Category: MBTA

Oh goody, I actually get to use the Harvard busway for once! YAY! So, what was the first bus ride of the day? Well, the 73! Let’s see how it is.

First off, the bus was 7 minutes late! Yikes! But yet, somehow we ended up 2-3 minutes early arriving into Waverley Square. Not sure how that happens, but it’s probably schedule padding. The route itself is largely a straight shot as well. After exiting the busway, we made a couple of turns onto Brattle Street and Mt. Auburn Street, and we started going straight. And, wouldn’t ya know it, unlike the other bus route operating out of Harvard, we actually had some SPEED. We passed Mt. Auburn Hospital and Cemetary, turned down Belmont Street and eventually entered Belmont and- wait, what???

THERE’S CATENARY ABOVE US! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHY ARE WE RUNNING DIESEL UNDER CATENARY?! DID THE FUCKING SILVER LINE RUN THROUGH HERE AT SOME POINT?! JUST, FHUJOIADHGUJDIOAPHGUIPOADSHNG WHY WHY JUST FUCKING WHY?! IF THE SILVER LINE WAS ABLE TO RUN DIESEL AND ON WIRE, WHY COULDN’T THE 73?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GOD FUCKING DAMMIT THIS PISSES ME OFF. I KNOW I’M SUPPOSED TO HAVE MIXED OPINIONS THAT ARE MOSTLY NEGATIVE ON TROLLEYBUSES, BUT, YOU DO NOT FUCKING RUN DIESEL UNDER CATENARY!!!!!!!!

Of course, Belmont is a suburban town, and there’s a lot of housing. But, more businesses started coming up as we passed down Trapelo Road, and eventually reached Waverley Square where one can change with the Fitchburg Line.

The good: It’s direct and frequent! It’s also got a connection with the Fitchburg Line as well, which is convenient. However, you can’t use the station to circumvent non-interzone fares if you don’t have a CharlieCard with fare loaded on it already. But if you do, the 73 is a cheat of sorts for avoiding those costly zonal fares.

The bad: WHY IS IT DIESEL UNDER FUCKING CATENARY?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHY, WHY, JUST FUCKING WHY GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!!! *flips desk over in anger*

Also, weekend headways may or may not be “meh”

Nearby points of interest: Mt. Auburn Hospital, there’s also businesses at each end, and Harvard.

Overall, this route pisses me off. No, not because of the routing itself. But, it pisses me off because….well, see “the bad”. IT’S DIESEL UNDER CATENARY WHY WHY JUST FUCKING WHY WHAT WERE THEY SMOKING?!

Rating: 10/10 routing and in practice, 1.5/10 if diesel under catenary making me irrationally angry is accounted for.

So, remember in my Needham Junction entry, at the very end, I noted how it might be my favorite station on the line, unless Hersey proved to be a 10/10, and how I had doubts that Hersey would get a 10/10? Well…….about that……….

So, Hersey is located in Needham (though is not considered “the Needham trio/quartet” as it doesn’t have the town’s name in the station naming.), and in the Bird’s Hill neighborhood. In fact, historically speaking, this station used to be named Bird’s Hill, however they renamed it in 1980 in honor of a Needham selectman who was an outspoken advocate with regards to the Commuter Rail. While it is not concrete info, he (allegedly) pushed to keep the Needham Line open while the Commuter Rail was going through serious trouble in the 1960s. Eventually, he was recognized for his work by having Bird’s Hill renamed for him, and F40PH Screamer #1000 was dedicated in his name as well. So, what’s his station like? Well….actually great!

The mini-high actually has stuff on it, unlike the other stations on the line. No dot matrix signage, but you DO have wastebaskets and benches! Neat! Furthermore, you have not one but TWO crossings to the parking lot on the opposite side of the tracks. Yes, there’s TWO parking lots! One side is on the platform side with stairs leading to it. The other is the accessible lot, with two crossings (or a crossing with stairs on the other end of the platform). You also have a red dot matrix sign as well. Neat! Going up to the north parking lot, you have plenty of parking to go around (I’m sure, with this being the most-used station on the line, it fills up on weekdays) and….a payphone and bus shelters?! Woah! That’s neat! There’s even a Dunkin’ nearby!

The good: You’ve got a lot of housing in the walkshed! Furthermore, there’s some businesses nearby, and it’s a sizable parking sink for the Needham Line. This is moreso given its proximity to I-95 as well. Neat! It’s also relatively quiet, being in a golf course, if that’s your thing.

