MBTA – Page 25 – chelsea's corner

Providence (MBTA/Amtrak)

The venerable Providence Station, the supplementary piece to Rhode Island’s transit core in downtown Providence. What do you hold for today’s post, Providence? Well, let’s dive into it.

Well, for one it isn’t the prettiest station. It’s essentially a brutalist slab of concrete with train platforms underneath. But hey, a good station doesn’t need to look pretty inherently. Anyways, I digress. This place has two entrances, a north and south entrance. The north entrance is facing the State House and is serviced by RIPTA bus routes 50, 55, 56, and 57, while the less exciting-looking south side is at the end of Exchange Street. This side is serviced by the R Line, 3, 4, 51, 54, 58, 66, and 72. Meanwhile, there’s platforms for tracks 1, 2, 3, and 5 down under with services from Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Acela as well as the MBTA Commuter Rail. However, that isn’t the only sight you can see from the platform as sometimes you might see a Providence & Worcester train passing through on track 7. As for parking, it’s there. I don’t know if it’s paid though or not, as I didn’t bother checking. (It probably isn’t)

Whelp, it looks like a staircase to a dingy underworld, but it’s just how you access the parking on foot.

Alright, time for the station itself. It can get a bit crowded during peak hours in the morning and afternoon, and it can also get REALLY busy if there’s a convention either in Providence or Boston (e.g. Anime Boston, PAX, or ComiCon). There’s an in-house restaurant, Cafe La France, which is quite nice. I heard the food and drinks are nice too, albeit a little on the pricey side, but I’m still going to have to try it some time and edit as necessary. This is also where you would buy your MBTA Commuter Rail tickets. So, if you arrive without a ticket (or the mTicket app), buy it here so you don’t incur an avoidable $3 fee. There’s also an Amtrak QuikTrak machine to buy tickets or print out e-tickets. Furthermore, there’s also the Amtrak information kiosk that usually has at least one person staffed, if you need any further help. Lastly, baggage checks can be done here, and is found next to the vending machines. There’s also a small gift shop, Oakwells. Just don’t get any water or stuff like that here as it’s going to be overpriced. From here, accessing the platforms when the boarding call is made is easy enough, as there’s entrances on both sides as well as elevators in the event you need accessibility. Speaking of which, all of the platforms are also full highs (rather than the mini-highs that the MBTA loves retrofitting old stations with).

Baggage, vending, and some marketing materials pertaining to RI

At least it’s lit, unlike the parking garage staircase.

And with that, I’ve reviewed every MBTA station outside of Massachusetts……..for now. (stay tuned – Pawtucket/Central Falls post coming later this year!)

The good: It packs everything one would need in a small space while still being a major transit hub for Rhode Island.

The bad: It’s a little (1/4 mile) out of the way from Kennedy Plaza. If the Dorrance St. Transit Center becomes reality, then it’s more out of the way (over half a mile!) and the argument can be made for incorporating it into the Downcity Loop. Also, the fact the northbound bus routes only get a lousy stop that’s not even advertised well, is a definite “yikes”. Hell, it’s hardly even advertised! It can also get quite crowded during rush hour…

Nearby points of interest: Providence Place Mall, for sure. If you need any snacks/quick drinks, there’s a CVS here. There’s also Kennedy Plaza and bus connections to Oakland Beach, URI, Pawtucket, Roger Williams Park, and Twin River Casino. There’s also rail connections to Boston and other areas served by the Providence/Stoughton Line as well as to Connecticut and points south via the Acela and Northeast Regional.

Overall, it’s not a bad station. It’s got some shortcomings but those are inherent with pretty much any train station. Ridership here is pretty much as you expect: The most used station in RI, and the highest ridership stop on the Commuter Rail outside of the MA-128 ring. My only real complaint has to do with the fact it isn’t at Kennedy Plaza directly, although there’s not much one can do about that without interfering with the Northeast Corridor. Lastly, why isn’t this part of the Downcity Loop? It just feels weird that none of the express routes stop here whatsoever. Yeah it’s part of the Downtown Transit Corridor, which I guess is alright, but it just feels weird that the expresses don’t touch here.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Northeast Regional, Acela)
Commuter Rail (Providence)
RIPTA (R Line, 3, 4, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 66, 72)
Rating: 7/10

Whelp, time to plan a trip for Westerly and Kingston/URI.

T.F. Green Airport (MBTA)

*glances around* I spy with my wee eyes……a MBTA logo in the T.F. Green terminal? Huh. Well, looks like today’s post is going to be a review on the T.F. Green MBTA station. Just to get the elephant in the room out of the way, though, for the purpose of this post “the station” is referring to everything in the parking garage and the skybridge beyond Post Road. No review on the terminal itself (too many DHS officials around and I’d look suspicious), although I’ll mention it here and there.

So *this* is how we get to the platform from the terminal, eh?

First off, how do you access the train station? Well, there’s a few ways. If you’re coming from the terminal (i.e. from RIPTA bus routes 1, 20, and 66, or if you’re coming off a plane), then it’s a relatively long walk. But, if you’re taking the 14, as I touched upon in that post (read here), there’s a timepoint and stop outside the parking garage that houses the platform. Weirdly enough, there’s only a busway on the inbound side. There’s also a parking garage that one can pay to park here (so in a way, it’s also a park & ride), $5 for up to 24 hours of parking.

