hehehehehehe y’all thought I wasn’t going to cover Peter Pan? Well, here we go. To popular demand, here’s the Peter Pan terminal in Providence.
Oh golly
So, the terminal isn’t conducive to anything given this is privately-owned. The place was closed when I was here, but this was the only opportunity for me to review this. There’s a waiting room, bathrooms, a ticketing counter, and the usual stuff. There’s also several bus bays and a decent amount of parking. Overall, it’s okay.
Bus.The barren waiting roomParkingDamn, not even past the last bus’s arrival?Sheltered area and parkingA cafe?
The good: It exists, I guess. It’s Peter Pan’s main base of operation in RI.
The bad: It’s kinda isolated from the rest of RI’s transit network. The walk to the nearest bus stop (an R Line stop) is about 10 minutes – half a mile. It’s also not in the most inviting location, and feels kinda sketchy at night, to be quite honest.
Nearby points of interest: Providence. The R Line is right there.
Transit connections: Peter Pan
Overall, I think I have seen better. The station is kinda sketchy-feeling at night, and while Peter Pan itself isn’t the worst, I’d rather take RIPTA and the Commuter Rail any day if I can help it.
Okay, okay. So, the MTA subway system isn’t the only one in NYC. NY actually has a second, interstate system operated by the Port Authority known as PATH. Surprisingly, though, the system is split about 50/50 with 6 of the 13 stations being in NYC (namely, the stations along 6th Ave., Christopher St., and World Trade Center), while the other 7 are in eastern New Jersey (primarily in Jersey City, but also as far out as Newark’s Penn Station and Hoboken). Now, this and the other 12 PATH stations may be a bit sketch for me to do given the Port Authority has a no photography rule in place, but here we go…
Signage!
So, this originally came to be when I suggested to Michael, Rome, and Metropolis that we should ride PATH for fun. Surprisingly, they agreed, and we went to the nearest PATH station. In this case, it was 9th Street. And, so, I commenced with the first PATH station review. Firstly, the entrance is actually a pretty long tunnel that’s inaccessible. Signage pointing to the station thankfully does exist at street level, and the entrance itself is pretty inconspicuous. Once inside the station, you have fare gates with OMNY- er, TAPP readers, and PATH ticketing machines. The station itself is relatively pretty clean, it clearly wasn’t trafficked as much as nearby West 4th St., and the platforms had standard amenities one would expect, including benches, trash bins, and even an LCD clock with the next train in each direction (in this case, towards 33rd St./Herald Sq., and towards World Trade Center, as Hoboken was closed). There was even an info board in the tunnel as well that even had the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail! (stay tuned!). Overall, not bad for an introductory entry into a new system! Yay! One other fun fact, this is also the least-used PATH station as well!
Wayfinding!Looking up 6th Ave. a littleThe street outside the station entrancePretty inconspicuous, to be honest.LCD signage!THE STAIRS AND TUNNELInfo board with NJ TRANSIT?!Fare control!WEEWOO WEEWOO FBI OPEN UP THIS IS AN ILLEGAL PICTURE!Looking towards Herald Square!NEIN.Platform shot!
The good: It’s pretty well kept, and can serve both as a local alternative to the MTA subway (uptown) or to NJT buses (towards NJ). It’s also got the standard amenities you’d expect, and is actually very well lit. The station also has distinct character with the more low-key entrance.
The bad: The hole in the wall style of entrance can be a bit hard to find amid the amounts of signage for other businesses found in the area. Also, it’s not an accessible station. Of course, I’d also mention West 4th being close by, but it’s also not an MTA station so I can’t complain about that. My biggest gripes come down to inaccessibility primarily. Also, the platforms can get pretty easily crowded.
Nearby points of interest: You have a library nearby, Washington Square Park, even the Stonewall Inn if you walk a little (this is the closest PATH stations to all of these places). This is also the closest PATH station to NYU, as well.
