The Third Decade

Safe T?

Has anyone else noticed that the canned recording on the MBTA no longer include the one that ends with "safety is our number one priority?" I noticed it a few months ago but thought I was just missing them because of the numerous census, no smoking, and flu season recordings. After last night's fire, as well as previous fires and power issues near Park Street and Downtown Crossing, what strategies are being employed to ensure the safety and integrity of the system? When the commuter rail has problems, clear decisions are made to plan and schedule repairs. With so many problems happening at the hub of the system, where are the dollars and the political pressure to keep safe and ensuring they have smoother travel?

Iceland's hit back

I'm sure other people have written about this already, but there's sort of a poetic justice to the reports about Iceland's volcano shutting down Europe's airspace. Nearly a year and a half after the UK froze Iceland's assets and only months after reports of emigration from Iceland hitting record levels, it's almost as though the island has had enough and is striking back. If Nature is waking up and striking back, Europe is screwed!

From Filenes to Ferdinand

Y'know, it's great that the mayor is taking action on the Filene's site downtown. Simply put, it's a mess. But where's the word from hizzoner when it comes to the holes in the ground further down Washington Street? The site of the former Gaiety Theater was razed in 2005 and has been a barren gravel pit ever since. Once across the Mass Pike, underdeveloped and underperforming parcels of land exist all the way down to the Ferdinand Building in Dudley Square. The Ferdinand site, by the way, is owned by the City. So, where's the fuss about that, Mr. Mayor? Roxbury has been looking forward to seeing that project move forward for years. A ribbon cutting was held in May 2008. The BRA held a design charrette to develop ideas for the area in the fall of 2009. Supposedly a winner would be announced after the last mayoral election in November 2009, but I haven't seen anything materialize yet. I'm not saying that the City has to start building tomorrow, but at least announce the winner and show us that there's a cohesive plan (perhaps you remember the photo above?).

C'mon, Mr. Mayor, address development in the city in a holistic manner. What's good for downtown is also good for the neighborhoods. Address our problems as aggressively as you're addressing those where the tourists and suburbanites go. We want progress, too!

Hooray for Healthcare

If I wasn't already a believer in health insurance for everyone, I would become one now.

My bill for visiting the travel clinic just came in. I don't understand why a one hour visit and consultation would cost $745, but after my plan kicked in, my payment is just under $7. Wow! Before my visit, neither the clinic nor the insurance agent I spoke to could inform me of what would and wouldn't be covered. I steeled myself for a nasty surprise that might be at least 10 times what I'm being charged, so this is quite pleasant. I almost wish I had another tropical vacation coming up so I could make use of my insurance again.

So why is it that people in other states are resisting coverage for everyone? If my low budget Massachusetts plan is a model, seems like it would be a great thing for the masses. The affordability is great, but so is the peace of mind.

Facebook's "Mandingo President." Ugh!

There's random and then there's "random."

While posting a status update on Facebook, I was asked to prove that I'm not a spambot by completing one of those captcha text boxes. Usually they're a random combination of letters and numbers, although lately I've noticed that a combination of actual words are appearing more often. Usually the words are bland and common, but today I came across this:

What the hell is this crap?! There's no way this is random. Some techie working for Facebook or the captcha system programmed this in. People, get a grip. Barack Obama is the president for at least the next 3 years. Programming your racism into the internet will not change that.

And you, Facebook, do you have any internal codes of conduct regarding employee actions like this?

Hello, 2005.

Hello, 2005.

Yes, I realize that it's now 2010, but I was sent back 5 years in time earlier this week. While at a function at the Park Plaza Hotel, I passed by one of their computer rooms and saw this nighttime street image as the screen saver on every monitor:

 

What you see above is actually from their website. But, follow this link to see why I was transported through time.

Yup...you can imagine my shock. Years later and there it is being used without my knowledge. After a couple of days of contacting various people at the hotel, I've finally been in touch with the Marketing person. I expected to hear denial or be ready for a fight, but she's been quite lovely. She admits that they didn't know who the photographer was and she's interested in working out rights, crediting, and possibly future job ops. Woo hoo!

Wish me luck, and send advice on this kind of thing if you have it.

Happy New Year!

Dumpster Diving...Really?

Given the recent stories about the proliferation of rats around the area, I'm shocked that there are people who are choosing to go dumpster diving in areas where rats would most likely be scurrying about. I get that they're making a point about food waste, but what about common sense? With swine flu and bird flu floating around, do we really need people purposely exposing themselves to another potential source of infection? Someone call the parents, the Millennials are losing their damn minds!

Goodbye, Silver Line.

