Belmont Center is the other Commuter Station in, well, Belmont. I’ve already covered Waverley Square with its hideous salmon walled glory. Now, let’s check out its equally inaccessible, but less hideous, counterpart in the town center.
The station, much like Waverley, is a pair of low-level and rather inaccessible platforms located on the Fitchburg Line. However, unlike Waverley, it’s not in a trench and theoretically could be made accessible with a lift and ramp on each side. However, unlike Waverley, negotiating boarding/alighting here involves what amounts to a sobriety test as the train is VERY, VERY TILTED. The outbound platform has fuck all for anything aside from a couple wastebaskets. That’s right – you don’t even get BENCHES heading outbound. Granted, officially, you don’t get anything inbound either, but AT LEAST you get the Lions Club staircase as a makeshift shelter! Speaking of, the Lions Club has taken on residence in the old station house – and as of me being here, was holding a Christmas tree sale. Neat! There’s also buses, but none of them stop directly at the station and require a walk that’s about 3-5 minutes and some j-walking. Why a bus stop can’t be located at Royal Road in front of the Lions Club is beyond me. Hmm…I wonder if this connection issue changes with the BNRD?
*does research*
Well, I actually have an answer, and that answer is actually YES. So, the 74/75 presumably would get a new stop closer to the Lions Club, and in the town center itself, AND the proposed route 54 would run right past the outbound platform on its way between Waltham and Arlington. Now, whether or not it comes to fruition, I don’t know, but it’d solve a major issue with the station. Nevertheless, the current setup kinda works, as annoying as it is with the lack of crosswalks in the area.
The good: You can get a bus from here to Harvard for $1.70! Meanwhile, going from here to Porter costs upwards of $6, if memory is right. (WHY?!) In all seriousness, it serves the town center. Yeah, I don’t have much. At least the Lions Club is there???
The bad: WHY WHY WHY?! THERE’S NO SHELTER ON EITHER PLATFORM UNLESS YOU HIDE IN THE STAIRS BY THE LIONS CLUB, THERE’S NO PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY ACCESS FROM THE OUTBOUND 74/75’S LAST STOP – OR FROM AN INBOUND RUN’S FIRST STOP (PRESENTLY), BUSES DON’T EVEN GO FURTHER INTO BELMONT FROM HERE, IT ISN’T ACCESSIBLE, WALKING THROUGH A TRAIN HERE IS A GODDAMN FREAKIN’ SOBRIETY TEST WORSE THAN WESTERLY OR SHARON– YA BETTER NOT BE DRUNK! JUST, WHY?! WAVERLEY AT LEAST HAS PLANS TO BECOME ACCESSIBLE IN THE WORKS, BUT NOTHING FOR THIS SHITHOLE OF A STATION. IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE FACT THE TOWN LOOKS COOL FROM THE WINDOW OF A TRAIN, AND THIS WAS MY ONLY IMPRESSION OF BELMONT, I’D PRESUME THE TOWN WAS A SHITHOLE! YA KNOW WHAT, MAYBE BELMONT IS FULL OF NIMBYS WHO HATE TRAINS. I’M SORRY EVERYONE BUT I CANNOT GIVE THIS STATION A HIGH SCORE. NO WONDER WHY NOBODY USES IT! FURTHERMORE, WHY IN THE NAME OF PHILLIP ENG DOES IT COST LESS TO DO BUS+RED LINE, THAN IT COSTS TO GO LITERALL ONE FREAKIN’ STOP, ALSO TO THE RED LINE?!?! YOU DON’T EVEN GET AN INTEGRATED TRANSFER! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! WHAT WERE THEY SMOKING?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!? FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKING FUCK THIS STATION SUCKS AND MAKES ME ANGRY! I CAN’T EVEN WRITE ANYTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT, IT’S THAT BAD! AT LEAST WAVERLEY HAS THE SALMON WALLS!
Nearby points of interest: There’s actually Belmont Center, the Lions Club, and some local businesses and even a bookstore!
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
MBTA bus (74, 75)
Overall, THIS STATION SUCKS AND WOULD’VE BEEN HORRIFICALLY BAD TO END THE FITCHBURG LINE ON IF THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL ISN’T ALSO ON THE FITCHBURG LINE!
Rating: 1.5/10
