Category: Massachusetts

Okay, okay, I’m sure some of the uninformed people reading this are freaking out. “YOU VISITED WHERE?!” Yes, I visited West Roxbury. Keyword: WEST. Normal Roxbury (Ruggles/Northeastern, Nubian, Washington St. to name some areas) is more known as a “bad” part of town (it really isn’t that bad if you have any semblance of common sense), at least if you ask a suburbanite like my parents or my stepdad. WEST Roxbury, is the complete opposite of what suburbanites think Roxbury is. West Roxbury is essentially suburbia in its own right. So, let’s take a look at it, shall we?

So, West Roxbury is actually quite a pleasant station. You can get some nice train shots here, as the leaves turn color. You have benches and wastebaskets, along with red dot matrix signage. While you don’t have seating on the mini-high, you do have a sheltered area towards the far end of the low-level platform. There’s even bicycle infrastructure present! Neat! You also have plenty of parking to go around as well. Beyond all this, you have a ballfield nearby and Millennium Park isn’t too far away either. Overall, a pretty nice little station with little in the way of flaws outside of line-wide issues.

The good: Well, it’s balls-deep in suburbia, to put it lightly! And, a relatively dense suburban neighborhood at that, surprisingly given this is technically Boston proper. Plus, maybe it’s just me, but the way the scenery looks in the fall makes for good photos out here as well. The 37 is also relatively frequent!

The bad: It’s got your usual Needham Line issues: long platform with a relatively barren mini-high, far from any station entrance.

Nearby points of interest: Millennium Park is the big one!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (37)

Overall, this is a really nice station, just that it suffers from many of the same issues of the Needham Line at-large, but aside from those it has no issues unique to here. So, way to go West Roxbury!

Rating: 8/10

Alrighty. So, Needham Heights was bad, and Needham Center is “meh”, is there a rat’s chance in Hell this station’s any good?? Well…….actually, it is kinda decent, relatively.

Of course, going into the station, you have a decent amount of parking which, on the day I was here, was completely empty (midday on a Saturday, for context). In fact, save for me, the station was pretty much barren. Unlike Needham Center, though, you actually have a sheltered area by the low level section of the platform, alongside the usual amenities, AND, you also have a yellow sign rather than red! YAY! Now, what’s in the station, you ask? Well, I don’t know!

It turns out, it houses an ice cream shop that’s closed until May. That’s sad, but meh. I’m sure they’re pretty good and probably contribute somewhat to the station’s ridership. Just beyond you can also see a small chunk of double tracking one way, and a wye the other way. In fact, outside the hard left turn into South Station from Back Bay, I think this might be the sharpest turn on any southside commuter line. Certainly makes for some cool photo opportunities, though!

The good: The station’s got some cool photo opportunities (for the trains), has a sheltered area, and during the summer even has an ice cream parlor! Neat! There’s also a decent amount of parking, for y’all car addicts.

The bad: I mean, it’s not a full-length high platform. The mini-high is barren, too. The 59’s service also sucks on weekends.

Nearby points of interest: Eh…there isn’t much. The ice cream shop, if it’s summer. But save for that, not a lot…

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, this station’s actually pretty decent, with shelters and benches, along with the existence of an ice cream shop. Probably one of my favorites on the Needham Line, if anything (unless Hersey proves to be a 10/10, which I doubt).

Rating: 8/10

Ohhhh god……yeah, shockingly, this station just reeks of “bad”. I mean, Needham itself isn’t bad, it’s your average suburban town, and on a Saturday it’s actually quite peaceful and quiet, with the odd train horn ringing as the T blows through at 5mph. But, Needham Center, the T station? Yeah, it sucks.

Well, it’s kinda barebones, actually. The mini-high is barebones. But, the platform has your usual benches and wastebaskets, and also has a shelter on said mini-high…..without benches. Yikes. There’s also plenty of parking, and it’s located in Needham’s town center. But, given it’s literally a 10 minute walk to both Needham Junction and Needham Heights….yeah…….. I think I’ll save stop spacing for a different entry. Fortunately, you do have some businesses pretty much trackside, but not like in Wakefield. Overall, while the station functionally is bleh, the area itself is pretty nice. Oh yeah, the 59 also stops by here. There’s also space for a second track JUST INSTALL THE DAMN SECOND TRACK!

The good: It’s in Needham’s town center, and the area overall is pretty nice!