Transit connections: PATH (Blue/HOB-33, Orange/JSQ-33) MTA bus (M8, M55)
Overall, not bad for a first PATH station. It’s nice for what it is, though inaccessibility is annoying. But, I guess that also means no piss-scented elevators! Anyways-
*hears police sirens getting closer*
Oh shit, Port Authority transit police is after me, aren’t they… FUCK.
Stillwell Terminal, Stillwell Terminal, Stillwell Terminal… Well, this station manages to both be useful AND a rather season-dependent station. I mean, it’s no slouch for ridership during the colder months, but I’m making a safe presumption that even during warmer months, it’s busy here due to crowds gong to Luna Park and the beach. Oh yeah, did I mention there’s also a minor league stadium and an aquarium nearby too?
I forgot a pic of the station signage, so this will have to suffice.
Now, we have a lot to unpack here, so let’s look at the history of this station. I’ll be giving the abridged version, so it’s not a full in-depth overview. So, here we go. The terminal was formally opened in 1919, and became the terminus of the the BMT’s (then Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co./BRT’s) West End (today’s D line), Sea Beach (N Line), and Brighton (Q Line) lines. The opening of the Brighton extension specifically marked the formal opening of the terminal, however it officially wasn’t official until the BMT’s Culver Line (now the F and FX lines) was opened into here. Also as a result of the Culver extension here, the special fare to access here was killed, making the area considerably more affordable to reach. Eventually, the BMT’s Culver Line was handed over to the IND, which then operated its D line over it (later, presumably in the MTA years, the F would then be sent down the Culver elevated, with the D then being sent down the ex-BMT West End elevated). Unfortunately, the station would quickly fall apart, and in the 2000s, the MTA stepped in, evicted everyone for renovations, and spent almost 4 years renovating the station. These renovations also made the station accessible with elevators and ramps to each platform. Neat!
The historic terminal…
Coney Island has four island platforms and 8 tracks, one for each line that runs through. You have the D to Norwood via the West End, the F to Jamaica via the Culver elevated, the N to Astoria via Sea Beach/Gravesend, and the Q to the East Side via Brighton. All the platforms also have the standard amenities: countdown clocks, benches, signage, that stuff. As stated in the intro, ramps and elevators both exist, making the station fully accessible. There’s also restrooms, but I would probably be traumatized if I looked. There’s even a Dunkies here! Neat! Also interestingly, this station also has a busway. Hell, there’s even a customer service center here as well! Also, the roofing here is all solar panels, and it was the first station on the whole system to be solar-powered. Cool! 😀
….a B92, yet this one was signed for “D TRAIN BAY 50 ST.”????? I hope I’m misremembering the route number because Google suggests that’s a G line shuttle routeThe concourseVery open. Not overbuilt in the summer, though!I spy a busway…Ramps!Oh no.Looks mildly sketchThis is an uptown F local train.The platform!
The good: It’s pretty nice in how it looks, and is very distinct! It’s also an important station in terms of usefulness and for how important it is to the community at large! Furthermore, it’s the closest station to a pretty major tourist attraction as well. I mean, it’s no Times Square or Penn Station, but it’s no 96th/Lexington either. I actually genuinely like this station. Not because of the station itself (although it is cool in appearance) but because of what’s around it. There’s also restrooms, I guess… But hey, a customer service booth exists!
The bad: The ramps can be annoying to navigate if you need accessibility, and good luck if the elevators shit themselves. I’m also scared to think of what the bathrooms look like.
Nearby points of interest: C’mon, this should be obvious. But nah, to specify: Luna Park @ Coney Island, Coney Island Beach, and Maimonides Park, where the Brooklyn Cyclones play (repping minor league baseball, woohoo!). NYU’s baseball team also plays here, as does Brooklyn FC. There’s also the New York Aquarium, but that has a station considerably closer (though, stops ARE very close together, so I may as well mention it anyways). There’s also a skating rink and the Ford Amphitheater as well. Also, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, and you can get Coney Island dogs here, (of which, RI’s famed NY system weiners are derived from), and there’s also the Wonder Wheel.
