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Monday, May 20, 2013

MBTA Police Seeking Assault Suspect

Transit police said suspect "inappropriately assaulted" a female boarding the Green Line C trolley at Park Street last week.

  MBTA Police are searching for a male suspect they say "inappropriately assaulted" a female last week at Park Street Station. According to transit police on their website, the male assaulted the female last Tuesday, May 14, while boarding a Green Line C trolley at Park Street. The suspect is a white male who was wearing a red shirt at the time of the incident as well as a gray hooded sweatshirt with black horizontal stripes, blue jeans and sneakers. Anyone who knows the identity of the suspect or knows their whereabouts is encouraged to call the MBTA's Criminal Investigations Unit at 617-222-1050. Anonymous text tips on this case can be sent to 873873.

Friday, May 17, 2013

MBTA to Launch New T-Alerts Service in June

The new system will provide more detailed service alert information via text and email.

The MBTA is rolling out an entirely new alerts system next month which includes changes from the details provided in alert messages to a visual website enhancement.  Through the new system, which goes into effect June 4, users can opt to receive email or text alerts for a late bus or train or a service interruption, much like the old system. However, the new alerts “will be clearer and more detailed with additional information regarding specific trip times, service schedule changes, and distinct directional, branch, and station communications,” according to an MBTA press statement Thursday. The system uses standards introduced by Google in 2011, the statement says. Interested users must sign up for the new system as they will no longer …

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

MBTA Unleashes Bomb-Sniffing Dogs

The explosive-sniffing dogs recently began service with the MBTA by way of the Middle East.

Three bomb-sniffing dogs were led into service along the MBTA this week. The Metro’s Boston edition reported Monday the three dogs – Moxie, Shifty and Wire – completed tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, completing weeks of training to get them used to working around civilians. The Metro published a photo gallery of the dogs with their transit police counterparts Tuesday. 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Man Accused of Groping Woman Near Government Center

A city man was arraigned on his third indecent assault and battery charge Tuesday stemming from an incident on a Green Line train in Boston.

A Salem man on probation for groping two women at North Station is accused of groping a third on a Green Line train between Haymarket and Government Center late last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. Dane Mullin, 27, was ordered held without bail Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court on a single charge of indecent assault and battery. He reportedly also had open warrants for failure to register as a sex offender and assault and battery out of Salem District Court.  Investigators used surveillance images "from multiple stations" to link Mullin to a Dec. 17 incident on the Green Line during which he allegedly groped a woman between Haymarket and Government Center, according to release. In August 2011, Mullin pleaded …

Sunday, May 5, 2013

South Station Gets Free WiFi

Google partnered with the MBTA to deliver free wireless internet to the Boston area’s largest train station.

The MBTA is starting to get wired. South Station will have free wireless internet beginning today,  according to a joint press release from Google, Redevelopment Ventures Corp. and the MBTA. Google invested in the endeavor and Redevlopment Ventures Corp. is responsible for WiFi development, the press release says. “Anything that improves our customers’ transit experience is a good thing,” MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said in the statement. “By coupling this new initiative with the WiFi service provided on Commuter Rail trains, the MBTA is keeping its customers connected from the moment they enter South Station to the time they exit trains.”

Friday, May 3, 2013

Injured MBTA Cop: ‘Thank You for Your Prayers’

Richard “Dic” Donohue, the transit police officer injured in the aftermath of the Marathon bomber manhunt, has taken to the MBTA Transit Police blog to thank the public for its support.

MBTA Police Officer Richard “Dic” Donohue is thankful to be alive. He was injured in the early morning hours of the gun battle that played out in Watertown April 19 in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. Donohue posted a blog on the MBTA Transit Police website remarking about his “miraculous” recovery and thanking the public for their concerns and prayers. Here is the post in its entirety: I cannot begin to properly thank everyone involved in my recovery, as many fearless individuals stepped up and acted heroically that night. To start I must thank my brothers from the Transit, Boston, Harvard, Watertown, Cambridge and State Police, as well as fire department personnel and the various other first responders, all of whom put …

John D

7:07 pm on Friday, May 3, 2013

best wishes and prayers your way officer Donohue.   more ›

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Worcester/Boston Express Train In Service

The twice-daily express commuter rail made its debut Monday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation alongside other agencies launched a new express commuter train between Worcester and Boston Monday morning. The train runs along the Worcester/Framingham line twice daily: once toward Boston during the morning commuter and once toward Worcester in the afternoon, according to MBTA.com. During weekday mornings the train will depart from Worcester’s Union Station at 6:20 a.m., make a stop in Framingham at 7 a.m., make another stop at Back Bay Station at 7:37 a.m. and finish the run at South Station at 7:43 a.m. In the afternoon, the train will depart from South Station at 5:35 p.m., stop at Back Bay Station at 5:41 p.m., make a stop in Framingham at 6:13 p.m. and finish in Worcester at 6:43 p.m. …

Thursday, April 25, 2013

New Commuter Rail Cars Finally In Service

After five years of waiting, the first batch of double-decker commuter coaches left from North Station Wednesday morning.

Passengers aboard three brand new commuter rail cars, which left from North Station Wednesday morning, took a ride that was five years in the making. The MBTA announced Wednesday that three of the 75 new double-decker commuter rail coaches built by Korean company Hyundai-Rotem were in service. The cars left from North Station toward Haverhill at 10:30 a.m. on April 24. “We are constantly working to bring our customers a better experience,” MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said in a statement. “These new coaches will do just that, with a cleaner, more informed and more comfortable trip for all on board.”  The coaches will service the north side of the commuter rail system before operating throughout the system in the coming weeks, …

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Boylston Crime Scene Still Closed, MBTA Running Normally

The T is running close to normal Wednesday, but Copley Station remains closed.

A 12-block downtown triangle continues to be closed to the public following the Marathon Monday bombings.

Monday, April 15, 2013

MBTA's Copley Station Remaining Closed Tuesday

Normal Green, Orange and Red line service resumed with 'significant residual delays' late Monday following the explosions at the Boston Marathon.

The Green Line's Copley station will remain closed on Tuesday following Monday's bombing at the Boston marathon finish line.  All other regular T service has resumed on the MBTA's Green, Orange and Red lines, effective around 5:45 p.m. on Monday, according to MBTA.com. Park Street and Downtown Crossing stations have reopened. MBTA T service in downtown Boston was suspended on several lines Monday afternoon as emergency crews responded to the scene in Copley Square where two explosions occurred shortly after 2 p.m. The MBTA’s Green Line service between Kenmore and Park Street stations was shut down around 3:30 p.m. Monday, although Green Line service continued to run between Lechmere and North Station. Both the Green Line's B and C services…

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