Abington is a modest Commuter Rail station along the MBTA’s Kingston Line, located in, well, Abington. Yeah, I don’t have much to remark about it so this one’s gonna be a short one. Ok? Okay.
Signage!
Abington is a singular side platform, located off Centre Ave., in Abington. The area isn’t the worst, as both a convenience store and a Dunks exist nearby. One direction towards Centre Ave. brings you to Abington Center and a Walmart, while the other direction brings you to a Stop & Shop and a Target. The station itself is pretty standard with the usual yellow dot matrix signage, benches, and whatnot, along with a copious amount of parking (though, not to an extreme). As for bus connections, you surprisingly do have something, in the form of microtransit. That, of course, would be BAT’s Rockland Flex. Not much to remark on this one. Yeah, sorry.
Bye!BIG STINKY PURPLE TRAINdas a lot of parkingTowards Kingston and Plymouth!Towards Braintree and Boston!WHATGrade crossing!F40PH!!!!!!!
The good: It exists! It’s got a connection to the Rockland Flex!
The bad: Nothing egregious to note.
Nearby points of interest: Stop & Shop? Target? Yeah, I’m grasping for straws on this one.
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Kingston) BAT (Rockland Flex)
Okay, okay. So, the MTA subway system isn’t the only one in NYC. NY actually has a second, interstate system operated by the Port Authority known as PATH. Surprisingly, though, the system is split about 50/50 with 6 of the 13 stations being in NYC (namely, the stations along 6th Ave., Christopher St., and World Trade Center), while the other 7 are in eastern New Jersey (primarily in Jersey City, but also as far out as Newark’s Penn Station and Hoboken). Now, this and the other 12 PATH stations may be a bit sketch for me to do given the Port Authority has a no photography rule in place, but here we go…
Signage!
So, this originally came to be when I suggested to Michael, Rome, and Metropolis that we should ride PATH for fun. Surprisingly, they agreed, and we went to the nearest PATH station. In this case, it was 9th Street. And, so, I commenced with the first PATH station review. Firstly, the entrance is actually a pretty long tunnel that’s inaccessible. Signage pointing to the station thankfully does exist at street level, and the entrance itself is pretty inconspicuous. Once inside the station, you have fare gates with OMNY- er, TAPP readers, and PATH ticketing machines. The station itself is relatively pretty clean, it clearly wasn’t trafficked as much as nearby West 4th St., and the platforms had standard amenities one would expect, including benches, trash bins, and even an LCD clock with the next train in each direction (in this case, towards 33rd St./Herald Sq., and towards World Trade Center, as Hoboken was closed). There was even an info board in the tunnel as well that even had the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail! (stay tuned!). Overall, not bad for an introductory entry into a new system! Yay! One other fun fact, this is also the least-used PATH station as well!
Wayfinding!Looking up 6th Ave. a littleThe street outside the station entrancePretty inconspicuous, to be honest.LCD signage!THE STAIRS AND TUNNELInfo board with NJ TRANSIT?!Fare control!WEEWOO WEEWOO FBI OPEN UP THIS IS AN ILLEGAL PICTURE!Looking towards Herald Square!NEIN.Platform shot!
The good: It’s pretty well kept, and can serve both as a local alternative to the MTA subway (uptown) or to NJT buses (towards NJ). It’s also got the standard amenities you’d expect, and is actually very well lit. The station also has distinct character with the more low-key entrance.
The bad: The hole in the wall style of entrance can be a bit hard to find amid the amounts of signage for other businesses found in the area. Also, it’s not an accessible station. Of course, I’d also mention West 4th being close by, but it’s also not an MTA station so I can’t complain about that. My biggest gripes come down to inaccessibility primarily. Also, the platforms can get pretty easily crowded.
Nearby points of interest: You have a library nearby, Washington Square Park, even the Stonewall Inn if you walk a little (this is the closest PATH stations to all of these places). This is also the closest PATH station to NYU, as well.
Transit connections: PATH (Blue/HOB-33, Orange/JSQ-33) MTA bus (M8, M55)
Overall, not bad for a first PATH station. It’s nice for what it is, though inaccessibility is annoying. But, I guess that also means no piss-scented elevators! Anyways-
*hears police sirens getting closer*
Oh shit, Port Authority transit police is after me, aren’t they… FUCK.
