Next to arrive in the backlog from my journey on the 14th, is Cos Cob! What a weird place name. But, yeah, it’s still largely rich NIMBY hell. Let’s look at this station.
Bike parking?! I didn’t recall seeing this at Riverside (or, really, any of the other Greenwich stations)
So first off, Interstate 95 runs directly above the train platforms, making it feel oddly dingy for a suburban park & ride. That’s a new one for me. There’s also bike parking here as well, which I don’t recall noticing at Riverside, Greenwich, or Old Greenwich. However, predictably, no bikes are parked here. There’s also a station house and the usual Metro-North amenities on the Grand Central side while the Stamford and New Haven side are lacking. And, just like Riverside, the crossover isn’t ADA accessible, but it’s a down & under, instead of up & over. But hey, at least it’s still segregated from Sound Shore Dr.! As for nearby things to do, there’s not much, just a park and a few offices and houses. Speaking of which…
Offices!Dingy!Looking the other way!M8 running express!Oh yeah, the vending machine gave me $1 coins when I bought my ticket to RiversideThe playground!THOSE. DAMN. BROCHURES!Parking!The crossover!
Now, if you promise not to tell on me, there’s a nice little railfanning spot where you can get a view of the trains and the Mianus River bridge. So, all you have to do is walk to the park and behind the soccer field. That’s it. Here’s some shots I got from there.
Look ma, no wires!
The good: Well, it’s another residential park & ride, but this time we also have some offices and a park mixed in! Woooo!!! It’s also kinda scenic!
The bad: It’s under I-95! Also, no departure boards either, like Riverside, and it’s not accessible!
Nearby points of interest: Cos Cob Park, if you want some cool foamer shots!
Transit connections: Metro-North (New Haven Line)
Overall, it’s a nice station, however I think it’s dragged down greatly by I-95 being above it. But hey, shelter if it rains! Sadly the actual station building is only open in the AM rush, so there’s that. I think the foamer spot nearby redeems the station a little, though.
Riverside? Didn’t we do this already? Oh, it’s a Metro-North station, not the Green Line on the MBTA. Let’s look.
See ya!
Getting off the train, it’s clear that this is a park & ride in the middle of what may as well be NIMBY hell. You got two parking lots, one on either side of the tracks. There’s also no ADA compliant crossover, so there’s that, and the platforms and stairs look like they’re falling apart. Uhhhhh…..
Oh yeah, the station building is only open in morning rush hours on weekdays. But hey, at least the crossover is segregated physically from Riverside Avenue! Vending machines for tickets can be found on the Grand Central-bound side as well. Yeah, not a lot to say about this one, aside from the fact it’s relatively niche in use cases. I guess this is pretty much why it’s among the least-used stations on the line.
A Regional! Or, the Vermonter? I don’t know.A shelter!Looking towards New York, with the decrepit-ish crossover.And towards New Haven & north!Parking!Signage!Looking down!At least it’s well-lit, I hope!The station building!Acela!Express!
The good: It’s in the middle of a residential neighborhood! So, there’s that at least! And, for being a primarily commuter station, it still sees decent service (about half-hourly on weekdays, I think? Please correct if I’m wrong!)
The bad: There’s no other transit connections. Also, there’s a lack of ADA-compliant crossovers, so screw you if you need that. No departure boards either. C’mon!
Nearby points of interest: Not a lot around here. Houses, I guess?
Transit connections: Metro-North (New Haven Line)
Overall, it’s an alright station. However, it still has some glaring flaws, namely stemming from the lack of any ADA accessibility for crossovers. The lack of departure boards is also very irritating, moreso if your phone is dead.
Wait, there’s ANOTHER MBTA opening?! Well shit, let’s look at it at the crack of dawn! I mean, if I can do the GLX where pretty much all the cards were stacked against me, I can pretty much do anything. Besides, it’s been pretty much exactly 42 years since an MBTA train last stopped here. So, let’s look at it, shall we?
Signage!
So, I Ubered up to the area at around 3 AM with a 3:30 arrival. It was downpouring, so being able to take refuge under the overpass was a godsend. Speaking of which, the entire station was well lit, I almost mistook it for a sporting arena for a moment! Parking? 200 whole spaces! Add that to not one but TWO dropoff areas and a busway, and you have a decent enough bus terminal. But they had to screw up with two things: There’s no heating AND there’s no bathrooms or indoor area! Like, dammit RIDOT, why did you have to shaft RIPTA like that?! Also, engineered out bathrooms?! WHO DOES THAT?! Did I mention bus connections?! You get 10 of them. TEN! ALL the Pawtucket-area routes stop here!
