Framingham

Feb 20, 2017 | | 7 Comments

Man, for such an important station, you’d think Framingham would be more…grand. I mean, it’s one of the busiest stations on the Commuter Rail and the only unique thing we get is a fancy footbridge? Still, it’s a heck of a lot better than something like Hastings – I shouldn’t be complaining.

The parking lot out front.

The station is parallel to Waverly Street, and it has a small parking lot running alongside it. A little further down the street is an old station building that unfortunately lacks a direct connection to the platform. Still, it features a restaurant – “Deluxe Depot Diner” – which is great for morning commuters.

The alternate exit.

There’s another exit on the other side of the station from the outbound platform. This is a level crossing over a single track (there are a lot of random tracks in Framingham) that leads to a second parking lot. The lot curves alongside that single track, making the MWRTA affectionately call it the “Banana Lot”. Speaking of the MWRTA, over here they have a…caboose? Nice touch, I guess. They’re also building a third, larger lot alongside the outbound platform, which will hopefully raise the number of spaces up from the current 166.

Looking down the platform.

Aside from the mini-highs (which we’ll get to), both platforms at Framingham have alternate waiting areas. The inbound side features a modern shelter with benches underneath, as well as multiple bike racks! There are also two pay phones here, for whatever use that may be.

Eww…

Unfortunately, the outbound platform doesn’t get anything as good as the other side. Its shelter is a very long walk away from the mini-high platform, and it’s made out of wood. All it has underneath it is a sign, with no seating to speak of. Still, it’s not like many people are travelling outbound from here, is it?

Up on the footbridge.

So how do you get between the platforms? Your only option is the station’s huge footbridge, which has a really nice design on the exterior. What’s more, it features both elevators and stairs, while the bridge portion is fairly standard and utilitarian (not that that’s bad). It would be near-perfect if it wasn’t for the fact that the stairs are starting to rust underneath – looks like a case of Savin Hill syndrome.

The outbound mini-high platform.

Framingham’s mini-high platforms are fully-featured, more so than a normal Commuter Rail mini-high. On both sides, the shelter extends far enough to include a low-level bench and wastebasket, allowing for more seating. The high-level portion of it features the same amenities, although weirdly, the bench appears to be facing the wrong way in the photo above…I wish I had a better one of the inbound side to see if it has the same quirk!

No train pictures…at least not of the Commuter Rail variety! Wink-wink.

Station: Framingham

Ridership: This is a very busy Commuter Rail station – the tenth-busiest on the system, in fact, with 1,299 inbound riders per weekday! The fact that it gets so many riders despite having a small parking lot shows the advantage of having stations right in town centers (unlike some of the stations further west on the Worcester Line, among many others). But it’s easy to forget that Amtrak comes here too, with its once-daily Lake Shore Limited route to Chicago. Ridership on that is much lower, with 1,963 riders…per year. That’s only about five people per day, with most of those folks heading out to western Massachusetts or eastern New York.

Pros: Framingham gives you all your basic amenities: mini-high platforms, a decent footbridge, and a respectable second shelter on the inbound side. There’s also a bunch of bike parking, while automobile parking is being expanded with the station’s new lot. The station has decent bus connections as well, with six MWRTA routes directly serving the station.

Cons: Okay, that footbridge was built in 2001 – should it really be rusting already? It’s not as bad as that staircase I mentioned at Savin Hill, but it still doesn’t feel safe when you look at it. Other than that, my main problem with Framingham is just its blandness. I dunno, for such a major station, I would expect something a little more interesting.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Yeah…still not a fan of downtown Framingham. I’m sorry, but it’s just not a very exciting place.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Framingham is most definitely a functional station, and it performs its duties well. Fancy aesthetics really aren’t that important on the Commuter Rail, anyway, so wishing for them is a waste of time. However, something ought to be done about those footbridge stairs – I mean, I am not a fan of rusting stuff that could potentially be unsafe!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

MWRTA: 14 (Milford)

Feb 17, 2017 | | 0 Comments

Back at the end of August 2016, the MWRTA quietly added a new route to its network: the 14, a loop around the town of Milford. The only advertising it got, as far as I could find, was a few small articles in local newspapers. This doesn’t seem to have contributed positively to ridership…

