Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2023 MBTA Eliminates Significant Speed Restriction in Orange Line Tunnel, FTA Closes Related SMI CAP Track repair signifi es an early milestone in the T’s response to the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection Report BOSTON – The MBTA today announced the closing of the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) related to the completion of repair work on a section of Orange Line track known as the Tufts Curve located in the tunnel between Tufts Medical Center and Back Bay Stations. The repairs were performed as part of one of the 39 Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) that the MBTA wrote in response to the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Safety Management Inspection (SMI) Report conducted in 2022. The FTA offi cially closed the CAP in writing confi rming that the MBTA’s repairs appropriately addressed the track conditions. “Employees and managers are committed to changing the course of the MBTA with top-tobottom infrastructure improvements to improve safety and reliability,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. “We are pleased the FTA has officially closed the Corrective Action Plan pertaining to the Orange Line corridor known as the Tufts Curve and we continue to be sharply focused on repairing the remaining track issues in other rail corridors. “Accomplishing this work was truly a team eff ort with contributions from many groups, including our engineers, maintenance, capital transformation, and compliance experts,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “I thank them for their dedication and hard work to address the vital track infrastructure work. While there is still work to do across the system, the completion of the Tufts Curve section of track represents an important step towards restoring the level of service our riders deserve.” The Tufts Curve repair work eliminates a major speed restriction along a 981-foot section of the track, northbound and southbound, allowing Orange Line trains to safely increase their operating speed to the full design speed in that section of the tunnel. Speed restrictions on the Tufts Curve were reduced to 10 mph in 2019. In the summer of 2022, the MBTA shut down the Orange Line for a 30-day period to complete critical track and signal upgrades. That work allowed the northbound Tufts Curve speed restriction to be raised from 10 mph to 18 mph. With the latest repairs now complete, the speed is fully restored in both directions along the curve. The work signifies an early milestone in the MBTA’s response to the FTA’s SMI Report. Key among the fi ndings in the report were the signifi cant track maintenance needs across the entire MBTA rail transit system. In these areas, trains are required to run at slower-thannormal speeds because of defi ciencies caused by track wear and tear or other issues. Speed restrictions are put in place as a safety precaution to ensure rider safety. The challenging repair work on the Tufts Curve was complex and time-consuming due to the geometry of the curved track and the extremely limited work windows primarily available at night. Work crews often faced the challenges of mobilizing and demobilizing heavy equipment, personnel, and materials within a few short hours before returning the track for the morning commute. The completion of the Tufts Curve repair and the FTA’s CAP closure, specifically Special Directive 22-04 CAP 3, is the second CAP closure in recent months. In March of this year, the MBTA Vehicle Maintenance, SPEED | SEE Page 19 How to Handle Social Security Benefits When A Loved One Dies Dear Savvy Senior, How are Social Security benefi ts handled when someone dies? After a long illness, my 68-year-old father has only weeks left to live. I am helping my mom fi gure out her fi nancial situation going forward, including what to do about my dad’s Social Security after he passes away but could use some help. Only Son Dear Only, I’m very sorry about the impending loss of your father. To help you and your mom understand what Social Security provides and what needs to be done when a family member dies, here are some key points you should know. Your fi rst order of business will be to make sure the Social Security Administration is notifi ed when your father dies, so his monthly benefi ts will be stopped. In most cases, the funeral home providing his burial or cremation services will do it. You’ll need to provide your dad’s Social Security number to the funeral director so they can make the report. But, if they don’t off er that service or you’re not using a funeral home, you’ll need to do it yourself by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213. When Benefi ts Stop There are a couple of things to be aware of regarding your dad’s Social Security benefi ts. For starters, you need to know that a person is due no Social Security benefi ts in the month of their death. With Social Security, each payment received represents the previous month’s benefi ts. So, if your dad were to pass away in August, the check for that month – which would be paid in September – would need to be returned if received. If the payment is made by direct deposit, you would need to contact the bank or other fi nancial institution and ask them to return any benefi ts sent after your dad’s death. Survivor Benefi ts When your father passes away, your mother may be eligible for survivor benefi ts on his record if she’s at least age 60 (50 if disabled). Here’s how that works depending on her situation. If your mom is currently receiving Social Security benefi ts based on your father’s work record, her spousal benefi t will automatically convert to survivors benefits when the government gets notice of your dad’s death. She cannot receive both spousal and survivor benefi ts at the same time. Widows are due between 71 percent (at age 60) and 100 percent (at full retirement age) of what the husband was getting before he died. If, however, your mom is eligible for retirement benefits (but hasn’t applied yet), she can apply for retirement or survivors benefi ts when her husband passes away and switch to the other (higher) benefit later. Or, if your mom is already receiving her retirement benefi ts on her own work record, she could switch to survivors benefi ts if it off ers a higher payment. She cannot, however, receive both benefi ts. To apply for survivors’ benefi ts, your mom will need to call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and schedule an appointment. She can’t do it online. You should also know that survivor benefi ts are available to former spouses and dependents who meet SSA qualifi cations – see SSA. gov/benefi ts/survivors. Also note that if your mom collects a survivor benefi t while working, and she’s under full retirement age, her benefi ts may be reduced depending on her earnings. See SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf for details. Death Benefi t In addition to survivor benefi ts, Social Security will also pay a one-time payment of $255 to your mom (the surviving spouse) if she was living with your dad at the time of his death. If they were living apart, she may still receive this one-time payment if she’s collecting spousal benefi ts on his work record. In the absence of a surviving spouse, the lump-sum payment can go to a son or daughter who is eligible for benefi ts on the deceased’s work record. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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