On New Years Day in 2017, a new MTA subway line opened, with service to three new stations underneath 2nd Ave. in Manhattan’s East Side: 72nd, 86th, and 96th St.’s. However, there’s plans for extensions both north to 125th/Lexington & Park, and down to Hanover Square and Manhattan’s Seaport. This happens to be the northernmost of the 3 stations, and the current-day (as of writing this) terminus of the Q line. Welcome to 96th St./2nd Ave.
Signage opposite the platformsPlatform-side signage. Fancy!
For some weird reason, despite it being defunct for many years now, these stations are all classed as ex-IND stations. Not sure why given only the MTA exists, and as far as I could find the IND was killed off in the ’50s when the system was unified into the present-day MTA (& as such also the ex-BMT and ex-IRT sections were merged in too, though only the BMT and IND are inter-operable, as the B division of the present-day system. If you need to know, numbered lines are the A division, lettered are the B division, essentially.) Anyways, with that out of the way, and the fact it took a REALLY LONG TIME just for these three stations to be built (& with phases 2, 3, and 4 in limbo presently), the station itself is really, REALLY overbuilt. Was the MTA really trying to channel the inner ex-IND energy here?! Like, gee, I get the IND in particular was overbuilt to handle the potential for crowding, but I don’t exactly think that’s an issue that needs apply here. This isn’t a major transfer station in lower Manhattan, for crying out loud! Nevertheless, while it feels a little sterile, it’s not to an extreme to where it’s overbearing. The stone accents are pretty cool, and the platforms all have standard amenities. There’s even countdown clocks and signs pointing to the next platform departing. Neat! The escalators down have a cool light installation (it was nighttime when I was here and was able to see it!). However, though, while the restrooms are closed overnights and between 12 and 1, Rome informed me the women’s restroom was essentially unusable. I didn’t even want to look in the men’s room for fear of being traumatized. On the upside, for buses, you primarily have the M15 which runs down 2nd Ave. between 125th St. and South Ferry, and the M96 crosstown route (that is, east-west). I do have one question though: WHY WASN’T THIS SECTION OF THE SYSTEM BUILT WITH CBTC FROM THE OUTSET?! I digress. Overall, not a bad station! And, I’m sure 72nd and 86th St.’s will hold up pretty well (given they’re largely carbon copies).
An R46?!Looking downtown!Broadway express, late nights localA countdown clockWAY OVERBUILT MEZZANINE, IF THE IND EXISTED TODAY!Elevator!Stairs and escalator to street level!An M15-SBS at night!Looking up 2nd Ave.!The lighting looked kinda cool here!
The good: The lights outside look cool, as does the headhouse! The station itself is relatively pretty damn clean vs. the rest of the system (can be attributed to it still being a very new station), restrooms at least exist, and overall it’s a pretty decent station. Elevators also exist, with it still being new.
The bad: The women’s restroom is unusable (per Rome) and I am presuming the men’s room is outright traumatizing. This station is kinda overbuilt, too.
Nearby points of interest: There’s some section 8 housing nearby, along with some playgrounds and other green spaces. The Harlem River is also a stone’s toss away, if you can cross FDR Drive somehow.
Transit connections: Broadway Line (Line Q) MTA bus (M15, M15-SBS, M96)
Overall, this station isn’t that bad. A bit overbuilt, yeah, and admittedly not the best place to turn trains or to terminate them, but it really isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things. And, given phase 2 of the 2nd Ave. tunnel has funding (that’s to build the tunnel to Park/Lexington Ave.’s, and to build stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th & Park/Lexington for a transfer to the #s 4-6 lines, which I think is a better place to terminate than in the middle of relatively nowhere), there’s actually a decent future for this station. Not bad! But, I do have a question though: Why IS this station classed as an IND station, if the IND is long dead?!
Queensborough Plaza is a particularly unique station on the MTA subway system, and has the distinction of being the sole cross-platform A/B division transfer station. That meaning, you can change lines on the same island platform, but they’re on opposite tracks. In this case, uptown 7s and N’s/W’s are on the same level, but opposite tracks. Same with downtown 7s/N’s/W’s. Either way, welcome to Long Island City!
Signage? Wait, it’s just Queensboro?
This station is pretty standard in layout. On the lower level, you have downtown trains into Manhattan, with the next stop on the N and W being 59th/Lexington, and on the #7 line being 45th Rd.-Courthouse Square. Of course, this is not to be confused with Courthouse/ICA on the Silver Line in Boston. The upper levels have the uptown tracks for both lines, with the N and W heading to Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, and the next stop on the #7 line being one covered here – 33rd/Rawson St.’s. This is also a pretty cool railfanning spot for the subway with how the tracks curve away in both directions, to be honest. There’s also elevators to the mezzanine, different countdown clocks for the A and B divisions, and otherwise nothing much to remark. The mezzanine is pretty standard with faregates, Metrocard machines, but no OMNY machine. There’s also restrooms here, but given this is the MTA…….yeah no thanks, I would rather not be traumatized. Sorry! Heading outside, you have stairs to street level and another elevator, of which Rome and I rode (they’re new and didn’t have time to let the piss scent kick in yet). Weirdly, they had “yes” and “no” buttons – cue the looks of confusion. As for buses, the B62 will bring you from here to Hoyt-Schermerhorn and the NYC Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn, while the other routes will bring you to other places around Queens, including the Q39 to Ridgewood, the Q69 (hehe nice) to Astoria, and the Q102 to Roosevelt Island. Overall, not a bad station! And, pretty cool actually!