The bad: THERE’S NO BENCHES ON THE MINI-HIGH OR SHELTER ON THE LOW-LEVEL SECTION! WHAT THE HELL?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a couple of restaurants and businesses lining Chapel and Chestnut Streets!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, yeah, this station’s meh. The vibes of the area save it (at least it isn’t along the Mass Pike, and at least it’s accessible!), but the station itself isn’t all the great…. sorry! However, I do feel it’s worthy of a passing score – if barely.

Rating: 6/10

Well, there’s no escaping this one. Pika from the MiT server, and I, decided to walk here after I filmed my Hastings/Silver Hill video. Yes, I actually walked almost TWO WHOLE HOURS without batting an eye for this station entry. I am, in fact, that unhinged. So, here’s Lincoln.

So, Lincoln is kinda pretty barebones. You’ve got benches, wastebaskets, a red dot matrix sign, and weirdly enough a wheelchair lift on the outbound section. Yes, this station is technically accessible albeit only outbound. There is no shelter. There’s plenty of parking though, and even an old honor box! Neat! So, what’s with the station layout? Well, it’s weird. The inbound and outbound sides are technically on the same track, just opposite sides of Lincoln Road. Apparently, from the research I can find, it’s because of the presence of the town’s main police and fire station up the street and so the train can fully clear the crossing before stopping. The below picture from Wikipedia illustrates it better.

That way, the gates can come up. Does it work in practice? I don’t know, I’m not a regular out here. However, this leads to a similar situation to Kendal Green where you need to board from a hunk of wood (or pavement, in the case of here) if heading inbound (which most people are). There’s also no shelter, and the vast majority of parking is REALLY FAR from the inbound platform. Yeah…..

The good: Ehhhhh….. I mean, it’s got a liberal amount of parking?????? And cycling infrastructure? Yeah, I’m pulling at some straws here. There’s also a wheelchair lift!

The bad: THERE’S NO SHELTER! FURTHERMORE, WHY IS THE PLATFORM SETUP LIKE THIS, THEY COULDN’T BUILD THE PLATFORMS KITTY-CORNERED?! AND THE PARKING IS TOO DAMN FAR FROM THE OUTBOUND PLATFORM! AND THERE’S NO SIGNAGE ON THE OUTBOUND PLATFORM EITHER (ok admittedly noone’s boarding there BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN SEE IT FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE, VS. A MILE AWAY!) ALSO, WHY IS ONE SIDE ACCESSIBLE BUT THE OTHER ISN’T?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s an art gallery nearby!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)

Overall, yeah, this station just flat-out sucks. There’s no shelter, and the parking is so far from the inbound platform. Lastly, WHY IS ONLY THE OUTBOUND SIDE ACCESSIBLE?!

Rating: 2.5/10

Oh goody, a new terminal station for me to review! So, what’s on the plate? Well…..it’s the end of the Needham Line. Let’s look.

So, Needham Heights is pretty standard. You have a singular track which continues a little bit, a mini-high on the far end, a very long low-level platform, benches, wastebaskets, red dot matrix signs (except there’s about 3 instead of the usual 1!), and a small amount of parking, and even cycling infrastructure. Neat! There’s also a sheltered area – ON THE VERY FAR ENDS OF THE PLATFORM. There’s also plenty of shopping and even a park present here. The 59 also runs from here to Watertown. Neat!

The good: It’s in the middle of Needham (almost), has plenty around it, a decent walkshed, and some parking as well! The 59 also runs out here. Terminal ops are also handled better here vs. at Stoughton, as the engineer has to send a radio signal to manually trigger the gates, rather than slowly inch up to them.

The bad: The damn platform feels like it goes on forever! Yes, I know 800ft is standard length, but it’d be more bearable if the entire thing was high level, rather than forcing the train to a mini-high at the extreme end of the platform. The 59’s schedule also kinda sucks, and is nonexistent on Sundays.

Nearby points of interest: There’s some businesses, but nothing really stuck out.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, it’s passable. Nothing too much to remark about, but it could be much better. I’ve seen people suggest converting the line out here to be Green Line territory, but personally I disagree and think extending the Orange Line out here might be a better idea (environmentalists be damned) instead. Sadly, this station doesn’t get that high a score.