The bad: Ehhhhh…an upgrade to a proper departure board could be nice, but not necessary…

Nearby points of interest: There’s a golf club!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)

Overall, I really like this station and is easily my favorite on the entire line. Like, it’s so quiet!!! I like how peaceful it feels and relatively remote vs. the town center vibes at the end of the line. It’s also got most things one would reasonably need, and it’s also a decently sized park & ride as well!

Rating: 9.5/10

Alrighty, the last of the West Roxbury trio! (the other two being Highland and the station of the same name as the neighborhood) So, what does Bellevue have going for it? Let’s take a peek!

So, I actually approached this station from the Belgrade Terrace entrance, which has BlueBikes ready for one’s grabbing. There’s the usual Needham affair of a red dot matrix sign, a barren mini-high, benches, wastebaskets, and a sheltered area on the far end of the low level platform. Actually, it isn’t even that far, as the parking and everything is close to the mini-high. There is, however, an entrance on the far end of the low level platform, though. But, by and large everything is closer to the mini-high. Woah, this is unique! Of course, however, there were red dot matrix signs, both on the platform and mini-high. So, yeah. But, hey, it’s actually somewhat decent! YAY!

The good: It’s in a relatively dense suburban neighborhood, has enough parking, BlueBikes even, and frequent bus connections! Oh yeah, the walk to the mini-high isn’t bad! There’s even an alternate entrance on the far end of the low platform, too.

The bad: I would say it suffers from the same issues as most Needham stops, but the entrance is actually close to the mini-high. It is, however, still barren. Bleh. I will say, now that I think of it, I do wish signage was clearer acknowledging the existence of a Commuter Rail station here.

Nearby points of interest: It’s suburbia. Anything in Highland’s section also applies here as half of both stations’ walksheds overlap.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (35, 36, 37)

Overall, it’s a decent enough stations, but there are some annoying nitpicks that keep it from being the best on the line. I got nothing else to note about the area, since it’s suburbia through and through. Oh well!

Rating: 7.5/10

So….there can be only one, eh? Well, this one is simply called “Highland”, unlike the similarly-named station in Melrose. And, wouldn’t you know it, this station’s actually pretty decent, too! Let’s look.

Highland is, in many senses, much like West Roxbury in design. You have the same general gist going on here, with the barren-ish mini-high, benches and wastebaskets, red dot matrix signage (which is BROKEN here!), and a modest amount of parking. However, unlike West Roxbury, you have various businesses lining Centre St., along with more readily accessible bus connections (the 35 and 36 also stop here, alongside the 37). And, shockingly, there’s also a transit-accessible Roche Brothers out here! Woah!!!! Also like West Roxbury, it makes for some good photos during the fall months, so there’s that, too.

The good: It’s nice and quiet, and has frequent bus connections! It’s also largely in the same kinds of neighborhoods as West Roxbury, so there’s that as well – and I presume most of the station’s ridership comes from foot traffic. Again, it’s also pretty decent for photos during the fall too. And, I must reiterate, this is Boston proper! The fact a place like this exists in Boston city limits is still surprising to me. The station entrance isn’t as far from the mini-high, for once!

The bad: Usual Needham issues. Oh, THE RED DOT MATRIX SIGNAGE DOESN’T WORK EITHER. SO, FUCK YOU IF YOU NEED IT TO WORK!

Nearby points of interest: There’s some stuff lining Centre St., but nothing immediately popped out to me. There’s a Roche Brothers here, though!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (35, 36, 37)

Overall, much like West Roxbury, I like this station quite a bit, however I personally hold West Roxbury as my favorite, if anything, among the stations on this section of the Needham Line. Yeah, sorry.

Rating: 7.5/10

Okay, okay, I’m sure some of the uninformed people reading this are freaking out. “YOU VISITED WHERE?!” Yes, I visited West Roxbury. Keyword: WEST. Normal Roxbury (Ruggles/Northeastern, Nubian, Washington St. to name some areas) is more known as a “bad” part of town (it really isn’t that bad if you have any semblance of common sense), at least if you ask a suburbanite like my parents or my stepdad. WEST Roxbury, is the complete opposite of what suburbanites think Roxbury is. West Roxbury is essentially suburbia in its own right. So, let’s take a look at it, shall we?

So, West Roxbury is actually quite a pleasant station. You can get some nice train shots here, as the leaves turn color. You have benches and wastebaskets, along with red dot matrix signage. While you don’t have seating on the mini-high, you do have a sheltered area towards the far end of the low-level platform. There’s even bicycle infrastructure present! Neat! You also have plenty of parking to go around as well. Beyond all this, you have a ballfield nearby and Millennium Park isn’t too far away either. Overall, a pretty nice little station with little in the way of flaws outside of line-wide issues.

