Daily Archives: July 12, 2011

MBTA Naming Rights For Sale

Published July 12, 2011

MBTA is selling naming rights for all of its T line, just think: "Your name here" (AP)

MBTA is selling naming rights for all of its T line, just think: "Your name here" (AP)

The MBTA needs money, so the transit authority is selling naming rights to lines and stations within its subway, bus and commuter systems. Every station is up for grabs, so if you want to name a T stop, step right up! But make it quick; bids must be in by tomorrow.

MBTA General Manager Richard Davey hopes naming rights will raise about $250,000 for the authority, the Herald reports. The T needs all the dollars it can come by; its budget gap for FY2013 is expected to be $137 million.

The naming-rights sale is just the latest money-making plan by the authority. The MBTA online souvenir store is already up and humming. There you can buy a vintage T sign for upwards of $2,500, or a Rapid Transit Lines tote bag for $14.95, or MBTA greeting cards and shower curtains. The MBTA is also selling advertising space on its website and on the back of Charlie Cards, and is weighing selling audio ads on its buses.

Mind getting off at JP Licks Circle or Mrs. Fields Corner? Check out Universal Hub’s mockup of an imagined “new ‘n’ improved” MBTA map.

Tuesday Morning: Health Inspectors Face Questioning In Fall River Pool Death

Published July 12, 2011

The two city workers who inspected a swimming pool in Fall River where Marie Joseph was found dead will face a disciplinary board today. They are expected to face questions about why they did not shut down the state-run pool that was so murky it obscured Joseph’s body beneath the surface for two days. The pool remains closed while the state finishes its investigation.

Catherine Greig, the longtime companion of captured fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger, will be back in court tomorrow in her continued effort to win release on bail.  At a hearing Monday, Greig faced new evidence discovered by federal prosecutors, which laid out details of their life on the run through false documents and identities found in the couple’s Santa Monica apartment.

The Red Cross needs your help. Officials in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have issued a call for blood donors of all types to help offset a national blood shortage.

A day after a fiery collision left one person dead, Amtrak’s Downeaster train is rolling again between Maine and Boston. On Monday, a Downeaster train hit a tractor trailer truck at a crossing in North Berwick, Maine.

State treasurer Steve Grossman’s office is investigating whether the government-run Merrimack Special Education Collaborative, which educates special needs students, has become a haven for pension abuse. It is suspected of giving people no-show jobs to boost their state pensions.

Monday night, Yankees’ Robinson Cano outslugged Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez 12-11 in the final round of the All-Star Home Run Derby. But Gonzalez made the “biggest splash” at Chase Field, hitting a ball that landed in the swimming pool in right field.  In a beer commercial like scene, Mike Moon, a 26-year-old fan, caught the ball before falling into a pool surrounded by bikini-clad women.

Starting today, the MBTA is asking for your help in deciding on the look of its new trains. On the T’s website you can vote for your favorite design for 20 new commuter rail trains.