More and more people are using the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) services to get to where they’ve got to be. According to a recent release, there were more than 400 million individual riders on the MBTA during the last fiscal year.
This was the first time ridership has ever reached that milestone. On average, officials say that nearly 1.5 million people took the bus, trolley or train each weekday. This was the first time in history that the daily ridership averaged more than 1.3 million, according to The Boston Channel. The biggest jump in ridership was experienced by the buses, with a near 6 percent grown in the number of weekday riders.
Overall, the average number of weekday ridership increased by more than 5.5 percent. These were the numbers of the last fiscal year, which just ended on the 30th of June.
Our Boston MBTA accident lawyers understand that the month of June serves as the 17th month in a row in which ridership with the MBTA has increased. Jonathan Davis, General Manager with the MBTA, says that the increase can be credited to a number of factors, including more reliability by riders in the services, better and more efficient real-time schedule information and the improving economy. Whatever the reason may be though, it’s important to know how to keep yourself safe when sharing the same rides as millions of other people.
With more riders and more trips being taken, accident risks with the MBTA are rising. While transportation officials are working to eliminate these risks, there’s no getting around it. The MBTA prides itself on working every day to help to ensure the security and the safety of both riders and employees. According to officials with the MBTA, Safety Department officials are always in the field inspecting subways, buses, boats, commuter tails and stations to help to ensure the safest possible environment for everyone.
Personnel with the T are supposed to be trained in how to handle various emergency response situations. They follow their own Safety Program, which has been coordinated with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in addition to the MBTA Police. Through this program, transportation officials undergo a number of simulated emergency response exercises that are used to help personnel to be ready with state-of-the-art emergency response techniques.
When you’re traveling with the MBTA, there are some safety tips that you should remember to help yourself from becoming a victim of a crime or another type of accident.
Personal Safety with the MBTA:
-Always keep an eye on your surroundings. Know where you are and who’s around you at all times.
-Try to avoid listening to headphones.
-Don’t talk to strangers, especially when you’re in an isolated area.
-Hold your purse of briefcase close to your body.
-Keep your wallet in your front pocket, not your back.
-If you’re attacked by someone, blow a whistle or scream to draw attention to your situation.
If you have been injured in an MBTA accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.
More Blog Entries:
Man Dragged Down Tracks by MBTA Train, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, July 14, 2012
MBTA Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere Likely with Shrinking Repair Funds, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, July 8, 2012