Public Transit – Page 30 – chelsea's corner

Sharon (MBTA)

Alrighty, now for a middle of nowhere MBTA station!

Helvetica bold in a small stereotypical New England town?!

Going to the station is easy and accessible. Your options for getting to the platforms are either the stairs on the overpass from Depot St., or ramps winding down from the nearby side streets. Mini-highs are found on the southern end of the platforms. Parking here is plenty, however there’s more ridership than spaces, which would suggest over half the people using this station (mostly in the morning and evening commutes) are coming in either by bike, being dropped off, or simply walking. The mini-high (yet again!) is pretty much the same as Mansfield’s, as both stations were rebuilt at similar times (2014 for Sharon due to an ADA complaint, 2017-2019 for Mansfield). Hell, had I written this before 2014, I’d be slamming the crap out of Sharon over being a very busy and very inaccessible station (only one on the line that wasn’t ADA compliant!) This was also the same time that the station building (which was closed, as I was here on a Saturday) was retrofitted to be ADA compliant as well.

Not much of a sign that there’s an MBTA station here!

The ADA parking on one side, along with the station building

The good: This station gets a lot of ridership. Enough so to where I’d make the argument that all trains (including morning expresses, which seem to skip here) should stop, unless the two tracks makes it prohibitive. Where the ridership comes from, I don’t know, as there’s no transit and there’s not much in the way that the equivalent of 10% of Sharon’s entire population is coming from Sharon alone, plus the fact that there’s twice as many riders as there is parking.

The bad: Maybe there isn’t enough parking! Weekends, sure, it isn’t an issue. But, I’m sure if you add transit or more parking (if it’s even possible), then it wouldn’t be as big an issue. Also, the mini-high.

Nearby points of interest: Sharon’s town center is due east of here. Apparently they have a statue of a female Revolutionary War soldier as well, at the local library.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence Line)

Overall, I like this station for the charm it has being in the middle of nowhere. It’s in the middle of the woods, which I think makes for a decent backdrop for railfanning. Plus, the town center isn’t too far away. However, the ridership is probably too high for its own good given the lack of a full high platform. Plus, I’d argue ridership for this station is enough to merit some actual transit, even if by way of a GATRA mini-bus shuttle utilizing a Dial a Ride van.

Rating: 6.5/10

Attleboro ITC (GATRA/MBTA)

Alrighty! So, this one ended up being a bit more interesting than I expected. Is there anything particularly special about Attleboro? Well….

The platforms are staggered, as a start. Furthermore, the mini-highs (oh my, so surprising!) are on the faaaaaar end of each platform. There’s also a station building on either side, however the one on the southbound side is owned by a private business, and the northbound building is only open between 5 and 11 AM, per Google. A small amount of parking can also be found over here.

A bit out of date, but technically right.

Then there’s the GATRA waiting area. Oh god. I am not even mentally prepared to tell y’all of the trouble I experienced with trying to document this particular part of Attleboro. However, since duty calls, here we go. The station building is small, and sometimes houses bus schedules in brochure form for GATRA. Today, it only had the 15. There’s also a GATRA ticket machine which wasn’t working when I went in. But, it gets worse. There were also a bunch of teenagers inside. Normally this wouldn’t be of note, however it gets even worse. They were smoking. Not just smoking tobacco. No. They were full-on HOTBOXING THE WHOLE FREAKIN’ ROOM WITH SMOKE FROM A BLUNT! I REPEAT, THEY WERE HOTBOXING THE BUILDING BY SMOKING WAY TOO MUCH FREAKIN’ WEED! AND I INHALED SOME OF THE SMOKE WHEN I NOTICED THEM SMOKING, WHICH WAS TOO LATE! I genuinely never thought getting high would be a byproduct of my escapades. I’m honest to God here. But, no. I get around to reviewing Attleboro and I invariably check the GATRA waiting area, ONLY TO DISCOVER FAR TOO LATE THEY WERE SMOKING THE FUCKING DEVIL’S LETTUCE, GIVING ME A MARIJUANA HIGH! IT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN SNOOP DOGG DOING HIS THING WITH THE MJ, AND I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE! And for those wondering, yes, that meant I did my first GATRA post while higher than the Johnston landfill last night.

Of course, I snitched on them behind their back to the Dial a Ride driver who was complaining, to which he suggested I flagged down an officer. Bus schedules are also posted on one of the poles outside, however it’s only for the Attleboro GATRA routes. And yes, the station is accessible by virtue of accessible buses and ramps up to the platforms and mini-high. As another fun tidbit, this also used to be an Amtrak stop a long time ago.