The good: Well, it’s balls-deep in suburbia, to put it lightly! And, a relatively dense suburban neighborhood at that, surprisingly given this is technically Boston proper. Plus, maybe it’s just me, but the way the scenery looks in the fall makes for good photos out here as well. The 37 is also relatively frequent!

The bad: It’s got your usual Needham Line issues: long platform with a relatively barren mini-high, far from any station entrance.

Nearby points of interest: Millennium Park is the big one!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (37)

Overall, this is a really nice station, just that it suffers from many of the same issues of the Needham Line at-large, but aside from those it has no issues unique to here. So, way to go West Roxbury!

Rating: 8/10

Alrighty. So, Needham Heights was bad, and Needham Center is “meh”, is there a rat’s chance in Hell this station’s any good?? Well…….actually, it is kinda decent, relatively.

Of course, going into the station, you have a decent amount of parking which, on the day I was here, was completely empty (midday on a Saturday, for context). In fact, save for me, the station was pretty much barren. Unlike Needham Center, though, you actually have a sheltered area by the low level section of the platform, alongside the usual amenities, AND, you also have a yellow sign rather than red! YAY! Now, what’s in the station, you ask? Well, I don’t know!

It turns out, it houses an ice cream shop that’s closed until May. That’s sad, but meh. I’m sure they’re pretty good and probably contribute somewhat to the station’s ridership. Just beyond you can also see a small chunk of double tracking one way, and a wye the other way. In fact, outside the hard left turn into South Station from Back Bay, I think this might be the sharpest turn on any southside commuter line. Certainly makes for some cool photo opportunities, though!

The good: The station’s got some cool photo opportunities (for the trains), has a sheltered area, and during the summer even has an ice cream parlor! Neat! There’s also a decent amount of parking, for y’all car addicts.

The bad: I mean, it’s not a full-length high platform. The mini-high is barren, too. The 59’s service also sucks on weekends.

Nearby points of interest: Eh…there isn’t much. The ice cream shop, if it’s summer. But save for that, not a lot…

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, this station’s actually pretty decent, with shelters and benches, along with the existence of an ice cream shop. Probably one of my favorites on the Needham Line, if anything (unless Hersey proves to be a 10/10, which I doubt).

Rating: 8/10

Ohhhh god……yeah, shockingly, this station just reeks of “bad”. I mean, Needham itself isn’t bad, it’s your average suburban town, and on a Saturday it’s actually quite peaceful and quiet, with the odd train horn ringing as the T blows through at 5mph. But, Needham Center, the T station? Yeah, it sucks.

Well, it’s kinda barebones, actually. The mini-high is barebones. But, the platform has your usual benches and wastebaskets, and also has a shelter on said mini-high…..without benches. Yikes. There’s also plenty of parking, and it’s located in Needham’s town center. But, given it’s literally a 10 minute walk to both Needham Junction and Needham Heights….yeah…….. I think I’ll save stop spacing for a different entry. Fortunately, you do have some businesses pretty much trackside, but not like in Wakefield. Overall, while the station functionally is bleh, the area itself is pretty nice. Oh yeah, the 59 also stops by here. There’s also space for a second track JUST INSTALL THE DAMN SECOND TRACK!

The good: It’s in Needham’s town center, and the area overall is pretty nice!

The bad: THERE’S NO BENCHES ON THE MINI-HIGH OR SHELTER ON THE LOW-LEVEL SECTION! WHAT THE HELL?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a couple of restaurants and businesses lining Chapel and Chestnut Streets!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, yeah, this station’s meh. The vibes of the area save it (at least it isn’t along the Mass Pike, and at least it’s accessible!), but the station itself isn’t all the great…. sorry! However, I do feel it’s worthy of a passing score – if barely.

Rating: 6/10

Well, there’s no escaping this one. Pika from the MiT server, and I, decided to walk here after I filmed my Hastings/Silver Hill video. Yes, I actually walked almost TWO WHOLE HOURS without batting an eye for this station entry. I am, in fact, that unhinged. So, here’s Lincoln.

So, Lincoln is kinda pretty barebones. You’ve got benches, wastebaskets, a red dot matrix sign, and weirdly enough a wheelchair lift on the outbound section. Yes, this station is technically accessible albeit only outbound. There is no shelter. There’s plenty of parking though, and even an old honor box! Neat! So, what’s with the station layout? Well, it’s weird. The inbound and outbound sides are technically on the same track, just opposite sides of Lincoln Road. Apparently, from the research I can find, it’s because of the presence of the town’s main police and fire station up the street and so the train can fully clear the crossing before stopping. The below picture from Wikipedia illustrates it better.

