WHEW, is it me or does it smell like Galilee down here?! Nah, I’m just kidding, although you can catch a few wafts of the ocean. Entering: Aquarium.
…does Bowdoin not exist?
Alrighty! So, the platform is your basic affair of what you’d expect on a Blue Line station. You’ve got, of course, two sides. However, unlike much of the T, the station kinda reminds me of a WMATA station in how the ceilings and walls look. I mean, I don’t hate the WMATA’s design, it feels very representative of the Cold War era (when that system came to be), but here I feel it’s nice too. You’ve also got some nice-looking tiles on the side, with even the mezzanine having the stone tile going on. As for the mezzanine, I couldn’t check (was waiting for a train), but here’s a picture from Miles’ entry on Aquarium.
Now, there’s one special thing about Aquarium that most other stations (actually, all) lack: a water connection. That’s right – Aquarium is in walking distance to Long Wharf, where one can connect with the ferry. Now, hopefully I get around to doing the Charlestown and Hingham/Hull ferries this year, so stay tuned.
Towards Wonderlandand towards Bowdoin!The train!
The good: It’s right at a major tourist site! So, predictably, most people using this station are either transferring from the ferry or they’re going to the Aquarium.
The bad: That said, it’s kinda close to State Street! I mean, I’m pretty sure most people end up using that and walking the 1/4 mile. The sole bus connection is also the weekday-only 4, which is also peak-only, at that. That blows. Oh yeah, the smell of the ocean permeates the station.
Nearby points of interest: Take a guess.
Overall, it’s decent. And, if North/South rail happens, I feel like this station would be a good place to put a downtown infill CR/Amtrak stop (a Union Station?) to terminate trains at. And, besides, it’ll give the Blue a much-needed Commuter Rail link. Just don’t let the smell of fish make you heave over and vomit onto the 3rd rail.
Alrighty, the last entry for this saga! Let’s get this one down, and FAST because the train back to Medford is coming soon!
Elevators and T logo!Helvetica and countdown signs!And another elevator off in the distance!
Yeah, there’s no Pedal & Park here. Initially we were confused, however I think I remember seeing someone mention it’s tied to either the community path or Somerville HS. Weird choice, but whatever.
The good: It’s located in another residential neighborhood, and right next to Somerville HS! Yes, that means the children can take the Green Line to school!
The bad: No Pedal & Park, ironically enough, as of me writing this. Yes, I know, it’s coming later. But, for a line that seems to emphasize biking and transit utilization, it’s a little ironic that the station AT a high school lacks a Pedal & Park. Also, the honor system. Again.
Nearby points of interest: I mean, if you’re a parent or a high school student, I’m sure Somerville HS is pretty important. The town library is also in the area!
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (88 & 90 on Highland Ave., 80 on Medford & Pearl St.’s)
Overall, it’s much of the same as Magoun. However, the lack of a Pedal & Park on day 1 is a strike against it, and as such puts it as one of the worse stations on the GLX. It’s still significant, and for what it is, is alright enough.
Rating: 6/10
From here, I (with everyone else, this time!) returned to East Somerville, where Miles concluded his station review segment. We’d then go back to Medford for the ribbon cutting, at which point I had to bail out due to exhaustion (I’ve been up for 29 hours up to that point, 32 when I got home!). I will say, this has got to be the most hectic, enjoyable time I’ve had in a long time, and I hope there’s another grand opening in the future with anywhere near as much historical significance! (North/South Rail, or BLX to either Lynn or Charles, anyone?) With that all in mind, I’d like to give a special shoutout to everyone that I happened to be with on that day. Seriously, y’all are awesome people, and I doubt it’d have been as good a day without everyone else being as excited.
And with that, I wish everyone reading a nice rest of December, and if y’all celebrate anything, have fun with that.
Wait, what’s this? Why is there a T lollipop rising out of the ground in Pawtucket? Whelp, looks like I’ll be answering the call of duty again sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for that, everyone!
Alrighty, Magoun Square! So, everyone got off the train and went with Miles and co. to check it out. Here’s what I’ve found.
Helvetica!
Of course, it’s a copy-paste of Ball Square largely. You’ve got a Pedal & Park, elevators (redundant, as there’s no ramp or grade crossing access!), no bathrooms, and some art. There’s also vending machines, and not a lot else. It’s pretty much where the Somerville bike path (still under construction, as of writing this) branches off from the GLX and meanders towards Davis Square and Alewife. Also, the station has lights that resemble tongs, so some added character? Sure!
Bench!Elevators and facing southbound!“Salad tongs!” – MilesSUS.
The good: It’s a short walk from Magoun Square proper! It’s also pretty much waist-deep in a residential neighborhood, so that should help with easing car dependency.
The bad: Pretty much the same issues as Ball Square, minus the grade crossing. It uses the honor system, and has no restrooms like at Medford.
Nearby points of interest: The station’s namesake, of course! There’s also the Somerville bike path which heads towards Davis Square and Alewife.
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (88 & 90 on Highland Ave., 80, 89, 93 @ Broadway)
Overall, there isn’t much special here. It’s not bad for a station, it’s serviceable, and it’s just “good”. Nothing to really ring home about.
Alrighty, after I reviewed East Somerville solo, I took the next train (20+ minute wait!!!) to Ball Square, at which point I’ve decided I’d get breakfast at Kelly’s Diner. By the way, 10/10 pancakes. It was here that I’ve also rejoined with Noel, Conor, Lynx, Miles, Jeremy, Jules, and the others. After tagging along with them and subsequently catching the 80 to Medford for Miles’ video review of that station, we returned to Ball Square. So, with that in mind, how does the station stack up?
The elevator-accessible entrance from across Kelly’s Diner
So, first off, the station has one non-redundant elevator (numbered inconsistently, with it being 769 on the inside, nice), but that’s not an issue since the other entrance, beside the Pedal & Park, is a grade crossing. Countdown clocks can also be found, so you can make the judgement call to run for your train. Behind the elevator is also what appears to be a pretty cool party area. Neat.
The island platform
Just like the rest of the Green Line Extension stations, the station uses an island platform with benches, trash bins, and signage. It works, nothing exciting. And yes, also like the rest of the GLX, it uses the honor system. Booooo! On the other hand, though, I’d argue this is a better railfanning spot than Medford/Tufts, for the Lowell Line and the Downeaster. In terms of nearby, you have Ball Square, the station’s namesake. It’s a pretty decent neighborhood, and while I didn’t explore it too much, Kelly’s Diner is pretty good for breakfast.
Zoomed on the Pedal & Park. Also, NIMBYs.Zoomed in signageHelvetica and someone interviewing MilesOutbound Lowell train and snow trail!The elevator!
The good: It’s in a very good location! Like, there’s actually stuff around unlike East Somerville! And, to be honest, this has got to be a personal favorite for the subway system, period. There’s also plenty of local businesses and restaurants to be had.
The bad: Still, honor system. Also, there’s no bathrooms here unlike Medford.
Nearby points of interest: The many shops and restaurants of Ball Square! I can personally vouch for Kelly’s Diner being good.
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (80, 89, 89/93)
Overall, I personally prefer this station over Medford when it comes to railfanning the Lowell Line and the Downeaster. However, objectively, it’s still slightly worse than Medford.
Rating: 7.5/10
From here, Myself, Miles, and co. would then take the next Green Line train to go further down the line. Stay tuned for Magoun and Gilman Squares!
After Medford, we were in the central subway on the Green Line. Wait, who’s that in the Princeton beanie? Well, if it ain’t Conor! Yeah, I met him at the Silver Line meetup with Miles, but here we were again by chance this time. We also coordinated to meet up with Lynx at Riverway, but instead he got on at Heath Street. I didn’t even realize it was him at first, only to find out he was only 13. Yeah, I was surprised myself. Anyways, moving on, I eventually parted ways with the two of them, as Lynx had to go to school and Conor went to the Ball Square festivities. And, that brings us (you, the reader, and I) to East Somervile.
The signage
I encountered Toby on the train, with him getting on and me off, quickly asking if there was anything to note about East Somerville. He said no, nothing of note. And yes, he was right.
The platform
You’ve got benches, artwork, vending machines, and a grade crossing for access. There’s also a Pedal & Park at the other side of the grade crossing, as well as what looks like a 3rd track. Yeah, there’s not much special about this one.
