Insuring software-controlled vehicles

A recent post titled "Hacker fears prompt motor insurance plea" (click here) is arguing for insurance companies to cover hacked autonomous vehicles. And allowing them to go after car manufacturers and software developers to recoup costs!

Reminds me of the decades-old forwarded e-mail: What if Microsoft made cars?

There are no short-cuts

A recent article in USA TODAY titled "Waze and other traffic dodging apps prompt cities to game the algorithms" (click here) talks about traffic routing apps sending drivers down quiet residential streets to beat congestion on the main roads and highways. This issue has been a pet peeve of mine too, as it resonates on a personal level during my own commute. 

I was pulled over several months ago for ignoring a tiny sign next to a state route off-ramp. The sign is barely visible, and is not even in your line of sight while you multi-task with the lane change, the upcoming right turn, the need to decelerate from highway speeds soon after the lane change, etc. The sign prohibits right turns between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, Monday through Friday.

This right turn leads into a rather long two-lane, two-way road connecting a state route to a main road that feeds directly onto an interstate. The road in question also has a double yellow line painted down the center, and has a posted speed limit of 35 in most places (except for a 5 mph speed limit at two rather bumpy speed bumps).

This is not what I would characterize as a quiet neighborhood street. Those typically are short, have no center lines, and assume a default speed limit of 25 mph. "My" road though, is lined with expensive homes set far enough back from the road to generally be invisible from the car. I consider myself to be at the receiving end of a certain brand of elitism. The residential "noise" even caused the town to spring for a more conventional large, green highway sign parroting the same information on the aforementioned tiny sign.

I wonder how such a main connecting arterial could be thus precluded from general public use, when said public pay their fair share (and more) in taxes. I assume the same locals would not think twice about cutting through other truly neighborhood streets when they are running late for an important meeting, and the primary highway is clogged. Welcome to the latest brand of NIMBY-ism.

Cross-subsidizing the MBTA's incompetence

A crowd of non-regular travelers using the commuter rail to attend the Patriots' victory parade. A golden chance for the service operator to actually make some money through boosted fare collection. But none of this for Boston's commuter rail, as per this complaint registered by a friend (a regular commuter):

"This is to inform that no tickets were checked from Westborough to South Station yesterday in the car nearest to the engine of train 508. Non-collection of fares is unfair to monthly pass holders like me since we bear the price increases. There were a lot of passengers yesterday due to the Patriots parade and it is a shame that Keolis was not able to collect fares."

There is a valid point in here. The response from Keolis is the typical copy-and-paste approach that rambles on without actually addressing the point raised in the complaint. Keolis spent a majority of the reply quantifying the increased ridership (which draws further attention to the missed opportunity), the crowded and uncomfortable trains (which were not part of the complaint), and a boast about the massive preparation that still led to this fare collection failure. Contrary to the response, at least this one car was apparently not very crowded, and did not pose a challenge for a ticket inspector to pass through.

Good Morning,

Thank you for your most recent email regarding service on the Worcester/Framingham Line during the Patriots’ Super Bowl Parade on February 7th.

We apologize for the frustration you experienced during your commute, but must tell you that February 7th was the busiest day in the history of the Commuter Rail system, as 215,000 passengers commuted that day for the Patriots’ Super Bowl Victory Parade. This was a 60% increase in ridership, when compared to typical weekday service.

Although many passengers commuted in crowded conditions, we did deploy 24 trains, made most express trains locals to accommodate as many riders as possible, and deployed extra staff at key Boston stations to assist with directions and crowd management. At the conclusion of the parade, 12 extra trains were added on the Providence, Kingston, Worcester, Middleboro, Haverhill, Lowell, Beverly and Franklin Lines, timed to coordinate with the conclusion of the rally, in an effort to minimize the impact on the evening commute. Please know that we understand that the crowded conditions on-board the trains and in stations was uncomfortable for many, and not the ideal traveling experience.

The proper collection of revenue is important to us, but many fares went uncollected due to the difficulty crew members encountered while navigating through crowded coaches. We do understand how frustrating this can be, especially for our monthly pass holders. However, our primary goal that day was to safely move as many people as possible and we are happy to report that we were successful in doing so, despite the large crowds.

With that said, preparation began weeks prior for a potential parade. Careful planning was involved for what turned out to be an extraordinary and historical day in Commuter Rail service. Although we may not have been able to meet the demands of all passengers, and for that we do apologize, there were many whom were able to travel to and from the parade in a safe and timely fashion. We offered the maximum level of service possible to accommodate commuters and parade goers alike.

Again, we apologize for the frustration you experienced and thank you for writing to us.

Sincerely,

Keolis Customer Service

If Keolis, the commuter rail operator, is unable to collect fares, then perhaps they should reimburse the monthly pass holders for the day's travel. Maybe this lack of interest from Keolis is tied to their own proven ineptitude over the past several months, combined with the MBTA's insightful public notice that their contract will not be renewed.

Car sandwich, Boston-style

And not to be undone, the region's highway system competed with the commuter rail to produce its own novel delay excuse. Take a look at this innovative crash on the Masspike (I-90) near Newton earlier this evening:

Just brush it off!

What should you do in case of yet another train delay in Massachusetts? Just brush it off, of course. The commuter rail was on fire today in terms of delays. Literally. But it's at least something new: