Category: Massachusetts

Mattapan, the namesake of its rapid transit line. So, it’s a terminal and a major bus transfer. Let’s see what’s in store, shall we?

So, the main setup here is several bus berths and countdown signs. It’s essentially similar to Nubian, however you also have a Transit Police building. The Mattapan Line platforms also have mini-highs for accessibility. Yeah, there’s just not a lot to talk about here. One busway has shelters and all the bells and whistles, while the other is just a slab of concrete. Yeah… Oh yeah, the yard for the Mattapan Line is here as well!

The good: It’s probably the only Mattapan Line station (aside from Ashmont) to see any kind of nonlocal traffic, given it (& Ashmont) are major bus terminals too. However, unlike Ashmont, the Red Line isn’t here. But, hey, it could be worse!

The bad: Eh, there just isn’t a lot to talk about here, though that second busway is meh. A CharlieCard machine would also be nice.

Nearby points of interest: A few local businesses and the Neponset Esplande!

Transit connections:
Mattapan Line
MBTA bus (15, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 245, 716)

Overall, it works alright for what it is. However, I still feel a CharlieCard machine and amenities on the 2nd busway would do wonders.

Rating: 6.5/10

Alrighty, now the last of the Orange Line stations! So, if Oak Grove to the north is a sleepy park & ride, how does Malden Center stack up?

Well, for one, this is Malden’s major transfer center, between buses, the Orange Line, and the Commuter Rail. The platform is your standard affair, benches and wastebaskets. Also, did I mention the station’s elevated? Yeah, that’s a neat thing is it’s the rare elevated MBTA station! There’s also stairs and elevators down to the mezzanine and, no, it doesn’t smell like piss! Holy crap, the Orange Line WON the piss test!

The mezzanine is normal enough. It’s a little small, but it gets the job done. Lastly, outside on either side is where the busways can be found. The one on the western side is smaller with a handful of routes (& private shuttles!), while the eastern busway by Commercial St. is where all the other buses are. And yes, there’s concrete. We end this out with BRUTAL architecture.

Then there’s the Commuter Rail, where the Haverhill Line stops. Yes, it is single-tracked, like it’s the northside Old Colony. Double tracking doesn’t begin until past Oak Grove, sadly. But hey, you got seating and a red dot-matrix sign! Neat! But, no departure board like at other stations (e.g. Pawtucket or Mansfield). However, did you know Malden was (as far as I can find on Wikipedia) was the first full-high Commuter Rail platform on the T?

The good: Buses! There’s a lot of transfer points with buses! The fact it’s elevated also is nice, as it stands out on the system! Furthermore, as the name suggests, it’s in Malden’s town center! And hey, there’s a Commuter Rail transfer, though who the heck is going to North Station by Commuter Rail when- actually, that’s a silly question as the Orange is ridden with slow zones galore (as of me writing this) and one could use the Haverhill as a (very infrequent) Orange Line express.

The bad: The platform on the Orange Line is a little cramped. Also, the concrete is back, but it’s not as bad as in Community College or Sully.

Nearby points of interest: Pearl St. Station seems interesting, with it being the old station building! Outside of that, you also have a football field nearby (presumably for the high school’s football team), and some stuff lining Pleasant St.!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
Orange Line
MBTA bus (97, 99, 101, 104, 105, 106, 108, 131, 132, 137, 411, 430)

Overall, out of the BRUTALLY BRUTAL stations, I think this one might be the better one aesthetically and functionally. Yeah, Sully has an ungodly amount of buses, but does it have a Commuter Rail platform? No. Is it elevated? Also no. Therefore, we end the Orange Line on a decent station.

Rating: 7.5/10

Ah Assembly, the newest station on the Orange Line. Well, it LOOKS new, at the least! For one, it’s not brutalism! Anyways, let’s look at it!

So, it’s modern. That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed when I was here. And, while it doesn’t have that “new station smell” that Pawtucket and the GLX has, it still feels somewhat new. In a way, it’s more like “Wollaston” new, than GLX or Pawtucket new. At the least, the CRRCs fit in here better than the Hawkers. The platforms have your usual affair of benches and wastebaskets, and you can even see the Newburyport/Rockport Line from afar with the Encore! Neat!

Fare control feels modern too, and yes the elevator didn’t reek of piss. Yay! And, yes, there’s actually a BATHROOM! But, not on the southern headhouse. To find the bathroom, you have to be on the northern headhouse, closer to Oak Grove. There’s two bathrooms here as well, mens and womens, however only the mens room is unlocked, as the womens is the employee-only restroom. Why it’s not signed as gender-neutral if it’s gender-neutral in practice, I’m not sure. But, I can confirm it’s clean. YAY!

The good: It exists specifically to serve Assembly Row! Of course, this means transit-oriented shopping and mixed-used development. Woohoo! We need some more mixed land use in this darn country! Oh, yeah, if you know how the T’s turnstiles are (they swing open instead of needing to physically be turned), this was the first station where they were used. Neat! It’s also a whole lot newer than the rest of Haymarket North (2014 vs. the ’70s), and it’s clear that in the 4 decades since they’ve moved away from exclusively using concrete and BRUTAL architectural styles. Also, it has restrooms! YAY!

The bad: Eh, I guess the lack of bus connections at the station itself.

Nearby points of interest: Assembly Row is pretty cool on paper!

Transit connections: Orange Line
MBTA bus (90, at Grand Union Blvd.)

Overall, it’s a nice station. It really is, and is definitely among the best on the Orange Line. Is it better than the likes of Forest Hills or Ruggles? Damn right it is! Best comparison I got for the Southwest Corridor would probably be Mass Ave. in terms of scoring.
Rating: 9.5/10

Ah, we’re still under I-93! Well, whatever. Unlike Community College, Sullivan is a major bus terminal, and as such commands relatively high ridership for the northern Orange Line. Either way, let’s look at it, shall we?

So, the platform is a lot like Community College, with a copious amount of concrete, benches, and trash bins. There’s also a third track that’s pretty much unused as well. Yeah, I’m not sure what’s up with that. But, hey, one can also railfan the Haverhill and Newburyport/Rockport Line! There’s also an elevator going up. And, no, it doesn’t reek of piss. ANOTHER WIN!

The mezzanine itself isn’t too special. It felt a little small, though, but bus schedules can be found! Also, there’s a convenience store outside fare control! Neat! Lastly, there’s two busways, an upper busway and a lower busway (divided into two lanes). These were reconfigured in 2019 as part of the Encore’s environmental mitigation measures.

The good: It’s a major transfer between the subway and buses! The busway is also sheltered….albeit by I-93. Furthermore, northbound trains board on both sides, so if it gets crowded, that should help a little. Also, the copious amounts of buses that run through here! Furthermore, the convenience store is nice!

The bad: It’s pretty dingy, between the brutalistic hellscape and I-93 running directly above, it’s not the best place to wait for a train or bus. There’s also no fare control or, really, ANY access from the residential area on the OTHER side of the Orange Line!!! WHY?!

Nearby points of interest: Eh, there’s not really much around here outside of residential neighborhoods.

Transit connections:
Orange Line
MBTA bus (CT2, 86, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 101, 104, 105, 109)

Overall, this station’s alright, however it’s dingy as hell. But, if I had to pick my poison, I’d take this station over Community College, and probably that’s a better choice. But PLEASE, connect this to the residential bits next to the tracks!

Rating: 6.5/10, but a 1/10 for architecture

Alrighty, the first of several Haymarket North stations! So, first up is Community College, or as a friend suggested for a rename: “Bunker Hill”. Which, is fair, but whatever. Either way, welcome to Community College!

WHAT? I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER I-93!!! YOU’- Oh, I can hear now with the cars being drowned out! Yay! So, welcome to Community College, the first hunk of concrete. The platform is “meh” and has seating and wastebaskets. The columns look fancy, though!

Then, from there, you have elevators and a long walk to the mezzanine. As for the mezzanine itself, there’s not a lot to it. Going outside, Bunker Hill Community College has a footpath to the station itself, and you can even see the Bunker Hill monument in the distance! Neat! However, there’s no bus connections. That’s not fun!

The good: It’s convenient for BHCC students & faculty! Also, pedestrian access sorta exists!

The bad: IT’S STROAD HELL. IT’S UNDER I-93, AND IT’S FREAKIN’ UGLY!!! NO, JUST NO!

Nearby points of interest: Bunker Hill Community College!

Transit connections:
Orange Line

Overall, why? God, please run buses out here!!!!! It’s ugly, loud, and you can probably inhale an ungodly amount of gasoline fumes here! WOOOOO!!!!!

Rating: 3/10

Alrighty, so finally after escaping the hellscape known as the Southwest Corridor, next stop is Tufts Medical Center! May as well do it now, as the Orange Line wasn’t being bussed thankfully.

*nervously laughs*

Dear God. Well, let’s go into Tufts Medical.

