Tuesday, July 29, 2008

This is really getting old...

Shocking news from the Metro:

Work to revamp Kenmore station and its new busway began in 2005. When they open sometime this winter, they would be two years behind schedule and $16 million over budget (from $31.3 million to $47.3 million).

Meanwhile, at Copley and Arlington stations, where work began in 2006, outdated posters state the modernized stations will be ready by spring 2009. But current estimates slate completion for winter 2009, while costs have increased by $14.7 million (from $46.27 million to nearly $61 million).

The T attributes the delays and overruns to several factors. One is unforeseen deterioration of Arlington station’s mezzanine. Another, at Kenmore, is underground utilities discovered that weren’t on any maps, as well as streetscape changes made in light of community concerns.

What? A public project in Massachusetts running over cost and behind schedule???

Not to kick them while they're down, but they forgot to mention the additional costs of police details (usually there's about six of them in Kenmore Square) and the wage inflation as a result of prevailing wage laws.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The other rainy day I got off the T at Charles/MGH, the recently upgraded Red Line T-spot. There were at least 3 buckets collecting water from the leaks, and 3 other areas that could have used buckets. When you step out of the stop itself, the overpass also leaks on people stopped waiting to cross the street. When are politicians, and more importantly the people that vote for them, going to learn that the premium you pay union members does not correlate with the quality of work you get?

Anonymous said...

Its even simplier than that, although I agree, why on God's green earth does a T station have to have a "modern" look, or any type of look? Have a set of stairs that go up and down and be done with it. Cripes!!!

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