Sunilda sweater -- ...

there's a good chance it's mine"

City Cars Attacked by Rats in Cambridge

Construction near Central Square is blamed for driving rats from their usual haunts to residents' cars.

The Moose of Massachusetts

      

Moose are returning to Massachusetts, even within an easy (although perhaps more dangerous with these half-ton herbivores now occasionally crossing streets) drive of Boston. 

Why? 

Although Massachusetts is the third most densely populated state in the U.S. it is now "more than 60 percent forested, while New England as a whole is about 80 percent covered in trees. There's now more wood in New England forests than at any time in the past 200 years. 'It's all part of a huge transformation,' says David Foster, director of Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass., calling it 'completely unplanned.' This is natural reforestation. Nobody did anything except not keep the fields open,' he says."

Abandoned T Stations of the MBTA

A comprehensive list of how to locate and glimpse abandoned stations and tunnels of the MBTA helpfully broken out by T line.

Walkathon Haters in Boston on the Daily Show

The Daily Show's Dan Bakkedahl visits Boston to have some fun with one man who is fed up with charity walks (select "Look Who's Walking Too"). (via MR)  To be fair, this follows on more serious pieces on how residents of some cities are growing frustrated by the costs and incoveniences of charity walks as they have become a popular tool for charities and as Eric Crampton points out the waste involved in charity walks compared to cash donations.

Perhaps the solution is to leave Boston and move to Rhode Island.

What Value Do Police Add Monitoring Construction?

A new study by Suffolk University's Beacon Hill Institute questions whether having police monitor  roadside construction does anything more than add expenses.  State law requires it currently although Massachusetts seems to be the only state that "generally requires" police instead of just hiring some guys to wave flags.  According to the study police charged an average of $34.70 per hour for this work.  You can read the study for yourself here.

Big Dig Leaks

Now that they've finished it, it's time to start fixing it.  It should all be done in about 10 years.  Maybe you can see them making the mistakes in the photographs in The Big Dig .

Street Cleaning in Cambridge

Now that the Department of Motor Vehicles (at least in Boston) is surprisingly efficient, the most annoying civic function might be street cleaning in Cambridge. Each cleaning day begins with a loudspeaker truck threatening that if you made the mistake of parking on the wrong side of the street "you will be tagged and towed."  This is followed by the tow trucks arriving like vultures with police escorts.  Then the cleaners roll through.  Sometimes the streets seem cleaner.  Maybe regular street cleaning is necessary.  It doesn't really seem to be but it might.  But is it really necessary to tow cars away.  This seems like a make work project for the tow companies.  If Cambridge made the tickets high enough people would move their cars or Cambridge could keep the money.