Category: MBTA

OOH BOY, NOW WE’RE REALLY BALLS DEEP IN DOWNTOWN! Meet: Downtown Crossing, and the much older conjoined sibling Park Street. Now, because these two stations are interconnected, I’ll have to start with Park Street, which is the smaller of the two stations. With that out of way, here we go.

Say the line, everyone! “The doors will open on both sides of the train. For elevator service, please exit the left side of the train onto the center platform.” This announcement on the Red Line #3s pretty much sum up the unusual platform configuration here: two tracks with sides and an island. The station’s decently lit, and for being the oldest of the five downtown transfer stations, it’s actually not too terrible. The Green Line is a short walk up the stairs (or an elevator ride, for accessibility), and is probably the most straightforward transfer on the system. However, sometimes crossing to the other Green Line tracks can be a bit tricky. Some shops can also be found on the Green Line level, along with the Winter Street concourse and fare control.

And now, welcome to Downtown Crossing! Yep, still in fare control too! The platforms are much of the same as in Park Street, tiles and a little dingy. I was primarily on the Orange Line platform, however there isn’t a lot of difference with the Red Line. Now, speaking of the Red Line, Downtown Crossing is known for a “transfer of death”. Yes, it seems easy on paper if you’re from New York, where transfers from its Red and Blue Lines could be crazy, involving the Purple and Yellow Lines and is likely an ADA violation as well. However, when you have transfers like “up the stairs” at Park or Govvy, or “down & around” at Haymarket, it’s a pain. Also, it’s not friendly to tall people. The mezzanine around DTX is also a maze, which if I tried going around would’ve taken too much time and sanity away from me. However, the best I can tell you is it’s got an entrance to Macy’s and Roche Brothers, and likely a hotel as well. Oh yeah, the SL5 stops on the street at Temple Place. Neat!

The good: It’s two of the most-used stations! Downtown Crossing is also, as the name suggests, in the heart of downtown Boston where all the economic activity takes place, so naturally everyone’s going to be passing through. Park Street is a similar story, though is located on one corner of the Boston Common. So, if you’re looking to take the T to the park, get off at Park Street. Also, the Red-Green transfer is easy! And it’s easy to transfer from Orange (SB) to Green, as the concourse is right there.

The bad: They’re kinda dingy! Also, I didn’t visit it for this particular review, however what’s with that one staircase on one of the Red Line platforms leaving fare control perpetually smelling like piss? It’s always offputting when I’m trying to leave/attempt a transfer at DTX. Also, the transfers between Red and Orange aren’t exactly straightforward, so it’s easy (perhaps TOO easy) to leave fare control.

Nearby points of interest: The big ones here are the Boston Common and the various shops in Downtown Crossing. You’ve got theaters, restaurants (some better than others), Macy’s, Marshalls, and a number of smaller shops. Sam Adams’ grave is close by, too!

Transit connections:
Green Line (B, C, D, E)
Orange Line
Red Line
Silver Line (SL5)
MBTA bus (43 @ Park St, with the 7, 11, 501, 504, and 505 at DTX)

Overall, I’m not too big on either of these, although I’d definitively say Park Street is better. I mean, for one it’s not a freakin’ maze and it’s trying to be a nice station. Furthermore, I just feel more relaxed in general when I’m at a park. As such, I’d have to rate Park higher than DTX.

Ratings:
DTX: 5/10
Park St.: 6.5/10

Transfer station #3!!! Woohooo!!!! So, we’re looking at Haymarket, or as I nickname it: the gateway to the North End.

The headhouse is located on Congress St., underneath a parking garage. This means technically it’s a park & ride in downtown Boston, however you’d have to be batshit crazy to drive here, given there’s other park & rides on both the Orange and Green Lines outside downtown (for instance, Oak Grove and Riverside). The mezzanine is alright, but not a lot to ring home about. And now, the platforms.

So, since the Orange and Green Lines run parallel here, you don’t have any longform up-and-over maneuvers that you see at State Street, so all transfers are up-and-overs and are short. Or, in the case of Green to Green transfers, changing direction, it’s an island platform. I’ll have to admit, though, the Orange Line platform was very dingy, with all sorts of weird stuff dripping onto the floor. What was it? I don’t even want to know.