Rating: 5.5/10

Wyoming Hill? Or, just Wyoming? Oh no, not this again…

So, Wyoming Hill is about a mile north of Oak Grove and is where the double tracking begins on the line. What’s special about it? Not much, given it shares much of its walkshed with Melrose/Cedar Park…

The inbound side has a big fancy purple shelter, and a more normal shelter, all with the usual stuff (wastebaskets, benches, red sign, etc.) while the outbound side had all this minus the big shelter and red dot matrix sign. Sad. There’s a bit of parking on the inbound side as well, so there’s that. Neat! As for the area surrounding it, as I said in the last paragraph, it’s like Melrose/Cedar Park, with a town center-esque vibe, and Main St. isn’t that far away. If you’re brave enough, you could walk to Oak Grove as well. Interestingly enough, I’ve read on someone’s proposal to extend the Orange Line north one stop to here, with them trying to say here, not Oak Grove, is a better terminal station. Here’s a link, should you be interested. But, Orange Line stuff aside, there’s not much else I can say other than the 131, 132, and 137 stop close by. Neat!

The good: It’s a decent enough station. Has shelters, bus connections, and the Haverhill Line! And it’s in a relatively peaceful area!

The bad: Still no accessibility! But, also, it’s so close to Oak Grove, which, while a little slower, is a lot cheaper ($2.40 vs. $6.50 for a zone 1 fare) AND you have a free bus transfer if done within 2 hours. While, if you took the Commuter Rail to Oak Grove, you’re still gonna have to pay $2.40 for the subway. Eww.

Nearby points of interest: Main St., not much else that I didn’t already state in Melrose/Cedar Park’s entry.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (131, 132, 137)

Overall, I like the station, it’s pretty decent enough for one that’s inaccessible but it’s JUST SO DAMN CLOSE TO OAK GROVE JUST USE OAK GROVE!

Rating: 5/10

Is it “Melrose (Cedar Park)”? Or, “Melrose Cedar-Park”, or was it “Melrose-Cedar Park”? AAAAAAAAAAAAA I HATE INCONSISTENT SPELLING! Well, whatever, for the sake of this entry, I’m going with how it’s spelt on the T’s website (Melrose/Cedar Park). Well, here’s Cedar Park!

So, Melrose/Cedar Park is right adjacent to a park (duh), and is pretty much Melrose’s central station. Just one issue that makes it among the least-used stations on the entire system: it isn’t accessible! The parking is there, it’s in a town center-like area, but it’s not ADA accessible and the Haverhill suffers from Single Track Syndrome majorly beyond Wakefield and in Malden. As for the station itself, it’s nothing too special. You have parking on both sides, shelters, benches, wastebaskets, the red dot matrix sign on the inbound platform. Ya know, the usuals. There’s also a park here, which when I was here was holding the last farmers market of the season. Neat! (We stan transit-accessible community events.) Overall, walking to here from Melrose Highlands (& by extension, the walk to Wyoming Hill), I actually got to appreciate how lively Melrose actually felt. Maybe it was the routing Google Maps took me, but I got to appreciate how lively the town was and that I never saw that kind of stuff growing up or back at home.

The good: It’s in a central-ish area! You have some parking and a rather decent walkshed with various types of land use within a 10 minute walk. Neat! The area in general has charm too, and I need to come back to Melrose some time.

The bad: Unfortunately, not only is it inaccessible, there’s also no direct bus connections, with the nearest one (the 137) being a 10 minute walk away. Oh well. ALSO, THE STATION’S NAMING IS INCONSISTENT. LET’S SEE: YOU HAVE “MELROSE/CEDAR PARK” ON THE T WEBSITE AND THE PARKING SIGN, “MELROSE-CEDAR PARK” ON THE INBOUND PLATFORM, “MELROSE CEDAR-PARK” ON THE OUTBOUND PLATFORM, AND IT PROBABLY SAYS “MELROSE CEDAR PARK” WITHOUT ANY SLASHES OR HYPHENS SOMEWHERE IN SOME PIECE OF MBTA LITERATURE, PROBABLY ON SOME RANDOM INTERNAL KEOLIS DOCUMENT!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a park and a few businesses! Melrose’s Main St. between here and Wyoming Hill is lined with businesses too, so there’s that.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (137, at Main & Emerson)

Overall, while the accessibility sucks, I otherwise like the station personally, along with the area in general. And, while it sucks I couldn’t get any train shots from here, I can always return and get some. But, also, AAAAAAA THE INCONSISTENT SIGNAGE THOUGH

Rating: 5/10

Alrighty, the first of the Melrose trio (or, second of a quartet, if you count Oak Grove as “almost Melrose”). And, this station is notable for one sad fact about it. I’ll get to that as I dig further into this entry.