Stillwell Terminal, Stillwell Terminal, Stillwell Terminal… Well, this station manages to both be useful AND a rather season-dependent station. I mean, it’s no slouch for ridership during the colder months, but I’m making a safe presumption that even during warmer months, it’s busy here due to crowds gong to Luna Park and the beach. Oh yeah, did I mention there’s also a minor league stadium and an aquarium nearby too?
I forgot a pic of the station signage, so this will have to suffice.
Now, we have a lot to unpack here, so let’s look at the history of this station. I’ll be giving the abridged version, so it’s not a full in-depth overview. So, here we go. The terminal was formally opened in 1919, and became the terminus of the the BMT’s (then Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co./BRT’s) West End (today’s D line), Sea Beach (N Line), and Brighton (Q Line) lines. The opening of the Brighton extension specifically marked the formal opening of the terminal, however it officially wasn’t official until the BMT’s Culver Line (now the F and FX lines) was opened into here. Also as a result of the Culver extension here, the special fare to access here was killed, making the area considerably more affordable to reach. Eventually, the BMT’s Culver Line was handed over to the IND, which then operated its D line over it (later, presumably in the MTA years, the F would then be sent down the Culver elevated, with the D then being sent down the ex-BMT West End elevated). Unfortunately, the station would quickly fall apart, and in the 2000s, the MTA stepped in, evicted everyone for renovations, and spent almost 4 years renovating the station. These renovations also made the station accessible with elevators and ramps to each platform. Neat!
The historic terminal…
Coney Island has four island platforms and 8 tracks, one for each line that runs through. You have the D to Norwood via the West End, the F to Jamaica via the Culver elevated, the N to Astoria via Sea Beach/Gravesend, and the Q to the East Side via Brighton. All the platforms also have the standard amenities: countdown clocks, benches, signage, that stuff. As stated in the intro, ramps and elevators both exist, making the station fully accessible. There’s also restrooms, but I would probably be traumatized if I looked. There’s even a Dunkies here! Neat! Also interestingly, this station also has a busway. Hell, there’s even a customer service center here as well! Also, the roofing here is all solar panels, and it was the first station on the whole system to be solar-powered. Cool! 😀
….a B92, yet this one was signed for “D TRAIN BAY 50 ST.”????? I hope I’m misremembering the route number because Google suggests that’s a G line shuttle routeThe concourseVery open. Not overbuilt in the summer, though!I spy a busway…Ramps!Oh no.Looks mildly sketchThis is an uptown F local train.The platform!
The good: It’s pretty nice in how it looks, and is very distinct! It’s also an important station in terms of usefulness and for how important it is to the community at large! Furthermore, it’s the closest station to a pretty major tourist attraction as well. I mean, it’s no Times Square or Penn Station, but it’s no 96th/Lexington either. I actually genuinely like this station. Not because of the station itself (although it is cool in appearance) but because of what’s around it. There’s also restrooms, I guess… But hey, a customer service booth exists!
The bad: The ramps can be annoying to navigate if you need accessibility, and good luck if the elevators shit themselves. I’m also scared to think of what the bathrooms look like.
Nearby points of interest: C’mon, this should be obvious. But nah, to specify: Luna Park @ Coney Island, Coney Island Beach, and Maimonides Park, where the Brooklyn Cyclones play (repping minor league baseball, woohoo!). NYU’s baseball team also plays here, as does Brooklyn FC. There’s also the New York Aquarium, but that has a station considerably closer (though, stops ARE very close together, so I may as well mention it anyways). There’s also a skating rink and the Ford Amphitheater as well. Also, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, and you can get Coney Island dogs here, (of which, RI’s famed NY system weiners are derived from), and there’s also the Wonder Wheel.
Transit connections: 6th Ave. Lines (D, F, FX) Broadway Lines (N, Q) MTA bus (B36, B64, B68, B74, B82)
Overall, this station’s an important one, one of the most famous (I’m not even sure I can do it fair justice!), and is very iconic. It’s also one of the most-used stations by the tourist population, as well.
Rating: 7/10
A little liminal!This is actually kinda nice, despite it being the middle of winter.