To get here from the main terminal, you have to find an escalator or elevator that brings you up from the first floor (where you’re likely coming from). Then, you have to go all the way up, and cross the skybridge. It feels long but that’s because it’s essentially a straight shot. In reality, it’s only 0.2 miles (rightabout). Of course, there’s some turns, and sometimes an airport employee driving a cart might offer a ride, but that didn’t happen for me. Eventually, though, I reached the end of the skybridge to the car rental area and was greeted by the MBTA station sign reading “WELCOME TO TF GREEN AIRPORT” along with the TTS announcement, the standard affair for newer Commuter Rail stations built within the last two decades. There’s also a bathroom over here, but I never took a peek at it. But, we’re still not done with getting there from the terminal. WAIT! Don’t use that first elevator, as it’ll leave you on the wrong side of the track! To even reach the Commuter Rail, you have to walk across the 3rd floor of the garage and take the elevator on the far side. Fortunately, though, it’s pedestrian friendly and sidewalks exist. Finally, we go into the stairway and take the elevator down to the ground floor, exit through the left door, and FINALLY, we’re at the train platform. Parking can also be paid for over here, as well.

An orange MBTA logo, even though it’s the Commuter Rail. Probably done for consistency’s sake.

The elevator. I obviously didn’t pay attention to the sign that said “Access to Train Platform”

Once again, you access the platform via the 3rd floor of the garage.

If you’re getting here via Jefferson Boulevard, it’s a much easier said than done affair as there’s access to the train platform from outside the garage. Access to the aforementioned stairway going to the train platform is via the Hyatt parking lot. Both entrances are fortunately ADA compliant, as is the platform itself. No mini-highs (or lows!) to be seen here!

The inbound-only busway on Jefferson Boulevard

The tracks from above (and through a chain-link fence)

Alright, now what’s the train platform itself like? Well, part of it is sheltered by the fact it’s in a parking garage, while the other part has a long enclosed shelter that looks like it has a HVAC system. To my awareness, I’m not sure any other Commuter Rail station has such a thing. It’s also a bit barren, but standard for a train platform, with some benches and garbage bins. In terms of transit, you have the 14 heading inbound hourly, and outbound hourly 14s alternating between Narragansett and Newport on weekdays at Jefferson Boulevard. At the terminal, you have the 1 (trips ending in Pawtucket, up to every 40 minutes), 20 (up to every 15), and 66 (up to 30 each way). But, that’s if you’re willing to walk there. So, what about the Commuter Rail, the service this station exists to serve? Well, it’s the only stop that begets a zone 9 fare ($12.75), takes over 1 and a half hours to get to Boston South Station, doesn’t run on weekends, and is served by every other outbound train (and when said train reverses to inbound). In other words, whatever serves Wickford, serves here too. Plus, it’s the lowest-ridership station along the Providence-Stoughton Line, likely because driving would be faster or the cost savings vs. a plane to Logan Airport (+ subway/bus fares) would be not much more expensive. Yikes.

T.F. Green Airport/Warwick. Only station signed like this.

Nearby points of interest: T.F. Green Airport…….and not much else. Pretty much every bus goes to Providence, the 14 and 66 go to CCRI, with the 66 also going to URI. The 14 also goes to Newport and Narragansett. 1 trips originating from here also terminate in Pawtucket, so there’s that.

The good: It’s relatively clean, and it’s in a parking garage meaning the rain isn’t much of an issue. There’s also a shelter on the portion not in the garage. There’s also more transit than Wickford.

The bad: It’s a bit of a walk from the airport terminal, and hardly has any advertising for its existence. There’s also no Amtrak stop here, even though it would be a decent spot for Northeast Regional trains if the side track was electrified (and if there was another track across from the existing platform). It also begets a zone 9 MBTA fare ($12.75!) despite other similarly-distanced stations (e.g. Fitchburg and Wachusett) being zone 8 fares. And yes, it’s the only zone 9 stop in the system, like how Wickford is the only zone 10 stop.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence)
RIPTA (1, 20, 66 at terminal, 14 at Jefferson Blvd.)
various airlines

Overall, just take the bus to Providence if you’re able to and transfer to the MBTA there. Or, just use Amtrak at that point. The terminal is nice but that’s not part of the station. But given the state of the station, and with it being the least-used station on the Providence/Stoughton Line, it’s passable but is a nuisance. And with the conditions here, there’s probably a good reason it’s as underutilized as it is.
Rating: 6.5/10

Wickford Junction (MBTA)

Ah, my first station review/post. Let’s dive into this.
Wickford Junction. The present (as of 4/28/22) terminus of the Providence branch of the Providence/Stoughton MBTA Commuter Rail line. It also happens to be a park & ride lot. Let’s begin.

Ah, the ubiquitous MBTA Commuter Rail station sign. Only one way to go from here!

