Category: Public Transit

Alrighty, new line time! Since the Needham branch is essentially free until the Orange Line is open, let’s look at the line and some of its stations. First stop: Roslindale Village!

Alrighty, so the station is pretty much the same thing you’d expect from a Providence Line station, and I’d presume all the other Needham branch stations: a mostly low level platform with a mini-high. Not only is there a ramp from the mini-high to the low-level platform, there’s also a ramp coming from the Conway St. parking lot. However, that’s the only way to get to the station by an accessible mean, is via that parking lot. There’s an underpass under the tracks, should it be needed as well. The neighborhood itself doesn’t seem bad at a glance, and a number of bus routes pass by the station (with the 14 ending here). Oh yeah, as a fun tidbit, apparently mayor Michelle Wu is from around here.

The good: If you want a straight shot into downtown Boston, especially should the Orange Line be shut down, this is your best bet! Sure, it’s slightly more than taking the bus to Forest Hills and a zone 1A or subway fare into downtown, but the option’s always there. Plus, a lot of bus routes pass through (or end) in the area, so there’s that as well.

The bad: Why are there no benches????? I mean, it’s nice there’s a sheltered area, but it’d also be nice if there was a place to sit while waiting for the train to pull in. Also, the bus is more frequent than the Commuter Rail, unfortunately. Now, I’d propose an Orange Line extension to remedy this, but as of me writing this, that’s probably not a good idea.

Nearby points of interest: Roslindale seems like a pretty nice neighborhood. I’m probably gonna be here much more doing the bus routes, but at a first glance, it seems like a decent area like Hyde Park, and I like Hyde Park.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham)
MBTA bus (14, 30, 34, 34E, 35, 36, 37, 40, 50, 51)

Overall, the neighborhood deserves better. It really does. For one, it’d be nice if the Needham branch was double-tracked (though that’s a rant for another entry). Furthermore, no seating????? Lastly, if I could change anything, I’d make the whole station high-level with a ramp leading up, rather than the mini-high setup. And, unfortunately, due to a lack of seating, I’d have to deduct more than I did from Hyde Park.

Rating: 4/10

Ah, a terminal station. Well, let’s look at the Blue Line’s downtown terminal. And, oh boy.

Not only is the headhouse ugly as hell, it’s also clearly very dated. Almost as if this place is a time capsule! I’m not even making it up. You’ve got yellow tiling and white walls/ceilings everywhere as the whole place feels dingy, complete with what I think is a brutalist headhouse. The platform setup, here, however is a bit unusual. Technically speaking, it’s an island. However, it’s a wedge shape because the station is in the middle of a balloon loop (like Heath St.). However, unlike Heath, the departure platform is considerably shorter, rendering a situation where doors have to be user-operated instead of driver-operated. So, if you ever wondered what the buttons on the Siemens #5 cars next to the doors do, there ya go. Oh yeah, this station is also inaccessible. Yup. THIS STATION, IS THE ONLY SUBWAY STATION IN ALL OF BOSTON TO NOT HAVE ANY FORM OF ACCESSIBILITY! Bah, who am I kidding? Who needs the ADA?! The least they could’ve done was extend the Blue Line further up.

The good: Well, I guess the fact it exists at all and is near a Target and a bunch of government offices is good???

The bad: …why????? Why does this place exist? Would it have killed the MBTA to just demolish this place, and perform a cut & cover to Charles/MGH for a Red-Blue transfer? Government Center is already close as-is, at about a quarter-mile, and a 4ish minute walk. Charles is about 10 minutes on foot. Just, why? Oh yeah, screw you if you need accessibility. Hell, even Haymarket is a 6ish minute walk away. All three stations are accessible, on top of that. The escalator doesn’t work, either. Did I mention this is the only inaccessible subway station on the system?

Nearby points of interest: You have Bowdoin Square! There’s also a Target, some government offices, and a Whole Foods, along with Charles/MGH, Government Center, and Haymarket.

Transit connections:
Blue Line

Overall, why? Just, why? There’s literally no reason I can conceive that this station should exist. Hell, most people got off at Government Center when I arrived here via the Blue Line, probably because connections can be made more easily from there. I’d just demolish this place and extend the Blue Line to Charles, like what they should’ve done all those years ago.

Rating: 4.5/10

Alrighty, now for a middle of nowhere MBTA station!

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.

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

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).

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

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.

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?)

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

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.

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