Well, first off, Tufts Medical has ART! And HOLY CRAP it’s NICE to look at! However, the aesthetic of the station itself reminds me quite a bit of Chinatown. Either way, it’s certainly on the dingy side. There’s bathrooms, but sadly they were locked. As for exits, you have one exit towards Washington St. and the Silver Line, with the other exit going towards the Wang Theater and Tremont Street, but only the Washington St. exit is accessible. And also, the elevators STILL don’t reek of piss! Only one issue: THE PIPES ARE LEAKY!!!

At this point after changing sides, the announcement for the next train comes on, however it says “Attention passengers, the next Orange Line train to Forest Hills does NOT take passengers. Please stand back from the yellow line”. Oh boy, nonrevenue train! That’s rare! It’s also the rare instance where we heard the horns on the CRRCs.

From here, we got on the next Oak Grove train and would ultimately part ways at State Street (Brooke got off, while a friend and I stayed on). So, with that in mind, next stop: Community College!

The good: It can handle a lot of people! Also, it’s not the worst spot for railfanning the Orange Line, but there’s certainly better spots, especially when the Orange is primarily above-ground. Lastly, there’s art! And, at least the tunnels don’t go on forever!

The bad: Eh, I’m not big on the aesthetics. It feels dingy as well, certainly bad enough to where I needed a hardy helping of hand sanitizer.

Nearby points of interest: The station’s namesake, the Wang Theater, and Chinatown isn’t that far away!

Transit connections:
Orange Line
Silver Line (SL4, SL5)
MBTA bus (11, 15)

Overall, it’s passable, however it leaves a bit to be desired. I mean, hey, at least it isn’t Arlington!

Rating: 5.5/10

And now, stay tuned for Haymarket North!

Next stop on the line is Massachusetts Avenue, and thank GOD it’s the last bastion of the brutal hellscape known as the Southwest Corridor!!! So, any keen-eyed reader would’ve noted that I got a message asking my whereabouts on the Southwest Corridor. So, who, exactly, would be inclined enough to tag along with me for any given amount of time???

I’ll tell you who: Brooke, the resident board meeting watcher on the Miles in Transit Discord server!

Yeah, a little surprising. She and I all did a little bit more in the way of foaming at Roxbury Crossing before proceeding on to Massachusetts Avenue. So, how IS Massachusetts Avenue? Well, it’s actually kinda decent!

So, the platforms are pretty much the same things as usual: benches, wastebaskets, but no shelters. Also, Brooke pointed out something I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed: WHY ARE THE SIGNS IN HELVETICA BOLD GROSSLY INCONSISTENT?! It’s not so much the typeface itself that irks me, but WHY ARE THEY ALIGNED DIFFERENTLY?! One is center-aligned as normal, but then you have a few that are left-aligned, and one’s even JUSTIFIED ALIGNED. WHY?! GOD, WHY?! Anyways, I digress. There’s also an exit to Camden Street, but there’s no fare control so screw you if you want in.

As for the mezzanine, it’s pretty standard. But, hey, you have a glass overlook towards the tracks. Also, there’s a Subway! Neat! Furthermore, there’s another entrance across the street in a small mini-park, which is always nice! And, yes, there’s fare control! As another aside, if you’re into railfanning and photography, you have a nice vantage point with the stairs to Camden Street.

The good: You’ve got a lot of ways in and out! Furthermore, there’s a park across the street and also BlueBikes! Neat! Lastly, you have an on-foot transfer to Symphony on the Green Line, woohoo! It’s also a little more modern-feeling than the other stations, so there’s that as well.

The bad: Camden Street needs faregates!

Nearby points of interest: There’s the park across the street! Also, Symphony is close by so pretty much everything close to there is close to here too. Furthermore, you have Northeastern’s sporting arenas for college sports fans. Also, Matthews Arena in particular is the oldest ice hockey arena still in use as such. Neat!

Transit connections:
Orange Line
MBTA bus (1)
Green Line (E, via short walk to Symphony)

Overall, this station’s pretty much peak Southwest Corridor. For what it is, it does the job and does it very well. Now, if only we had faregates for the Camden St. entrance, IT’D BE PERFECT!!!

Rating: 9.5/10

So, you have Jackson Square, a modestly busy bus transfer point, complete with a busway. And, just north, you also have Ruggles, a much more busy transfer point with buses, and also with Commuter Rail transfers as well. So, where does that leave Roxbury Crossing, sandwiched between two titans? Well, it leaves Roxbury Crossing as a fine little sleepy station. Let’s look.

So, the platform is pretty much the same usual stuff we’ve come to love. That is, of course, the usual. Say it along with me: “Bench shelters, weird supports that look like ribs, benches, wastebaskets!! Oh my!”

