Wanted: New MBTA fuel efficient, enviro-friendly buses for Meridian Street Routes

This just in from Paul Howes of the Friends of Meridian Street

We the residents of Meridian Street of East Boston would sure love to see these new MBTA buses replace the older MBTA buses that run along the Meridian Street route. There are 115 bus trips traveling on Meridian Street through East Boston weekdays Monday through Friday. The fumes from these older buses are a major pollution and health risk to all the residents. 

The Umana and East Boston School children are all effected by this daily. Living on Meridian Street myself the MBTA always seems to have the older MBTA buses running this route. It sure would be a blessing to have the older fleet replaced by these new higher technical, less polluting buses running the 115 routes through Eastie. 

Let's upgrade Eastie and make it a better place to live. MBTA route numbers 114, 116, 117.

Thank you for your help.
Friends of Meridian Street

Friends of Meridian Street take on the Canton Eatery again

Paul Howes addresses the following to EastBoston.com:


This is again about the Canton Eatery at 339 Meridian St. East Boston, MA 02128 putting trash on the public sidewalk daily in front of their store. 

The Friends of Meridian Street has sent multiple letters to the owner asking that since the store is now open until 4am, seven days a week, that he please wait until 2am or 3am before he puts the trash out. He has completely ignored our requests without response. 

We spoke to the city about this and were told he has a contract with a private contractor and is allowed to put his trash out from 6 pm in the evening until 8am in the morning seven days a week. 

We know of no other contract in the city that allows a business to put there trash out on the public sidewalk at these hours. Or any respectable business that would do it. 

These are large trash bags filled with food trash, empty 5 gallon buckets of oil and large bags of trash. 

This so unsanitary as it draws dogs, rats, cockroaches, flies and gives the opportunity for our resident children to play with this trash. 

Everyone that drives down Meridian St. past the Canton Eater, walks by the Canton Eatery sees this as an example of how East Boston lives!!! The residents of East Boston are outraged about this having our public sidewalk blocked with trash on a daily basis. This is what we see looking out the windows of our homes. 

This is what our children see waiting for their school bus. This is what every vehicle (tourist, MBTA bus, taxi, residents driving)sees driving down Meridian Street. We are just asking that the trash not be put out until after 3am in the morning. Please pass this on to our public elected officials in East Boston and see if they will help. If you can talk to and convince the owner (and all his employees) of the Canton Eatery to do the right thing for the betterment of the "quality of  life" for our families this would be great.

Friends of Meridian Street

Friends of Meridian Street get no satisfaction as taxis avoid by-pass road

This just in from  Friends of Meridian Street:

Empty Logan Airport taxis continue and still a problem on East Boston public streets.

It's 4am and still a steady stream of empty Logan Airport taxis using Meridian Street and East Boston public streets to Chelsea instead of the multi- million dollar Coughlin Bypass Road build with taxpayers money built specifically to keep commercial traffic from Logan Airport off the public streets of East Boston. These words of Massport and Massachusetts Department of Transportation leaders have never been backed up and East Boston residents, families and children are still paying with their health, safety and maintenance.

After warnings from Massport officials:

“The opening of the Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road marks a significant milestone in Massport’s commitment to minimize Logan Airport’s impact on our East Boston neighbors,” said Massport CEO Thomas Glynn. “Thousands of airport-related commercial vehicles will no longer use East Boston’s streets. Massport is proud to make Mr. Coughlin’s vision a reality for East Boston.”

“The Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road is a great example of the quality of life improvements that can be made by thinking creatively and collaboratively about abandoned infrastructure,” said Massport Board Chairman and MassDOT Secretary& CEO Richard A. Davey. “The new roadway also complements the new Chelsea Street Bridge by allowing traffic in the area to flow more efficiently.”

Why is nothing being done about this? There is no excuse after years and years of complaints to our elected officials and state leaders.

Friends of Meridian Street support mayoral candidate Dan Conley's stance on Logan Airport taxis

Paul Howes sends this along: 

Friends of Meridian Street support Mr. Conley's stance on Logan Airport taxis, 

"Finally, I want to improve taxi service for East Boston.  Right now, there are a number of issues with cab service here: a minority of drivers take advantage of the confusion surrounding tolls to charge inflated fares; some other drivers are reluctant to serve East Boston for fear of not finding a fare back to the rest of the city; and still other drivers use residential streets as cut-throughs to avoid tolls.  Although these may sound like minor inconveniences, they actually make East Boston a harder place to visit, which harms residents and businesses.  As mayor, I will crack down on price fixing and these other practices."

As our elected East Boston officials, MassPort managers, Mass Department of Transportation and the Boston Police Department Hackney Division have stuck their heads in an "Ostrich Hole" refusing to take any action to stop the Logan Airport taxis from using Meridian Street and the public streets of East Boston, the residents of Eastie continue to suffer environment, health and safety problems on a daily basis. 

These cabs must be made to use the multi-million dollar bypass road from Logan Airport to Chelsea build just for this purpose. With taxpayers money may I add!