That way, the gates can come up. Does it work in practice? I don’t know, I’m not a regular out here. However, this leads to a similar situation to Kendal Green where you need to board from a hunk of wood (or pavement, in the case of here) if heading inbound (which most people are). There’s also no shelter, and the vast majority of parking is REALLY FAR from the inbound platform. Yeah…..

The good: Ehhhhh….. I mean, it’s got a liberal amount of parking?????? And cycling infrastructure? Yeah, I’m pulling at some straws here. There’s also a wheelchair lift!

The bad: THERE’S NO SHELTER! FURTHERMORE, WHY IS THE PLATFORM SETUP LIKE THIS, THEY COULDN’T BUILD THE PLATFORMS KITTY-CORNERED?! AND THE PARKING IS TOO DAMN FAR FROM THE OUTBOUND PLATFORM! AND THERE’S NO SIGNAGE ON THE OUTBOUND PLATFORM EITHER (ok admittedly noone’s boarding there BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN SEE IT FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE, VS. A MILE AWAY!) ALSO, WHY IS ONE SIDE ACCESSIBLE BUT THE OTHER ISN’T?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s an art gallery nearby!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)

Overall, yeah, this station just flat-out sucks. There’s no shelter, and the parking is so far from the inbound platform. Lastly, WHY IS ONLY THE OUTBOUND SIDE ACCESSIBLE?!

Rating: 2.5/10

Oh goody, a new terminal station for me to review! So, what’s on the plate? Well…..it’s the end of the Needham Line. Let’s look.

So, Needham Heights is pretty standard. You have a singular track which continues a little bit, a mini-high on the far end, a very long low-level platform, benches, wastebaskets, red dot matrix signs (except there’s about 3 instead of the usual 1!), and a small amount of parking, and even cycling infrastructure. Neat! There’s also a sheltered area – ON THE VERY FAR ENDS OF THE PLATFORM. There’s also plenty of shopping and even a park present here. The 59 also runs from here to Watertown. Neat!

The good: It’s in the middle of Needham (almost), has plenty around it, a decent walkshed, and some parking as well! The 59 also runs out here. Terminal ops are also handled better here vs. at Stoughton, as the engineer has to send a radio signal to manually trigger the gates, rather than slowly inch up to them.

The bad: The damn platform feels like it goes on forever! Yes, I know 800ft is standard length, but it’d be more bearable if the entire thing was high level, rather than forcing the train to a mini-high at the extreme end of the platform. The 59’s schedule also kinda sucks, and is nonexistent on Sundays.

Nearby points of interest: There’s some businesses, but nothing really stuck out.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (59)

Overall, it’s passable. Nothing too much to remark about, but it could be much better. I’ve seen people suggest converting the line out here to be Green Line territory, but personally I disagree and think extending the Orange Line out here might be a better idea (environmentalists be damned) instead. Sadly, this station doesn’t get that high a score.

Rating: 5.5/10

Wyoming Hill? Or, just Wyoming? Oh no, not this again…

So, Wyoming Hill is about a mile north of Oak Grove and is where the double tracking begins on the line. What’s special about it? Not much, given it shares much of its walkshed with Melrose/Cedar Park…

The inbound side has a big fancy purple shelter, and a more normal shelter, all with the usual stuff (wastebaskets, benches, red sign, etc.) while the outbound side had all this minus the big shelter and red dot matrix sign. Sad. There’s a bit of parking on the inbound side as well, so there’s that. Neat! As for the area surrounding it, as I said in the last paragraph, it’s like Melrose/Cedar Park, with a town center-esque vibe, and Main St. isn’t that far away. If you’re brave enough, you could walk to Oak Grove as well. Interestingly enough, I’ve read on someone’s proposal to extend the Orange Line north one stop to here, with them trying to say here, not Oak Grove, is a better terminal station. Here’s a link, should you be interested. But, Orange Line stuff aside, there’s not much else I can say other than the 131, 132, and 137 stop close by. Neat!

The good: It’s a decent enough station. Has shelters, bus connections, and the Haverhill Line! And it’s in a relatively peaceful area!

The bad: Still no accessibility! But, also, it’s so close to Oak Grove, which, while a little slower, is a lot cheaper ($2.40 vs. $6.50 for a zone 1 fare) AND you have a free bus transfer if done within 2 hours. While, if you took the Commuter Rail to Oak Grove, you’re still gonna have to pay $2.40 for the subway. Eww.

Nearby points of interest: Main St., not much else that I didn’t already state in Melrose/Cedar Park’s entry.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MBTA bus (131, 132, 137)

Overall, I like the station, it’s pretty decent enough for one that’s inaccessible but it’s JUST SO DAMN CLOSE TO OAK GROVE JUST USE OAK GROVE!

Rating: 5/10