49th Street is an ex-BMT subway station on the MTA’s N, R, and W lines. With it as close to Times Square, is it as good as it? Or, perhaps, is it better as a lesser-trafficked alternative? Let’s find out!
Station signage!
49th St. is located on the intersection of its namesake street and 7th Ave., with the platform reaching all the way down to 47th Street. The setup is pretty standard, being two side platforms. The R and W both stop here, predictably, as both are the designated local lines among the yellow-colored lines. However, the N line (Astoria-Coney Island via Sea Beach, Manhattan express) also serves here, which is unusual for an express line. However, this anomaly exists for a pretty good reason, actually: Astoria-bound trains run through the 60th St. tunnel, and since the 60th St. tunnel can only be accessed by the local tracks, the N has to run locally. Furthermore, the N can’t be forced onto the local tracks immediately before for one reason: there’s no interlocking between here and Times Square! Though, I do find it odd that the N doesn’t switch at 57th St./7th Ave., but rather switch between Herald and Times Squares. I digress. The station is pretty standard, with two platforms built to BMT specifications, has your standard amenities, is pretty well-used (but not to the same degree as Times Square), and is even accessible! Well, kinda. Annoyingly, elevators ONLY exist on the northbound platform. But, allegedly, plans exist to install one on the southbound platform. So, I guess if you need accessibility, take a local train north, and then turn around at 57th/7th. Alternatively, just take the bus to Times Square, I guess. There’s also, allegedly, a concourse connection to 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center, as well, but I didn’t look. Overall though, it’s not too bad a station. Neat!
This is a downtown R train. the NEXT stop is: Times Square-42nd St.THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. N. TRAIN TO. CONEY ISLAND-STILLWELL AVENUE. APPROACHING THE STATION.There’s something that hits hard about seeing express trains blowing through the middle tracksLooking southOpposite platformMezzanine, with an OMNY machine?!Times Square is still fucking cool, ok?The Olive Garden entranceThis is a vibe.
The good: It’s an alternative to Times Square, if you’re claustrophobic! If you’re using the northbound platform, there’s also a connection to the Rockefeller Center as well. It’s also got some accessibility!
The bad: It’s only partly accessible. The southbound platform needs an elevator. The N should not stop here. There’s also no in-station transfer to the opposite side. Oof.
Nearby points of interest: Times Square’s northern fringes! You also have Olive Garden and M&M’s! Primarily, though, it’s still Times Square – just the northern fringes of it.
Transit connections: Broadway Line (N, R, W) MTA bus (M7, M20, M50, M104)
Overall, it’s not a bad station, however I’d take Times Square any day.
On New Years Day in 2017, a new MTA subway line opened, with service to three new stations underneath 2nd Ave. in Manhattan’s East Side: 72nd, 86th, and 96th St.’s. However, there’s plans for extensions both north to 125th/Lexington & Park, and down to Hanover Square and Manhattan’s Seaport. This happens to be the northernmost of the 3 stations, and the current-day (as of writing this) terminus of the Q line. Welcome to 96th St./2nd Ave.
Signage opposite the platformsPlatform-side signage. Fancy!
For some weird reason, despite it being defunct for many years now, these stations are all classed as ex-IND stations. Not sure why given only the MTA exists, and as far as I could find the IND was killed off in the ’50s when the system was unified into the present-day MTA (& as such also the ex-BMT and ex-IRT sections were merged in too, though only the BMT and IND are inter-operable, as the B division of the present-day system. If you need to know, numbered lines are the A division, lettered are the B division, essentially.) Anyways, with that out of the way, and the fact it took a REALLY LONG TIME just for these three stations to be built (& with phases 2, 3, and 4 in limbo presently), the station itself is really, REALLY overbuilt. Was the MTA really trying to channel the inner ex-IND energy here?! Like, gee, I get the IND in particular was overbuilt to handle the potential for crowding, but I don’t exactly think that’s an issue that needs apply here. This isn’t a major transfer station in lower Manhattan, for crying out loud! Nevertheless, while it feels a little sterile, it’s not to an extreme to where it’s overbearing. The stone accents are pretty cool, and the platforms all have standard amenities. There’s even countdown clocks and signs pointing to the next platform departing. Neat! The escalators down have a cool light installation (it was nighttime when I was here and was able to see it!). However, though, while the restrooms are closed overnights and between 12 and 1, Rome informed me the women’s restroom was essentially unusable. I didn’t even want to look in the men’s room for fear of being traumatized. On the upside, for buses, you primarily have the M15 which runs down 2nd Ave. between 125th St. and South Ferry, and the M96 crosstown route (that is, east-west). I do have one question though: WHY WASN’T THIS SECTION OF THE SYSTEM BUILT WITH CBTC FROM THE OUTSET?! I digress. Overall, not a bad station! And, I’m sure 72nd and 86th St.’s will hold up pretty well (given they’re largely carbon copies).
