So, Courthouse was grossly overridden with construction. What about its neighbor, World Trade Center (or WTC/BCEC, as I’ll call it going forward in this post)?
Alrighty, so the mezzanine is far better than Courthouse’s, with only an escalator being down instead of 90% of the mezzanine. Unfortunately, there’s no in-station access to the World Trade Center or BCEC, and unlike Courthouse at least this station is built to accommodate whatever conventions happen at either the WTC or BCEC. There’s also a bridge over the busway so you can look down on the buses. One can also look outside to, well, the outside world. There’s also a map of both the entire rapid transit system and the Silver Line system specifically in the mezzanine, below the countdown clock.
The good: It’s an important stop along the Silver Line, serving both the WTC and BCEC. Even the bus announcements acknowledge the presence of the BCEC.
The bad: During times without any conventions or events at either the WTC or BCEC, the station doesn’t have the best of ridership figures. 1500 daily boardings in 2019. Yes, it’s pre-pandemic, but still. However, WTC/BCEC is built to accommodate any spikes in ridership due to conventions or expos, so the station feeling overbuilt makes sense, unlike Courthouse.
Nearby points of interest: Uhhhh, the BCEC and WTC? Duh.
Transit connections: Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW)
Overall, while it seems like a boondoggle, and pointlessly overbuilt like Courthouse, it really isn’t. Most times, yes, it’s too big, but the space is important for any conventions and whatnot.
Oh my, some Silver Line stuff! So, the first stop past BOS is Courthouse. Let’s take a look. Is it overbuilt?
So, the platforms are relatively bare, with a bench to sit on. Nothing here. The station is also construction-ridden, and enough to where I ended up somewhere where I probably shouldn’t have been in. The ceiling in the mezzanine looks nice, though.
The good: It’s a direct link from downtown to the Joe Moakley Courthouse along the waterfront. I’d assume this is what most people end up using it for, that and other waterfront venues.
The bad: There’s no free crossovers (officially) in case you end up on the wrong side of the busway. Sure, you could hail Mary across the busway, but I wouldn’t suggest it. Also, the unholy amount of construction. Ridership isn’t the best either, with around 2500 weekday boardings happening here as of 2019. Not the best indicator either, but when I rode through here both times today, noone got on or off.
Nearby points of interest: Of course, there’s the Joe Moakley Courthouse. There’s also the Institute of Contemporary Art, which is probably the biggest attraction (and truthfully, should have the station renamed “Courthouse/ICA”)
Transit connections: Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW)
Overall, it’s not the best Silver Line station. The biggest killer for me, construction aside, is the non-free crossover from inbound to outbound. Maybe I did it wrong, who knows. Nevertheless, it’s not the easiest station to stomach.
Alright, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “ghetto” and “Boston” in the same sentence? Roxbury? Alright, good, we’re on the same page. Now, I don’t have any pictures for this review since this one was just before I started doing T reviews. But, I’ll try my best anyways.
[FULL REWRITE PLACEHOLDER]
The good: It’s direct and bisects a low-income neighborhood! It’s also FREE (paid by the city of Boston), though I don’t know how long it’s lasting. It also serves a lot of people, with the high frequency to boot. Plus, it’s frequent! Most one has to wait is 20 minutes, and that’s usually on weekends when service is reduced.
The bad: The fact it serves so many people can also mean, if you get claustrophobic, this route might be problematic for you. The frequent stops also means that if you’re in a rush, it might not be the best option.
Nearby points of interest: Mattapan and Ruggles, of course! There’s also the areas in between in Roxbury, if you’re into local stuff.
Overall, it’s definitely one of those routes. One that is better off in its current state, despite its flaws. And, it’s free for the time being so there’s that as well.
Ooh, Mansfield! It’s oftentimes said that getting a video of the Acela here is a rite of passage for essentially New England-based railfan. Besides, have you really lived until you’ve seen the Acela at 150mph?
So getting off the station, one can immediately see where most of the parking is. It’s a large field of parking essentially, and it was full to the brim. There’s even a grass lot that, from what I’ve heard, some people get creative with and use as a makeshift parking lot. However, I didn’t notice. But parking here is $4 a day. If you’re driving here, be mindful where you park since the lots along Mansfield Ave. and Winthrop Ave. require a residence permit. The station building itself looks nice, however it’s only open during the morning rush. This also happens to be where all the station amenities are. At minimum, it’d be nice if it were open all day, even if just for ticket sales, as it looks to be a nice area to wait during inclement weather.