So, going up into the mezzanine, I noticed something odd. I think that this is quite possibly the only MBTA station which, instead of a Dunkies’, instead has Dominos in its place. Yeah, that’s a new one! (I mean, Dominos isn’t great, but it’s still a change of pace!) Furthermore, the mezzanine is a little large given the relative lack of ridership. As for bus connections, they’re found on Tremont St. and Columbus Avenue, and yes they have shelters. Neat! And the elevator doesn’t reek of piss! Three for three!

The good: It’s nice and quiet, relative to Ruggles and Jackson Square! Also, it’s the closest stop to several places of interest in the area, and what have you. It’s also got your standard Southwest Corridor affair, and the elevator doesn’t smell bad.

The bad: WHERE’S THE DUNKIES?! It also feels slightly dated.

Nearby points of interest: You got a mosque and Roxbury Community College nearby! OH, AND THERE IS A DUNKIES! Unfortunately, it’s a few blocks up the street. D: There’s also a vocational school, so there’s that.

Transit connections:
Orange Line
MBTA bus (22, 29, 66)

Overall, it’s probably one of the best stations on the Southwest Corridor that isn’t a major transfer point. Also, the fact that it doesn’t have an in-station Dunkin’ is interesting, albeit a national tragedy.

Rating: 7.5/10

Now, at this point, I decided to have an early lunch/2nd breakfast, and break out the store-brand toaster pastries I packed. This was also when I got a message on Discord from a familiar (not so much on this blog, but I knew them) face asking about my whereabouts along the Southwest Corridor. So, stay tuned for that!

Ah, Jackson Square. Now, I’m not sure if it’s named after the US president (vleugh), or the King of Pop himself, or some other guy or lady with the surname “Jackson”, but here we go, yet another Southwest Corridor station.

The platform is the same deal as the other Southwest Corridor stations.

*copy-pastes*

That, being, sheltered things, benches, wastebaskets, and the usual Southwest Corridor affair. Yeah, still not a fan. Elevators don’t reek of urine here, either, but they did smell funny if I remember right. There’s also plenty of art scattered about, which is a REALLY nice touch, and on top of that: THERE’S A BUSWAY!!!

So, the busway isn’t anything special though. However, you do have schedules for the routes stopping here sitting outside fare control, which is always helpful. As for local things, you have the Southwest Corridor Park adjacent to the station!

The good: ART! It’s got a lot of art everywhere! Also, the busway and the bus schedules are nice to have! Furthermore, the elevator doesn’t reek, and it’s a Southwest Corridor stop!

The bad: Unfortunately, that means the platforms are also quite dark, being a Southwest Corridor stop. And, the busway could actually use shelters. Also, some people might find themselves uncomfortable being around here, with the Bromley-Heath Projects being next door and known for unsavory activity (at least, that’s what the research I did pointed to, if I’m wrong please do correct me). However, unless it’s a literal warzone, I don’t like to factor in the notoriety of public housing into the ratings of these. Also, while I’m not big on the architecture, it’s still better than Green St. and Stony Brook.

Nearby points of interest: The Southwest Corridor Park is a big one, as are the housing projects on Centre Street!

Transit connections:
Orange Line
MBTA bus (14, 22, 29, 41, 44)

Overall, I actually kinda like this station. However, the architecture is still “meh”, and the platforms are kinda dingy. But, hey, at least it finally has bus connections!

Rating: 7/10

Alrighty, next stop up from Green Street is Stony Brook! Is there anything major to differentiate it? Well, who knows, but let’s look!

So, the platform is pretty much the same deal with Green Street. That is, of course, the usual shelter-like things with benches, wastebins, concrete everywhere. However, it’s like Quincy Center in that it feels like an actual “subway” rather than just a subway that’s obviously above-ground. The mezzanine is nice too, as you have a window overlooking the Orange Line and the Northeast Corridor. However, the headhouse is pretty much the same, just with arches instead of the slanted roof. But, hey, there’s more businesses nearby along with a park! Sure would suck to lose a basketball to an Acela though. At least the elevator doesn’t smell of piss!

The good: Art! Furthermore, it, just like Green Street, is located in a quiet neighborhood where bus connections aren’t really necessary. The window can also prove to be an alright place to railfan, should the weather be undesirable. But, mostly the art!

The bad: Eh, I’m not really big on the architecture here either. Also, how the hell is it so dark at platform level?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a few parks! Plus, while it’ll take some effort, you have Egelston Square nearby as well!

Transit connections:
Orange Line

Overall, this station’s pretty good as well. Essentially, pretty much anything I had to remark about Green Street also applies here. But, why so dark???????

Rating: 7/10