Review of MBTA Twitter Alerts Finds Fewer “Delayed” Trains, Corresponding Increase in Those “Running Behind”

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

BOSTON – A review of four years of MBTA commuter rail Twitter alerts reveals that the number of trains that are “delayed” has fallen, but there is a commensurate increase in the number of trains classified as “running behind,” leaving the overall number of late trains largely unchanged.

“While the terminology has changed, it appears the performance hasn’t,” said Kaila Webb, author of “Commuter Rail Twitter Reveals History of Delays.”  “To a commuter on his or her way to Boston, it doesn’t really matter what the MBTA calls its tardiness.”

The MBTA has made no public, written announcement differentiating trains that are running behind from those that are delayed.

The T reached out to Pioneer to explain that the change in language was conscious, and that trains running behind may be able to catch up to schedule, while those classified as delayed are unlikely to do so.

The authority also attributed the increase in late trains to the addition of 11,000 trips during the period examined.

To provide the public with a tool that helps riders, residents, and policymakers understand how the T stacks up compared to transit agencies around the country, Pioneer Institute created MBTAAnalysis.  Please visit our site, which includes the most recent data available. We make public information accessible and easy to use.

About the Author

Kaila Webb is a Research Assistant at Pioneer Institute. She is a junior at Wellesley College, majoring in Environmental Studies and Chinese Language and Culture, and hopes to pursue a masters in Environmental Policy. Kaila joined Pioneer through a partnership with the Wellesley College Freedom Project, for which she serves as the Student Academic Director.

About Pioneer

Pioneer Institute is an independent, non-partisan, privately funded research organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts through civic discourse and intellectually rigorous, data-driven public policy solutions based on free market principles, individual liberty and responsibility, and the ideal of effective, limited and accountable government.

Get Our Fix the T Updates!

Related Posts:

Whistleblowers Were Proven Right: MBTARF Was Underreporting Its Unfunded Pension Liabilities

In a new brief, Pioneer shows that whistleblowers’ 2015 claim…

Pioneer Institute Public Statement on the MBTA’s Proposal to Increase Fares by 6.3 Percent

While Pioneer Institute opposed the 2016 MBTA fare increases,…

Drop in MBTA Commuter Rail Ridership Continues

/
A recent Boston Globe column by Northeastern University Professor…

MBTA Leak Tracker

/

A Win for Commuters

We are thrilled that the MBTA is moving forward to expand its…

Moving the MBTA Forward

We are pleased that former Pioneer Institute Research Director…

Review of MBTA Twitter Alerts Finds Fewer “Delayed” Trains, Corresponding Increase in Those “Running Behind”

BOSTON - A review of four years of MBTA commuter rail Twitter…

Public Statement on MBTA Ridership & Pension Costs

Monday’s meeting of the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control…

Rebuilding the Long Island Bridge May Not Be the Answer

/
From the 1920s to 2014, Boston Harbor’s Long Island played…

The Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth

Taking advantage of the public comment period, Pioneer Institute…

The Storrow Drive Tunnel Has The Lowest Sufficiency Rating In The Country, Why Hasn’t It Been Fixed Yet?

/
If you live in or commute to Boston, chances are you’ve driven…

Commuter Rail Twitter Reveals History of Delays

/
An easy way to bond with fellow Bostonians is to complain about…

What impact do Massachusetts home prices have on Boston commuters?

/
Massachusetts is commonly ranked one of the most expensive states…

A Public Transit that Neglects Its Public

/
Two of a community’s most important hubs are its colleges and…

Parking Fine Hikes in Boston: a step in Go Boston 2030’s Larger Plan

/
On July 2, 2018, parking ticket fines in Boston increased substantially.…

Proportional Parking Fees: The MBTA Listens to Pioneer’s Recommendations

/
The Pioneer Institute has produced extensive research on the…

Need a Lift?

/
For hundreds of years, the Tufts Medical Center has served as…

After the toll booths, where did the toll collectors go?

/
It has been almost two years since Massachusetts implemented…