Christopher Friend
@friendchristoph.bsky.social
board @transitmatters
This should be the vision for post-McGrath in Somerville, not endless unusable “green” buffer spaces
Eyes on the Street: The Fall of a Freeway in Fall River -
Tearing down a blighted @massdot.bsky.social expressway opens up 19 acres of land for new housing next to Fall River's @mbta.com station:
mass.streetsblog.org/2025/11/26/e...
Tearing down a blighted @massdot.bsky.social expressway opens up 19 acres of land for new housing next to Fall River's @mbta.com station:
mass.streetsblog.org/2025/11/26/e...
Eyes on the Street: The Fall of a Freeway in Fall River - Streetsblog Massachusetts
The demolition of MassDOT's blighted Route 79 expressway opens up 19 acres of land for new housing next to Fall River's MBTA station.
mass.streetsblog.org
November 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This should be the vision for post-McGrath in Somerville, not endless unusable “green” buffer spaces
People seem down on the MBTA communities act but here is a good example of it working—Braintree has a by-right project to build 752 units because of it, 10x as many units as they’ve built in the past 5 years combined
hollingsworthpond.com
hollingsworthpond.com
Hollingsworth Pond ApartmentsHollingsworth Pond Apartments
hollingsworthpond.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:04 PM
People seem down on the MBTA communities act but here is a good example of it working—Braintree has a by-right project to build 752 units because of it, 10x as many units as they’ve built in the past 5 years combined
hollingsworthpond.com
hollingsworthpond.com
nice little aurora
November 12, 2025 at 2:31 AM
nice little aurora
this is a fascinating act of self-sabotage that is hard to explain and harder to comprehend
Voters in Winthrop doubled down on the town’s staunch opposition to a state housing law requiring communities served by the T to make room for more housing, electing Town Council candidates who pledged to stonewall any plan to comply with the law.
In Winthrop, the state’s ambitious housing law was on the ballot. It lost in a rout. - The Boston Globe
Candidates opposed to the MBTA Communities Act won all six council seats that were contested in Tuesday’s election.
trib.al
November 6, 2025 at 1:13 AM
this is a fascinating act of self-sabotage that is hard to explain and harder to comprehend
Surprised the MTA is running 8 min weekday off-peak headways—the T has generally boosted those to ~6 min (longer on Blue, I think)
MTA announces:
- A train is going to 8-minute headways during the mid-day weekdays;
- L train 8-minute headways extended until midnight on Saturdays (currently service slows down around 10pm)
- And 4 minute Sunday headways, starting at 11am (currently starts at about noon)
- A train is going to 8-minute headways during the mid-day weekdays;
- L train 8-minute headways extended until midnight on Saturdays (currently service slows down around 10pm)
- And 4 minute Sunday headways, starting at 11am (currently starts at about noon)
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Surprised the MTA is running 8 min weekday off-peak headways—the T has generally boosted those to ~6 min (longer on Blue, I think)
I say this as someone who already cast his vote for Jake but being against a citywide upzoning plan while proposing a different, vague upzoning plan that contains few if any specifics is not exactly an inspiring closing message
In the late stages of a campaign, we're going to see misinformation, confusion, and attacks. So let me be absolutely clear that I remain staunchly pro-housing and that I continue to strongly support upzoning near transit.
October 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I say this as someone who already cast his vote for Jake but being against a citywide upzoning plan while proposing a different, vague upzoning plan that contains few if any specifics is not exactly an inspiring closing message
Good graphic showing just how weak/narrow the downtown Boston rezoning ended up being. Plus we did some downzoning on top of Gov Center/State St! What a waste
New 'skyline' zoning approved for downtown; would make it easier to put up residential towers
www.universalhub.com/2025/new-sky...
#Boston #zoning #housing
www.universalhub.com/2025/new-sky...
#Boston #zoning #housing
October 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Good graphic showing just how weak/narrow the downtown Boston rezoning ended up being. Plus we did some downzoning on top of Gov Center/State St! What a waste
same as it ever was?
October 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
same as it ever was?
the #MBTA hit a new post-Covid high for subway gated entries on 9/16 at 354k entries. ~68% of entries compared to a similar Sep 2019 week. powered by top 10 days (post-Covid) on Red & Orange Line
September 30, 2025 at 8:39 PM
the #MBTA hit a new post-Covid high for subway gated entries on 9/16 at 354k entries. ~68% of entries compared to a similar Sep 2019 week. powered by top 10 days (post-Covid) on Red & Orange Line
the free bus pilot was great at bringing ridership back when first implemented. but over the years the growth hasn’t continued and even fell on some routes in the past year or so
July 15, 2025 at 2:26 PM
the free bus pilot was great at bringing ridership back when first implemented. but over the years the growth hasn’t continued and even fell on some routes in the past year or so
The T promised a big service increase for the 77 bus that it looks to me like they had no intention of delivering on
July 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The T promised a big service increase for the 77 bus that it looks to me like they had no intention of delivering on
This is correct. The T is 25% cheaper (in real terms) since the last fare increase. $20m (~4.5% increase) is about a quarter of the projected FY26 deficit. Having fare revenue grow with costs going forward is reasonable
I actually think a small fare increase wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if coupled with a reduction in pass multipliers as I have long been advocating for. Pass sales have long been the T's most stable fare revenue source and that product is now less competitive with many riders commuting less.
UPDATED with reaction from Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn, who tells Streetsblog that budget negotiations are continuing: "It's a priority of the Senate that the @mbta.com can operate with no service cuts and no fare increases."
