Yes, I’ve been super busy lately and haven’t been able to write. But I finally have another station review, as we take a look at a really generic Blue Line station, Wood Island!

The platforms are pretty stark. I don’t like the steel shelters running along most of their lengths (though the outbound one has an open-air section). One can step further into shelter, due to a “room” to the side of the platform. I like the bricks in here, though there’s a little too much concrete.

As I arrived on the outbound platform, I wanted to cross over to the other side so I could see the main mezzanine. That “room” to the side of the platform I mentioned also has stairs that lead up to a footbridge to the other side. Aesthetically, it was fine, being clean and wide. I don’t like those weird glass panels they always use for these footbridges, though, because they don’t let you look out and see the trains coming in from above.

The mezzanine is actually pretty nice. The brick architecture is good-looking and the ceiling is really high, though once again there’s a little too much concrete for my liking. Also, those awful fences from Suffolk Downs make a return here. In terms of fare gates, there are enough, considering the ridership this station gets.

Outside, the station’s busway is a simple loop. Passengers get dropped off right in front of the entrance, then buses pick people up further down a platform (seen in the picture above). It was nice, with brick architecture once again. I didn’t like the little stone benches, however.

Though there’s no parking for cars, there is a small bike shelter with 10 spaces. It was covered with snow when I was here, but I assume it’s well used on normal days. This entrance leads out to Bennington Street, which has a problem I’ve been seeing a lot lately: no MBTA signs. I mean, yeah, you can see the station from the street, but still! It doesn’t really look like a train station from a distance.

The entrance on the other side of the station is a bit weirder. For one thing, it leads out to an industrial street that seems to be mostly airport buildings. For another, it doesn’t have a mezzanine. Sure, you can leave the station here from the outbound platform, but getting in is a different story. You have to cross over a different footbridge, this one out of fare control, then come in through the main mezzanine. That seems really annoying, especially since there’s room for a small mezzanine on this side. That said, I can’t imagine that many people actually using this entrance.

Station: Wood Island

Ridership: Oooh…not good. This station has the second-worst ridership of the above-ground Blue Line stations, with only about 2,500 riders per day (the worst is Suffolk Downs). In fact, this station has the 10th worst ridership in the entire system! So, yeah, not many people use Wood Island.

Pros: Parts of the station are nice, like the mezzanine and the footbridges. I also like the busway, and this station has some good bus connections for the Blue Line – the 112, 120, and part-time 121 all stop here.

Cons: I don’t like a large portion of the station’s architecture. The bricks look good, but the steel and concrete are terrible! Also, the footbridge situation with the smaller entrance is annoying, but I’ll bet barely anyone uses that entrance, anyway.

Nearby and Noteworthy: It seems like you need to walk a bit down Bennington Street to get to businesses. I don’t know anything specific, but I did find an interesting oddity when looking at the area on Google Maps. Next to the station, there’s a street called Frankfort Street that has just one triple-deck apartment on it, surrounded by a park! The apartment looks so lonely and out of place there.

Final Verdict: 5/10

This is a pretty boring, generic station. Sure, it’s not grossly unclean or insanely ugly or anything, but just…boring. And it’s not like it’s a major station – quite the contrary, in fact. I guess I don’t not like Wood Island, but I don’t like it.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

As compensation for its performance during the blizzard, the MBTA is offering a free fare day on April 24. The whole system will be free to ride, even the Commuter Rail! They will also be giving discounted monthly passes for May.