Letter: To save money, end commuter rail service at Beverly

Opinion

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus

January 31, 2012

The Salem News Tue Jan 31, 2012, 04:30 AM EST

To the editor:

The MBTA is on a mission to garner feedback on its proposed cuts in service and increase its current fare structure.

I can't imagine that the response they have been receiving is not one that they did not see coming. Going through the motions is a thought that comes to mind.

Absent all the extraneous considerations at play, I submit the following compromise for the commuter rail system — not perfect by any means, but one must play the hand they are dealt: Maintain the current time schedule, but end the run in Beverly for both lines.

The Beverly station provides the best access to Routes 128 and 1. No Rockport or Newburyport destinations.

Perhaps the abbreviated run will negate the fare increase.

Better to be stranded in the suburbs than Boston. At least people can construct viable options from that point.

Ken Bonacci

Salem

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Opinion

Our View: Great time to try Danvers Rail Trail

The dedication of the Danvers Rail Trail June 2 comes at an appropriate time, given the recent release of two reports — one on the best places to ride a bike and the other on the worst places to drive.

The Salem News Thu, May 24
May 24, 2012 4:38 am
Our View: Melanie's Law loophole needs quick fix

Whether it's achieved via a budget amendment or a separate bill, state lawmakers need to close a legal loophole that allows repeat drunken drivers to bargain their way to less serious penalties than would otherwise apply.

The Salem News Thu, May 24
May 24, 2012 4:37 am
Our View: Unfair tax on medical devices should go

Whatever one thinks of President Obama's health care reforms, their cost shouldn't be even partially balanced on the back of a single industry. Yet under that law, beginning in 2013 manufacturers of medical devices will be subject to a 2.3 percent excise tax on their sales.

The Salem News Thu, May 24
May 24, 2012 4:36 am
Barbara Anderson: Memorial Day 2012 — Freedom is product of our veterans' sacrifice

In chaos theory, the 'butterfly effect' is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions, where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state.
The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane's formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before.

Barbara Anderson The Salem News Copyright 2012 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 24
May 24, 2012 4:35 am
Letter: Save money and the Earth by recycling

To the editor:
Do you know how many households in the city of Beverly do not recycle? The answer is staggering — about 6,500!
This number represents about half of the households in our city.
We can save the city of Beverly a vast amount of money by increasing the number of households that do recycle properly. Collection of solid waste, aka "trash," is the third largest expense in the city.

The Salem News Thu, May 24
May 24, 2012 4:34 am
Letter: Beautiful church icons should be preserved May 24, 2012 4:32 am
Letter: Strange, but in a good way May 24, 2012 4:30 am
Our View: Salem schools — All must sacrifice for turnaround plan to work May 23, 2012 4:38 am
Our View: Tiny bridge has big problems May 23, 2012 4:37 am
Band director's final concert is tomorrow May 23, 2012 4:36 am
My View: Mr. Novack's opus — Love of music was band director's gift to countless BHS students May 23, 2012 4:35 am 1 Photo
Letter: 'Heritage Hero' grateful for great honor May 23, 2012 4:34 am
Our V0iew: Small groups produce big results May 22, 2012 4:50 am
Our View: Time to do away with supermarket sticker pricing May 22, 2012 4:49 am
Ann McFeatters: Let issues, not hate, decide May 22, 2012 4:48 am
Brian T. Watson: Idealism behind Israel's effort should inspire peace efforts today May 22, 2012 4:47 am
Letter: Time to allow cars on the mall May 22, 2012 4:46 am
Letter: Unique building shouldn't be demolished May 22, 2012 4:44 am
Letter: Housing good use of church site May 22, 2012 4:42 am
Change needed in EMS reimbursement practices May 22, 2012 4:41 am
Our View: 6th District race — Tune out the noise, focus on the issues May 21, 2012 5:01 am
Essex County Chronicles: Salem's Town House Square has seen many changes over the centuries May 21, 2012 5:01 am 1 Photo
Our View: Good news in street tough's bad break May 21, 2012 5:01 am
Letter: Spare your family pain of making end-of-life decisions May 21, 2012 5:00 am
Letter: Salem Harborwalk turning out as expected May 21, 2012 12:09 am
Letter: Another view: Saltonstall should be model for school turnaround effort May 19, 2012 5:00 am
My View: Benefits of longer school day and year should be available to all Salem children May 19, 2012 5:00 am
Our View: Public art enlivens Salem's downtown May 18, 2012 5:00 am 1 Photo
Our View: Not registered? It's not your fault May 18, 2012 5:00 am
Nelson Benton: Warren on the defensive May 18, 2012 4:45 am

Click here for more Opinion stories

Nelson Benton Twitter Updates

Follow me on Twitter

Salem News Opinion Poll

AP Video

Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance

Hurricane Forecast: 15 Named Storms Expected

NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted

Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns

Comments Tracker

Roll Call

Brown bucks GOP, votes to appoint Cordray as Consumer Protection chief: Roll Call for week of Dec. 5
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Dec. 5:

December 12, 2011
Kerry, Brown split on payroll tax cut: Roll Call for week of Nov. 28, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Nov. 28:

December 5, 2011
Congressional roll call for weeks of Sept. 19 and 26, 2011
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the weeks of Sept. 19 and 26:

September 29, 2011
Congressional roll call for week of Sept. 16, 2011
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Sept. 12.

September 21, 2011
Here's how N. Shore House members voted on casino bill
BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 123-32 Wednesday for final passage of a bill authorizing three casinos and one slots parlor in the state. Here's how members of the North Shore delegation were recorded.

September 15, 2011

Helium debate