Service Change: Orlando International Airport Shuttle, Super Star Shuttle, LYNX Bus Route 42 (International Drive/Orlando International Airport), and the I-Ride Trolley
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| The stations are actually quite nice. |
Interestingly, the monorail uses the same (or at least similar) rolling stock as the Atlanta airport train! They are both automatically driven, they both have the same shape, and they both only have two seats – one at each end. The resemblance is uncanny, but I don’t know if they’re exactly the same. The stations are very nice and modern, but the monorail can be very crowded. Overall, it’s a nice way of getting to your gate, and trains come every minute or so.
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| Adios, Mr. Train! |
To get to the Universal Orlando amusement park from the Crowne Plaza (an excellent hotel, by the way) and a number of other hotels, you have to take the Super Star Shuttle. Sure, there are other ways of getting to Universal, but the Super Star Shuttle is direct and FREE! You just get a boarding pass from your hotel and get on. Unfortunately, my parents and I were late finishing breakfast. The woman at the front desk told us the bus left, and missing one is catastrophic, since the bus only goes every hour for a limited time. We had to make a mad dash across the street to get to it.
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| The buses are wrapped in an ad for the “Orlando FlexTicket,” making it impossible to see out of the windows. |
Once we had gone to all of the hotels, the bus driver stood up with an introduction. At first I thought it would be a stupid lecture about safety, but it was actually quite entertaining. The driver made his safety instructions interesting, and he gave us some interesting facts about the park on the ride back. Speaking of which, don’t use this bus if you’re not planning to spend the whole day at Universal. The first bus to go back to the hotels is at 6:45 PM, so plan to spend a while at the park.
The buses have comfortable seats, but they get extremely crowded. They also have TVs in them. On the way there, the TVs showed a commercial for the FlexTicket on a continuous loop. On the way back, it showed that live action Garfield movie, which was considerably more entertaining. Overall, the Super Star Shuttle is a great, easy way to get to Universal.
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| This picture was taken during the commercial. See the TV? |
I, of course, wanted to take a bus in Orlando. Preferably, I wanted to take the system that the locals use, the LYNX bus. A really nice woman at the hotel printed out schedules for us since we didn’t have a WiFi-equipped device. I noticed that one of them, the 42, was conveniently very close to our hotel and went to the airport! I managed to talk my mother into it (my father thought it was a good idea already), and we planned the trip.
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| It took a while to get the camera out, so the result is a shot that’s up close and personal. |
Since almost all of the LYNX routes run every hour on Sundays, we had to know exactly where to pick up the bus. My mother and I went on a scouting mission, when we found the first con of the system: poor signage. Here on the MBTA, the bus sign tells you the route, as well as its destination. On LYNX, however, it only tells you the route. My mother and I had to ask three people to find out which way the airport was! However, almost all of the LYNX stops I saw had shelters and the LYNX logo, a paw print.
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| I wanted to take a picture of the I-hop sign, but the LYNX sign got in the way! …Just kidding. |
While waiting at the bus stop, I noticed that all LYNX buses are different colors. I thought that was an interesting idea, and you can still tell it’s a LYNX because of the large logo on each bus. My father and I were trying to see if the buses have a system for their coloring, but we couldn’t figure it out. It was when the 42 pulled up that we realized another flaw in the system: exact fare only. It’s really annoying having to have exact change to get on the bus, and it slows things down, too. Couldn’t LYNX introduce an Automated Fare Collection system like we have to speed things up?
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| The 8 runs every half-hour on Sundays? Sign me up! |
I know I’m starting to sound like a LYNX hater, but that’s simply not true. The newer buses are very nice, with cushioned seats that are relatively comfortable. The 42 was a very interesting ride, plus it was practical for us! Along the route, there are stop announcements for major stops, but they’re kind of hard to hear. Anyway, we got on the 42 close to the start on International Drive. It was straightforward, running alongside the I-Ride Trolley (more on that later). International Drive is the main drag of that area, with numerous restaurants, stores, and theme parks along it. However, once the 42 turned off of International Drive, we were crossing a huge field. This is the interesting thing about Orlando, with plenty of things to do on one street, then nothing on the one next to it.
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| There weren’t many people on the bus…yet. |
The 42 gets crazy after that, making a bunch of weird turns. One of the highlights of the ride is going on a bridge over a train yard. For every-hour service, the bus was very crowded. All together, there were about 42 fare-payers (coincidentally), which makes me wonder if the Sunday headways are a bit too spaced out. There was a surprising amount of people going to the airport, where the bus pulled into a parking space and we all got out. It was very quick and easy, with my parents describing it as “the least stressful trip to the airport I’ve ever had.”