NOW WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY!Woah, an elevator!oops.The platformAn R46 old tech on the N line!DUNKIES?!BROADWAY EXP (even though it stops at 49th St.)This is a mouthfulTWO FOR ONE COMBO!WOAH!ELEVATED!Another old tech!Elevator!The mezzanine!The exitThis is a vibe tbh.The station from outside*cue confusion*Street level!hehe niceThe #7 line cresting the curve between Court Square and Queensborough!And the tail end of the trainhehe nice.I spy the Manhattan skyline…Another Manhattan skyline shot
The good: It’s an important transfer station between the A and B divisions and, weirdly enough, the only chance to do such a transfer in Queens (yeah, the IRT didn’t really do much in Queens). It’s also accessible, and primarily exists to serve LI City. It also serves as an accessible alternative to inaccessible stations nearby on the N line in particular (the #7 line doesn’t face this issue as badly, as Court Square’s #7 platform is accessible, and 33rd St. is not too close by). It’s also a cool spot for railfanning!
The bad: Yes???? no????? On a more serious note, the station looks a bit old, but functionally there’s really nothing offensively bad. However, I am kinda scared to peek into the restroom.
Nearby points of interest: For railfans, the station itself is a point of interest! The Northeast Corridor is also a short walk away! For stuff outside the station, there’s a USCIS office nearby, Silvercup Studios (you can see the famed sign from the #7 line!), JetBlue HQ, and even an Ecuadorian consulate! Other than that, it’s mostly corporate offices and your usual Dunkin’, Checkers, etc., albeit in a heavily gentrified neighborhood. Make as you wish of that.
Transit connections: Flushing Line (#7) Broadway Line (N, W) MTA bus (B62, Q32, Q39, Q60, Q66, Q67, Q69, Q100, Q101, Q102)
Overall, it’s actually a pretty cool station, and I don’t have much to say negatively about it, and in terms of functionality, it’s one of my favorites on the MTA subway. Woohoo! However, the fact there’s restrooms scare me with what horrors lie within. D:
Halifax is the least-used currently open station on the MBTA’s Kingston Line. With that intro out of the way, let’s see what this least-used station has in store for us……oh fuck.
Signage!
Whelp, the sense of existential dread is real. Granted, I was stuck here for all of 30 minutes, but it was still the middle of absolutely nowhere. Legit, there’s LITERALLY NOTHING AROUND. THIS STATION IS WHAT ROWLEY AND LITTLETON ARE TO THE NORTH SIDE. This station is so rural, one might be forgiven for thinking this was northern New Hampshire or something. The nearest thing that isn’t sparse housing, is a Walmart located almost 3 miles away (about an hour on foot). There’s some stables close by as well, if you’re into horses, I guess. However, Halifax is quite possibly as rural as things get on the MBTA. And, I looked into it for shits & giggles, Halifax is also one of the reddest towns served by the T (only Freetown and Middleborough are redder). So, yeah. As for the station itself, it isn’t too much. You have two platforms (one is only used for train meets), a parking lot, bicycle racks, a grade crossing, and the usual Kingston Line affair. Not much to say. Not bad, though.
The trainBye!The #2 trackOh god, this feels desolate…NOBODY IS HERE.LOTS AND LOTS OF PARKINGShelter!Outdated system map!Yellow dot matrix signage!GRADE CROSSING…bicycle rack?a snow bankThe only signage suggesting this place existsSidewalk access?The Holmes St. crossingCAUTION: ACTIVE RAILROAD CROSSINGTowards Kingston and …Plymouth???Towards Braintree and Boston!oh this is desolate…Watershed!
The good: I mean, it’s a park and ride for the people nearby without access to Rte. 3, and by extension can’t get to Kingston as easily! It is also the closest MBTA station to various parts of Pembroke and Plympton! It’s also fully accessible and has the usual Old Colony station amenities. Neat!
The bad: The land use, really. And that’s a pretty big one given the remoteness of this. Not even some TOD? But, given this is Halifax and it’s probably a very hardcore conservative place (given how they voted at the federal level), TOD might be asking for a lot.
Nearby points of interest: Not much.
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Kingston)
Overall, while the remoteness hurts the station, it’s pretty usable and actually otherwise a very useful station given it’s the least-used on the line.
