chelsea – Page 4 – chelsea's corner

Halifax (MBTA)

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.

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 only signage suggesting this place *exists*

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.

Rating: 7/10

Q70-SBS (LaGuardia Link)

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?

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!

The 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!

Rating: 8/10

69th St.-Fisk Ave. (Line #7)

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.

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. 🙁

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.

Rating: 5/10

Chelsea VS. the FAA (2025 Birthday Special)

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, 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.

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!

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.

If the platform assignment was to be believed, this was my steed to NY-Laguardia

A United plane (maybe they’ll be the next aviation entry?)

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.

OH NO NOT FUX NEWS! (this blog does not endorse Fox News, or rather Fux News)

RIGHT NOW YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE MENU SHOT!

Of course, after moseying around the runway for a good 15-20 minutes, something amazing happened.

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.

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.

Haverhill (MBTA/Amtrak) & Washington Square TC (MeVa)

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 spring

Welcome 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!

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.

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!

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Downeaster)
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MeVa (1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)

Overall, it’s actually a little disappointing. But, whatever, there’s always worse, I guess!

Rating: 6/10

Winchester Center (MBTA)

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?

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.

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.

Rating: 7/10

57 (Watertown/Oak Square/BU/Kenmore)

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.

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!

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.

The end of U.S. Route 20. The other end is in Oregon, 3300 someodd miles away

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.

Rating: 8/10

Ayer (MBTA)

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!

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!

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 worse stations exist on this very same line, I think this is deserving of an okay score.

Rating: 6/10

Belmont Center (MBTA)

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 Lions Club while doing an on-foot transfer

And another! This looks kinda cool, I guess?

I spy….the Encore? Never thought it could be visible from out here.

This train left SPARKS when it was leaving

This F40-pulled train ran EXPRESS through the station. OFFPEAK.

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

South Acton (MBTA)

South Acton is a small commuter station that, while still in a rural area, isn’t exactly “middle of nowhere” like Littleton is. It’s also the last stop before trains run express to Porter Square during rush hour. So, with that in mind, let’s look at this station.

South Acton is a pretty bogstandard new-build Commuter Rail station with two side platforms, an overpass, and an elevator on each side for accessibility. Entrances also exist on each side towards local streets, and a sizable parking lot exists on the outbound side as well. The platforms are standard with wastebaskets, benches, and yellow dot matrix signage. There’s even a bike locker and …a busway? What bus could possibly stop here?!

*takes a look*

Oh….

WAIT YOU MEAN THE SIGNAGE FOR THE CAT BUS STILL EXISTS?! Well shit. Apparently, the bus actually DID pull in as well, so the CAT does in fact live on in a post-COVID world. Noone got on or off though, which has me thinking its ridership is nonexistent. Well, that’s sad. Apparently a Boxborough bus serves here too, but nothing came in so as far as I’m concerned, it’s just a concept of a plan. And, if you’re willing to walk, you can actually reach the town center. It’s just a mile! Overall, not bad though!

The good: It’s got buses! Furthermore, it’s fully accessible, has an overpass, elevators that don’t reek of piss, and there’s actually something close by!

The bad: There really isn’t that much, but it’s still better than nothing. I genuinely don’t have a lot negative to say.

Nearby points of interest: There isn’t a lot in the immediate vicinity, but I heard the Discovery Museum is pretty cool! (walk north on Main St.!)

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
Cross-Acton Transit
Boxborough Fixed Route (allegedly???)

Overall, I don’t have anything bad to say. Pretty good and inoffensive. Yay!

Rating: 8.5/10