MBTA officials held an event last night they dubbed the "Ideas of March" to showcase big-picture ideas for the T's future as officials draft a long-term capital plan for what the T will look like in 2040.



The "Open house," as T officials called it was a magnet for transit aficionados, and attendees were asked to place as many of twelve plastic chips they were given at the event's start in a series of jars representing long-term goals for the 'T'.



The winning jar, as the event wound down, was that representing improved reliability — not, perhaps, a surprise — but it wasn't an overwhelming win, and other priorities fared well.



The event itself showcased the diversity of talent and ideas being put into Greater Boston's public transit infrastructure planning.



Ideas ranged from improved signage to multi-lingual announcements to improved fare card technologies.



And there were not a few advocates of the humble bus. For all the media attention on the MBTA's rail lines, hundreds of thousands of residents in Greater Boston commute not by rail, but by bus. And some transit advocates want to see the humble bus take on a less humble role in public transportation — especially if aided by measures that would make bus transit faster and more reliable.



"Part of it's about dedicated space for buses to operate in, part of it's about the stations, part of it's about waiting areas, and fare collection," said Ralph DeNisco, "and a whole bunch of other policies that make the system work better."