Oh no, the “1” is cut off!
Okay, I’m a little outdated here, since I rode this route back before the MWRTA made some changes to it. Previously, the transfer between the 14 and the 6 to Framingham occurred at Mission Springs, a housing development. Since then, they’ve extended the 6 to the Quarry Square Shopping Center, and that’s where the 14 starts now. Oh well…I’ll be starting it from Mission Springs.
The intersection with Route 16.
We turned onto Washington Street, going by mostly industrial buildings with a bit of retail. Eventually it became residential, including both normal houses and a small development. The road became East Main Street as we entered Milford. A bit after that, we passed a stone quarry and went under some telephone wires and I-495, all in quick succession.
Oh yeah, we also went by a pond!
The other side of I-495 featured much different scenery from before – now we were just surrounded by horrible suburban businesses, malls, office buildings, and, of course, parking lots. Eventually we turned into the Quarry Square Shopping Center. This is where the 6 now ends (so we were basically following its route from Mission Springs) and the 14 begins.
Nothing like a mall deviation to spice up an RTA route!
We continued onto Quarry Drive, a winding industrial road that went up a slight hill. At the end of the street, we made another deviation, this time to serve Target. Next, we made our way down Fortune Boulevard, passing other huge stores and some hotels. We turned onto Cedar Street after that, which winded its way past a few cemeteries and a park.
Alright, alright, we get it! Malls!
As it started to get residential, we made an interesting turn onto Columbus Ave, then Meade Street. This neighborhood was mostly dense houses, and it also offered a few fleeting views of a pond. We passed Maher Court, a residential development, which might be the reason the route serves this neighborhood in the first place.
Cool view!
We turned onto East Main Street again, which was now a mix of dense houses and industrial buildings. As the street curved around, we entered downtown Milford, a sizeable town center with businesses everywhere. It was a bit stark for my tastes, but it definitely featured a lot of retail variety. However, we more or less bypassed it by travelling on Bow Street in order to serve the Milford Senior Center.
A view of downtown.
We passed a small common and a post office, then we turned onto South Main Street, which was lined with dense houses. Eventually we passed a massive bar whose parking lot was bisected by a river, and then we deviated to serve a small plaza featuring only a rehabilitation center and a Papa Gino’s. For the record, there was a much bigger plaza down the road, but I guess that’s not worth serving…?
What an interesting view!
Now we headed up Cape Road, passing a few auto shops and some houses. Outside of a gigantic hospital, the street became Prospect Street, and it took us to some more shopping plazas. We didn’t deviate to serve any of them, however, instead merging onto Highland Street and entering a residential neighborhood.
The intersection with West Street.
Eventually we turned onto West Fountain Street, descending down a steep hill and going by the gigantic Milford High School complex. Next, we turned onto Congress Street, passing a water tower and a bunch of houses. We ascended a hill for a bit, then turned onto Rolling Green Drive, taking us into a residential development.
Inside the development.
We took a bunch of turns to get out of this place, so I’ll skip ahead to when we were on Ivy Lane, now out of the development. There were normal houses everywhere again, and they continued as we turned onto Purchase Street. Next, we turned onto Dilla Street, then Sumner Street, which was lined with industrial buildings…and a random housing development.
Hey, look, an actual stop! With a sign and everything!
Eventually it started to get residential again, and we arrived back on Main Street on the fringes of downtown. We didn’t go back there, though, instead travelling back toward where we started. However, we soon split off from the way we had came, staying on Main Street then merging onto Medway Road.
A side street.
We passed a shopping plaza, and then another two after some houses and a cemetery. Next, we turned onto Beaver Street. running up alongside I-495 and passing a hotel and some more suburban businesses. On our trip, we turned right onto East Main Street to head back to Mission Springs, but now the bus would go left in order to return to Quarry Square. And that’s the end of that gigantic loop!
The bus at Mission Springs.
MWRTA Route: 14 (Milford)
Ridership: This route is too new to have ridership data, but I can give you the ridership numbers for our trip: zero. Yeah, this is the problem with not advertising a new route. I do think it has the potential to get people, and I hope ridership has increased by now!
Pros: Milford is one of the biggest towns in the MWRTA service area, so I’m glad that it finally has a bus route of its own. Yes, I’m not usually a fan of one-way loops, but it seems like the most efficient way to cover as much of the town as possible. The schedule is pretty consistent, too (for MWRTA standards), with service about every 70 minutes. Finally, drivers are very good about guaranteeing transfers from the 6 to the 14 and vice versa – if you let your driver know, they’ll hold the other bus for you.
Cons: It’s definitely a deviatory route, and that means that going around the whole loop can take a while. Still, cutting it back to Quarry Square is beneficial, and gives it more time to lay over. Also, once ridership picks up (if ever), Saturday service within Milford could be well-used, I think.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Downtown Milford has a bunch of different restaurants and businesses – it’s definitely the most interesting place this route serves.
Final Verdict: 6/10
I really think this route has potential, but it’s not being utilized at this moment. A circulator route covering Milford shopping areas could be great…if people knew about it. But at the moment, it seems like, um, no one does. Give it some advertising, MWRTA!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