The Q70-SBS is a short and simple run between 61st and 74th St. stations in Queens, to LaGuardia Airport. Let’s take a look at it, shall we?
Nonfunctional OMNY readers
This bus is a fare-free bus route on the MTA’s bus network, and is an important route too. In fact, it’s important enough to be a literal bendy bus hightailing it down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway at 45 miles an hour. Certainly, not as fast as some RIPTA buses hightailing it down I-95, but for a highway in NYC, it’s not bad given buses move an average of 10 miles an hour seemingly. Nevertheless, there wasn’t much to see as this route is primarily to serve as the missing link between LaGuardia and the subway (or, in this case, the #7 subway line – the M60-SBS runs express to 125th St. and serves the Metro-North station, as well as most subway stations on that street). By extension of this route serving 61st St. station, it also has a connection with the LIRR. Neat! Unfortunately, though, I didn’t get many pictures as I was too busy talking to Rome about various things. However, this isn’t a big deal as there isn’t much to see anyways. Yeah, sorry!
FARE FREE +SELECT BUS BENDY BOY!!!!!LIVE LAUGH LOVE THE BQEANOTHER BENDY BUS!The BQE!More highway shots!And another pictureThe last picture before getting off the highway
Once off the highway, the bus does a loop, stopping at 74th St. Station’s front door, making a couple turns to Woodside Ave., stopping at Woodside and Roosevelt Ave. (to serve the 61st St. subway/LIRR station), and then proceeding back to 74th St. before turning back onto the BQE to return to LaGuardia. Overall, not a bad route!
Yes, this route has its own special wrap!
The good: It’s an important bus route, and arguably one of the single most important routes in all of Queens! It has connections to not just the LIRR, but also the #7 subway line, as well as lines E, F, M, and R at 74th Street. It’s also fare-free! Bus frequency ranges from every handful of minutes on weekdays, to every 10-15 on weekends, and every 20 overnight.
The bad: BUILD THE F*CKING LAGUARDIA AIRTRAIN, PORT AUTHORITY!!! WHY DOES THE MTA HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK WITH A BUS CONNECTION THAT’S HEAVILY SUBJECTED TO TRAFFIC?!
EDIT: apparently, it’s come to my attention there WERE plans for a LaGuardia Airtrain. Except, it had one issue: WHY IN THE NAME OF JESUS FUCKING CHRIST DID ANDREW CUOMO PROPOSE SENDING IT TO FREAKIN’ METS-WILLETT POINT INSTEAD OF SENDING IT TO, YA KNOW, WOODSIDE/61ST ST. OR 74TH ST./BROWADWAY/JACKSON HTS./ROOSEVELT AVE.?! FURTHERMORE, THE STUDY THAT WAS TIED TO SUCH A PROPOSAL, ONLY BEGET “LET’S MAKE IT FREE” AS THE ONLY OPTION. AND THAT, IS HOW THE Q70 BECAME FARE-FREE. FUCKIN’ “EQUAL OR BETTER” TYPE OF ENERGY RIGHT THERE! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! YA KNOW, I STILL STAND BY “BUILD THE AIRTRAIN” EXCEPT, WITH A BIG ASTERISK: MAKE THE PORT AUTHORITY PAY FOR AN N LINE EXTENSION, MAYBE EXTEND THE G LINE TO WHITESTONE AND THROGGS NECK VIA HERE, AND BUILD THE ACTUAL AIRTRAIN – EXCEPT, YA KNOW, BUILD IT TO F*CKING WOODSIDE OR 74TH STREET! Thank you Max, for informing me of the fact the AirTrain proposal was a thing and the backstory behind making this route fare-free. Fuck you, Andy Cuomo!
Nearby points of interest: LaGuardia, Woodside-61st St., and Jackson Heights-74th St. are the big areas here.
Overall, this route is an important one, very important on the bus network, and among the most important in all of Queens. However, BUILD THE F*CKING LAGUARDIA AIRTRAIN!
oh yeah you know what’s up just on the basis of this title. 69th st., is it nice? Rome and I both found out the answer to this question, and it was disappointing. Go ahead everyone, get all the spicier jokes out of your system before continuing.
hehehehehehehe nice
69th St.(-Fisk Ave.) is a local station on the #7 subway line. Located in the heart of Little Manila, in Woodside, it’s a stone’s throw from both Woodside/61st St. and from 74th St./Broadway/Jackson Hts./Roosevelt Ave., of which one has the LIRR and is an express stop, while the other has connections to the E, F, M, and R lines via Queens Boulevard. With that in mind, there isn’t a lot to remark about this station. It’s elevated, in the heart of Little Manila, doesn’t even have a yellow safety strip (yikes!), and it seems like the stairs to the mezzanine are falling apart. But, hey, there’s a Dunks nearby at least! Street level also hosts some bus connections, including the Q32 to midtown Manhattan and the Q47 to LaGuardia’s marine terminal and to a shopping center in Middle Village. The Q70-SBS, however, does not stop here despite passing by. Overall, not the nicest of stations, contrary to what the name suggests. 🙁
Bye!heheheheheheheheheheheheheTowards Flushing!And towards Woodside!Another shot4 minute headways. Not bad.oh this was sketch.The mezzanine
The good: It serves as Little Manila’s primary stop! So, if you like Filipino cuisine or culture, or are involved in it, this might be your stop! The platform and mezzanine has expected amenities too.