A T.F. Green/Wickford-style countdown clock – but in red?! And yes, there’s only one.

The good: It’s centrally located in downtown Attleboro! It’s also got electrified sidings?! Okay, okay, rant time. WHY THE HOLY NAME OF MICHAEL DUKAKIS CAN’T THE T RUN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES DOWN TO PROVIDENCE?!

Anyways, before I dig further. It’s also one of the two GATRA hubs (the other will be covered in due time), and the fact there’s TOD nearby is good.

The bad: My main gripe? The mini-highs and the sole countdown sign. Also, the non-working ticket machine in the GATRA waiting area. Yikes.

Nearby points of interest: Well, you got most of GATRA at your fingertips, along with downtown Attleboro. There’s also the Capron Zoo nearby. I’m not very familiar with Attleboro though, beyond South Attl and the zoo, however.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence)
GATRA (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18)

Overall, it’s an interesting little place. And, given the nature of this blog, this place is gonna end up becoming a recurring theme due to it being the GATRA hub of the area. And apparently, if you want to get high without buying weed, just go into the GATRA waiting area while there’s a bunch of teenagers being idiots hotboxing the place.

Rating: 7/10

Canton Junction (MBTA)

So, I’ve never really stepped foot here until today, though I’ve always wanted to check it out as the big mess of metal footbridges always stood out to me. Plus, I thought it’d be a half-decent railfanning spot. Does it live up to the hype though? Let’s find out.

So, getting off a northbound train, I make my way to check out the station building which, wouldn’t ya know it, is actually open! A rarity on the MBTA on weekends! And, it’s actually quite nice. It reminds me of Mystic’s and Kingston’s station buildings in the historical factor. Tickets can be brought here, and it can be used as an indoor waiting area on rainy days. Furthermore, there’s a bathroom here, and a restaurant called Copper City Espresso.

Moving outside, the platform is the usual Providence Line affair of a mini-high at the far end, with a very, very long low-level platform (where NOBODY boards on weekends/off-peak hours!!!). The tracks are also lettered to help people find their way. Platforms A and B are the Northeast Corridor mainline (to/from Wickford and Providence), while platforms C and D are for the Stoughton branch. The tracks are also numbered (from left to right) 1, 2, 4, and 6.

The ramps and stairs, however, can easily add about 5 minutes to reaching the train, making this a textbook definition of a “screw you” station. If you can’t run to save your life, you’re gonna miss your train if you parked next to the station building, and your train is heading south to Providence. Likewise, if your train is heading north from Stoughton and you’re next to the Providence track. Parking is plenty though, and ridership is generally concentrated in morning and evening commutes (although today was an exception, due to a convention in Boston).

I do believe that’s Canton Center off in the distance!

I feel like this would be a good backdrop for a zombie-themed film.

I *really* am not big on these metal ramps and stairs

The good: It’s got a nice building and plenty of parking! Furthermore, service on weekdays is relatively frequent due to the Stoughton branch being in service.

The bad: The footbridges. It’s deteriorating, hopefully won’t end up in the same state as South Attleboro’s when they get around to repairing it. Plus, it can take forever to get to the inbound platforms from where one parked, and I can’t help but think that some of the parking could be replaced with TOD. Plus, service can be infrequent on weekends (every 2 hours, without Stoughton service!)

Nearby points of interest: If you’re a railfan, this station in of itself is a place of interest. There’s also the Canton Viaduct just south, if you want to walk a little, and Canton Center due east.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence, Stoughton)

Overall, this station could definitely use some repairs. The bridges are deteriorating and rusting, the stairs made me feel uncomfortable, and overall can we get full high platforms when this gets rebuilt? And, also, maybe some TOD?

Rating: 4/10

12 (Attleboro/S. Attleboro/Pawtucket)

Oh god. No, no, anything but GATRA. But, duty calls I guess. So, why not start with an easy route? At the Attleboro ITC, I’m waiting for the bus, either the 12 or the 16 (whichever first), and it happens the 12 came first. Let’s dig into it.