The Green Line is your standard island platform, with supports dividing it. Not much to say that wasn’t said about the Orange Line here, however someone did draw the GLX onto the system map here.

And now, let’s get to the elephant in the room. I didn’t visit on my trip to review, however I’ve been around in the past – and it’s concerning, to say the least. Take a look.

You see that glass shelter in the above picture? That’s the Haymarket busway. Around all that, is the Government Center garage. It’s been in the process of being razed to the ground. This thing is like a tumor – the source of MANY issues. It’s why the station is shut down and bypassed on weekends as of late. Hell, someone DIED in a collapse of the garage a year ago! And yes, OSHA stepped in on that one. As such, with the demolition of the station, all the stops for Haymarket are on Congress St.

The good: Well, it’s pretty much the gateway to the North End! There’s also quite a bit of shopping nearby. You’ve also got the RMV in the same building, along with various federal government buildings nearby. In other words, it’s in a pretty good spot downtown.

The bad: The Government Center garage is a tumor! Hell, it’s a DEATH TRAP, even! Jesus CHRIST it’s bad! Also, it feels dingy once you get past the mezzanine, and the lack of a busway presently. Though, I can’t fault the station itself for that so much as I should fault car dependency.

Nearby points of interest: You’ve got the Public Market and the RMV in the same building, and it IS the “gateway to the North End” as I stated earlier. You’ve also got the northern end of the Kennedy Greenway, as well. But, good luck crossing the Surface Road.

Transit connections:
Green Line (D, E)
Orange Line
MBTA bus (4, 92, 93, 111, 117, 354, 426, 428, 450)

Overall, if you’re expecting something that’s not dingy or anything, this ain’t it. This station is probably your stereotypical subway station, dinginess and everything. Not to mention, the parking garage for Government Center is a freakin’ death trap. And, because of that, I cannot give this station too high a rating.

Rating: 5.5/10

Alrighty, so now to Boston’s State Street! Yes, yes, I know, I did State Street before and it was pretty good for a secondary station. However, that was a CTrail station. This is one of the transfer stations in Boston. So, let’s get into it.

So, the Blue Line platform is about average, you’ve got some benches and wastebaskets. It’s also pretty well-lit! In terms of what’s further out from here, there’s not a lot, as you only have Government Center and Bowdoin. It’s also well-lit, so there’s that. And then, there’s the Orange Line. The Orange Line is a similar story to the Blue Line’s platform, however it’s a lot more dingy and less tile-ridden. Also, the transfer. IF YOU’RE GOING FROM EITHER BLUE LINE PLATFORM TO THE ORANGE LINE’S SOUTHBOUND PLATFORM, GOOD LUCK. YOU BETTER HAVE THE STAMINA OF A HORSE TO MAKE THE LONG TREK THROUGH THE TUNNELS FROM CONGRESS STREET TO THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THE OLD MEETING HOUSE. YOU KNOW YOU FUCKED UP MAJORLY IF YOU NEED A BENCH IN THE TUNNEL. And yes, the elevator smelled awful. Yeah. Anyways, the headhouses!

Oh yeah, the headhouses! Now, several of them are quite modern, as you’d expect given the fact this is downtown Boston. But, one of them in particular stands out – it IS the old state house! Yeah, who thought that was good? Either way, pretty cool they got a subway station entrance in the state house. Oh yeah, Citizens Bank once owned naming rights to the place, too. Bus connections also exist, but most of them are for express buses.

The good: It’s one of the major transfer points for subway lines! Did I mention the State House headhouse? Yeah, that’s cool despite the dinginess inside. The other headhouses are alright, too!

The bad: THAT DAMN TRANSFER. IT’S ABYSMAL. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING, DRINKING, SMOKING?! Also, no bus shelters for the bus connections. And, why didn’t they renovate the Orange Line platforms when they did the Blue Line’s in 2011?