The bad: It’s inaccessible, and REALLY inaccessible at that. YIKES. There’s not even a yellow safety strip! Furthermore, I don’t think I’ve seen an OMNY machine here either, but whatever. The stairs were falling apart, for Christ’s sake! That’s REALLY bad. It’s also REALLY close to both Woodside and 74th, both of which ARE accessible. In fact, it’s bad enough this is the least-used station on the entire line! (allegedly Hunterspoint Ave. took this spot, but c’mon, IT’S 69TH STREET!)
Nearby points of interest: This station is in Little Manila! If highways and cars are your thing, the BQE is directly beneath you too.
Transit connections: Flushing Line (Line #7) MTA bus (Q32, Q47)
Overall, I don’t think this is a nice station. Yeah, sorry. Just because haha funny NSFW number, doesn’t mean it’s anything good.
Okay, kiddos, buckle down for this one because this is a particularly crazy special. Now, depending on how this goes, the following entries will either be all Boston-centric, or a mix of Boston and NYC-centric entries. As of me writing this paragraph (& the next three following), I don’t know. That being, I will have either ridden a plane successfully for the first time ever, or I will have been arrested by TSA police and have been through a traumatically undignifying experience, by the time I finish this entry. With that in mind, let’s begin this ordeal.
it all started with bribery…
It all started, when Miranda (the same one that came with me to Christopher St. last August!) bribed me with $60 to take a plane, back in October. Surprisingly, she was not joking, and was serious. And, yes, she followed through. So, I booked a plane, and by god was it a bad start.
The booking process apparently REQUIRED me to gender myself incorrectly (no X option – to match what was on both my passport and Rhode Island state ID), and I fell back on “F”. Do I pass well enough? Probably not. But, whatever. Everything else is smooth-ish sailing until I get to the end. But, I was still panicking. By the time I got to the end, it asked for things I didn’t know what the hell they were. What the fuck is a “Known Traveler Number”? I don’t know, and I hope to god leaving it blank (per Brooke’s warning) isn’t going to get me in trouble – even though I have a bad feeling doing so is a bad idea. But whatever. It let me proceed, I paid up the $54 or so, and I had …a confirmation email.
Where’s the ticket itself?
What? Just a confirmation? No e-ticket?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! Hell, it didn’t even tell me what my seat was! THAT’S RIGHT – THOSE BASTARDS ARE SO MONEY HUNGRY THEY EVEN DEMAND YOU MONEY JUST SO THEY CAN ASSIGN YOU A SEAT. So, I said fuck it, paid $10 for seat 8A (after everyone insisting seating doesn’t matter and it is not, in fact, scenic), and went on my way. But, I STILL DON’T HAVE AN E-TICKET. IT’S BEEN THREE MONTHS AS OF WRITING THIS PARAGRAPH, ALMOST, AND I DON’T HAVE ONE STILL – JUST A GODDAMN CONFIRMATION. And, for you plane foamers out there, you can track my plane with it being plane #E190 out of Boston’s Logan Airport. Have fun with that! In fact, this is also the first time I’ve ridden the SL1 for any semblance of a legitimate reason. Neat! Either way, so far, this is quite the sour start. For comparison, Amtrak just has you fill out info, no weird “Known Traveler” number or anything – you pick if you want coach or business, you’re assigned a seat (or told it’s first come first serve – this is how coach class on the Regional, and I presume many other trains, work) and you get your e-ticket right then and there.
2025-01-24 – The Preliminary Scoping
So, to get a feel for what I’m doing, in anticipation of being here in a melantonin-fueled daze, I decided to come by. So, I hop on the SL1 and get off at Terminal A. Of course, I wander around the terminal, figure out how to do inter-terminal transfers as needed, and generally get a lay of the land. And, by god, is Logan Airport pretty freakin’ big. I walk by Terminal B, find that it’s …two in one???? Yeah, this was confusing me. Looking through the outer areas of the terminals, there’s customer service desks, what looks like baggage claims, bubblers, convenience stores, three Dunkies, and several security lines. Admittedly, at face value, I’m more scared now because I really hope I don’t get in the wrong line. I must also admit, a lot of the airport is a freakin’ liminal space, and there’s also a lot of seemingly fishy-looking offices. Surprisingly, though, Terminal A was a madhouse yet B was basically dead, and C was also largely dead. Overall, nothing too bad.