The platforms are also quite nice, being brand spankin’ new. However….it’s only low-level, with a mini-high for accessibility. For a station that was largely rebuilt during the last 4 years, that’s all they could’ve done? I mean for crying out loud, Kingston (RI) had a rebuild in 2016-2017, AND they were able to add a third track for futureproofing for a potential MBTA or Shore Line East extension, all while also installing full-length high platforms. But here? All you get is a stinkin’ mini-high.
Now, enough of me ranting. The mini-highs, while they feel a little jank, are nice. They’re all also on the Providence/Wickford end of the track. Meanwhile, you have relatively modern station signage, between the LCD signs that say “Welcome to Mansfield” and the train approaching warning, and the new MBTA countdown signs, which I think are in more recently renovated stations. I’m not sure on that, but I’ve mainly seen them here, in Sharon, Porter Square, Readville, and Back Bay. Not so much in Wickford or T.F. Green. Hell, I don’t even think Attleboro has them. At least you have a decent amount of benches and a wastebin on either side.
So, as I said earlier, to cross over you have to walk the sidewalk along Chauncy Street. This, normally, isn’t bad. However, there’s also the fact that the sidewalk isn’t very wide, and it can be a bit annoying in the height department if you’re tall like I am. But if you’re driving here, just remember to park on the correct side of the road, as there’s payment machines on both sides of the tracks.
Remember how I mentioned it’s a rite of passage for railfans to film here? That’s because the Acela goes 150 miles an hour here. Yup. One of the few spots where it can go max speed. Kingston is another popular spot, and I think it gets close at T.F. Green and Wickford (don’t quote me though).
You’ll also see a number of Regionals here, usually at max speed. Unfortunately though, you probably won’t see an express MBTA train, as their express sections typically end at Sharon.
The good: It’s a decent park & ride station! Sure, parking isn’t free like at Wickford, but this is actually somewhere where people are willing to pay to park. And besides, it’s up there in the busiest stations outside Boston proper. #3 to be precise (for daily boardings), if we exclude fare zone 1A. #s 1 and 2 are Salem and Providence, respectively.
The bad: Two major complaints. 1, why is there no GATRA? I mean, yeah the 14o technically serves the station, but as far as I can find it’s like the 140 only existed on a map and not in practice. GATRA website? Nope, no schedule despite being on the system map. Google? Nope. So, why does GATRA advertise a route that doesn’t exist? Hell, why is there a bus stop sign if no buses even use the damn thing?! What kind of drugs is GATRA on, for crying out loud?! You want a bus that serves Mansfield Station, how about…you know what, never mind. It’s GATRA we’re talking and they probably can’t do jack shit right. Oh yeah, when I went to the 140’s page for this review, it 404’d on me. Gee, thanks GATRA. Forget I ranted completely about the 140. While I still stand that the 140 shouldn’t be on the official system map on the schedules page (it 404s), there IS, however, GATRA GO. GATRA GO is basically Flex, but with the added benefit of being on-demand. Complaint #2, and this is waaaay less serious than the GATRA complaint (which, tbf, is on GATRA more than it is on the town of Mansfield or the T), is that the station building should be open in a minimal manner after the morning rush. Maybe just have a ticket person at the ticket desk? Or, for those who reverse commute, reopen the cafe in the evening rush?
Nearby points of interest: If you’re willing to walk a little, you have the town of Mansfield!
Overall, it’s not a terrible station. It’s quite nice, actually. However, I have to give it a major strike for GATRA being on drugs with regards to what would be the only bus connection (once again, forget I ranted about GATRA, as I found out GATRA GO exists and is on-demand). It’s also a bummer that the station building is only open in the morning rush, but it’d be better if it were open (even if minimally) all day. It’s also nice how they rebuilt the otherwise decrepit station, though it still peeves me that it only has a mini-high platform.
Alright, so we’ve done the longest Commuter Rail route. Now, let’s do the shortest. All aboard the next Fairmount train!