In the International Drive Resort Area, however, the LYNX is relatively overshadowed (at least for tourists) by the I-Ride Trolley. When my mother was telling me about how our hotel is served by it (this was before we knew about the Super Star Shuttle), I thought it was a light rail train, or perhaps a trackless trolley. What I wasn’t expecting was a bus with a really creepy face plastered onto it. I mean, seriously, this overly-detailed smile looks like one that belongs to a psychopath. It doesn’t help that the bus is branded as “the fun way” to get around. Is it supposed to make kids happy? Because it creeps me out.
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| Hey, I-Ride Trolley, I hear Thomas the Tank Engine is hiring. |
Nonetheless, despite not actually riding the I-Ride Trolley, it seems like a good deal. It runs every 20 minutes, every day (on the Red Line; the Green Line runs every 30 minutes), and it’s $1.50 over LYNX’s $2.00. It doesn’t serve all of the major theme parks (like Universal and Disney World), but it serves some major ones like SeaWorld. Overall, it seems like it’s a good way to get around if you’re staying in the International Drive Resort Area.
So that’s it on my Orlando trip. If I ever go back, I might have a post on the proposed Tri-Rail extension to Orlando. But until then, it’s back to the good ol’ MBTA for me.
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| This is a different kind of transit in Orlando. |
83 (Rindge Ave – Central Square, Cambridge via Porter Square Station)
The 83‘s primary function is to sew together the parts of East and North Cambridge that other buses don’t serve. In that sense, it does its job well. The route is the opposite of straightforward, making a lot of crazy turns along the way. In Central Square, note that it leaves from Magazine Street, not the large shelter on Mass Ave. The first time I took this bus, I got lost trying to look for it. Also, the bus shelter at Magazine Street can sometimes attract some… questionable characters. Once, I was waiting there next to a woman creepily singing the ABC’s. When I took the 83 for the blog, there was a guy trash-talking the bus, then storming off when he almost got run over.
Anyway, there were 18 people on the bus leaving Central. The bus cuts across Mass Ave and goes onto Prospect Street immediately after leaving the bus stop. The stop after Central, Bishop Allen Drive, is also a big one, with 6 people getting on there. However, Harvard St, the next stop, saw three people getting off already. We were only three stops from Central Square! After crossing Broadway, there were voluntary standees on the bus. Calvin St, the stop after Inman Square, was surprisingly a major one, with 6 people getting off (a shout-out to my friend Calvin, by the way). The bus then goes straight on Beacon St for a while before making a turn onto Park St that narrowly misses the curb. On the short straightaway, it makes a sudden stop at the railroad tracks. Though it may seem annoying, it’s a good precaution in case a surprise train is coming.
After the railroad tracks, the bus turns again onto Somerville Ave. This is where it starts to slowly leak out its passengers, with one or two people getting off at each stop. Unfortunately, this is also where the traffic starts. The bus can get stuck for a while on this street. Two people got off at Porter, and then the bus turned onto Mass Ave to follow the 77 for a bit. At Rindge Ave, there’s a deadly traffic light. Lately, I’ve been lucky with it on the bus, but it can be torturous if you’re stuck at it. The portion on Rindge Ave up to Clifton Street is where most people get off. However, some actually get on to save what can be an awful walk in inclement weather. The bus passes the Peabody School/Rindge Ave Upper Campus where many students get off in the morning and on in the afternoon.
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| The 83 at its little terminus. |
From there, it goes a few more blocks, then ends at its terminus at Russell Field. For a while, I was wondering why it doesn’t go to Alewife, which is a block away. Then I realized that when going back to Central Square, it would have to go on Alewife Brook Parkway, go around a rotary, and then go back up Alewife Brook. It would be too convoluted, plus the bus would get stuck in a lot of traffic. Still, service to Alewife might be nice. Anyway, instead the bus ends at a funny little area by Russell Field. It originally had a nice bus shelter with orange glass. Over the years, however, the glass slowly disappeared (most likely by vandals) and now it’s just a frame with a bench. On most trips, the 83 pulls into the driveway-esque area, then struggles to turn around while avoiding the parked cars. However, sometimes the 83 will turn into another route with service from Alewife. On my ride, the 83 turned into the 62 to Bedford as it navigated the large traffic jam to Alewife.