2025-02-09 – “Check in”
I don’t know what the fuck a check in is, but I was asked to do that. So, I asked if it was bad and was told no, and confirmed “yes, despite pouring $65 into this, I am still using a plane.” It also asked me for seat selection (why?), extra bags, and …priority security??? I wasn’t an ADA passenger, so I didn’t need priority screening. After this, it actually beget me MY TICKET?!
2025-02-10 – The Big Day
Okay, so Feb. 10th rolled around, seemingly taking an eternity, and it was the big day. Woke up at 2:30, Ubered to Providence, and took the first train of the morning out. All was normal until, of course, in typical fashion whenever I go to NYC, something goes horrifically wrong and I narrowly avoid trouble. In this case, I avoided a derailment in the Readville yard that caused issues galore. I was able to take the Silver Line out to Logan Airport easily. I forgot where to get off so I just defaulted to Terminal B as a failsafe, got off, looked at the rather easy to find wayfinding and found I had to go to C. Surprisingly, here, I also discovered that Massport has countdown clocks for both the SL1 and their own shuttles. Neat! So, I hauled my ass over to Term. C, and printed out my ticket. FINALLY, they let me print it out. I’m not sure why I couldn’t print it out on Jan. 24th, but whatever. I got this, and then the first of two major problem points that could potentially derail everything: the TSA. I didn’t know what I was doing going into this, and there were multiple lines. But, thankfully, the TSA agent was ushering people in and pointed me to the right line (even if I was still nervous that I did not, in fact, get in the right line as it was completely unmarked). I confirmed everything they were saying, did as needed, and was on my way. Surprisingly, it was quick, and the TSA agents were….actually helpful in making sure I was doing the right thing. I know, ACAB and all that, and I still hold on to that principle, but recognition to people being helpful is an important thing too. With that, shoutout to the TSA agents at Logan for actually being helpful and professional. But, still, ACAB. Unfortunately, the problem point was actually something I did NOT anticipate.
I lost my ID somewhere!
Yeah, THAT was bad. But, after conferring with Brooke on what to do, and asking a TSA agent at the center of security, I actually managed to recover it as someone turned it in. Thank you, person who turned it in!
The beginning…Silver Line To Logan Airport!The Tobin Bridge or smth idfkLIMINALITYStill super liminal!I survived, bitch.
So, after this, I decided to explore the terminal a bit. There were a number of restaurants, shops, and even a couple of Dunks! Sadly, I couldn’t mobile order any Dunks here, so I had to forego it. But, I did find a gender-neutral restroom as I had to piss, and it was clean and spacious. Neat. Also, the sunrises out here are actually kinda nice, in a way. Personally, however, I’d rather my sunsets over the ocean in southern Connecticut. It was a long couple hours, but eventually 8:15 rolled around, I found the platform, and boarding began. The process was a bit weird. Of course, people with accessibility needs boarded first. That much was normal and expected and it’s generally courteous. After that were business class passengers. Lastly, I guess, would’ve been the remaining what are called “groups”. Why, coach class passengers have to be divided is beyond me and it makes little sense. But, instead, the agent just told everyone else to board, probably because the plane was far from sold out. And, I was finally on a plane. First time ever, in my life.
Some planesIf the platform assignment was to be believed, this was my steed to NY-LaguardiaA different part of the airportA United plane (maybe they’ll be the next aviation entry?)A cute lil’ propeller plane!SPIRIT!This wasn’t reassuring
So, once I boarded, I noticed a few things. The seats were…..actually kinda comfy? I mean, it’s better than the Commuter Rail, but it’s still no Amfleet or Acela I seat. Trays were considerably smaller than on Amtrak. The screen was a bit hard to see. Also, only a 4:3 ratio? Holy SHIT that’s old. At that point, just have a CRT television. The windows were tiny too. While many transit advocates like to give shit to U.S. rolling stock for “unusually small windows you can’t see out of”, I don’t see any of them batting an eye at things like the B6 classes or whatever. There were a seatbelt too, and that’s there for a REALLY GOOD REASON. Lastly, there was a toilet in the back. I didn’t use it, but I heard it’s tiny. And, if that’s the case, it’s PROBABLY A GOOD THING I didn’t need to use the shitter. Legroom, surprisingly, was very liberal too. Again, it’s no Amtrak coach class, but it was pretty damn close seemingly. Overall, not bad! I’m genuinely impressed on this.
I can’t see shit!OutsideMe from onboardOH NO NOT FUX NEWS! (this blog does not endorse Fox News, or rather Fux News)MENU SHOT, MENU SHOT!RIGHT NOW YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE MENU SHOT!PlaneSnowy runway!The Final Frontier!
Of course, after moseying around the runway for a good 15-20 minutes, something amazing happened.
blehWHAT THE DEUCE?!