I fed the farebox my $2, begetting a $0.50 change card. From here, it was off to the races as we started traversing through downtown Attleboro, leaving the MBTA station. We took a left down Rte. 123, flying past peoples’ houses and the Capron Zoo. We would then take a right to remain on Rte. 123, passing by much of the same, with a lot of woodlands mixed in. Oh, we also passed under the interstate. A common theme, with everyone who got on/off at a stop other than the ITC, was that there are no bus stop signs indicating it’s a bus stop. Allow me to explain.

So, how does GATRA work? Well, most transit agencies generally operate on a policy where they’ll only stop at designated locations (usually denoted by the existence of a sign or shelter). Some agencies that follow this policy are RIPTA, the MBTA, and CTtransit. However, some agencies (like GATRA, and a few others I’m going to be covering on this site) operate on a “flag” policy. This essentially means that unless you’re in an explicit “no stop zone” or it’s otherwise unsafe to stop (for instance, in the middle of a freeway interchange), the bus driver will pull over to pick you up if you flag the bus down. Getting off differs just a little, where fixed-stop agencies will stop at the next designated stop, flag stop agencies will pull over at the nearest safe location. This is, in general, how one can end up in a situation where there’s unofficially a bus stop outside their house’s front door, or outside their business where they might not want one.

Eventually, we kept going down Newport Ave., until we took two turns onto Rte. 1, and made a deviation. What’s the deviation, you might ask? Well, would you believe it if I said there’s a HOSPITAL in South Attleboro?! Yeah, I didn’t even know such a place existed. Nevertheless, we deviated, and then did another half-deviation into the Stop & Shop plaza (barely), got a few people, and then kept going down Washington Street. Eventually, though, we crossed under I-95 again, crossed over the Northeast Corridor, and we’re in Rhode Island on a GATRA bus?! Wait, we’re on a non-RIPTA bus in RIPTA territory. That’s cursed. Nevertheless, the bus took a right down Roosevelt Avenue and a left down George Bennett, where I pulled the cord. Finally, we were at one of two RIPTA-GATRA transfer points, and at the end of the 12.

Hearth & Kettle used to be here, and to be real, it sucked.

I’ve genuinely never seen a GATRA bus in Rhode Island until today (save for that one rogue Dial a Ride van)

The good: It serves a lot, and is a pretty good replacement to the 24! Yes, this route largely used to be the 24, but it’s better with weekend service and whatnot. It serves places where people would want to go, and in general I haven’t had any bad luck here.

The bad: This one’s gonna be a recurring theme with GATRA (and most other Massachusetts RTAs). Why, in the holy name of Hell, is there no Sunday service?! And why does Saturday service end so early?!

Nearby points of interest: Pawtucket is your entry gate to RIPTA here. You also have the businesses lining Route 1 in South Attleboro, but I don’t think it’s a very walkable area. On the flip side, however, you DO have the Capron Zoo, along with Attleboro Station.

Overall, it’s not a bad start to what’ll potentially be a very dicey can of worms. As a first impression to GATRA, it really isn’t a painful route. My biggest issue here, is that service ends so early (4pm for the last outbound on Saturday?!) and nothing at all on Sundays. Nevertheless, relatively, it’s good.

Rating: 7/10

39 (Forest Hills/Huntington Ave./Back Bay Station) – aka the Arborway bustitution

Oh boy, another MBTA bus route! And this time, it’s a decades-long bustitution! The Arborway used to be a part of the Green Line’s E branch. However, in late 1985, the MBTA decided to temporarily close the extension beyond its present terminus of Heath St. As of now, it’s still closed, and it’s more of a permanently temporary closure, rather than just simply “temporary”. In its place is the 39, which largely replaced it. So, with the MBTA lore out of the way, let’s dig into this route.

So we left Forest Hills’ upper busway and proceeded down South and Centre Streets, passing the Arborway. Eventually it became lined with businesses and strip malls, as we kept getting passengers and, eventually, we turned down South Huntington Avenue.

Ah yes, the Woonsocket influence reaches out to here, too!

The area was largely residential, and this extended to even as we passed a pretty sizable animal hospital and, eventually, the V.A. Medical Center. This would also mark where the E branch presently ends.

We then kept going down Huntington Avenue, passing all the construction happening on the Green Line. Houses and businesses largely lined the streets of Mission Hill. We’d also pass through the general area of various schools, including Emmanuel, Northeastern, and Wentworth. We’d also pass by the Conservatory of Music and Symphony Station. We then turned left down Belvidere Street (not part of the route?????) and onto Boylston Street, passing the Sheraton as well as Hynes CC. We’d also pass the Prudential Center and Copley’s Green Line station (which I think is why we detoured, as we are bustituting the E branch as of me riding this). We’d then turn right down Clarendon Street and, eventually, make our way into the backside of Back Bay Station into the busway (Front Bay?)