Transit connections: 6th Ave. Lines (D, F, FX) Broadway Lines (N, Q) MTA bus (B36, B64, B68, B74, B82)
Overall, this station’s an important one, one of the most famous (I’m not even sure I can do it fair justice!), and is very iconic. It’s also one of the most-used stations by the tourist population, as well.
Rating: 7/10
A little liminal!This is actually kinda nice, despite it being the middle of winter.
49th Street is an ex-BMT subway station on the MTA’s N, R, and W lines. With it as close to Times Square, is it as good as it? Or, perhaps, is it better as a lesser-trafficked alternative? Let’s find out!
Station signage!
49th St. is located on the intersection of its namesake street and 7th Ave., with the platform reaching all the way down to 47th Street. The setup is pretty standard, being two side platforms. The R and W both stop here, predictably, as both are the designated local lines among the yellow-colored lines. However, the N line (Astoria-Coney Island via Sea Beach, Manhattan express) also serves here, which is unusual for an express line. However, this anomaly exists for a pretty good reason, actually: Astoria-bound trains run through the 60th St. tunnel, and since the 60th St. tunnel can only be accessed by the local tracks, the N has to run locally. Furthermore, the N can’t be forced onto the local tracks immediately before for one reason: there’s no interlocking between here and Times Square! Though, I do find it odd that the N doesn’t switch at 57th St./7th Ave., but rather switch between Herald and Times Squares. I digress. The station is pretty standard, with two platforms built to BMT specifications, has your standard amenities, is pretty well-used (but not to the same degree as Times Square), and is even accessible! Well, kinda. Annoyingly, elevators ONLY exist on the northbound platform. But, allegedly, plans exist to install one on the southbound platform. So, I guess if you need accessibility, take a local train north, and then turn around at 57th/7th. Alternatively, just take the bus to Times Square, I guess. There’s also, allegedly, a concourse connection to 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center, as well, but I didn’t look. Overall though, it’s not too bad a station. Neat!
This is a downtown R train. the NEXT stop is: Times Square-42nd St.THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. N. TRAIN TO. CONEY ISLAND-STILLWELL AVENUE. APPROACHING THE STATION.There’s something that hits hard about seeing express trains blowing through the middle tracksLooking southOpposite platformMezzanine, with an OMNY machine?!Times Square is still fucking cool, ok?The Olive Garden entranceThis is a vibe.
The good: It’s an alternative to Times Square, if you’re claustrophobic! If you’re using the northbound platform, there’s also a connection to the Rockefeller Center as well. It’s also got some accessibility!
The bad: It’s only partly accessible. The southbound platform needs an elevator. The N should not stop here. There’s also no in-station transfer to the opposite side. Oof.
Nearby points of interest: Times Square’s northern fringes! You also have Olive Garden and M&M’s! Primarily, though, it’s still Times Square – just the northern fringes of it.
Transit connections: Broadway Line (N, R, W) MTA bus (M7, M20, M50, M104)
Overall, it’s not a bad station, however I’d take Times Square any day.
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:
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 golly. I promised on the Miles in Transit Discord server that I’ll try speedrunning GATRA on the basis of losing a bet, or something like that. Well, I kinda forgot about that and never had the time or motivation to. But, since then, we finally have…ONE GATRA entry. Welcome to GATRA GO! Unfortunately…this one was about a year in the making due to a number of mishaps in the making. Here they are:
ATTEMPT #1: I first attempted to review GATRA GO on the same day I visited Forge Park/495. Unfortunately, GATRA GO didn’t want to cooperate and it kept telling me there were no trips between Forge Park and Mansfield. How could this be?! They’re the same damn zone! Just look!
At first glance, you wouldn’t think twice of this! “I can just go from Forge Park to Mansfield!” Well….NOPE! Just look!
WHY
It turns out (thanks random internet person for this insight!) that, there’s actually a historical reason for this weirdness (you’d think it’d be fixed?!) AND not only that, you have to transfer LITERALLY ANYWHERE IN FOXBORO – BEING THE ONLY TOWN WITH A ZONAL OVERLAP. WHY?! So, I was left out in the rather cold November evening, having to dial an Uber to Mansfield Station, as GATRA fucked me over at Forge Park/495. I must also add – THIS REPLACED LITERALLY ALL THE FRANKLIN, NORFOLK, FOXBORO, AND MANSFIELD-AREA FIXED ROUTES! THIS ALSO REPLACED THE SLOOPY SLOOP IN SCITUATE! WHY GATRA?!