Nearby points of interest: Faneuil Hall is the big one, along with shopping on Washington St.

Transit connections:
Orange Line
Blue Line
MBTA bus (4, 92, 93, 354)

Overall, it’s not too terrible a station. However, the transfer to the southbound platform pretty much kills it with how much a walk it is.

Rating: 6.5/10

So, here we go. The first of five transfer stations. First up batting is Government Center, aka Scollay Under. Let’s get into this, the first part of the 1 year anniversary special of this blog.

Approaching the station on foot, the headhouse is easily noticed, and I’ll have to admit it’s nice. It’s also new, as it was rebuilt in 2016. It’s also got countdown clocks inside for both the Blue and Green Lines. So, let’s go down the stairs into the station itself.

So, the Green Line platforms are alright, serviceable. You’ve got countdowns, seating, and even a Dunkin’!!!!! Also, LOTS of screeching! And, hey, it’s well-lit! YAY! Now, to transfer between lines is easy as well. Just walk down. As another tidbit with the Green Line, two branches terminate here, with a third terminating track for any shuttles that have this place as their southern terminus. So, let’s walk down.

So, after walking past the historical Scollay Under sign and, for some reason, giving Charlie a sandwich instead of a nickel, we go down to the Blue Line platform which is also VERY well lit. This station used to be the Blue Line’s terminus when Bowdoin had its 9-5 hours, and oftentimes still is used as such with no shuttle service if needed. However, that’s not necessary for now. It’s as you’d expect. Also, the elevator smelled funky. Yeah.

The good: It’s REALLY well lit! Also, I like how there’s natural lighting coming in from the station headhouse. Furthermore, the transfer is arguably among the easiest in the entire system, and it was among the last of the underground stations to be made accessible – AND, done well, at that.

The bad: Eh, there’s not too many benches around. I’d also point the lack of bus connections, but it’s not that big a dealbreaker.

Nearby points of interest: There’s shopping nearby! But, it’s mostly (as the name suggests) government stuff nearby including City Hall.

Transit connections:
Blue Line
Green Line (B, C, D, E)
MBTA bus (354)

Overall, this is probably the best of the transfer stations. Unfortunately, that means it’s probably downhill from here. At least one can dream, though, and go in optimistically!

Rating: 8/10

As an aside, might I recommend M.T.A.?

Woah, Broadway! Why does it seem like EVERY Red Line incident happens here??????

So, for one they clearly went happy with tiling here. Probably because they knew this station was cursed with every incident under the sun happening here: between trains demolishing the platform in derailments, someone having their armed ripped off and subsequently DYING, yeah… But hey, the platforms are nice, and there’s art! Going on up, the headhouses are nice with translucent glass, as well. Buses? Well, three buses stop at street level. No busway here!

The good: Well, it looks nice and is colorful! There’s also countdown clocks outside!

The bad: Eh, there’s not much for transit connections, and it’s not really dense or anything nearby.

Nearby points of interest: Railfans might be interested in Cabot Yard! You can also get a nice view of the skyline from by here. Aside from that, not much.

Transit connections:
Red Line (Ashmont, Braintree)
MBTA bus (9, 11, 47)

Overall, it’s a decent station. It’s among the lesser used stations around here, likely due to the lack of buses. But, being paranoid, I wouldn’t advise being here too long as seemingly every Red Line incident happens here.

Rating: 6/10

Alrighty, so we went from among the best Red Line stations to one of the dingiest. Dear god. Let’s look at the John F. Kennedy-University of Massachusetts Boston station on the Red Line, aka Columbia. Hopefully I-93 isn’t too loud here, like I-90 was in Newton!

So, getting off the Red Line, the platform setup is actually quite unusual here vs. most stations. You have an island platform…..and another one. So, if you’re coming from the street, the Commuter Rail, or a bus, how do you know what platform the Alewife train is coming to next? Well, that’s easy. The signs tell you!

The platforms themselves aren’t much to ring home about. Kinda dingy, but it’s expected given we’re under I-93 and most under-highway stations suffer this fate. Also, I can’t help but feel like the station’s falling apart with how much is peeling. Seriously, give this place a facelift!!!