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| A picture of much better quality – the 83 on Rindge Ave. |
Route: 83 (Rindge Ave – Central Square, Cambridge via Porter Square Station)
Ridership: Locals who aren’t served by the other buses in Cambridge, particularly Rindge Ave. Some people pretty much use the 83 as a Rindge Ave shuttle bus. Plenty of Peabody School/RAUC students use the bus, too. Interestingly, some people took this bus from beginning to almost-end (and 4 people got off at the terminus, which surprised me somewhat). The bus had 36 fare-payers in total for my ride, which is a pretty good amount for the hour before rush hour.
Pros: It sews transit-starved neighborhoods together. The headways are good overall, running every 20 minutes during rush hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak times and Saturdays. Plus, those turns are fun if you’re not expecting them.
Cons: First of all, the headways are every 50 minutes on Sundays. Second, the 83’s crazy route makes a lot of left turns, meaning getting stuck at a lot of traffic lights. Third, Somerville Ave can get pretty hairy in terms of traffic, and trying to get onto Mass Ave from it is not fun. Fourth, the 83 side of Porter needs a bus shelter! I once had to wait for 15 minutes under pouring rain for a bus. Finally, service to Alewife would be nice, but it’s a relatively hard route to plan.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The bus goes by a nice, large playground that kids would like. Also, a place I forgot to mention in my Porter review (but that the 83 goes by) is Newtowne Grille, a good pizza joint that’s located near Davenport St.
Final Verdict: 6
I gave this bus a generous score because of its much-needed service. However, the left turns are awful (though this can’t be fixed) and the headways aren’t exactly optimum on Sundays. As for possible service to Alewife, I created a map that shows a possible route via Terminal Road and the Fresh Pond Mall. Unfortunately, the aforementioned traffic on Alewife Brook Parkway might not make this the best route.
Latest MBTA News: March 31 – April 1, shuttle buses will replace the Orange Line from Sullivan Square to Oak Grove starting at 9 PM. Regular service will resume the next morning. Also, the Silver Line SL1 and SL2 will be operating at street level from South Station to Silver Line Way due to work in the underground transitway. This will be happening today and tomorrow (March 27 – March 28) starting at 9 PM until the end of service, and on March 29 – March 30 from 9 PM on the 29th until 2 PM on the 30th. For connections, click here. Finally, on March 30 – March 31 and April 6 – April 7, shuttle buses will replace the Blue Line from Airport to Wonderland from start to end of service.
Transit Tales: That’s Just Gross!
My father and I got on the train at Downtown Crossing. It was crowded. He got a seat, I had to stand. Being packed in like sardines, I couldn’t really see much. I did hear, however, the sound of a liquid falling onto the floor. I assumed someone spilled a drink or something, so I didn’t take much note of it. When we arrived at the next station, I saw some parents rushing their kid out of the train, saying that he was sick. Again, I didn’t take much note of it. Eventually, the train cleared out and I got a seat. Looking over at one of the doors, I saw a big pile of lumpy, pale liquid. “Is that vomit?” I whispered to my father. “Ew, I think so,” he whispered back. “Let’s switch cars.” When the train arrived at the station, we made a mad rush for the doors to go to another car. Looking back, I saw some people just casually stepping over the vomit to get out (although with a grossed out expression). Others would stop and then go to another door. I was glad to get out, and let me just say that I sincerely feel sorry for the guy who had to clean that up.
Porter
Porter is a fun station. It’s the deepest in the system, meaning a 143-foot escalator ride. The escalator ride is great, with a mural of trains going down and a mural of birds going up. It can admittedly be kind of a scary ride, but it’s worth it. It’s also worth noting that at the bottom of the escalator, there are some bronze gloves. Finding gloves in the snow inspired artist Mags Harries to create this artwork. If you don’t want to take the escalator, you can also take the 199-step stairs next to the escalator. I’ve never tried it, since I’d imagine it’s kind of tiring, but it’s probably good exercise. In fact, it’s the longest staircase in Massachusetts! There are also elevators, but one of them is out of service until the summer. The reason the station is so deep (especially when compared to its neighboring stations, Davis and Harvard) is that it was cheaper to build the station in rock than in soft clay.
Outside the station, the first thing you notice is the kinetic sculpture outside. Called Gift of the Wind, it is three large red “wings” that spin around in response to the wind. It was created by Susumu Shingu. The station is a nice glass building, with doors leading to a smaller escalator leading to the big escalator. The station doesn’t have a busway, only a shelter on the 77 and 96 side of the station and nothing on the 83 side.