So long, civilization…I was one with the quietness of Forge Park in the twilight…Mansfield after hours…
ATTEMPT #2: A week or two later, I was going up to visit Brooke among other things in Boston, it was still very cold (it was December at this point), and I said “fuck it” and decided to get revenge on GATRA GO. Unfortunately, very VERY long wait times said “lol fuck you” and even though I got off my train at 8ish AM, I wouldn’t be picked up until closer to 10, guaranteeing missing a Foxboro train I wanted to connect to. This also meant I’d be stuck in Foxboro for a couple of hours. 🙁
ATTEMPT #3: About 10 months after, I decided to come back with pretty much the entire Franklin Line under my belt and with a much better understanding of how GATRA works, and having much more time on my hands (now that I wasn’t dating Brooke, though we’re still friends, and I wasn’t trying to ride her train either as I didn’t know if I’d still have steam – or make it to Heath St. in time). This set of circumstances worked in my hands, even if I still had to wait…
*checks notes*
40 MINUTES?! Oh brother…
That’s what a bus looks like – but I didn’t get this in FranklinJesus FUCKING Christ…
So, when I got off in Norfolk, I dialed a GATRA GO bus and it took 46 minutes to arrive, coming from the general area of Franklin. Yeah, those wait times are BAD. But, the bus actually DID come eventually. It came, crossed the Franklin Line grade crossing, and pulled into the station parking lot to pick me up. And, oh god…
Onwards!
So, there were four other people, the operator and three passengers. The passengers each introduced themselves (Liv and Maddie, who were vlogging, and their friend Elias. If any of y’all see this, hi!) and we all talked a bit. Everyone else was going to Crumbl at Patriot Place, and I said “eh, why not?” (I was planning on a lunch in downtown Boston or at Five Guys in Foxboro). The two ladies continued vlogging as we got on Pond Street. Really, this was a straight shot more than anything and we made pretty good time, for what it’s worth. Didn’t pick anyone else up along the way though, but it was a rather quick ride. Though, I must wonder though: why are there no fixed routes? I get “low ridership” but ya know, ADVERTISE THEM. RUN THEM AT A CONSISTENT SCHEDULE 7 DAYS A WEEK! I digress. And then, I think I might’ve heard the most Gen Alpha brainrot thing I’ve ever heard from anyone. I’m not even sure if Gen Alpha is old enough to use GATRA GO. But, here we go:
“Sigma Ohio Skibidi.”
Please bleach that one out of my memory. Bleh. Cue the gif of Homer Simpson pouring bleach in his eyes, even. That aside, the ride was pretty comfortable, relaxing even, and there wasn’t even a jiggly wheelchair lift. Good job, GATRA! (or whoever owns the buses for GATRA) Eventually, we made it to Patriot Place and parted ways. And, to Maddie and Liv, I wish y’all the best of luck with vlogging.
Suburbia!Some more stuffA medical facilitySee, Weston?! Norfolk is nice enough to have sidewalks on their streets!Parking lot!U.S. ROUTE ONE?!BIG FREAKIN’ STROADWelcome to Patriot Place!Hi Robert Kraft!!!
The good: It’ll get you literally anywhere in the zone!