The parking garage that the station is at isn’t anything special. It’s your average parking garage inside. The outside looks nice, however, and there’s a busway for the two(!!!) RIPTA routes that service the station (again, as of 4/28/22). Longer-term plans like the Transit Master Plan call for more routes to originate from here, and to stop on their way to other places, however that is definitely not the case currently.

The building. Looks quite nice, truth be told.

Now, what about facilities at the station? For what it is, Wickford’s actually well-planned with facilities. You have waiting areas on the 1st-3rd floors (probably the 4th too, I’ll get to that in a bit) that are heated, bathrooms that are kept clean (albeit in the garage portion just outside the waiting area on the 1st floor), vending machines, and ADA-compliant high-level platforms all the way. There’s also RIPTA pamphlets on the 1st floor, however they are out of date (route 62 was axed as part of the Fall’21 service changes).

However, even as soon as you get to the 2nd floor, the station’s shortcomings become quite evident. There’s an area for what looks like a mini restaurant in the station, however it appears that nobody has ever moved in. There’s also a section on the far side of the station with an elevator that doesn’t even work. Ticket machines aren’t even plugged in, so you can’t buy tickets before boarding the train. Ridership is good though, if you put the station in a similar category to Wachusett or another far-flung Commuter rail station. However, for it being a “major transit center”, it kinda falls flat on its face. Thanks, Lincoln Chafee. Also, I might add, the 3rd and 4th floors are being used as COVID testing sites, so I couldn’t even explore them.

Now, one telltale sign of a station that has vending machines (thanks Miles, for mentioning this in your blog!) is to check the sell-by date on the goodies contained within.

Yeah. And the vending machine was half-empty. So, are deliveries just that infrequent because of how unused the station is? Or, is the station used more than I think?

Alright, now transit. You can’t have a transit center without transit, right? Well…..

We have about 10 Commuter Rail trains throughout the day, with the first one leaving at 4:35am and the last one arriving at 11:20pm. However…….they only run down here on weekdays only. That means no holiday Commuter Rail trips. But what about RIPTA? That’s easy said and done. We have the 65X express route going to and from Wakefield during peak hours, and the 66 going to and from URI. One’s every 15-20 minutes at weekday peaks only, and the other runs every half hour during weekdays, and every hour during nights and weekends. Last bus in each direction leaves at 11:22pm heading north, and 12:07am(!!) heading south on weekdays, and before 11pm on weekends. Also, no Amtrak because the side tracks aren’t electrified. The Acela burns through here near its max 150mph speed, though!

Overall, Wickford’s a pretty nice transit center. Just that it, well, doesn’t have any transit. It’s a wasted potential, really. Could’ve lived up to the hype that surrounded it during the planning and construction phases. But alas, there’s pretty much no transit. How can that be fixed, though? Hear me out.

There’s another station just south of here that is also in the middle of nowhere, South Kingstown. However, there’s something there that Wickford lacks: URI. So, what if the MBTA extended the Providence/Stoughton line to URI, while building a second platform and having ALL Providence-bound trains run south to Wickford and URI. Meanwhile, RIPTA turns Wickford into a feeder stop of sorts for the South County routes (think, the 14’s branches, the 66’s southern section, and the 69 primarily, maybe the 64 and QX too) and have some additional South County routes originate from the station as well. (think a Westerly-RI Rte. 3 route, or a route that largely follows US-1)

It’s a far cry, and it probably won’t happen, but it’d bring ridership numbers from the actual 235 daily riders or so (as of 2018) closer to the projected 2000+. Plus, it’d likely encourage some transit-oriented development, and MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, the area will actually become more walkable? Also, why not consolidate Wickford and T.F. Green both into zone 9, or put those two stops with Providence (and presumably Pawtucket too) in zone 8?

The good: It’s a legitimately nice train station. Probably the best I’ve been in (so far), and certainly among the best on the MBTA’s system outside of Boston. It’s clean and has almost all the amenities one would want at a train station.

The bad: Almost all the amenities. You don’t get a ticket booth/machine, nor do you get the luxury of a mini-cafe that some stations get. There’s also pretty much no transit whatsoever.

Nearby points of interest: Well, there’s the shops at Wickford Junction, including a Walmart. In a twist of irony, though, Wickford Junction as a shopping center isn’t really walkable. URI’s also a (approximately) half-hour bus ride away, with its bus connections to the 64 and 69. The 65X will get you to Wakefield, if you’re compelled but that’s only during the evening rush. And you’d have to take the 69 and 66 back. T.F. Green is a half-hour train ride away, and downtown Providence about an hour, with downtown Boston being 2 hours and a zone 10 fare ($13.25, most expensive on the Commuter Rail!) away. Just use RIPTA to get to Providence, though. It’s cheaper ($2) and still takes about an hour, plus you can save some money with getting a zone 8 fare. If South Attleboro ever reopens, you could theoretically even take RIPTA up there and pay a zone 7 fare instead. Hell, even transferring to the 14 at CCRI will still net you a zone 9 fare at T.F. Green (not much of a savings, but it’s still something).

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence)
RIPTA (14, 65X, 66)

Rating: 8.5/10