A ball field, for one of the nearby schools

The good: It’s a very well utilized route! It’s definitely up there in ridership, I think, at least if my trip was to go by. It was definitely busy. It also serves as an alternative to the Green Line’s E branch (with slightly more capacity, should bendy buses be used!), should it be out of service (like today!) It’s also a decent connection between two subway stations as well as an Amtrak station.

The bad: …what? I got nothing here. I guess, the fact it isn’t 100% bendy bus? Yeah, I don’t know.

Nearby points of interest: A lot. You’ve got the many schools on Huntington Ave., Copley Square (& the associated shopping center), the Prudential Center, Back Bay Station, and the Arborway is next to Forest Hills. There’s also the various shops lining the streets of Mission Hill, too.

Overall, I like this route. It’s definitely a near-10/10. However, sometimes the capacity of the 40ft buses can raise some eyebrows, and as such it’s not a 10/10 for me.

Rating: 9/10

Riverside (Green Line)

Ah, Riverside. This area of the Green Line is what I call the “scenic part”. Why? Well, it’s about as far out on the Green Line as one can go! In fact, we’re butting up right against the edge of the I-95/128 ring! Well, let’s look at Riverside.

So, the platforms are sizable enough. It’s nothing much to ring home about, but it’s a decent size. Just past the platforms are also the Green Line maintenance facility, so there’s that. The Museum of Science has a to-scale model of the Solar System, and it just happens that Pluto is all the way out here as well. I didn’t see it here, though, but maybe that’s me not looking carefully enough. Parking is also sufficient, with this being a park & ride lot, there’s a decent amount of spaces. As for transit connections, one has an express bus route into downtown Boston.

This station is accessible! And with bike racks!

The good: It’s a decently-sized park & ride! Even on a Sunday, it’s decently utilized. Furthermore, it’s also cheaper to take the Green Line from here, than to utilize Auburndale’s Commuter Rail station ($2.40 vs. $7) going into downtown Boston. Plus, this station just has a charm that I can’t get over. Maybe it’s the sense of tranquility this end of the Green Line has that’s getting to me.

The bad: It’s a bit of a ways out. Like, it’s about a 50 minute ride to get to Boylston and Park St. Aside from that, I can’t really think of a lot that would be wrong with this station.

Nearby points of interest: Not a lot, with this being a park & ride. I mean, there’s a few country clubs along with Lasell University.

Transit connections: Green Line (D)
MBTA bus (558)
MWRTA (Rte. 20 Shuttle, MassBay Riverside Shuttle)

Overall, as a park & ride, I’d say this is definitely an example other stations should follow. It’s got plenty of parking, has bike racks for those coming in via bike, and it’s got bus connections as well. Plus, it has a to-scale size of Pluto, too!

Rating: 8.5/10

Hyde Park (MBTA)

Hyde Park is a pretty decent neighborhood. I’m not all too familiar with it, but there’s just an air of peace and safety that I feel with the area. Besides, it’s also got three train stations, one of which I’ve already covered here! So, let’s look at the second of three train stations and see how well or poorly it stacks up.

So, getting off the platform, the mini-high is at the far end of the platform, away from where one would realistically be arriving, if they need accessibility. At least it’s sheltered though. However, there’s rusting. A lot of rusting. Like Jesus Christ, they really took on a note from Readville and made it worse. As for the ramps themselves, aside from the fencing and roofing rusting like crazy, it’s nothing special, other than that they’re long. There’s also a set of stairs at the intersection of River and Business Streets, and Gordon Avenue. Parking, though, is plentiful. As for access to the lot, the big MBTA sign at the intersection of Hyde Park Ave. and Pingree St. should be enough a hint.

The ramp heading to the outbound platform

Looking southbound down the Southwest Corridor

We also had an “oh shit” moment, where some kid had the audacity to attempt to catch a basketball that bounced onto the track. All while the “train approaching” warning was going off. No, he did not get hit (thank freakin’ God), however it was very reckless.

The good: If you’re heading outbound and you happen to be close enough to the area, it isn’t too terrible a place to be. However, there are some major caveats which I will touch on later.