This station is notable in that it is the only accessible station between Oak Grove and Reading. Yep, you read that right! In the 7 and a half mile stretch between those two stations, THIS is the only ADA compliant stop. That’s just sad. So, how’s the rest of the station? About average. You have wastebaskets, red dot matrix signs, and wouldn’t you believe it – the mini-highs are sheltered on BOTH sides! YAY!!!!! As for the surrounding area, there’s an apartment complex (apparently public housing, from what I can find. We stan transit-accessible public housing here) and a few shops nearby. There’s also parking, and while the 137 doesn’t stop here, the 131 does. Honestly, this station isn’t half-bad, unlike the rest of the stops on the inner Haverhill (okay okay, Oak Grove, Malden, Reading, y’all get a pass…). Yay!

The good: It’s got a mini-high! Furthermore it’s in a relatively dense area with public housing nearby as well! It’s primarily housing, though.

The bad: Not to any fault of its own, but it’s the only accessible station in town! Boooooo!!!!! (and the only one between Oak Grove and Reading!)

Nearby points of interest: Main St. is nearby!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (131)

Overall, it’s a pretty good station and is sadly the best in town, despite being waist-deep in residential neighborhoods.

Greenwood, Greenwood, Greenwood….hmmm, is there even anything I can say that’s noteworthy about Greenwood? Let’s see…

…nope! Well, I lied. There’s a crossing tender shed by the Forest St. grade crossing. But, aside from that, there’s not really a lot to be said. On the outbound side you have…..not much. Just a bench and what looked like a bike rack, along with an anemic amount of parking. On the inbound side, much of the same plus a red dot matrix sign, and an entrance out to a cul-de-sac. As for shelter….all you get is a bus shelter.

WHY, IN THE NAME OF FUCKING PHIL ENG AND STEVE POFTAK AND FRANK OGLESBY, IS THE DAMN INBOUND PLATFORM SHELTER A FREAKIN’ BUS SHELTER OF ALL THINGS?! WHAT KIND OF CRACK WERE THEY SMOKING WHEN THIS GOT GREENLIT?! WHY, HOW, WHAT, JUST WHY?!

The good: Well, it exists??? I guess… I mean, the crossing tender seems cool enough. And there’s a small amount of parking. The 137 also stops here!

The bad: IT’S NOT ACCESSIBLE, IT’S GOT A FREAKIN’ BUS SEHLTER FOR AN INBOUND SHELTER, THERE’S NOTHING OUTBOUND AT ALL, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA JUST WHY

Nearby points of interest: There’s a couple of businesses on Main St., but it’s mostly a residential station primarily for those on foot. Or, just take the 137.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (137)

Overall, this station probably should not exist. I mean, I’m sure it has a good reason and I’m not seeing it. But, at face value, if it’s gonna exist, it should be ADAified at least!

Rating: 3.5/10

Alrighty, next stop on the Haverhill Line is Wakefield. Wakefield, Wakefield…..yeah, I don’t have much to remark in the opening paragraph.

So, once again, I wrote this during the Haverhill shutdown, so shuttles were running. Sorry, no foamer shots! However, Wakefield DOES have some charm to it. For one, you have storefronts lining the inbound platform, so if you wanted to buy something or get food before the train arrives, it’s quite easily doable. The station house nowadays has a barber shop as well, along with a real estate agency. Neat! On the other street are a variety of shops, including a couple of restaurants, interior design centers, and even a Dunkies!!! Yay! As for the station itself, there isn’t too much to remark about it. You have a sheltered area on the inbound side, some benches and wastebaskets, and a red dot matrix sign on the inbound side as well. It’s also all low-level, so fuck you if you need accessibility. There’s also no horns here. Bleugh.

The good: It’s in the town center (almost), has some charm to it, has the usual amenities, and even storefronts lining each platform! Neat! Furthermore, the 137 also stops here. However…

The bad: It’s inaccessible. AND the 137 only stops here one way. Ugh. Lastly, why is there no shelter outbound? Do reverse commuters to Haverhill or Reading just not exist? Furthermore, accessibility would be HARD because of said storefront. Just elevate it instead.

Nearby points of interest: The storefront lining the tracks look interesting. Route 129, which I haven’t checked out beyond street view imagery, is nearby with the town center as well!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (137, towards Malden only)

Overall, just grade separate it! Just, please! Keep the storefront, but build a viaduct with a common area underneath! It’s not gonna look pretty, but sometimes you gotta do heinous stuff for accessibility!

Rating: 4.5/10