Yeah, for some reason the line ends at Readville instead of Fairmount. A bit of a weird choice but whatever. I got on the train and we were off to the races. Time to South Station from here is expected to take 30 minutes. First stop, Fairmount.
A few people got on at Fairmount, however we were largely off to the races again afterwards. The train started moving forward again.
Up next? Blue Hill Avenue. A lot of people got on here, mostly school-aged children. As such, because they’re a bunch of teenagers who are likely too stupid to know how to keep their voices down, things got very loud on the train. Moving further down the tracks, we reached the next stop.
A LOT of people got on at Morton Street. Like, it got worse. Nevertheless, from here, it was a straight shot to the next stop where not many people got on or off. Ah well.
Up next was Talbot Avenue, and a few people got off here thankfully. However, it wasn’t enough for a quiet train. We pressed on further through the tracks, and arrived at the next station shortly after.
Geneva! Well, it’s not Geneva, Switzerland, unfortunately. But whatever. A lot of people got off here, and from here we eventually passed a community center with …McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc’s name attached to it at Upham’s Corner????? Yeah, I don’t know on that one. Fortunately from here, it was just Newmarket and a straight shot to South Station. Eventually, we did make it to South Station.
The good: It bisects low-income neighborhoods, giving the people another opportunity to commute into downtown! It’s also relatively very frequent, at 45 minute headways.
The bad: WHY IS THIS EVEN A COMMUTER RAIL LINE INSTEAD OF A NEW SUBWAY LINE ENTIRELY, OR AN ORANGE LINE BRANCH?! At this point, the MBTA may as well convert into a new line. I dunno, color it indigo as a nod to the fact it’s a Commuter Rail line? Apparently, people ride this route, though not many, with around 2600 daily passengers as of 2018.
Nearby points of interest: Readville, if you’re into railfanning! Also, Mattapan, Hyde Park, and Dorchester are along the line.
Overall, it’s not a terrible route, but it feels like it’s a regional train line trying to also be rapid transit, and in a way feels like it’s failing at both. Just put the Fairmount Line out of its misery and turn it into a subway line, PLEASE.
Alright, my first rapid transit route review! …except, I use “rapid transit” loosely, since the Silver Line isn’t the BRT system that the MBTA makes it out to be. Nevertheless, if I’m trying to 100% the T, I have to ride the Silver Line routes.
So the route begins in the tunnels under South Station. Because the Silver Line is technically BRT, this section is in its own right of way along with catenary wires. Because the stop is in fare control, we didn’t have to pay and could board at any door. Soon enough, off to the ra- WOAH CRAP IT’S SO BUMPY IT’S NAUSEATING! Yeah…..the BRT busway is really, really terrible in quality. It made my friend nauseated, for crying out loud!
First up is Courthouse. This stop is located near the Moakley Federal Courthouse, as the name suggests. A few people got on but not many people got off here. Anyways, moving on.
Up next: World Trade Center! Nope, this isn’t New York! This stop corresponds to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center near the waterfront. Again, not many people got on or off here. Moving on further and HOLY CRAP I SEE LIGHT!
Up next: Silver Line Way! Now, this stop is actually special for two reasons. First, it’s where short-turn SLW runs end. Second, it’s where the catenary-diesel handoff happens. Usually it takes about a minute at most, however if it goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Fortunately that didn’t happen. From here, we were in mixed traffic. We turned onto Haul Ave. and Northern Avenue. From here, we went left onto Drydock Ave., and looped around Drydock and Black Falcon Ave. From here, the route went back to South Station, as it runs in a loop.
The good: It serves the Seaport! It’s also a (mostly) rapid link between the Seaport and downtown Boston, with service to the Boston Exhibition Center and the Design Center.
The bad: THIS IS NOT BRT!!!! GOD DAMMIT MBTA, STOP CALLING IT BRT WHEN IT DOESN’T ADHERE TO BRT STANDARDS! Not even RIPTA is that bad with the R Line, because at least with that they MAKE it a point to not advertise it as BRT. And, it’s with this bad choice of labelling, that I have to give the SL2 not a great rating.
Nearby points of interest: Downtown Boston and the Seaport, really. Not much else.
Overall, STOP CALLING IT BRT!!! Ugh. Also, smoothen the busway going under the harbor. If you want BRT, at least give it dedicated bus lanes.
