This is one of the biggest jumps I could possibly make – we’re going from the PVTA in western Mass to an MBTA station just a few towns away from Cape Cod. And just like the Cape itself, Middleborough/Lakeville is a boring place. Boom, roasted! Sorry, I just don’t like the Cape that much…
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| Looking down the platform. |
Yes, we’ve got a typical Old Colony station on our hands. You’ve got all the classics: a typical 90s shelter, some benches, and some wastebaskets. The platform extends beyond the shelter itself with a few more benches, but this is actually a longer shelter than usual.
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| Some of the parking lot, with some transit-oriented development in the background. |
Of course, this station offers a ton of parking: 769 spaces to be exact. The T got rid of its availability percentages on its new website, so unfortunately, I have no idea if this lot is big enough. Bikes get a scrawny 8 spaces, but it’s something, and we’re in a pretty suburban area. Finally, the GATRA runs two buses here, and I totally definitely did not ride one of them…
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| Oh darn it, there’s my reflection in the train window… |
Station: Middleborough/Lakeville
Ridership: This is a busy station for Commuter Rail standards, with 886 riders per weekday. I came here on a reverse-peak morning rush trip, so of course my train was quiet, but there was a steady stream of people getting on to go back into the city.
Pros: It’s a typical Old Colony station. That’s basically all there is to it.
Cons: Aside from the boringness and the fact that they opted to make a huge park-and-ride instead of serving the downtown, not much.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Middleborough has what appears to be a decently-interesting town center, but the station is located far from it. Instead, you can visit such amazing places as: CVS! Sterling Place Apartments! And the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection! Wowie!
Final Verdict: 7/10
Not much to say – it’s what you would expect from an Old Colony station. Yay!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Funny but very true, Miles.
I used to live in lakeville and always went into the city here.
I don't understand why they don't extend the old colony line to Hyannis or buzzards bay and get rid of the capeflyer and have regular service to those places
Miles why don't you like the cape? I've only been there 2 times but I thought it was very enjoyable.
I just find it boring and badly-designed. There aren't really any proper towns there aside from Provincetown and Hyannis.
Capeflyer also serves this place
Alas, we do have OCRR station that was obviously designed by a committee of non-riders from San Diego – where the weather is always pleasant. There is a long history of why the station is here and not closer to downtown or even at the Everett Sq. area. There is currently much heated discussion of placing a second station in Middleborough to service Phase 1 of the Fall River / New Bedford / South Coast Route. Stay tuned…