An R46?!Looking downtown!Broadway express, late nights localA countdown clockWAY OVERBUILT MEZZANINE, IF THE IND EXISTED TODAY!Elevator!Stairs and escalator to street level!An M15-SBS at night!Looking up 2nd Ave.!The lighting looked kinda cool here!
The good: The lights outside look cool, as does the headhouse! The station itself is relatively pretty damn clean vs. the rest of the system (can be attributed to it still being a very new station), restrooms at least exist, and overall it’s a pretty decent station. Elevators also exist, with it still being new.
The bad: The women’s restroom is unusable (per Rome) and I am presuming the men’s room is outright traumatizing. This station is kinda overbuilt, too.
Nearby points of interest: There’s some section 8 housing nearby, along with some playgrounds and other green spaces. The Harlem River is also a stone’s toss away, if you can cross FDR Drive somehow.
Transit connections: Broadway Line (Line Q) MTA bus (M15, M15-SBS, M96)
Overall, this station isn’t that bad. A bit overbuilt, yeah, and admittedly not the best place to turn trains or to terminate them, but it really isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things. And, given phase 2 of the 2nd Ave. tunnel has funding (that’s to build the tunnel to Park/Lexington Ave.’s, and to build stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th & Park/Lexington for a transfer to the #s 4-6 lines, which I think is a better place to terminate than in the middle of relatively nowhere), there’s actually a decent future for this station. Not bad! But, I do have a question though: Why IS this station classed as an IND station, if the IND is long dead?!
Queensborough Plaza is a particularly unique station on the MTA subway system, and has the distinction of being the sole cross-platform A/B division transfer station. That meaning, you can change lines on the same island platform, but they’re on opposite tracks. In this case, uptown 7s and N’s/W’s are on the same level, but opposite tracks. Same with downtown 7s/N’s/W’s. Either way, welcome to Long Island City!
Signage? Wait, it’s just Queensboro?
This station is pretty standard in layout. On the lower level, you have downtown trains into Manhattan, with the next stop on the N and W being 59th/Lexington, and on the #7 line being 45th Rd.-Courthouse Square. Of course, this is not to be confused with Courthouse/ICA on the Silver Line in Boston. The upper levels have the uptown tracks for both lines, with the N and W heading to Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, and the next stop on the #7 line being one covered here – 33rd/Rawson St.’s. This is also a pretty cool railfanning spot for the subway with how the tracks curve away in both directions, to be honest. There’s also elevators to the mezzanine, different countdown clocks for the A and B divisions, and otherwise nothing much to remark. The mezzanine is pretty standard with faregates, Metrocard machines, but no OMNY machine. There’s also restrooms here, but given this is the MTA…….yeah no thanks, I would rather not be traumatized. Sorry! Heading outside, you have stairs to street level and another elevator, of which Rome and I rode (they’re new and didn’t have time to let the piss scent kick in yet). Weirdly, they had “yes” and “no” buttons – cue the looks of confusion. As for buses, the B62 will bring you from here to Hoyt-Schermerhorn and the NYC Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn, while the other routes will bring you to other places around Queens, including the Q39 to Ridgewood, the Q69 (hehe nice) to Astoria, and the Q102 to Roosevelt Island. Overall, not a bad station! And, pretty cool actually!