The bad: This station is kind of a niche use case. Some Franklin trains (midday and early evening) will stop here heading outbound, however none inbound. For the Providence/Stoughton Line? Every weekend train stops here (every 2 hours), however a handful of weekday trains (mostly to either Wickford or Stoughton) stops here as well. But, if you’re on one of said trains, it’s oftentimes cheaper to get off, walk a little, and go inbound to South Station from Fairmount ($2.40 vs. $6+). Also, since it’s a transfer to the 32, can we get a CharlieCard machine here?

Nearby points of interest: If you’re a railfan, this station isn’t the best of spots to railfan at. However, the 32 will bring you from here to Readville. There’s also residential on one side, with Cleary Square and associated businesses on the other.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence, Stoughton, Franklin, Foxboro)
MBTA bus (32)

Overall, I’m not a big fan of this station. I don’t mind Hyde Park as a neighborhood, hell I think it’s a pretty decent neighborhood. I just feel that it deserves much, much better of a train station.

Rating: 4.5/10

Mystic (Amtrak)

So, coming off the heels of RIPTA and a Miles meet in Boston, along with some MBTA shenanigans, let’s settle down in a more quiet, slightly more remote town. Ooh, why not Mystic?

Alrighty, so because this is the first station in Connecticut, I got nothing to compare it to, and as a result, I’ll be using Westerly as my point of reference primarily (for context, that got a 3.5/10). Is Mystic as bad as Westerly? Is there any saving grace? Or, am I going to be denied access to track 2 due to a southbound Regional or Acela at the wrong time?

So, getting off the Regional, immediately I notice the station doesn’t have level boarding, or even a mini-high, for that matter. Supposedly there’s a wheelchair lift, but I don’t buy that for one minute. The station building is a cafe that’s open 7 days, 8-2, and houses the Quik-Trak machine. I think it also has a restroom, but don’t quote me there. Wait, what’s that right ahead? Oh no…

What is that? No……not a grade crossing! THERE ARE ELEVEN OF THESE ALONG THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, ALL IN CONNECTICUT. THE ACELA RUNS DOWN THESE TRACKS. THESE ELEVEN GRADE CROSSINGS ARE WHY THE ACELA RUNS AT A FREAKIN’ SNAIL’S PACE OVER HERE. Never mind that, it’s a safety issue! What if a wheelchair gets caught on the tracks?! Well, apparently this is how you get to track 1 (northbound).

There aren’t many parking spaces, but this station isn’t heavily used, either. Some spots are reserved for the cafe (which is, of course, a separate entity), but from what I’m aware, what’s pictured is all of the Amtrak parking. There’s a canopy from the cafe where southbound passengers can wait, should it be raining or snowing, while northbound passengers have what’s essentially a prefab shed that one can buy from Home Depot or Lowe’s. Also, why is the southbound platform much longer than the northbound one?

Looking northbound. Look at how long the southbound platform is!

The Quik-Trak machine inside the station building. And, look, brochures! Admittedly, I didn’t notice them earlier.

The good: It’s a small town train station, and I like the feel of these! Plus, Mystic Seaport (and Old Mistick Village to the north) are both major tourist destinations in the area, so it’s good that the train station is close by. Furthermore, SEAT (the local transit agency) runs 6 days a week in the area with the Stonington HOP microtransit service. Review on that coming eventually.

The bad: Really? Only 3 trains a day in either direction stopping here? If I did this on a weekday, I wouldn’t have gotten home until 10pm rightabout. Furthermore, the low-level platform without a wheelchair lift in sight is a major “oh no”. If there is not, in fact, one, screw you if you need accessibility. They really couldn’t put a mini-high near the street? Thirdly, the grade crossing. That’s a “screw you” if you’re in a hurry, because you could very well run the risk of missing a train due to it coming down at the last minute.

Nearby points of interest: I spent the day in Mystic Seaport, and got a lunch at Mystic Pizza (thanks mom, for giving me $20 to do so!). If you utilize SEAT’s Stonington HOP, you can get to other places in Stonington like Mystic Aquarium, where you can connect to the 108 to Foxwoods and New London.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Northeast Regional)
SEAT (Stonington HOP)

Overall, I really like this station. I really do. Even in spite of its shortcomings, this is definitely a personal favorite of mine, and I feel like this is what Westerly should’ve been. However, I’d rather have seen a tunnel or bridge/ramp instead of hailing Mary across the tracks for getting to the other side. I’d also personally throw up a mini-high somewhere towards either end of the platforms.

Rating: 5.5/10 (but the train ride to/from is a 10/10 in scenery!)