The bad: WHY ARE THERE NO FIXED ROUTES?! LEGIT, PATRIOT PLACE CAN AND SHOULD BE A PULSE POINT FOR LOCAL GATRA FIXED ROUTES GOING TO FRANKLIN, FOXBORO, MANSFIELD, AND NORFOLK. SEND A DAMN BUS TO WALPOLE CENTER TO CONNECT WITH THE 34E EVEN. AND FOR THAT MATTER, WHY DID THE SLOOP GET REPLACED WITH THIS?! WHY DOESN’T IT CONNECT TO ANY FIXED ROUTES THAT LINK IT TO THE MBTA IN WEYMOUTH OR HINGHAM?! WHY DOES THE PLYMOUTH ZONE NOT CONNECT TO THE KINGSTON T STATION?! WHY?! WHY DOES THE PEMBROKE ZONE EVEN EXIST AS A SEPARATE ENTITY?! WAIT TIMES ARE ALSO GARBAGE UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU’LL BE LEAVING AND WHEN YOU’LL BE LEAVING YOUR DESTINATION FOR YOUR RETURN – MOST PEOPLE AREN’T INFLEXIBLE LIKE THAT! THAT’S IF IT EVEN WORKS AT ALL.
Nearby points of interest: Franklin’s town center is cool, as is Patriot Place! You also have Plymouth’s downtown, Scituate & the Greenbush Line, and whatever the hell is in Pembroke.
Overall, WHY?! WHY DID THEY KILL FIXED ROUTES FOR THESE?! JUST WHY?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Rating: 2.5/10
THIS SHOULD SUPPLEMENT FIXED ROUTES, NOT REPLACE THEM. GATRA GO, MORE LIKE GATRA GO FUCK YOURSELF.
Alrighty, so we made it to the end of line #7, at……north-central Queens? Huh, guess the subway doesn’t go out as far as I’d expect it to. Ah well. Welcome to Flushing, some might say “the better Chinatown”, but regardless, here we go!
Subway signage!
The subway station is mostly standard, however the only major difference aside from the usual benches, wastebaskets, and (working!) countdown clocks, are that there’s THREE tracks rather than two here. Which, essentially, means “Doors will open on either or both side” is a real possibility here. There’s also a relatively nice-looking mezzanine with OMNY machines. Allegedly, a restroom also exists here but I didn’t see one. Unfortunately, though, the way the station is designed inherently prohibits any extensions of the line – as they’d all require the mezzanine to be razed as between the mezzanine and tracks are some big mean mother bumpers. But, there’s at least bus connections to eastern and northern Queens! Yay! But, that’s not all to this station…
2 minutes?! That’s a fast turnaround!The platformBUS connection. What’s an “N” bus?Faregates!The mezzanine from above!Headhouse!Escalator!FLUSHING!!!!!!!Bus stop!Wait, that’s not an MTA bus…Flushing vibes!This picture is the embodiment of what’s quite possibly my favorite area in NYC based on vibes alone. Also, I spy the LIRR?!
Yes. There’s also an LIRR station here, kinda acting as a super-express of line #7 if you take this towards Grand Central/Penn Station. The station is on an embankment, with elevator for ADA compliance. There’s also ticket machines and shelters, but it really isn’t anything to ring home about. It works well for what it is. Some might say “why would you take it when the subway is there?”, to which I raise the possibility of reverse commuters to Port Washington and Manhasset, and also people who prefer a super-express that stops only at Mets-Willett Point and Woodside before going into Manhattan. Oh yeah, I also almost forgot to note, the departure boards tell you CAR CAPACITY. DAMN, I never seen THAT before on a commuter rail system!
LIRR signage!More Flushing vibesThis elevator failed the piss test.Bye!!!Towards Manhasset and Port Washington!And towards Manhattan!Shelter!
The good: It’s a major destination, has both subway and LIRR access, and is the gateway to eastern Queens and Nassau Co.! The “N”-prefixed routes I raised questions about in a caption? Turns out, those are Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) buses. Yes, an RTA other than the MTA actually serves this station! DAMN. Furthermore, the Port Washington Line is pretty frequent by commuter rail standards, while line #7 is the most frequent subway line in the system.
The bad: The design prohibits extensions inherently! That’s…..really the only negative I can genuinely think of, aside from the piss-scented elevators at the LIRR station.
Nearby points of interest: Flushing, duh! This is probably the more major Chinatown vs. Manhattan’s Chinatown. There’s also buses to Whitestone, Murray Hill, Bayside, and Nassau Co. from here.
Overall, while the vibes of the station itself are “meh”, if slightly above average, this neighborhood is really vibey, for what it’s worth, and is probably my favorite part of the city. Also, the bus connections are plentiful here.