NOW WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY!Woah, an elevator!oops.The platformAn R46 old tech on the N line!DUNKIES?!BROADWAY EXP (even though it stops at 49th St.)This is a mouthfulTWO FOR ONE COMBO!WOAH!ELEVATED!Another old tech!Elevator!The mezzanine!The exitThis is a vibe tbh.The station from outside*cue confusion*Street level!hehe niceThe #7 line cresting the curve between Court Square and Queensborough!And the tail end of the trainhehe nice.I spy the Manhattan skyline…Another Manhattan skyline shot
The good: It’s an important transfer station between the A and B divisions and, weirdly enough, the only chance to do such a transfer in Queens (yeah, the IRT didn’t really do much in Queens). It’s also accessible, and primarily exists to serve LI City. It also serves as an accessible alternative to inaccessible stations nearby on the N line in particular (the #7 line doesn’t face this issue as badly, as Court Square’s #7 platform is accessible, and 33rd St. is not too close by). It’s also a cool spot for railfanning!
The bad: Yes???? no????? On a more serious note, the station looks a bit old, but functionally there’s really nothing offensively bad. However, I am kinda scared to peek into the restroom.
Nearby points of interest: For railfans, the station itself is a point of interest! The Northeast Corridor is also a short walk away! For stuff outside the station, there’s a USCIS office nearby, Silvercup Studios (you can see the famed sign from the #7 line!), JetBlue HQ, and even an Ecuadorian consulate! Other than that, it’s mostly corporate offices and your usual Dunkin’, Checkers, etc., albeit in a heavily gentrified neighborhood. Make as you wish of that.
Transit connections: Flushing Line (#7) Broadway Line (N, W) MTA bus (B62, Q32, Q39, Q60, Q66, Q67, Q69, Q100, Q101, Q102)
Overall, it’s actually a pretty cool station, and I don’t have much to say negatively about it, and in terms of functionality, it’s one of my favorites on the MTA subway. Woohoo! However, the fact there’s restrooms scare me with what horrors lie within. D:
Halifax is the least-used currently open station on the MBTA’s Kingston Line. With that intro out of the way, let’s see what this least-used station has in store for us……oh fuck.
Signage!
Whelp, the sense of existential dread is real. Granted, I was stuck here for all of 30 minutes, but it was still the middle of absolutely nowhere. Legit, there’s LITERALLY NOTHING AROUND. THIS STATION IS WHAT ROWLEY AND LITTLETON ARE TO THE NORTH SIDE. This station is so rural, one might be forgiven for thinking this was northern New Hampshire or something. The nearest thing that isn’t sparse housing, is a Walmart located almost 3 miles away (about an hour on foot). There’s some stables close by as well, if you’re into horses, I guess. However, Halifax is quite possibly as rural as things get on the MBTA. And, I looked into it for shits & giggles, Halifax is also one of the reddest towns served by the T (only Freetown and Middleborough are redder). So, yeah. As for the station itself, it isn’t too much. You have two platforms (one is only used for train meets), a parking lot, bicycle racks, a grade crossing, and the usual Kingston Line affair. Not much to say. Not bad, though.
The trainBye!The #2 trackOh god, this feels desolate…NOBODY IS HERE.LOTS AND LOTS OF PARKINGShelter!Outdated system map!Yellow dot matrix signage!GRADE CROSSING…bicycle rack?a snow bankThe only signage suggesting this place existsSidewalk access?The Holmes St. crossingCAUTION: ACTIVE RAILROAD CROSSINGTowards Kingston and …Plymouth???Towards Braintree and Boston!oh this is desolate…Watershed!
The good: I mean, it’s a park and ride for the people nearby without access to Rte. 3, and by extension can’t get to Kingston as easily! It is also the closest MBTA station to various parts of Pembroke and Plympton! It’s also fully accessible and has the usual Old Colony station amenities. Neat!
The bad: The land use, really. And that’s a pretty big one given the remoteness of this. Not even some TOD? But, given this is Halifax and it’s probably a very hardcore conservative place (given how they voted at the federal level), TOD might be asking for a lot.
Nearby points of interest: Not much.
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Kingston)
Overall, while the remoteness hurts the station, it’s pretty usable and actually otherwise a very useful station given it’s the least-used on the line.
Here we are. The last northside Commuter Rail station entry on this blog. Holy fucking shit. (well, unless you include the Downeaster and the proposed Northern Tier Rail stops, and the proposed South Salem CR stop, but the Downeaster isn’t in MBTA jurisdiction beyond here and Northern Tier and South Salem are both concepts of plans presently.) The finish line for visiting every T station is in sight. With that in mind, here’s the final northside Commuter Rail station, HAVERHILL!