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| Gift of the Wind. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_of_the_Wind |
Inside the underground portion of the station, there’s a shop. When I went in, there were huge electronic signs advertising it, yet the shop was closed. Strangely, there are also public bathrooms, which are uncommon for an MBTA station. The Red Line platforms are stacked, inbound over outbound. The two levels are in their own little shells. The station also has some red pipes, which I assume are vents, but don’t quote me.
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| The long escalator. |
Porter Square also has Commuter Rail connections. In fact, the Commuter Rail was there before the Red Line, when the station was called Cambridge. The name was changed to Porter when the Red Line extension happened, since the Red Line has multiple stops in Cambridge. The Commuter Rail platform is below grade, and there are two ways to get to it. One is from the underground area before the big escalator. The other, more interesting route, is across the street from the station. There’s a little pedestrian walkway that feeds out from Mass Ave, goes over the tracks, and comes down onto the central Commuter Rail platform. It makes for an interesting walk. The platform itself starts out in the shade, but goes outside for most of it. The platform gets smaller and smaller, with few benches.
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| I figured my own picture was necessary, even if it isn’t that good. |
NOTE: I’m trying out an experimental format. Leave a comment to say what you think of it. I might revert back to the old one.
Station: Porter
Ridership: Locals and shoppers heading to the mall next to the station. It’s also close to parts of Lesley university, though it doesn’t have the throngs of students like Harvard station does.
Pros: It serves some important apartments and businesses along Mass Ave. Also, the station itself is really nice, with some top-notch artwork. Plus, the escalator ride alone is worth a look, as is the pedestrian walkway down to the Commuter Rail.
Cons: The Commuter Rail platform is a bit drab, without much shelter. The bus situation can also be annoying, with only a shelter (and that’s with only the 77 and 96).
Nearby and Noteworthy: The most prominent location is the Porter Square Shopping Center. This mall has such stores as:
- Porter Square Books, a great, independant bookstore
- Henry Bear’s Park, a toy store for the kiddies
- Michaels, an arts and crafts store my mother loves
Also, Sugar and Spice has some of the best Thai food ever, and WardMaps, the MBTA’s official store, is close by. There are many more places than the ones I listed, so don’t be afraid to explore.
Transit Tales: Memorable Train Quotes
When I say “train quotes,” I don’t mean the train is talking: I mean automated stop announcements. Anyone reading this blog has likely been on a train with automated stop announcements; it’s when there’s an automatic prerecorded speaker that says the names of the stops with a display screen. It’s a nice touch, and it’s much better than older trains, where the driver says the names of the stops. With those, the speakers are either too muffled to be understood (see the previous Transit Tales) or the driver doesn’t even bother to say the stop names. Based on that, the automated stop announcements are a welcome addition 95% of the time. However, they glitch on occasion. Here are some of the most memorable:
- On a Red Line ride towards Boston, the speaker kept saying “Next stop: Davis Square” even though we were nowhere near Davis Square.
- My friends were riding the Red Line, entering Porter Square. The speaker said, “Next stop: Quincy Adams” while the display said “Entering Harvard.”
- Riding a Green Line C train towards Cleveland Circle, the speaker said, “The destination of this train is: Cleveland Circle [BEEP!] Reservoir [BEEP!] Reservoir.”
Leave a comment if you experience a Memorable Train Quote, and I’ll compile them into another post when I get enough.
28 (Mattapan Station – Ruggles Station via Dudley Station)
The only reason I wanted to take the 28 is because I’m a sucker for articulated buses. The 28 uses them all the time, so that’s fine with me. The 28 is one of the 7 (!) buses connecting Mattapan and Ashmont stations to the Orange Line. It travels almost entirely on Blue Hill Ave and South St, then diverts onto Malcolm X Boulevard to Ruggles. It’s also a Key Bus Route, meaning it runs quite often.
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| The 28 at Ruggles. Though you can’t tell from this picture, the 28’s buses have a more curved profile, in line with the MBTA’s older RTS buses. |
On Sundays, the frequency is every 12 minutes. My father and I had to wait about that time at Ruggles station. Surprisingly, there were only about 5 people, including us, who boarded the 28 at Ruggles. I was surprised, since the route does use articulated buses. Speaking of articulated buses, the ones used on the 28 are absolutely beautiful. For one thing, they use LED’s (as my energy-efficient father noticed), and the lighting as a whole is perfect. Like on the SL5, the seats are cushioned, and it’s nice how there’s a second screen to tell you the stops in the back.
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| It’s so beautiful! |
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| Another 28 bus at Ruggles, in a picture taken over 18 months since this post was first published. |
Latest MBTA News: On March 17, 19, 20, 21, and 24, the Orange Line will operate shuttle buses between Sullivan Square and Oak Grove. Also, “T”rivia night is March 28. Think you’ve got what it takes? Click here.