BONUS: pictures from my journey that aren’t train-related!

A slice of heaven indeed. 10/10, would recommend.

Peeking into the ocean at the end of the Broadway extension

God, what’s with the CT section of the NEC being so darn scenic?!

204 Flex (Westerly)

Alrighty, so what do you do if you fail to catch the 95X in the early morning and can’t afford $8 for an Amtrak ticket? Why, you ride this Flex, of course! Let’s take a look.

WARNING: copious amounts of colorful language and caps ahead. Read at own discretion.

So after eating a calzone for lunch at a local bakery, I sit there waiting for the 204 Flex. And I wait. And wait. And wait. Eventually I see a Flex van pull in and- what???

***WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING IN REVERSE BACKING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT?!***

NO! NO! PLEASE NO! WHY ARE YOU GOING IN REVERSE, AND LEAVING THE PARKING LOT?! THERE’S SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO FUCKING RIDE THE 204 WAITING RIGHT HERE!! AND TO PROVE I’M NOT BEING A KAREN ABOUT THIS, HERE’S THE TIMEPOINTS WITH SCHEDULES.

12:15 PM!!!!!!! I WAS HERE AT 12:15 PM AND IT JUST NOPED THE FUCK OUT!

YOU CAN’T JUST NOPE THE FUCK OUT OF A BUS STOP LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU’RE LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY IN AND OUT OF WESTERLY OUTSIDE THE MORNING AND EVENING RUSH HOUR COMMUTES! THIS IS WHORE SHIT TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE, AND QUITE POSSIBLY EVEN WORSE THAN THE 54. YES, I’VE SAID IT. THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE BUS ROUTE FROM HELL. AT LEAST THAT COMES REGULARLY. THIS THING ONLY COMES, AS YOU CAN SEE, THREE TIMES A DAY TOTAL, AND I WASN’T ABOUT TO FUCKING WAIT UNTIL 2:50 WITH A REAL RISK OF MISSING THE 3:40 INBOUND RUN OF THE 95X. UH, NO THANKS! LIKE, THIS SHIT IS INEXCUSABLE. I’M TALKING “WHOOPS, I ACCIDENTALLY CREATED PLUMBING ISSUES AT WALMART WITH MY COLLEAGUES” LEVELS OF INEXCUSABLE.

Now, let’s see where it WOULD go, if it showed up. From here, it’d get on US Rte. 1 and begin running express to Westerly, which takes a while with how remote it is. In between, much of the northern part of the city, along with the Walmart Supercenter, is in the Flex zone. The last timepoint (first, rather) is Westerly Station, where one can transfer to the 95X and 301.

The good: It’s a mission-critical link between Westerly and the rest of the state outside the morning/evening commutes!

The bad: IF THE FUCKING BUS DOESN’T SHOW UP, YOU’RE SCREWED.

Nearby points of interest: The Stedman Center and Salt Pond Plaza, along with Westerly primarily.

Overall, WHY IS THIS NOT A FIXED ROUTE RUNNING REGULARLY?! MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, IF IT WERE, THEN NO-SHOWS WOULDN’T BE SUCH A MAJOR FUCKING ISSUE!

Rating: 2.5/10

203 Flex (Narragansett/S. Kingstown)

Alrighty, the second to last “extra” content for RIPTA: the 203 Flex. This one largely mirrors the Narragansett routes, so here we go.

So, I boarded at URI and went to Salt Pond. Not a crazy route. And, it happens this mirrored the 69 as well. So, we went down Rte. 108 through Wakefield and Peace Dale, just like the 69. There’s not really much to it since I’ve done all the routes, so I’ll talk about the zone itself. There’s four scheduled stops at Memorial Union (URI), Salt Pond, the Wakefield Mall, and the Oliver Stedman Government Complex (which houses the county courthouse, the DMV branch, upon other things). It also stops at …pretty much every beach, which the various fixed routes also do. Oh, it has weekend service!

The good: It lets you get to South County Commons and the Stedman Complex, I guess.

The bad: The area is literally covered pretty well in fixed routes, enough so to where one could reasonably make the argument that the Flex is, dare I say, unnecessary. I mean sure, South County Commons and the Stedman Complex aren’t served by fixed routes, but like, nothing says they can’t get a fixed route.

Nearby points of interest: Pretty much all of Narragansett and most of SK.

Overall, why? Just, why? I mean, at least it isn’t the 49.

Rating: 3/10