A Type 8!The system map“LET’S GET KINKI!”Another Type 7!The crossing and the Pedal & Parkgeepeefourty
The good: It’s got a Pedal & Park!
The bad: Yeah, there’s not a lot to the station. No TOD or anything to make it stand out. And, as such, it feels kinda “middle of nowhere”
Nearby points of interest: I’m not exactly familiar with the area, but it seems mostly industrial and suburban in nature. Union Square isn’t far, though!
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (86, 91)
Overall, this one’s a dud. I mean, I’m sure in due time it’ll get decent ridership, however it feels very “middle of nowhere” at the current time. At least it has a Pedal & Park and bus connections!
Rating: 6/10
Fortunately, after this, I wasn’t too insane, so I went up to Ball Square for some breakfast. Stay tuned!
Thursday, November 17, 2022. To this point, we’ve only heard the Medford branch of the Green Line was scheduled to open in “late November”, however that was seeming more and more like horse crap. But there was a board meeting scheduled for the day, so maybe there was hope for an announcement of a date. While I couldn’t attend, someone else did.
Meet: Brooke.
She was sick and had the day off from work, and as such (despite unfortunate circumstances) were able to attend the virtual board meeting. Then it gets to the 10 AM hour and the moment of truth……
December 12, 2022. 4:45 AM.
However, I still did not have my work schedule for the day yet. But, some hope was in me still, as I had two options: 1. pray I had Monday and either Sunday or Tuesday off that week 2. Call out if I had to go in Monday and either Sunday or Tuesday.
Fortunately, come Saturday after Black Friday, I got my work schedule: Sunday & Monday off. Perfect, I thought, as I proceeded to begin prepping. To have a rat’s chance in Hell at succeeding, I needed: – a $20 for a day pass (on CharlieCard or a Commuter Rail zone 1A ticket) – enough money for an Uber to Medford from South Station – a ticket for Regional #166 (departs 12:26 AM on Monday) – a zone 8 Commuter Rail ticket (for the return) – something to snack on – money for breakfast (I was planning on going to Kelly’s Diner in Ball Square)
This was, by far, the most deranged, insane, sadistic, masochistic, unhinged idea I’ve conjured up. And I was going to fucking do it. I was committed, and nothing could stop me. Not even the forecasted snow.
Fast forward to December 11th. I wake up at 5:30ish in the morning and bathe, as usual. Before meeting up with a friend, I had planned to buy some snacks for later at my local CVS. From there, I spent the day with them, with their mom being nice enough to offer English muffins for breakfast (thanks!). From here, after hanging with her for a bit, I decided on an impromptu visit to my dad, who lived in the same area, as the 22 was being useless as usual. Of course, after spending the rest of the day with him, he dropped me off at Providence Station relatively early, at 7:30 PM. I had 5 hours to spare.
The last inbound MBTA of the night!And an Amtrak!
I managed to get a couple of shots of trains, and after about 6 hours and a 20 minute train delay on the last train, I finally made it to Boston. To be quite honest, Boston feels like an entirely different place at 1:30 AM. Hell, I’ve never seen downtown Boston as sleepy as I had. Even taking the Uber to Medford, with the view of the casino in Everett was an entirely different feeling. With my dropoff being a 7-Eleven, I had a mile walk ahead of me after buying some water. Of course, me being me, I braved the walk (it wasn’t bad), and I made a deviation on the way to admire the Boston skyline from afar, from Ball Square.
This feels weird, but relaxing at the same timeBoston at 2 AM!Ball Square!
Of course, we’re not here to talk about Ball Square. We’re here to talk about Medford/Tufts University. So, I made my way there, and when I did there was a big wig from Tufts, along with some MBTA personnel, some of whom I talked to about the GLX, mainly more at the fact it’s finally finished after more than a lifetime of effort. So, thankfully, I wasn’t alone.
The tracks!
The station is sandwiched between College Avenue, Boston Avenue, and the Lowell Line’s right of way. A small bridge goes over one of the tracks, where fare vending machines, elevators, and a restroom(?!) can be found. No fare control though, so looks like it’s the honor system again. Moving down to the platform, you have two track stubs for the Green Line to terminate, some artwork, the Helvetica signage, a system map, and a sign indicating which track is departing like at Forest Hills, Alewife, and Braintree. Neat! A Pedal & Park can also be found at the station entrance.