We WENT AIRBORN! WOAH! I looked down, actually in awe, “woah”, this……..was something. It’s like someone coded the world as a Mode 7 Super NES game. For those reading that don’t know what mode 7 is on the Super NES, the best example of it is Super Mario Kart, so I suggest looking at gameplay of that game. But, it felt like a rollercoaster and getting a boosted start in Mario Kart. I actually got a bit of a headache, which nobody warned me about. So, that sucked. Also annoyingly, turns out planes are faraday cages. No cell service whatsoever! I think top speed was around 300 miles an hour or something, and for you plane foamers, we were at about 2 miles up the entire time. It, however, was not exactly scenic as I couldn’t discern anything clearly. Cafe service was…..anemic, with an option of either water or coffee, and plantain chips or a granola bar. I opted for water and a granola bar, naturally. I would’ve personally preferred a self-serve option here, though, so I could get something at my leisurely pace without worrying if I need something later. Annoyed by the fact I was in a faraday cage, I tried using the wifi, which…….just didn’t work. Oh well. We eventually came in onto Laguardia Airport, which required going in a 270 degree circle around the city and into New Jersey briefly, rapidly descending, into a very rough landing. I’m not sure if this is because the operator is new or what, but they really oughta be better. Overall though, not bad for a first plane trip.
Cafe service!The skyline from Laguardia’s runwayhehe nice
Overall, would I do this again? Actually, probably, depending on how I feel. But, as someone who’s Amtrak-first, it’d be a hard sell to move me out of an Amfleet coach seat. But, if I could be sufficiently convinced with a similar or lesser price tag or otherwise convinced it’s more convenient than just hopping onto a train, I’d consider this again. Now, allegedly, Precheck for the TSA is a thing and adds to the “convenience” factor, however that costs …$80, I think? for something that’s single-use, as far as I can tell. Not sure if it’s worth it, but I’d have to keep that in mind. There’s also this thing called Clear, but I don’t know anyone who’s used it. Now, I also don’t know what the differences between each individual carrier is, but not knowing any of that doesn’t help the confusion factor in the booking process. How do I know which carrier is best for a particular route? Ya know, maybe I might just do an entry on each individual major US-based carrier.
Now, for you the reader? I can’t give a simple “yes” or “no” to “should you do this?”. And, ultimately, that’s because I’m not you. Only you know your needs best. I can give information on what it’s like in my personal experiences, but my experiences and yours will differ, as will what I’m looking for in an S-tier carrier (essentially, a very Amtrak-esque experience). And, plus, maybe you (the reader) value something that I don’t give many hoots about. I personally value being able to take in the scenery and walk around, and oftentimes like the slower pace of Amtrak (even on the NEC!), and for my needs Amtrak also oftentimes is considerably cheaper. But, if I had to answer “would I recommend JetBlue?”, I’d actually say “yes” to that because the experience surprisingly, while far from perfect, is a little familiar vs. the Amtrak experience I know and love. And, with that, thanks for reading.
Here we are. The last northside Commuter Rail station entry on this blog. Holy fucking shit. (well, unless you include the Downeaster and the proposed Northern Tier Rail stops, and the proposed South Salem CR stop, but the Downeaster isn’t in MBTA jurisdiction beyond here and Northern Tier and South Salem are both concepts of plans presently.) The finish line for visiting every T station is in sight. With that in mind, here’s the final northside Commuter Rail station, HAVERHILL!
The walk from Bradford, from last springWelcome to beautiful downtown Haverhill!
Now, I will stipulate, I had to visit Haverhill twice because my first round had me missing something rather important that I completely overlooked. So, I still had to come back. Nevertheless, this still turned out to be the final station. Entering the station from street level, you have signs pointing towards Boston, similarly to Uphams Corner underneath the tracks. There’s a bigass parking lot operated, I’m pretty sure, by MeVa. The station layout is a standard 2x side platform configuration, which leaves a question: what do MBTA trains terminating do? Well, it’s simple actually! There’s a pocket track ahead that MBTA trains pull into and turn around. At least, that’s what Open Railway Map suggests. I actually don’t have an answer. Nevertheless, the station has a standard mini-high setup commonly seen around the system, is served also by Amtrak with the Downeaster, and grade crossings to change sides. I’m not sure if plans exist to reconfigure into full-length platforms, but I kinda hope there are because I feel like that’d help both Amtrak and the MBTA here. Both platforms have the usual shelter, benches, wastebaskets, yellow dot matrix signage, and all that. Though, I feel like a departure board with Amtrak times might help here too. Anyways, not a bad station!
Station signage!A parking lot from afarMEEEEEEVAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!More parking and a clock!GARAGE!Parking.An overpass shot.Mini-high with ramp!Amtrak signage!Crossing the mighty Merrimack River!Amtrak crossing the bridgeP42 GENESIS NUMBAH 100DAYAUM
So, that leaves just the bus terminal. I forgot about this one entirely, so how is it? Well…….kinda sad, actually. There’s a building that you can’t even enter unless you work for MeVa, and on a cold and windy day like when I came here, it was BAD. Yikes. Yeah, that ain’t good.