Transit Tales: The Snail Train to Snailsville
Getting from Harvard to Alewife should normally take about 5 minutes. But today, that trip took 20 (for the record, I wanted to take the bus being the transit-obsessed person I am, but it was my friend Calvin’s turn to pick the transit method). We ended up getting a train in the 01500’s series, the oldest fleet on the Red Line. It was fine from Harvard to Porter, but then the train started going 2 miles an hour to Davis. It took forever to arrive there. When we did, the train was just sitting there with its doors open. We waited for a couple minutes, and then the driver came over the speaker. Being an old train, all we could hear was some muffled gibberish, so we still had no idea what was going on. Finally, the doors closed, and we started moving again. At the point before Alewife when the trains sometimes switch tracks, we stopped again. At first, it seemed like we were waiting for a train to leave the station, but then, looking out the window, I saw we were in the middle of switching tracks. Then the lights turned off in the train. “We’re in the middle of the two tracks,” I said to Calvin. “If a train comes now, we’re going to die,” I jokingly remarked. “Great place to stop the train,” he replied. Finally, the lights came on and the train started moving again (at 2 miles an hour, of course), and we pulled into Alewife. MBTA, you’ve got some explaining to do.
Lechmere
UPDATE 5/24/2020: With the station in this form now closed, check out this retrospective!
Lechmere is a station on its last legs. Once the Green Line West Medford extension is up and running, Lechmere will have been relocated and redesigned. Because of this, you can understand how the MBTA seems to be purposely neglecting the station. The tracks to Lechmere are over a hundred years old (but the station itself wasn’t built until 1922 – the area was used for track connections with streetcars before), which explains why the area seems so dated. The station has peeling paint, a couple of billboard frames with nothing on them, and a dank busway.
But don’t think that Lechmere is all bad: the best part is the ride to it. The Green Line is above ground at Lechmere, and it makes for one of the best views on the system. Leaving Lechmere, the tracks turn a little while ascending until the train is elevated next to Monsignor O’Brien Highway. Buildings give way to a fantastic view of the Zakim Bridge. The train dips back below ground after Science Park, but it makes for a great 45 seconds.
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| The view from the train. |
Back to the station itself: as I said before, it’s not exactly pleasant to look at. Despite not being aesthetically pleasing, it does have one quality: the fare gates. With most above ground Green Line stations, you have to board from the front of the train to pay fares. It makes times at each station annoyingly long, and you just want the darn train to start moving. At Lechmere, though, there are fare gates, making much less waiting time. Sure, it doesn’t help the fact that waiting for a train in the winter can be torture, but it makes it much faster to get onto the train, into the warmth.
The Lechmere busway, on the other hand, has no qualities. Half of it is in a dark, dingy tunnel, and the other half of it is outside with no shelter. No matter where you wait, it will still be the same temperature, so don’t think the tunnel will protect you from that. Lechmere is only served by 4 MBTA buses (plus the EZ ride shuttle), though they all have decent schedules. The 80, 87, and 88 serve Somerville and Arlington, while the 69 serves East Cambridge.
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| The clouds really enhance the dinginess. |
Right now, being the closest station to East Cambridge and parts of Somerville, people use it. But how will the West Medford extension affect the ridership? Will it still be used as much as it is now? Only time will tell. But the current station is a piece of history. Go see it while you have the chance, if not for the station, then for the ride.
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| We were waiting for the driver to get back from his smoke, so I took this picture from the train. |
Station: Lechmere
Rating (1-10): 6
Ridership: People who live in East Cambridge and Somerville, since it’s the closest station to those areas. Also, shoppers visiting the Cambridgeside Galleria.
Pros: The fare gates. I applaud the MBTA on shortening a long wait time. But the best part is the ride. If you’re from out of town, the Lechmere ride is more than worth a look.
Cons: The station is just so… dated. Paint is chipping everywhere, the busway is a mess, the billboard frames are ugly and pointless… still, though, with the MBTA’s budget problems and the West Medford extension just around the corner, a big renovation isn’t necessary. Also, it’s a bit annoying how only the E Line serves the station. Why is it only served by one line?
Nearby and Noteworthy: As I mentioned before, the Cambridgeside Galleria is a good mall. Also, though many people use Science Park to get to the Museum of Science (go figure), Lechmere is only a little farther from the museum, plus you get a great ride to boot.
Latest MBTA News: There are Orange Line shuttle buses this weekend from Sullivan Square to Oak Grove… you know the drill.
