Podcast Episode 30.5 - Ride-Along with Jim Aloisi to WGBH's The Scrum

Buses berth at Sullivan Square in Somerville, MA  [Photo via Flickr]

For this mini-episode of the podcast, we were joined by former Massachusetts Transport Secretary and TransitMatters Board Member Jim Aloisi. We both took a trip on transit from Haymarket Station to Brass Union in Somerville's Union Square.

This episode was recorded on 12 July in the lively environs of an Orange Line train, a CT2 bus, and under the I-93 overpass at Sullivan Square.

During the episode we talked about:

• Hillary Clinton's MetroCard Miscue
• The BTD Sullivan Square/Rutherford Ave study - check out the presentation [PDF] from the last meeting that we couldn't personally make. Were you there? Let us know in the comments!
• The various overlapping studies happening in and around Sullivan Square
  • Lower Mystic Regional Working Group
  • Everett Transit Action Plan
  • The Wynn Casino in Everett [PDF]
• We lamented the delay of Green Line Extension
• We discussed concern over proactive development to counteract gentrification in Union Square and Sullivan Square
  • City of New York is trying to be proactive - set-aside housing ordinance ensures mixed income, transparency about public benefits included in development
  • Gentrification is inevitable, at least in part
• MBTA needs to make good on its goal for a system-wide assessment of routes - are they doing what people need today?
• My work on service advisories with the T, underscoring a fundamental need for attention to details of the rider experience...more on that from us soon!
• Complete streets and transit priority that Jim and Boston City Council President Wu experienced (separately) in the Netherlands
  • NACTO has adopted in its Urban Street Design Guide and Transit Street Design Guide
• Unified fare payment system in Netherlands - OV-chipkaart - MBTA/MassDOT are modelling AFC 2.0 on modern fare payment systems like this
• McGrath highway grounding is also a project that we crossed during our brief trip
  • Similar to Casey Arborway boulevardisation
  • Syracuse is also…torn between rebuilding or tearing down a highway

And finally WGBH's The Scrum episode we spent 40 minutes trekking to! You can watch our live recording of The Scrum on Periscope.

Like what you hear? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the blog and podcast - through iTunes or Google Play. Support our work by becoming a member, donating, or volunteering.

Find out more about Jim Aloisi, me, and our other board members.

Send us your feedback by connecting with us on our various social media channels or contact us here.

Podcast 30 - Kids on Transit with Lee Biernbaum

[Lede Photo: Kids on transit is a tale as old as...transit — Shirley Temple Rides the 'L' via Flickr]

We're joined in studio by Lee Biernbaum, an economist for the U.S. Department of Transportation and author of the Kids In The Stairwell blog.   We cover issues with kids on transit including strollers on buses and trains, having a car-free family and children using transit. 

This episode was recorded on June 19th in the studios of WMBR 88.1 FM in Cambridge, engineered by Scott Mullen and edited by Charleston Sarjeant.

TransitMatters advocates for fast, frequent, reliable and effective public transportation in and around Boston. As part of our vision to repair, upgrade and expand the MBTA transit network, we aim to elevate the conversation around transit issues by offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media.

Like what you hear? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the blog and podcast (on iTunes) to be notified of new posts and episodes. Support our work by becoming a member, making a donation or signing up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Let us know what you think: connect with TransitMatters on Facebook or Twitter. Follow Jeremy Mendelson @Critical Transit, Josh Fairchild @hatchback31, Jarred Johnson @jarjoh, Marc Ebuña @DigitalSciGuy, Scott Mullen @mixmastermully or email us here.

Podcast 29 - Transit Advocacy with Rafael Mares from the Conservation Law Foundation

We're joined in studio by prominent Boston transit advocate Rafael Mares, Vice President and Director of Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice for the Conservation Law Foundation. CLF has been instrumental in improving access and mobility for MBTA users, including holding the state to transit project commitments they've tried to wiggle out of.

We discuss the current state of transit operations and investment, the Control Board and politics, the fate of long-awaited projects such the Green Line Extension, the Big Dig legacy, and much more. This episode was recorded on May 16 in the studios of WMBR 88.1 FM in Cambridge, engineered by Scott Mullen.  Find Rafael Mares online at @RafaelMares2 or CLF.

TransitMatters advocates for fast, frequent, reliable and effective public transportation in and around Boston. As part of our vision to repair, upgrade and expand the MBTA transit network, we aim to elevate the conversation around transit issues by offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media.

Like what you hear? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the blog and podcast (on iTunes) to be notified of new posts and episodes. Support our work by becoming a member, making a donation or signing up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Let us know what you think: connect with TransitMatters on Facebook or Twitter. Follow Jeremy Mendelson @Critical Transit, Josh Fairchild @hatchback31, Jarred Johnson @jarjoh, Marc Ebuña @DigitalSciGuy, Scott Mullen @mixmastermully or email us here.