Alright, guess I’ve resorted to reviewing literal street signs. Yikes. Where are they? Let’s see: – Northern Ave. at Harbor St. – Northern Ave. at Tide St. – 23 Drydock Ave. – 27 Drydock Ave. – Drydock Ave. at Black Falcon Ave. – Drydock Ave. at Design Center
Six bus shelters and street signs. But, since they’re part of the Silver Line, they count.
They’re all literal street signs or bus shelters. I don’t have anything to say about these.
The good: The SL2 stops at all these, for what it’s worth
The bad: There’s nothing to say. It’s literally just a generic sign/shelter.
Nearby points of interest: Design Center and the seaport area.
Transit connections: Silver Line (SL2) MBTA bus (4)
Yeah, I got nothing to add. 1/10 rating for all these.
Looks like I’m in Cambridge today. Let’s see…Harvard? Nah. Davis Square? Too out of the way. Kendall/MIT? Not really attempting to railfan the Grand Junction. Ooh, Porter Square!
So, I got off here at the Alewife platform on the Red Line. First, the place feels like a bunker. I’m not even kidding. Just take a look.
As I was getting ready to walk up to the other Red Line platform (and the exit), I heard something. What’s that? Oh….oh god, it’s water. Oh no.
After the obligatory sarcastic “that looks safe” comment, we trekked up to the other platform and, eventually, the thing this station is notorious for (aside from the leaking water). Once we made it to the exit staircase, we looked up. Dear god, is this the longest staircase in all of New England? Turns out, it probably is. Specifically, 105ft deep with 199 steps. Most people, if they’re not there for a workout, just use the escalator. At the top is where fare control, along with Commuter Rail access and CharlieCard/CharlieTicket machines can be found. These machines are also where you buy your Commuter Rail tickets, so do so here to avoid a $3 surcharge. Apparently there’s also bathrooms up here, but I didn’t see them.
The Commuter Rail platform is kinda dingy. Not as bad as Back Bay’s Worcester platform, but still bad. Enough so to where water was dripping from the ceiling. Some spots also had the yellow safety strip peeling off from the ground. Yikes. At least it has modern countdown signs found at several stations (like Back Bay and Mansfield), so there’s that.
The good: It serves Cambridge! Hell, if you’re into winter mountain activities like snowboarding or skiing, pack your bags and come down to Porter for the next train to Wachusett! It’s also a convenient transfer point for the Red Line, meaning in a way, this is the Fitchburg Line’s counterpart to Back Bay. Hell, there’s also been instances to where the Red Line was used in lieu of service to North Station, usually if the station was closed. It’s also in the heart of Porter Square, with all sorts of businesses nearby, including the only (to my awareness) MBTA-licensed gift shop.
The bad: It’s quite dingy! I mean, I wouldn’t expect much from a station that’s 105ft underground, but the fact there’s water dripping everywhere is a little concerning when there’s a 3rd rail in play on the Red Line. The Commuter Rail platform is also quite dingy (still not as bad as Back Bay), and the yellow tactile line was falling apart a bit, but at least it’s accessible. Also, evacuating in the event that one is necessary is, by the looks of it, quite a logistical nightmare.
Nearby points of interest: Porter Square and its shops! There’s a lot to be seen around here. There’s also connections to the Red Line and towards Fitchburg and Wachusett Mountain.
Overall, it’s an interesting station. Certainly an outlier, to say the least, especially where depth is concerned. It’s certainly not too terribly bad, given that 1468 people board the Fitchburg Line here daily (as of 2018), and 8094 Red Line passengers daily as of 2019, but I’ve seen better. The dripping water, though, is a bit of a concern with the 3rd rail. It’s also nice that one can make a Commuter Rail connection here as well, along with a few bus routes on the street. Fun fact, the (now discontinued) trackless trolleybuses used to run by here! Look up when you’re at street level, and you’ll see catenaries.
Alright, my first MBTA bus review! Let’s get into this route. So, what is it that I’m working with? I’ll be working with the 32 today.
