T targets riders at suburban stations

Trying to capitalize on skyrocketing gas prices and responding to perennial complaints from passengers, the MBTA is sprucing up numerous commuter rail stations in hopes of luring more riders this fall.

The price of gasoline is at a record high this week, with an average of $2.61 per gallon for regular unleaded in Massachusetts, according to the Oil Price Information Service. And commuters are about to get hit with the back-to-school surge in traffic.

So T chief Daniel A. Grabauskas is touting a $300,000 project to tidy commuter rail stops, hoping that frustrated motorists will hop aboard when they see a nicer, cleaner transit system.

''There is an opportunity here," Grabauskas said yesterday. ''People are paying attention to the cost of gas, and we're offering them an alternative."

Initial improvements include power-washing 64 stations to remove debris and stains, installing new benches at 14 stops, adding electronic message boards at 12 stations, replacing worn-out trash cans and adding extra ones where needed at all 127 commuter stations, and removing outdated signs across the system.

''One of the things that drives me crazy is signage up there that doesn't convey accurate information; that's just plain aggravating," said Grabauskas, who since becoming the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's general manager in May has strived to improve customer service and reverse the drop in overall transit ridership. The passenger count on commuter trains has gone up slightly since 2000, to about 136,000 boardings per weekday this year.

A second phase of station enhancements, starting next month, will include additional seating at North Station, upgraded electronic message boards at major stations, and more signs posted on roads to guide drivers to the stops.

The T is also about to embark on an 18-month, $23 million project to rehabilitate 162 commuter coaches used on North Shore routes. These older cars will have their mechanics overhauled and will get new heating and air-conditioning systems, bathrooms, and windows. The board approved the contract in July; work is expected to start in early fall.

Increasing parking at commuter rail stations is also a priority. This year, the T is adding 1,800 spots, including a 198-space expansion at the Westborough station, where construction is about to start and is expected to be finished by early winter.

Readers of some suburban newspapers might soon see advertisements that tout the T's commuter rail improvements and entice them with promised savings by taking the train. Grabauskas, who previously said he would rather spend money on service upgrades than marketing, said he is considering a targeted campaign in far-out suburbs.

The T put together a cost comparison for drivers, based on prices for gas, parking, and tolls versus prices for parking at a commuter rail station and a monthly pass.

For example, a commuter making the 85-mile round trip daily from Newburyport would pay $23.19 for gas, parking, and tolls, while that same commute on the train would cost $11.90 per day, the figures show. Grabauskas pointed out that the comparison assumes a parking rate of $12.15 in Boston, far less than what many commuters pay, and doesn't account for car payments, insurance, maintenance, or other expenses.

The T's chart also indicates that riding the train takes longer than driving. Grabauskas said train riders can make better use of their time, however, by working, reading, or resting. Improving the atmosphere is the goal of the station enhancement effort, he said.

''When you show up, we want it to look like we care," he said. ''When you get on the train, we want it to be a comfortable ride."

Some commuters interviewed yesterday said the improvements are long overdue.

''Our station could certainly use some repairs," said Gretchen Barron, who takes the train from Canton Center to her job at an architecture firm in Downtown Crossing several days a week. ''The handicap ramp is crumbling, and you can hardly see the parking spaces. Sometimes you end up putting the money in the wrong slot."

Barron said she would also welcome new benches and trash cans, which she described as being in poor condition.

The Stoughton resident said the T is smart to use higher gas prices to woo more customers from the hordes of suburban drivers who are getting socked at the pump.

''My husband encourages me to take the train, so he can take our more fuel-efficient car," she said.

Other commuters welcomed the cleanup, but aren't sure that more attractive stations and trains or higher fuel prices will affect ridership.

''They've got to do some of these things specifically to make the equipment more reliable," said Michael Stapleton of Duxbury, who sometimes takes the commuter train from Hanson to his technology job in downtown Boston. ''But I think your commuting options are driven more by other obligations. If you're already driving through the mess, you obviously have some reason."

Jim Wood of Acton said the T has to make solid improvements if it hopes to continue increasing commuter rail ridership this fall. Wood has taken the train from South Acton to his job at the Church of the Advent on Beacon Hill for eight years. Lately, he has been fed up with malfunctioning air conditioning, saying one of the cars on his train has been hot nearly every day.

''Even those of us who are strong supporters of commuter rail are very frustrated," Wood said. ''The T is so far on the bottom in terms of quality of service, quality of equipment. I've said they are trying to get up to third-world status."

Lucas Wall can be reached at lwall@globe.com.