The Helvetica signage!Pedal & Park! Also, meet Toby!Another peek inside!Never challenge a Tufts student to a transit grand opening at odd hours, Mr. Poftak!RELEASE THE HOUNDS!Bathroom!Union had nonfunctional elevators, this has dead pixels!Helvetica at track level!We made it!The first train pulling in – with a type 8 leading!There was an attempt (don’t worry, I got on the type 8!)
The good: It’s a very, VERY important location! Tufts University formerly had (and barely, at that, with a hill in the way) Davis Square, and just Davis Square, for rapid transit. Now, they get the Green Line to the front door! Also, there’s bathrooms! You don’t see that at many stations not named “North, South, or Back Bay Stations”!
The bad: Really? Honor system still?! Yeah, they just yelled at us to not worry about validating for the first train. Still had to pay for the return from Heath Street, but that was to be expected. Also, the bus stops aren’t well signed.
Nearby points of interest: Tufts University is the big name here!
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (80, 94, 96)
Overall, this station is major, and is probably going to be the source of heavy ridership for the branch. Furthermore, the nature of the station (bringing rapid transit directly to Tufts) makes it quite a historic day for the area. Will the rest of the stations hold up? Stay tuned to find out!
Rating: 8/10
From here, I rode the train all the way to Heath St., and tried to go back up, meeting up with Conor on the train, and Lynx at Heath St. Unfortunately for us, the train was taken out of service at Park St., and we had to wait. And, while they all went to Ball Square for festivities, I skipped out, instead opting to check out East Somerville. Stay tuned!
What, no transit-oriented entry for today? Yeah, sorry, I’m holding out until the Green Line Extension to Medford opens. However, that aside, let’s look at some food, shall we?
Nuking the food
So, the food itself is tasty, and kinda soft. It’s got the taste you’d expect from taquitos, so it’s not disappointing or anything like that. For $4 and change, you can’t go wrong (if you’re not banned from your local WAL*MART, that is). However, I would strongly recommend baking or air frying over microwaving. So, with that in mind, how would I rate this?
Easy. 7/10 if you nuke it, 10/10 if you bake it in the oven or an air fryer.
So, since everything’s on hold until the spring, that’s not necessarily that I’m going radio silent in the winter. What DO I have planned? Well, not much, but here’s the tea:
– Green Line Medford Extension (Medford-Tufts, Ball Square, Magoun Square, Gilman Square, E. Somerville, Lechmere, Science Park) (12/12/22) – Pawtucket-Central Falls (Commuter Rail) (date TBD, as close to day 1 as doable) – Happy birthday! (Stamford, Greenwich stations, New Canaan branch, & a few CTtransit entries) (2/14/23) – 1 year anniversary (DTX, Park St., Haymarket, Govt. Ctr., State St., North & South Stations) (March ’23)
Alrighty, so now that I’ve covered the two stations on the Stoughton Branch, now it’s time to look at the line itself.
Canton Junction!
The line is a 4 mile branch coming off the Northeast Corridor mainline at Canton, Massachusetts. Among the places it stops at, aside from Canton Junction, are Canton Center and Stoughton. Service here is weekdays only, with hourly trains. Unfortunately, though, service is only that way because of the fact that the whole line is single-tracked. Also, every station has mini-high platforms, and the branch is also riddled with grade crossings, so bear that in mind. In terms of “how scenic is this?”, not very. If you’re into trees, you’d enjoy it.
Canton Center!Stoughton!
The good: It regularly serves Stoughton outside the rush hour!
The bad: Trains are seemingly always delayed here for inexplicable reasons, and there’s a lot of grade crossings. It also doesn’t help that the entire line is single-tracked, and operates on weekdays only.
Nearby points of interest: Not much, aside from Canton and Stoughton.
Overall, here’s what I’d change. Hear me out: Either double track the entire line to Stoughton (the space DOES exist!), and electrify it.
OR: we chuck a bunch of multiple units (diesel or electric? Your choice.) to operate as shuttles between Canton Junction and Stoughton, with rush-hour service using locomotives to South Station.
However, it turns out there ARE plans to electrify the line with the South Coast’s phase 2 extension, also including double tracking and station rebuilds. Thank GOD.