Fare Heights and Service Cuts on the Way – Again
As we all know, the MBTA is in serious debt. As we also know, fares rose 25% last year. Well, the fares are rising again – this time by 33%, on top of the fare raise from last year! There are actually two options: the 33% fare raise, or a smaller fare increase with large service cuts.
A 33% fare raise would generate $130 million for the MBTA. Unfortunately, it would be a significant difference: a bus ride would be $2 over the current $1.50, and taking the train would cost $2.60 over $2.00 now (and that’s with a CharlieCard!) However, this would reduce ridership by about 8% (go figure).
The other option is a smaller fare increase, but with service cuts. Some options for this are:
- The elimination of the 30 least used buses in the system, as well as the 6 buses in the 700s (buses operated by other companies)
- The cancellation of weekend T service (!)
- The cancellation of weekday T service after 11 PM
- The elimination of Commuter Rail service on weekends
According to the senior director of strategic initiatives and performance at the MBTA, Charles Planck, the most cost-effective service cut is eliminating bus routes, since the MBTA would actually lose money from fares with the other options.
The MBTA is also considering raising parking costs, putting more ads around the system, and cutting senior and student discounts. Other possibilities are cutting back service of the RIDE (a service for people with disabilities) and getting rid of vehicles on its fleet.
Which of the options do you think the MBTA should choose? Or do you have an entirely different solution? Leave your comments below!
Bay State Model Railroad Museum
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| A lot of care has been put into the set pieces. |
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| A great rendition of Roslindale Village. |
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| Though it doesn’t move like the other trains, this is an accurate model of the Amtrak Acela. |
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| The trolley models feature realistic wires above. |
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| The models feature cars and people, too! |
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| Normally, people can control the track switches, but during the open houses, the employees try to avoid crashes. |
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| Most of the trains also make noises. It can get loud in there! |
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| One of the towns in the museum. They’re all based on real places. |
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| “AUGH! Who’s this giant man?” |
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| There are many different tracks in the museum. |
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| This is only part of the complicated map of the tracks! |
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| A model Commuter Rail locomotive… |
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| …Compared to the real one! |
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| …compared to the real one! |
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| Old-school Boeing LRV Green Line car… |
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| …compared to the real one! |
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| A model PCC car… |
1 (Harvard/Holyoke Gate – Dudley Station via Mass Ave)
About a year ago, my father and I were at Dudley Station. We needed a bus to get home, and we ultimately ended up taking the 66 (which also goes to Harvard, but with a much wilder route). I was interested in the 1, and my father and I were back at Dudley a few months later. But that time, we took the SL4 (why we took it over the SL5 remains a mystery) to South Station. A couple more months later, my father needed a bus from Harvard to the Boston Medical Center, and I suggested he take the 1. When he got back, he was raving about how amazing the 1 is. At this point, I didn’t want to take the 1 – I needed to.
- The Red Line at Harvard and Central
- The B, C, and D branches of the Green Line at Hynes Convention Center (or Auditorium, as my father calls it by its old name)
- The E branch of the Green Line at Symphony
- The Orange Line at Massachusetts Avenue
- The Silver Line at Massachusetts Avenue, Melnea Cass Boulevard, and Dudley
Because of all these connections, the 1 is a Key Bus Route, meaning it runs about every 10 minutes on weekdays. My father and I were waiting for about that time at what we thought was Holyoke Gate. When the bus came with 12 people on it, though, we realized we were waiting one stop ahead. It didn’t matter that much, though, and we got on with two other people.
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| Here comes the 1! |
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| The view from the MIT Bridge. Too bad that car got in the way. |
SL5 (Dudley Station – Downtown Crossing at Temple Place via Washington St)
To understand why we even have a Silver Line, you need to know the history behind it. When they first built the Orange Line in 1901, it was elevated over Washington Street (the EL, as it was called). For 86 years, it provided speedy transportation over the busy thoroughfare. However, it was quite dingy at street level with a huge structure right overhead. Also, the EL was showing its age, so this prompted the MBTA to tear it down. They relocated the Orange Line to the Southwest corridor, originally to be a highway. Though the Southwest Corridor was mostly only a few blocks west of Washington Street, replacement service was needed. The MBTA compensated with the 49 bus, which in theory provided frequent service along Washington Street. However, the 49 was slow going, getting caught in traffic and stopping at every other street. The 49 was scrapped, and in 2002, the Silver Line entered service.
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| The old EL From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Line_(MBTA) |
The Silver Line is Bus Rapid Transit, meaning it…
- gets its own dedicated bus lane
- has more spaced out stops
- has higher-quality stations than regular buses
- uses articulated buses
This should make the Silver Line the ideal replacement, right? Wrong.