So, the Commuter Rail platform opened in 2001 (later than all but the Greenbush and South Coast stations), and it’s as you’d expect: fully high-level. There’s also a departure board. Neat! The busway also has all of three connections for MBTA buses, plus various UMASS shuttles.

The good: It’s pretty damn close to UMASS Boston!

The bad: THIS PLACE IS LITERALLY FALLING APART, MAYBE ASIDE FROM THE COMMUTER RAIL PLATFORM! NO, NO, NO!!! THERE’S NO TENANT (unless they open later) FOR WHAT LOOKED TO BE A SHOP, THERE’S PEELING PAINT EVERYWHERE, THE STAIRS ARE RUSTING, SOMEONE COULD DIE HERE DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE!!! ALSO, FUCK YOU IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE ON THE WRONG PLATFORM FOR AN ALEWIFE TRAIN AND CAN’T MOVE QUICKLY!

Nearby points of interest: UMASS Boston and the JFK Library are the big ones!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Middleborough, Kingston, Greenbush)
Red Line (Ashmont, Braintree)
MBTA bus (8, 16, 41)
Various shuttles

Overall, NO, JUST NO!!! IT’S SO DINGY AND IT’S FALLING APART, LITERALLY!!! PLEASE, GIVE IT A FACELIFT LIKE WOLLASTON!

Rating: 3.5/10

Alrighty! So, we’ve done all the other stops in Quincy …and, actually, all the other stops on the Braintree branch. Let’s see if Wollaston, the last holdout, is any better than the rest and I did save the best for last, shall we?

Now, why the HELL did it take me so long to get to Wollaston? Well, it’s easy, actually. Most of the time I’m down here, I’m with someone, and we simply had nothing to do with the area. However, let’s look at the station, with that crap out of the way. One exit has you exiting towards a sizable parking lot and Hancock Street, with residences nearby. Fortunately, the station is still somewhat walkable as you also have a pedestrian footpath heading towards Beale St. and various businesses in the area. On the other side, you have Newport Avenue. And, at the intersection of Newport and Beale is the station’s sole bus connection: the 211 to Quincy Center, North Quincy, and Squantum. At the station itself, you have a Pedal & Park, along with a headhouse that’s actually quite modern and nice, likely as it was rebuilt in 2019. Lastly, there’s a pedestrian bridge to the Red Line platforms from the parking lot.

The good: It’s in a residential neighborhood, and despite that has an ample amount of parking still (for those coming in from a bit further out). It’s also modern and among the newest stations on the MBTA, so there’s that. Also, bathrooms exist here and are PUBLIC!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

The bad: I know they tried on this, but the geography of the station just doesn’t lend itself well to being walkable, given one side of Newport Ave. has a steep grade. Also, the bus stop could be placed a little better.

Nearby points of interest: If you’re into Asian cuisine, you’ll be happy to know Wollaston is a predominantly Asian neighborhood, and as such you’ll probably find some more authentic restaurants vs., say, Panda Express in your nearest mall or lifestyle center.

Transit connections:
Red Line (Braintree)
MBTA bus (211, at Newport & Beale)

Overall, this has got to be the best station on the Braintree branch, and that says a bit given most of the stations are 6s with a 7 mixed in. Unlike the others, it’s actually nice to look at AND isn’t dingy, and furthermore there’s actually BATHROOMS here too!

Rating: 8/10

Alrighty, so I guess this is the part where I finally talk about the B branch at-large! Well, let’s see…. the stations suck, but the routing and quality of the ride itself was good enough. Now, a quick disclaimer on this one, I rode it out to Boston College, but the return trip had me doing a mixture of both riding and walking. So, let’s get into it, shall we?

So, the start of the line is all the way in Boston College on the Brighton/Newton line. In fact, in terms of mere distance, this is the second-longest branch of the Green Line, with the D branch beating it out. The neighborhoods themselves seem to have a bit of some old-school energy, with the rowhouses lining Commonwealth Avenue. I’m not sure why, but I kinda dig them. Anyways, there’s not too much to note, however you’ve got the Chestnut Hill reservoir and a potential on-foot transfer to the C and D branches at Chestnut Hill Avenue. Did I mention the line’s hilly? It’s hilly, and you can catch shots of the train cresting Commonwealth Avenue at Washington Street.