#mapoli
mass.streetsblog.org/2025/05/07/m...
#mapoli
mass.streetsblog.org/2025/05/07/m...
May 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This is correct. The T is 25% cheaper (in real terms) since the last fare increase. $20m (~4.5% increase) is about a quarter of the projected FY26 deficit. Having fare revenue grow with costs going forward is reasonable
Why do the MTA R211 cars still have windows that you can open?
April 8, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Why do the MTA R211 cars still have windows that you can open?
the City of Boston is suffocating public transit with their unwillingness to cede street space to buses and inability to enforce the bus lanes that do exist
March 28, 2025 at 11:19 AM
the City of Boston is suffocating public transit with their unwillingness to cede street space to buses and inability to enforce the bus lanes that do exist
Reposted by Christopher Friend
Only took 50 years but the cars have been kicked out of the outer loop of Terminal B and buses reign supreme! @universalhub.com
March 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Only took 50 years but the cars have been kicked out of the outer loop of Terminal B and buses reign supreme! @universalhub.com
lots of claims about the effectiveness of the Boylston St bus lane that Boston is planning to remove, but no actual analysis.
turns out when you look at the data, the bus lane is working pretty well!
transitmatters.org/blog/media-s...
turns out when you look at the data, the bus lane is working pretty well!
transitmatters.org/blog/media-s...
Media Statement: TransitMatters Calls Upon the City of Boston to Pause Boylston Street Bus Lane Removal — TransitMatters
The City of Boston must make data-informed decisions and value riders’ input when making decisions about public transportation.
transitmatters.org
March 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
lots of claims about the effectiveness of the Boylston St bus lane that Boston is planning to remove, but no actual analysis.
turns out when you look at the data, the bus lane is working pretty well!
transitmatters.org/blog/media-s...
turns out when you look at the data, the bus lane is working pretty well!
transitmatters.org/blog/media-s...
this is a mistake
Mayor Wu Will Delete @mbta.com Route 39 Bus Lane Through Back Bay - mass.streetsblog.org/2025/02/13/m...
Mayor Wu Will Delete Route 39 Bus Lane Through Back Bay - Streetsblog Massachusetts
For the second time in the past year, the Wu administration will sacrifice a bus lane that had delivered faster trips for thousands of transit riders through a congested downtown neighborhood under pr...
mass.streetsblog.org
February 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
this is a mistake
Apply to be the next Executive Director of TransitMatters: transitmatters.org/careers-1/20...
Executive Director — TransitMatters
Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000 Location: Boston, MA Hours: Full-Time Exempt
transitmatters.org
February 12, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Apply to be the next Executive Director of TransitMatters: transitmatters.org/careers-1/20...
this is an unfortunate number to publish because Mass could build this many homes in the next decade and it would do very little, if anything, to rein in housing costs. the real number is probably ~3x higher
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/06/b...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/06/b...
Mass. must build 222,000 homes over the next decade to rein in housing costs, state says - The Boston Globe
The figure crystalizes the severity of the state’s housing problem and puts a number to a shortage that is warping the lives of everyday people.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 6, 2025 at 6:22 PM
this is an unfortunate number to publish because Mass could build this many homes in the next decade and it would do very little, if anything, to rein in housing costs. the real number is probably ~3x higher
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/06/b...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/06/b...
Some of the worst people in the housing discourse are the ones who insist you shouldn’t build tall buildings in downtowns
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/29/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/29/o...
Wu trying to make the world a better place for people who love glass towers - The Boston Globe
New downtown plan envisions historic treasures dwarfed by luxury housing.
www.bostonglobe.com
January 30, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Some of the worst people in the housing discourse are the ones who insist you shouldn’t build tall buildings in downtowns
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/29/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/29/o...
So where did the MBTA find an extra $300m?
(not to mention that using that money for FY26 just kicks the can to FY27…)
commonwealthbeacon.org/transportati...
(not to mention that using that money for FY26 just kicks the can to FY27…)
commonwealthbeacon.org/transportati...
January 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM
So where did the MBTA find an extra $300m?
(not to mention that using that money for FY26 just kicks the can to FY27…)
commonwealthbeacon.org/transportati...
(not to mention that using that money for FY26 just kicks the can to FY27…)
commonwealthbeacon.org/transportati...
Where is NYC congestion relief pricing already working? as of noon today, trips through the Holland Tunnel are about twice as fast as normal
trip times via www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
trip times via www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
January 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Where is NYC congestion relief pricing already working? as of noon today, trips through the Holland Tunnel are about twice as fast as normal
trip times via www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
trip times via www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
With $1.3b in one-time fair share funds available to the Commonwealth, we should use this opportunity to use $650m to fully fund the MBTA Red-Blue Connector
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...
January 5, 2025 at 3:18 PM
With $1.3b in one-time fair share funds available to the Commonwealth, we should use this opportunity to use $650m to fully fund the MBTA Red-Blue Connector
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...
I know the MBTA has declared victory over speed restrictions, but are they really going to stop updating the dashboard?
www.mbta.com/performance-...
www.mbta.com/performance-...
December 31, 2024 at 10:07 PM
I know the MBTA has declared victory over speed restrictions, but are they really going to stop updating the dashboard?
www.mbta.com/performance-...
www.mbta.com/performance-...
while the T increased Red Line trips for the winter, they ended up decreasing the scheduled service hours—suggesting they could have increased service more if they had kept service hours constant
December 27, 2024 at 10:29 PM
while the T increased Red Line trips for the winter, they ended up decreasing the scheduled service hours—suggesting they could have increased service more if they had kept service hours constant