My father and I were on a transit extravaganza of sorts. Arriving at Dudley on the 1, we were originally just going to take the same bus back to the Green Line, where we had to go. But upon arriving, we saw the SL5 heading for Downtown Crossing. We decided we’d take that and get off at Boylston. Getting on, we immediately noticed how nice the bus was. It was a long articulated bus with cushioned seats, and it just felt sort of new. The Silver Line also has some really nice stops. They’re large shelters with silver signs (indicating the Silver Line) and even “next bus” countdown clocks. The bus travels reasonably fast… for a stretch.
When the bus gets to Chinatown is when you notice some flaws. The streets turn narrow, the bus lane is gone, and you’re forced to contend with city traffic. Our bus was barely moving, and it took forever to get to Downtown Crossing. Also, the nice stops from Washington Street are gone; as far as I could see, there aren’t even shelters once you get downtown. Finally, the bus turned off Washington Street and went onto Temple Place, a much smaller side street. This is where everybody got off, but since I know that the SL5 goes to Boylston heading back to Dudley, my father and I stayed on while the bus driver helped a man in a wheelchair off the bus. As the driver started to move the bus, though, there was a loud noise. Noticing us, the driver said, “Out of service!” Getting off, we saw that the wheelchair ramp had hit a pole or something and was really busted up. Guess we had to walk to the Green Line.
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| These articulated buses are looooong… |
Route: SL5 (Dudley Station – Downtown Crossing at Temple Place via Washington St)
Rating (1-10): 5
Ridership: The people who used to take the Orange Line EL; locals. It surprised me, though, that there were only about 10 people on such a long bus. However, the buses going the other way seemed crowded.
Pros: The buses and stations are nice, and the bus travels pretty quickly for a lot of the route. Plus, Washington Street looks a lot nicer without a huge EL over it.
Cons: Is this a good replacement for the Orange Line? No. At least not downtown. Being stuck in traffic is not the same as soaring over the street. Also, I’m wondering why the MBTA didn’t bring it all the way down to Forest Hills.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Downtown Crossing has a nice pedestrian walkway with stores including a Macy’s and a GameStop. Also, the SL5 (and its South Station cousin, the SL4) serves the theater district, where I like to go with my theater-obsessed parents.
Latest MBTA News: The MBTA put up signs around the system talking about Red Line shuttle buses this weekend between Harvard and Alewife… however, it doesn’t say this on the MBTA website. Expect anything on your commute.
Harvard
Harvard is essentially the transit hub of Cambridge. You’ve got the Red Line, 13 MBTA bus routes, Harvard University Shuttle buses, and Longwood Medical Area shuttles. It’s also the third busiest MBTA station (next to Downtown Crossing and South Station). Best of all, it has trackless trolleys, which are always a treat to ride.
Now to the station itself: the main entrance is a bit of a hassle to get to, since it’s an island in the middle of the street. There’s a food stand inside, as well as bus schedules for every bus route in the system. There’s a huge row of CharlieCard machines lining a wall, and even countdown clocks (still a relative rarity on the MBTA). Harvard is also one of the few MBTA stations with stacked platforms, with the outbound platform on top of the inbound. Another interesting thing about Harvard is the turn in the tracks just before the station. On the inbound side, trains make an extremely sharp turn, so don’t be alarmed if your train is travelling extremely slowly and making screeching noises.
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| A Red Line train at Harvard From: http://erausa.org/conventions/2012/ |
The Harvard busway is simply sent from heaven. It’s in a tunnel, so you’re totally protected from the elements! Also, it has trackless trolleys, making the busway even more awesome. Awesomeness aside, though, Harvard is home to 5 (!) Key Bus Routes, making it a very important bus hub. However, two of these Key Bus Routes don’t serve the busway. See, the routes that don’t serve the busway use CNG buses. Turns out the CNG buses are too tall to fit into the tunnel without brushing the trackless trolley wires above! The MBTA had to reroute those buses. Overall, though, Harvard is an excellent station, especially with those trackless trolleys.
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| Though it’s a bit dingy in the busway, it’s still better than waiting out in the cold. From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamlester/4753860942/ |
Station: Harvard
Rating (1-10): 8
Ridership: Students. Lots and lots of students. Based on the crowds I’ve seen at this station, it’s no wonder it’s the third busiest.
Pros: The busway is, as I said before, amazing, and the station is well laid out. Harvard Square is a great place in general, and there are trackless trolleys. You gotta love the trackless trolleys.