Washington Square TC!The namesake square!InsideSeating, but no shelter.
The good: It’s a serviceable train station in downtown Haverhill! It gets both Amtrak and MBTA service! It also has what you’d expect.
The bad: For an Amtrak station, it’s kinda lackluster. There’s no indoor waiting area, no Quik-Trak machine, it only has a mini-high platform, and there’s really no amenities you’d expect at an Amtrak station, especially one in a downtown area. For an MBTA station, it’s average, but c’mon. The nearby bus terminal is also sad too, with a building not open to the public anymore.
Nearby points of interest: Downtown Haverhill and MeVa’s bus network!
If this was before 2022, I’d probably be giving this station a rather negative take, on the basis of it being both stupidly close to Wedgemere and having the bus connections in place of Wedgemere, and being inaccessible in the town center. However, last October, they reopened the station in an accessible form. Now, it’s still not complete, but it’s complete enough to where I’m considering it “close enough”. With that in mind, let’s look at this station, shall we?
Station signage!
The station layout is pretty bogstandard, with two full-length high-level platforms. At present, only the rear half of the platforms are open and only the two cars closest to the locomotive platform. But, if you happen to board elsewhere on the train and need accessibility, they do tell you to let the crew know so the appropriate doors platform. A little annoying, but given it’s a stopgap, I’m not holding it against anyone. The elevators didn’t smell of piss (this is Winchester, I sure as fuck hope they don’t!), and to change sides you physically have to go to street level and use the sidewalk. Yeah, no mezzanine, but whatever. It is, however, a little sus to me that they went with a full-length high level platform, yet they couldn’t be arsed to build a second high-level platform at every South Coast Rail station. And, yet, this is the northside’s primary freight corridor! But, whatever, I’ll complain about that when I get around to doing New Bedford-Whale’s Tooth and Fall River-Downtown. The platforms are serviceable, with departure boards, benches, wastebaskets, and all that fun stuff. There’s also parking both on the streets nearby, and in the Waterfield Rd. and Aberjona River lots, and there would also be one lining Laraway Rd., if construction wasn’t happening. Overall though, pretty decent! The 134 also stops nearby (if you count a 7 minute walk as “nearby”), but that’s relatively infrequent.
traaaaaaainBye, see ya!Towards Lowell and Haverhill!Towards North Station!The other sideDeparture board!RAMP!Wintry wasteland!Overlooking Winchester!I do believe that’s Wedgemere!The Aberjona lot!OVERPASSConstruction and Laraway Rd.!Winchester Center itself!
The good: It’s located in Winchester’s town center, and generally has more around it vs. Wedgemere! You have the local town hall, a church, a downtown area, and you even have a jr. high school and Winchester High nearby! Neat!
The bad: Unlike Wedgemere, however, it is not a parking sink for the surrounding neighborhoods. Or, at least, it’s not intended to be one. Also, the connection to the 134 is just so far away relatively. I’m not quite sure how many people are making the connection between the 134 and the Commuter Rail, but it’s still annoying.
Nearby points of interest: There’s a walking trail nearby, and downtown Winchester is right here! There’s also the Middlesex Fells Reservation somewhat close by, too.
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Lowell) MBTA bus (134)
Overall, it’s not a bad station. Just, it’s annoying the bus connection is a ways away, and the biggest handicap here otherwise is the Lowell Line’s shit schedule (as of writing this). The station itself is pretty good.
Okay! This one’s a bit delayed because of a lack of willpower, but I finally found the willpower to do this one! Meet: the 57. Or, the bus that’s seemingly perpetually crowded and a replacement to the B branch.
Dear god…
So, the route begins at Watertown Yard, but I boarded at the Newton Supercollider. It’s not a lot that I’m missing here. Anyways, I digress. From where I boarded, the route goes through the Supercollider into Brighton, through Newton Corner. It’s largely very suburban as it does this, but as it goes further down, it slowly begins getting progressively more urban, and the next neighborhoods here are Brighton and Oak Square (with its connection to the 64 to Kendall/MIT!). Of course, we pass by a number of houses and businesses, things progressively get denser, and we even pass a couple of churches. Cambridge St. becomes Brighton Avenue, and it gets pretty dense as we enter Allston and Packards Corner, where we meet the B branch. Oh, look, Packards Corner Station and the B branch!
Bus connection!Suburbia!It slowly gets denserDUNKIES!Densification!A church!St. Lizzie’s Medical Center!A school!A video game store!Salon!Welcome to Packards Corner!EWWI like this shot.
So, we keep going down the B branch’s routing, crossing over the Pike, passing by Amory and Babcock Streets, numerous shops including Raising Canes and Landry’s (if you’re looking for cycling stuff, I cannot recommend them enough!), and even Boston University! Go Terriers! Soon enough, however, we pass Blandford Street and arrive in Kenmore. We made it to the end of the 57.