When I woke up this morning and read the Globe article about how the state scrapped plans for the 28X/Mattapan Silver Line, I was both happy and curious. That proposed extension of the Silver Line never really made sense to me. I've taken the existing route between Dudley Square and Downtown many times and have always found it slow, crowded, and uncomfortable. Current Silver Line service is sporadic. It's not unusual to wait at Dudley Station for over 15 minutes for a bus to depart...if it's even at the berth. Given that the extension would be about twice as long as the current route, it was surprising to see the state try to sell this project as an improvement to the bus service that already exists.

Anyway, I was curious to see what the reader comments to the article would be. Unsurprisingly, many of them are by people who don't live in the affected neighborhoods or use the Silver Line. They label area residents as "whiners" and suggest that the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan lost out on something beneficial. Puh-leeze. Planning to spend $147 million dollars for a new, slow bus line was ridiculous. Even as an express route with a dedicated lane, the bus would've still had to deal with Blue Hill Avenue's heavy traffic and the general lack of courtesy that most drivers show to each other. The state's idea also seemed like another temporary solution to an issue needing long-term planning and coordination: how to improve transportation to an area of Boston lacking rapid rail transportation.

Looking at the past 25 years in Boston transit, there's been an unfortunate pattern of disinvesting in routes in the urban core while investing heavily in outer areas. As Washington Street lost the Orange Line and South Huntington/Centre Streets lost the E-line (to be replaced by bus service), North Cambridge gained the Red Line extension, the new Orange Line was moved to the Southwest Corridor, and the commuter rail expanded in multiple directions. In the meantime, the Somerville Green Line extension, the Indigo/Fairmount Line, the Lynn extension on the Blue Line, and the Urban Ring have been dangled in front of area residents without significant progress being achieved. Is it any wonder that residents in dense urban areas are expressing their outrage and annoyance and demanding better ideas? Besides having poor transit options, as new residents move into urban areas they're bringing more cars to compensate for the lack of adequate public transportation and adding to congestion. The feeling I sense from a lot of people (although by no means the all) is that enough is enough.

We need something better regionally. As a Roxbury resident, I'm glad to know that organizations like the Washington Street Corridor Coalition have been working for years to advocate for improved service and coordinated planning. In addition to improved transit through Dudley Square, I also hope that Somerville, Dorchester, and Lynn are included in a regional transit update that brings more of the densest parts of Metro Boston better rapid transit options. The Silver Line was a nice try, but it's time to move forward and start thinking about how to build a more comprehensive rail network with some vision.

Uptick in the economy?

The property tax revaluation assessments are out. To my surprise, my little condo has an assessed value higher this year than last year. Is this a sign that the economy/housing market is improving or did the city change its formula for assessing property taxes this year?

What can we do with four more years?

Some people who did not support another four years of Menino have already begun gazing into their navels in despair about him being in office for another four year term. While it's not what was hoped for, let's face it, the man knows how to get things done. That said, perhaps it's time to look at another four years of Menino as a blessing in disguise. As I said, he knows how to get things done. So, instead of wallowing in self-pity, maybe it's an opportunity to gather in significant numbers to make sure your ideas are heard by the one man with all the cards in his hands. My shortlist for Roxbury is below:

BIOLAB: Can it. For years B.U. has shown that it hasn't been very good at managing labs with less deadly viruses. Why are we supposed to trust them with a Level 4 lab that will hold some of the deadliest pathogens on earth? Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and other elected officials have gone on record as saying that they don't support the lab. Many residents don't support it either. We know you're for it, but do you really trust the designated operators to manage it well?

NCAAA at P-3: Support it. At a BRA meeting earlier this year, Roxbury residents expressed overwhelming support to have an arts center - as envisioned by Barry Gaither of the NCAAA - built at P-3. That part of Columbus Ave/Tremont St lacks a neighborhood cultural institution that can be draw and anchor. Rumors have floated for years that Menino wants to build a soccer stadium there for the Revolution, but that's the last thing a congested yet culturally-desolate area needs. Support the arts, Mr. Mayor. If you want a soccer stadium, build it on the waterfront or in place of the Biolab.

DUDLEY SQUARE: Build it. Before the election there was a design contest regarding the future of the Ferdinand Building. Your office announced that the winner of the contest would be designated after the election was over. Well, here we are. Show your commitment to the future of Dudley Square by designating a team before Thanksgiving to begin building out the Ferdinand site. Dudley Square has been languishing for years and needs a boost. The site of the new police station has been cleared, now it's time to get Ferdinand on the move. And while you're at it, can you get Jackson Square moving along, too?