Cons: The process of getting off a bus in the lower busway is annoying. You have to get out of the right side of the bus, then walk around to the left where the platform is. I’m always afraid I’ll get run over when I’m walking in front of the bus, going to the platform.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Too many to list. The Harvard Coop is an huge bookstore with a wide selection of books (among other things). There’s also Harvard University, of course. And being theater fanatics, my parents often take me to shows at the A.R.T.
Latest MBTA News: Orange Line shuttle buses – yay! There will be shuttle buses running from Sullivan Square to Oak Grove tomorrow until 3:00 PM. Normal service will resume after that.
At Least the Blizzard’s Good For Something!
I understand that this blizzard’s really bad for some people. 650,000 homes in the Northeast have lost power, people aren’t allowed to drive, and the MBTA isn’t running until Monday (hopefully). However, last night, my friend Max and I made good use of the blizzard. We shoveled piles of snow onto sleds and brought them over to the end of the street. We piled the snow into a huge block, and then carved a big “T” symbol into it! Let this be a lesson to you, kids: hard work pays off (a few hours later, the sculpture got covered up by snow…oh, well).
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| Max is on the left; my weird hat is on the right. |
350 (North Burlington – Alewife Station via Burlington Mall)
Let me start out by saying that my mother hates buses with a passion. So when she suggested taking a bus, of course I said yes! The bus in question was the 350, which I had actually been wanting to take for a while. The route travels to Mass Ave, then goes onto Mystic Road/Route 3 at Arlington Center. It makes its way up to the Burlington Mall and its terminus up in North Burlington.
Arriving at Alewife, my mother and I looked around the maze known as the Alewife busway for the bus. When we found it, some MBTA workers were having a conversation. They told us to wait a couple berths away while they talked. We waited for 10 minutes for the workers to stop talking. Finally, the bus started up and we got on. Leaving Alewife, the bus had about 15 people on it, which is a lot if you think about the fact that we hadn’t even made any stops yet. Travelling along Mass Ave, there are a lot of businesses along the route. Eight people got on at Arlington Center, which I actually found kind of surprising (we also noticed a snail on the window of the bus, but snails don’t pay fares). Once it turned off of Mass Ave, it became very residential. The bus pretty much ran express during this portion, though there were a whole bunch of stops being announced. I’m assuming on weekdays, people use these stops, but it was quiet on a Saturday. There was also some stuff to see, primarily the Mystic Lakes.
There are some businesses at Woburn Four Corners, and then it’s back to residences. Near Route 128, the bus turns off of Cambridge Street (which Mystic Street turns into) and goes by some office buildings. Again, on weekdays, people probably use the stops on this portion of the route. The bus goes onto Burlington Mall Road and drops people off at Macy’s. On our trip, almost everyone (including us; I’ll have to go up to the terminus some time) got off at the mall, except for two people.
Soon, it was time to take the return trip. After waiting for a while, the bus came. 14 people got on, including us, and one person had come from Burlington. The bus went very fast through the residential area, and it was actually very relaxing. For the sake of this review. I stopped myself from falling asleep, but I probably would’ve.
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| At least there’s some light getting into that busway… |
Route: 350 (North Burlington – Alewife via Burlington Mall
Rating (1-10): 7
Ridership: On weekdays, probably people going to those office buildings I mentioned. On weekends, people use it to get to the Burlington Mall. There are also a few small malls along the way, but they don’t generate as much ridership. There was a max of 27 people on the bus, which is a lot, especially for a weekend.
Pros: It’s the only Alewife bus that goes on Sundays! Also, it’s great having a bus connection to the Burlington Mall. The 350 also has its own spin-off of sorts, the 351 express bus to the EMD Serono Research Center in Billerica. However, it only runs on weekdays, four times a day.
Cons: Considering how many people used it to get to the mall, the headways seem criminal. It runs every hour on weekends. Every 45 minutes or even every half hour would be much preferred, and it might boost ridership. Also, the waiting area at the Burlington Mall is just the area that you walk into to get into the mall. You’re forced to just lean on the wall, which isn’t very comfortable. You’d think the MBTA could spring for a bench or two.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The Burlington Mall – duh! Also, though I’m not a gardener, I still enjoy the occasional visit to Mahoney’s in Winchester. And Punjab in Arlington Center is absolutely the best restaurant ever (if you like Indian food).
Latest MBTA News: Due to the incoming blizzard, the MBTA is shutting down all service at 3:30 PM today. Don’t plan on taking any long train or bus rides, or else you might get stuck.