I forgot what this wasA Starbies, just for you, Brooke!The Pike!Some BU stuffSome more BU facilitiesThe end of U.S. Route 20. The other end is in Oregon, 3300 someodd miles awayBus connection!
The good: It serves important (if quiet at face value!) communities in Watertown and Allston, and BU! It’s also one of the MBTA’s busiest bus corridors (this also used to be a Green Line branch). Furthermore, it’s very frequent with 12-15 minute headways for much of the day, every day. Peak service also has Oak Square short-turns as the 57A (though at the time of riding, this was not yet in service). Given all this, it’s one of the MBTA’s most important corridors.
The bad: It’s pretty prone to bunching. Capacity can also be an issue, and truthfully, this is one bus route that could benefit from having a few bendy boys running on it. Another alternative to fixing capacity issues could be to revive the A branch to Watertown, but that has its own set of issues. Some crazy souls might even suggest trolleybus-ifying the route, but…eh………no. But, my biggest gripe mostly comes down to capacity issues. 40 foot buses are NOT enough for this route, especially when school is in session at BU. And given it makes little sense for people to get off and transfer to the Green Line at Babcock St. or Packards Corner (unless they’re heading towards Boston College), it really is a problem. Please, get some bendy boys on this route!
Nearby points of interest: Packards Corner looks cool! BU is also right on the route. Brighton and Newton Corner are a little more suburban, but Oak Square has a number of shopping destinations too. There’s also St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, as well!
Overall, it’s an important route for the MBTA and local communities, and is one that desperately needs better capacity and throughput. But, all things considered, not a bad route.
Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa (if you celebrate – I do not know anyone that celebrates it), and happy holidays overall! Hopefully you (the reader) are enjoying your Wednesday. Today’s entry, is a special gift. Welcome to Ayer!
Station signage!
Ayer, in particular, has a reputation among Boston-area railfans – and, in a way, is a rite of passage. It’s a major freight rail hub, and is the most likely place to see freight trains in MBTA territory. That is not to say you can’t see them elsewhere – you absolutely can! I’ve personally seen CSX running on the Northeast Corridor, the outer Haverhill Line, and the Franklin Line. I digress though. The station itself is pretty modest, if not ADA accessible – as there are two low level platforms, a grade crossing between them, a red dot matrix sign on the inbound platform, seating on both sides, a nice-ish shelter, a bus shelter (both on the inbound side, naturally), and even a modest amount of parking. The station is also pretty much in Ayer’s town center, which is nice. There’s also a parking garage operated and managed by MART a little ways away. As for bus connections, however, there really aren’t any. Wait, what’s that? A horse racing down the track? What?! HOLY FUCKING SHIT, A NORFOLK SOUTHERN LOCOMOTIVE TRIO COUPLING TO A CRAPTON OF AUTORACKS?! Of course, I wasn’t the only one here, as a number of railfans had the same idea on the day I was out here. But, that wasn’t even the only catch! Later, I’d also see a CSX train taking the wye to head south towards Devens and Harvard. Unfortunately, it ended up becoming disabled, and I guess it broke the signaling system and switches (forcing the Keolis conductor on my train to Boston to hand-throw it), but hey, it was still cool to see!
Wrong-railing! But, there was a good reason!Bye!!! And a railfan!A shoddy lil’ bus shelter!GRADE CROSSING!Seating!Welcome to Ayer!Here comes the trusty steed!Red dot matrix signage. Classic.There are no bus connections.Kiss & ride?An outbound!The purple streak meets the steedTrain meet!Staring down the clear signalOH LAWDbean sniff.At least it isn’t vinyl chloride!OH LAWD THAT’S TALLThe rail trail to the parking garageLooking back towards the town centerM- M- M- M- MART!!!The garage!Clear day!Not many clouds in sight!Ayer’s downtown area!CSX?!Taking the wye!My train home!
The good: It’s located in downtown Ayer! The walkshed is actually pretty good, and at face value, Ayer is the kind of place where you could easily take the train out, get lunch, do a little bit of shopping, and take the train back. There’s also plenty of parking for park & ride users, as well – even if it’s not a lot (given Littleton is better-suited for this, being at the junction of MA-2 and I-495). It’s also a freakin’ cool place to railfan freight trains too, for what it’s worth.
The bad: Really, the worst, is that it’s inaccessible, and freight trains could easily block the crossing. I genuinely don’t have anything else bad to say about it, surprisingly. Actually, I do have ONE thing to say. The outbound platform is a little barren!
Nearby points of interest: Ayer’s town center looks like it has some cool places! Furthermore, there’s a rail trail!
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
Overall, it’s actually not that bad, as far as inaccessible Commuter Rail stations. I mean, yeah, it could (& should) be better. But, given far worsestations exist on this very same line, I think this is deserving of an okay score.
