Ad-wrapped LRVs

[TomNelligan]

Something came to mind this afternoon while riding the Riverside line into town... Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Boston police requested or required that any ad wraps on MBTA equipment leave the windows clear so first responders could see inside in the event of an incident. That no longer seems to be the case since today I had to avoid a fully wrapped Type 7 in favor of its un-wrapped Type 8 partner (I like to look out when I'm riding rather than staring into a small electronic device). Has the T's window wrap policy changed?

[jwhite07]

I noticed that as well, Mr. Nelligan. All of the newly wrapped Green Line cars I've seen lately (all have ads for Lyft presently) on both Type 7s and Type 8s are full wraps. There are some of those rubber-tired things we don't like to talk about here with full ad wraps too. On the other hand, the recent wraps on Red Line cars have tended to keep the windows unobstructed, so maybe the policy change is quite recent.

Much as I hate ad wraps, the T does seem to choose rail cars to wrap according to their need of new paint, in an effort to make them look "better" (YMMV)... in which case they should wrap the entire Orange Line #12 fleet as soon as they can. I do hope they hold off wrapping any of the rebuilt Type 7s - the paint on them is holding up quite well so far.

[Type 7 3684]

Out of the four wrapped trains, two of them did not get their windows wrapped.

I had to avoid a fully wrapped Type 7 in favor of its un-wrapped Type 8 partner (I like to look out when I'm riding rather than staring into a small electronic device).

I had one of the cars with wrapped windows over the weekend and you can see out the windows fine.

[CRail]

Seeing out the windows was not the issue, it was seeing IN them.

The cost of the ad run should include funding for a paint job. I’m not a fan of wraps either but I LOATHED those GD sticker ads that they thankfully don’t apply anymore!

[Type 7 3684]

The Lyft ads appear to be no more. Saw 3875 yesterday without the wrap.

The Suffolk University wrap is still around, though. It's on cars 3639, 3644, 3665, 3671, and 3674.

[jwhite07]

How do the cars look after an ad wrap is removed?

[Type 7 3684]

I didn't get a close look, but it looked fine aside from a little bit of missing paint below the cab window. The car is also missing its ad frames. Hopefully the Suffolk University Type 7s won't look too bad after the wrap is removed.

[Type 7 3684]

3671 is no longer wrapped for Suffolk University, I imagine the other cars have had the wrap removed as well.

[Type 7 3684]

3870 has received a new wrap advertising Florida.