That’s a LOT of lighting!Looking southbound with a very enthusiastic MilesAnd the other wayPeople from Keolis were giving out swag, including buttons, luggage tags, and umbrellasRedundant elevators, in normal MBTA fashionThe mezzanine
Alrighty, so the Commuter Rail section of the station itself is pretty decent. Full level boarding, Helvetica signage, an updated system map (with the South Coast extension, woohoo!), and redundant elevators that didn’t smell like urine but probably do now. There’s also departure boards, something lacking at T.F. Green and Wickford. Art is present in the form of a yarn ball, which represents the area’s historical ties to the textile industry. And, lastly, although the station has three tracks, the third track is just a freight siding that never sees passenger use, so the platform setup is more akin to New London’s in that you have a side and island, but the island is essentially just another side platform with one side blocked off.
The ballThe skeleton of the old station looms ahead…And looking towards Providence and Wickford!First train!
From here, we had a small gathering, mainly consisting of a few people including Dylan, Miles (stay tuned for the video on this station!), Daria, Jordan (who had to head back up to Boston shortly after returning), Zoe, and a few others whose names slip past my exhausted mind (I barely got sleep and am running on a 2hr power nap right now!), and we proceeded onwards. Initially, the plan was we’d get off at Attleboro, but instead we shifted to Mansfield. So, we took #800 out to Mansfield, got off, waited in the miserable weather, and got on #801 back to Pawtucket. By the time we got back, and we heard the “train approaching” warning going off (which, at the time, were not in the most functional of states), we saw an Acela coming through to which we gave some fanfare for being the first Amtrak train to express through. After all this, several of us left and it boiled down to six of us, including Miles, Dylan, and I, and we got breakfast at the Modern Diner, and after which everyone aside from Miles and Dylan left. Here’s that video, by the way!
Empty comet carSee ya!Mansfield feels like the nighttime version of the first level of Tony Hawk’s UndergroundMMMMMM, DIESEL!First Amtrak of the day!See ya! – and Channel 10!South Coast extension!
The good: It’s right near the downtown of two MAJOR, and very populated cities! There hasn’t been revenue service around here since the ’80s when the old station was pretty much abandoned by the MBTA, and RIDOT finally replaced it – 17 years after building a rail yard nearby for Keolis. And, for what it’s worth, it’s decent but it’s got one MAJOR flaw that prevents it from being more than an above average station. Plus, you have all of RIPTA’s Pawtucket-area routes, and weekend service on the MBTA too! It’s hella more than Wickford! And, if this was my first impression of Rhode Island, after living in Boston or wherever else, I’d say this place would make a pretty good first impression. You also have a small commuter lot, 200 spaces, for what it’s worth.
The bad: Remember when I said there’s one major flaw? Yeah, it’s the bathrooms and lack of an indoor waiting area. Sure, the shelters could be rectified with heating, and if I remember someone from RIPTA said they’d be looking into installing heaters, but the fact RIDOT valued out bathrooms and indoor waiting areas is HORRIBLE. What were they thinking?! And it’s a major terminal for buses, too! (POST EDIT: Apparently even the Commuter Rail part got value engineered to hell! There were plans for two additional tracks so that Amtrak trains can express, but RIDOT really said “nope!” Stuff like this is probably why the Providence Line is neutered, and that’s not considering the lack of electrified tracks in Attleboro, Warwick, and North Kingstown!)
Nearby points of interest: You’ve got Slater Mill and the various local-owned shops of Pawtucket and Central Falls! Hasbro HQ isn’t too far, either. If you’re like Miles and Jackson and enjoy diners, you’ve also got the Modern Diner, which has a streamlined design (apparently the last of its kind?!), and even that aside they have pretty decent food. Just don’t play around near the Wyatt Detention Center. A ticket machine for RIPTA and the Commuter Rail would be nice too.
Overall, it’s a very, VERY good station for what it is. Yes, it’s majorly lacking and the bathrooms are just porta-toilets (which, I don’t count), but for what it does have, it’s a pretty good station with a mix of foamer potential, bus service, WEEKEND SERVICE (*cough unlike Wickford*), and decent geography near two major town centers. And, for that, I still think it’s worthy of a high rating, but not a 9 or 10.
Rating: 7.5/10
And below are some foamer shots I got over the course of the morning!
Freight!Same train, but the ass!The dignitary train!Oh, hi!And leaving. Oh look, foamers.And another one!A Regional crests the bendThe ribboncutting ceremony!Well that’s a freakin’ lie!And another one!TWO OF THEM?!Overhead Acela!Another P&W!The ass of that trainOverhead Regional!Bye!
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.