So, once my friend and I got on the bus, it was off to the races. The route is largely straightforward, being a clean shot down Hyde Park Ave. to Wolcott Square, Readville. The neighborhoods the route went through, or at least the sections of which, were largely residential in nature. Many businesses lined Washington St. in the Jamaica Plains section of the route. However, once we entered Roslindale, it was a different story with it being largely residential. I wouldn’t even describe the neighborhood as bad, or Olneyville-level, by any stretch of the imagination. At least, not at face value. I’m not a native Bostonian, so I’m very much unaware as to where to and to not go (beyond the very obvious).
As we went down Hyde Park Ave., it was sorta urban in nature with the buildings. Like, it’s not very urban, but I’d describe it in nature similar to North Main Street in Providence. It was largely the same things. At one point, we passed by Hyde Park’s Commuter Rail station, where Stoughton-bound trains stop, along with Franklin and Foxboro trains. Eventually, though, after going under a stone arch bridge, we made it to Wolcott Square and Readville Station.
The good: It’s a direct link between Wolcott Square, Readville Station, and the Orange Line via Forest Hills, going through Roslindale, Hyde Park, and the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain. It also gets some decent enough ridership, as far as I can tell, between my own trip being decently full. If Miles’ (of Miles in Transit) post on this route is to go by, this route happens to get slightly higher ridership than the R Line (in excess of 11000!) If anyone can double check this with the Blue Book (I can’t decipher it to save my life as I’m an idiot), please let me know.
The bad: Given the frequency, I’d imagine bunching up is bad with traffic. I mean, this route has R Line levels of frequency, being 10 minute headways. Which sounds nice until you realize it’s in mixed traffic.
Nearby points of interest: The Arbortorium at Forest Hills! There’s also Hyde Park and Readville Stations if you’re into railfanning. Also, the Orange Line’s southern terminus is at Forest Hills.
Overall, it’s not a bad route. It’s a clean shot from Forest Hills to Wolcott and Readville Station via Hyde Park Avenue. Could it be a little better in the frequency (i.e. being slightly less frequent to avoid bunching) department? Probably. But, it’s buses we’re talking. High frequency, higher than the R Line, is inevitably going to lead to bunching. It’s still not a bad route though.
Ah, the southern terminus of the Orange Line, at the heart of Jamaica Plain. Oh, there’s also a Commuter Rail platform here, sweet! Let’s look at this station a little further.
So, the Orange Line platform is your standard Southwest Corridor affair. It’s primarily enclosed with concrete, though, unlike most of the other Southwest Corridor subway stops. It does tell you which platform the next inbound train is departing on, though, which is nice. Despite this, it still screams ’80s MBTA.
The station lobby itself is pretty nice. There’s an information booth at the center of the station, and the ceiling and roof is all glass, which lets in a lot of sunlight. Access to the Commuter Rail platform can also be had here.
Oh boy. Why did it feel like Back Bay again? Fortunately, because most trains express through here with only Needham line trains stopping (UPDATE 9/24/22: the MBTA has changed the schedule so that Franklin trains and a midday Providence train stop here), diesel fumes aren’t an issue unlike in Back Bay. The platform itself, however, was quite bare, aside from the odd cute railfan girl.
There’s two busways here, too. They’re either on the western or eastern side of the station, with a number of bus routes leaving here, such as the 32 to Wolcott and Readville. It felt a little dingy, but it wasn’t too unbearable as it was all outdoor otherwise.
The good: It gives the locals an intermodal transit center! The Orange Line to Downtown Crossing is about 20 minutes (once you’re on the train). The station is also in fare zone 1A, meaning that Commuter Rail fares are the same as the subway heading into South Station and Back Bay. Heading outbound, the rail line ends at Needham, although it costs $7 rather than $2.40.
The bad: Not much. It’s a little dingy, and the Orange Line platform is definitely showing its age, but aside from that I don’t have many complaints. The tunnel with the Needham line would be problematic if all trains stopped here, but fortunately that isn’t the case. Also, what’s with the last Providence train stopping here?
Nearby points of interest: Forest Hills, the neighborhood! There’s also the Arbortorium nearby, along with the Franklin Park Zoo. Maybe a cute sapphic couple.
Overall, it’s a nice station. Sure, the platform is dingy, and there’s not much in extra amenities, but you don’t always need that when you have local businesses nearby. The building itself is quite nice, and there’s several things to do nearby.