The walk from Bradford, from last springWelcome to beautiful downtown Haverhill!
Now, I will stipulate, I had to visit Haverhill twice because my first round had me missing something rather important that I completely overlooked. So, I still had to come back. Nevertheless, this still turned out to be the final station. Entering the station from street level, you have signs pointing towards Boston, similarly to Uphams Corner underneath the tracks. There’s a bigass parking lot operated, I’m pretty sure, by MeVa. The station layout is a standard 2x side platform configuration, which leaves a question: what do MBTA trains terminating do? Well, it’s simple actually! There’s a pocket track ahead that MBTA trains pull into and turn around. At least, that’s what Open Railway Map suggests. I actually don’t have an answer. Nevertheless, the station has a standard mini-high setup commonly seen around the system, is served also by Amtrak with the Downeaster, and grade crossings to change sides. I’m not sure if plans exist to reconfigure into full-length platforms, but I kinda hope there are because I feel like that’d help both Amtrak and the MBTA here. Both platforms have the usual shelter, benches, wastebaskets, yellow dot matrix signage, and all that. Though, I feel like a departure board with Amtrak times might help here too. Anyways, not a bad station!
Station signage!A parking lot from afarMEEEEEEVAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!More parking and a clock!GARAGE!Parking.An overpass shot.Mini-high with ramp!Amtrak signage!Crossing the mighty Merrimack River!Amtrak crossing the bridgeP42 GENESIS NUMBAH 100DAYAUM
So, that leaves just the bus terminal. I forgot about this one entirely, so how is it? Well…….kinda sad, actually. There’s a building that you can’t even enter unless you work for MeVa, and on a cold and windy day like when I came here, it was BAD. Yikes. Yeah, that ain’t good.
Washington Square TC!The namesake square!InsideSeating, but no shelter.
The good: It’s a serviceable train station in downtown Haverhill! It gets both Amtrak and MBTA service! It also has what you’d expect.
The bad: For an Amtrak station, it’s kinda lackluster. There’s no indoor waiting area, no Quik-Trak machine, it only has a mini-high platform, and there’s really no amenities you’d expect at an Amtrak station, especially one in a downtown area. For an MBTA station, it’s average, but c’mon. The nearby bus terminal is also sad too, with a building not open to the public anymore.
Nearby points of interest: Downtown Haverhill and MeVa’s bus network!
If this was before 2022, I’d probably be giving this station a rather negative take, on the basis of it being both stupidly close to Wedgemere and having the bus connections in place of Wedgemere, and being inaccessible in the town center. However, last October, they reopened the station in an accessible form. Now, it’s still not complete, but it’s complete enough to where I’m considering it “close enough”. With that in mind, let’s look at this station, shall we?
Station signage!
The station layout is pretty bogstandard, with two full-length high-level platforms. At present, only the rear half of the platforms are open and only the two cars closest to the locomotive platform. But, if you happen to board elsewhere on the train and need accessibility, they do tell you to let the crew know so the appropriate doors platform. A little annoying, but given it’s a stopgap, I’m not holding it against anyone. The elevators didn’t smell of piss (this is Winchester, I sure as fuck hope they don’t!), and to change sides you physically have to go to street level and use the sidewalk. Yeah, no mezzanine, but whatever. It is, however, a little sus to me that they went with a full-length high level platform, yet they couldn’t be arsed to build a second high-level platform at every South Coast Rail station. And, yet, this is the northside’s primary freight corridor! But, whatever, I’ll complain about that when I get around to doing New Bedford-Whale’s Tooth and Fall River-Downtown. The platforms are serviceable, with departure boards, benches, wastebaskets, and all that fun stuff. There’s also parking both on the streets nearby, and in the Waterfield Rd. and Aberjona River lots, and there would also be one lining Laraway Rd., if construction wasn’t happening. Overall though, pretty decent! The 134 also stops nearby (if you count a 7 minute walk as “nearby”), but that’s relatively infrequent.
traaaaaaainBye, see ya!Towards Lowell and Haverhill!Towards North Station!The other sideDeparture board!RAMP!Wintry wasteland!Overlooking Winchester!I do believe that’s Wedgemere!The Aberjona lot!OVERPASSConstruction and Laraway Rd.!Winchester Center itself!