Of course, Washington St., Harvard Ave., Boston College, and the five BU stops are the only accessible ones, so there’s that against the line. And, fortunately, as we crest down the hill, Packards Corner is the last inaccessible stop (well, maybe save for Blandford St.) and the last one that’s unreasonably narrow. Then, lastly, are the five BU-area stops, which I walked the entire length of. They’re all pretty basic, and the route is a straight shot and is likely the fastest this branch runs. With that, that’s the entire B branch down! WOOHOO!

The good: Well, it serves two major college campuses! It’s also lined with quite a bit in the way of shopping too, so there’s that. Also houses.

The bad: MOST OF THE DAMN STOPS ARE INACCESSIBLE!!!!!!!

Nearby points of interest: Primarily BC and BU. Also the Grand Junction if you’re a railfan.

Overall, this line could be decent if given more width. But, instead, we get a godly amount of CRAP and inaccessible stations. At least it’s sorta-fast where it’s doable???? Also, odds are good you can outrun the BU stops, or the 57 might be faster (which mirrors the A branch of years prior).

Rating: 4/10

Alrighty, so I’ve done every other station on the B branch, let’s now start looking at Boston College!

So, what’s special about Boston College? Absolutely nothing! No, seriously, nothing. You’ve got a Green Line maintenance facility here, and facilities for operators, but aside from that not a lot else. You’ve also got bus shelters for sheltering on rainy or snowy days, and a mini-high for level Type 7 boarding. One of the major downsides to here, though, is that trains can get stuck with traffic because they need to cross half of Commonwealth Avenue to reach the median. And, no, there’s no semblance of traffic priority for the Green Line here to my awareness.

The good: It’s on the Boston College campus! You’ve also got BlueBikes here, for those who need to go a little further out than what walking can do.

The bad: Eh, I find it weird how this is the only terminal without any semblance of bus connections, though to be fair Riverside only has peak-only bus connections. And no, I’m not counting the BC bus network for this one. Also, that mini-high looks worn. And, no heating in the shelters?!

Nearby points of interest: Boston College!

Transit connections:
Green Line (B)

Overall, it’s alright, however I’d hope for a little more out of a major Green Line terminal. Maybe I’m being too needy. However, one thing’s for sure, and it’s better than the vast majority of stations on the line.

Rating: 4/10

Alrighty, so now that we got the absolute worst of the worst on the MBTA out of the way, let’s look at some half-decent stations, shall we? Now, the BU-area stations. These stations, namely, are Babcock Street, Amory Street, BU Central, BU East, and Blandford Street. Buckle down, as I walked the entirity of this segment of the Green Line for these reviews.

Alrighty, so these all are pretty much copy-paste, hence the 5-in-1 deal of a review. They all have shelters, wastebaskets, benches(!!!), and even countdown clocks and announcements. DAMN!!! The other stops make these look like Back Bay copy-pastes in comparison! Now, there’s also not much, and these are the last stops of the B branch before the central mainline at Kenmore. Oh yeah, the 57 runs down here too. Neat.

The good: There’s shelters, benches, and a countdown clock! Yay, the bare basics are here!!! WOOHOO!!!!! They also serve the areas in/around BU!

The bad: Eh, vs. the other stations not a lot is wrong here. I guess my biggest complaint is Blandford’s inaccessibility, and the mini-high at BU Central. That’s a weird thing. Also, good luck with crossing US-20.

Nearby points of interest: BU is the big one. If you’re a railfan, you can also easily reach the Grand Junction from these stops as well. I’d recommend Amory St. in particular, for the CP3.3 switch

Transit connections:
Green Line (B)
MBTA bus (57)

Overall, yeah these are relatively great stations. However, in the grand scheme of the MBTA, they’re average at best. Yeah, sorry but not sorry.

Rating: 5/10