Oh goody, another station complex! Well, we’re on the southern tip of Manhattan for this one. Unfortunately, this one tends to be a little cursed in the 21st century, in that there’s been several catastrophic disruptions to service here. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get into things.
Pride train!
At the end of line #1 and line W, South Ferry and Whitehall St. (technically two stations, but physically the same station) is the southernmost station in Manhattan, serving the Whitehall St. ferry terminal and the Battery, and the southernmost bits of the Financial District. The stations themselves are pretty modern, with decent amounts of lighting. You also have countdown clocks that actually work, benches, wastebaskets, fare machines, and the usual. There’s also allegedly an in-station connection to each other (I fully believe it exists) but I haven’t seen it anywhere when I was here. Easy to miss? Possibly. Line #1 has big mean mother bumpers at the end of the track (likely because you cannot build tail tracks here – the ocean is 3 feet south!), while line W utilizes a middle pocket track to turn around. On street level, it’s pretty lively overall, with vendors everywhere and modern headhouses that remind me of Hudson Yards – and overall, look nice. And, yes, this is accessible! YAY! There is also a busway here as well, neat!
Signage!THE CLOCKS DO WORK?! WHAT THE FUCK, WHY DO THE ONES AT HUDSON YARDS NOT WORK THEN?!Escalator shot!To the surface!Headhouse!Vendors!A busway!Another headhouse and the Whitehall St. terminal!Signage for lines R & WOops.
Right, getting back to “this station is cursed”. I say that for one reason: there’s been two catastrophic events that killed service here this century already! First off was the 9/11 attacks. Now, we all know what happened with the September 11th incident and the 3000 or so lives lost between here, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania, and I’m not even going to get into anything about imperialism (this is a transit blog – not “Chelsea’s Political Ramblings”. But if anyone wants to see my political ramblings, let me know!), but between this and the resulting conflicts, there were millions of civilian fatalities. One of the byproducts of the towers falling on that morning was the fact it severed line #1 between Chambers St. and here (Chambers St. was the last turnaround point heading southbound). It also led to service on the Broadway lines to be killed for a while as well, with service beyond being an extension of lines J and M (at the time, line M used the Nassau St. tunnel) into the Montague St. tunnel and towards Bay Ridge and Coney Island. Line #1 would instead be re-routed to New Lots, and these changes would persist for a bit. About a decade later would be Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy would wreck havoc all over NYC, flooding a decent amount of the city and, unfortunately, South Ferry Station. The salt in the wound here, was that they rebuilt the station in a slightly different location, and that station was completely wrecked. So, with that, they had to reactivate the old station (which was a balloon loop ala Heath St.). This was among the many problems caused by Sandy, among those caused in Queens and Brooklyn. Unfortunately, though, I can’t talk about them as much because there isn’t as much info readily available. But, nevertheless, this station is cursed, and it wouldn’t be opened again until 2017.
Line W turns around here!Whitehall St.-South Ferry!Standard.These clocks don’t work for counting down. WHY?!Looking towards BrooklynAnd uptown towards QueensLine R
The good: It’s a nice station, it’s modern in design, and it’s well-lit! Furthermore, it’s on the southern tip of Manhattan and has an on-foot connection to the Whitehall St. ferry terminal (stay tuned) for Staten Island ferry service. There’s also a busway and it’s accessible!
The bad: I can’t help but think this station is cursed. In all seriousness though, I don’t have a lot against it. Maybe a better-signed transfer to line #1?
Nearby points of interest: The Financial District, the Battery, and the Statue of Liberty!
Transit connections: 7th Ave. Line (1) Broadway Line (R, W) MTA bus (M15, M15 SBS, M20, M55, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, QM7, QM8, QM11, QM25, SIM5, SIM15, SIM35) Staten Island Ferry (at Whitehall St. Terminal)
Overall, it’s a nice and useful station, and I’d say it’s a favorite of mine so far on the system. But, not as much as 33rd-Rawson. Yeah, sorry. But it’s still good.