The good: It’s located in Winchester’s town center, and generally has more around it vs. Wedgemere! You have the local town hall, a church, a downtown area, and you even have a jr. high school and Winchester High nearby! Neat!
The bad: Unlike Wedgemere, however, it is not a parking sink for the surrounding neighborhoods. Or, at least, it’s not intended to be one. Also, the connection to the 134 is just so far away relatively. I’m not quite sure how many people are making the connection between the 134 and the Commuter Rail, but it’s still annoying.
Nearby points of interest: There’s a walking trail nearby, and downtown Winchester is right here! There’s also the Middlesex Fells Reservation somewhat close by, too.
Transit connections: Commuter Rail (Lowell) MBTA bus (134)
Overall, it’s not a bad station. Just, it’s annoying the bus connection is a ways away, and the biggest handicap here otherwise is the Lowell Line’s shit schedule (as of writing this). The station itself is pretty good.
Okay! This one’s a bit delayed because of a lack of willpower, but I finally found the willpower to do this one! Meet: the 57. Or, the bus that’s seemingly perpetually crowded and a replacement to the B branch.
Dear god…
So, the route begins at Watertown Yard, but I boarded at the Newton Supercollider. It’s not a lot that I’m missing here. Anyways, I digress. From where I boarded, the route goes through the Supercollider into Brighton, through Newton Corner. It’s largely very suburban as it does this, but as it goes further down, it slowly begins getting progressively more urban, and the next neighborhoods here are Brighton and Oak Square (with its connection to the 64 to Kendall/MIT!). Of course, we pass by a number of houses and businesses, things progressively get denser, and we even pass a couple of churches. Cambridge St. becomes Brighton Avenue, and it gets pretty dense as we enter Allston and Packards Corner, where we meet the B branch. Oh, look, Packards Corner Station and the B branch!
Bus connection!Suburbia!It slowly gets denserDUNKIES!Densification!A church!St. Lizzie’s Medical Center!A school!A video game store!Salon!Welcome to Packards Corner!EWWI like this shot.
So, we keep going down the B branch’s routing, crossing over the Pike, passing by Amory and Babcock Streets, numerous shops including Raising Canes and Landry’s (if you’re looking for cycling stuff, I cannot recommend them enough!), and even Boston University! Go Terriers! Soon enough, however, we pass Blandford Street and arrive in Kenmore. We made it to the end of the 57.
I forgot what this wasA Starbies, just for you, Brooke!The Pike!Some BU stuffSome more BU facilitiesThe end of U.S. Route 20. The other end is in Oregon, 3300 someodd miles awayBus connection!
The good: It serves important (if quiet at face value!) communities in Watertown and Allston, and BU! It’s also one of the MBTA’s busiest bus corridors (this also used to be a Green Line branch). Furthermore, it’s very frequent with 12-15 minute headways for much of the day, every day. Peak service also has Oak Square short-turns as the 57A (though at the time of riding, this was not yet in service). Given all this, it’s one of the MBTA’s most important corridors.
The bad: It’s pretty prone to bunching. Capacity can also be an issue, and truthfully, this is one bus route that could benefit from having a few bendy boys running on it. Another alternative to fixing capacity issues could be to revive the A branch to Watertown, but that has its own set of issues. Some crazy souls might even suggest trolleybus-ifying the route, but…eh………no. But, my biggest gripe mostly comes down to capacity issues. 40 foot buses are NOT enough for this route, especially when school is in session at BU. And given it makes little sense for people to get off and transfer to the Green Line at Babcock St. or Packards Corner (unless they’re heading towards Boston College), it really is a problem. Please, get some bendy boys on this route!
Nearby points of interest: Packards Corner looks cool! BU is also right on the route. Brighton and Newton Corner are a little more suburban, but Oak Square has a number of shopping destinations too. There’s also St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, as well!
Overall, it’s an important route for the MBTA and local communities, and is one that desperately needs better capacity and throughput. But, all things considered, not a bad route.