MWRTA: 6 (Holliston/Milford Line)

Feb 15, 2017 | | 5 Comments

Oh geez, how do I come up with a catchy introduction for a route to a town as uninteresting as Holliston? Eh, I’m not even gonna try. Here’s the 6!

The bus coming into the Blandin Hub.

We left the Blandin Hub onto Blandin Ave, then turned onto Waverly Street, running alongside the Commuter Rail tracks. It was pretty industrial until we reached Concord Street, which is the main drag of downtown Framingham – there were some businesses here. We continued down Waverly Street for a bit in order to serve Framingham Station, then we turned onto Cedar Street, then Claflin Street.

There are so many railroad tracks in Framingham…

Claflin Street was a mix of industry and houses, but it was also a short street – we were only on it to get to Hollis Street, which was a main road. We passed a few more industrial buildings and a few businesses, but the street was primarily lined with houses. For a few brief moments we came up alongside a pond, while we passed a CSX yard on the other side.

The pond!

Now in Ashland, we passed some more houses, then a shopping plaza. It had a good amount of stores. but the timepoint is just referred to as “Market Basket”. There was a brief section of woods, then some businesses and industrial buildings. We also went by the entrance to a gigantic housing development.

What a boring parking lot…
We arrived at some more shopping plazas and deviated to serve one of them, written on the timepoint as Shaw’s. Continuing from there, we passed an apartment development, and entering Holliston, we went by a mini-golf course! It was residential from there, mostly with small suburban houses. After a farm, we reached a bunch of businesses as we turned onto Washington Street.
Were they nice businesses? Nope.
We went by another housing development, then the Holliston Police Department and Holliston Historical Society appeared on either side of the street. There were a few more houses, then we arrived in downtown Holliston. It consisted of some beautiful historical buildings like the town hall, a library, and a church, as well as some rather charming businesses.
That’s a really charming church!
Past downtown, the scenery became residential again. It was all houses until a little after a gas station, where we turned onto Summer Street. This took us to Mission Springs, an apartment complex and the last stop of the route when Sam and I rode it. I guess they’ve changed the schedule in the month or so since then, because now the route runs to the Quarry Square Shopping Center in Milford. Don’t worry, though – we’ll still be covering that section in our next review, the 14!
I don’t have another bus picture, so here’s a cool historical building!
MWRTA Route: 6 (Holliston/Milford Line)
Ridership: Ridership on the 6 is very low: 19,538 riders over the course of 2015, or about 78 per day. This is a commuter-based route, with most people riding during rush hours and significantly lower ridership middays. Hopefully the extension to the Quarry Square Shopping Center will help with that.
Pros: I’m a little dubious of the feasibility of a route to Hopkinton outside of rush hour, but now that the MWRTA has a connection to Milford from Quarry Square…well, now we’re talking! Milford is a sizeable town that would actually benefit from a bus service. The 6 is the bridge from there to Framingham.
Cons: First of all, the 6’s schedule is…weird. It’s about every 70 minutes, but the departure times are all over the place: 9:30, 10:54, 12:03, 1:11, 2:03…yeah, I don’t know why that is, either. It’s also annoying how the MWRTA dropped the 6’s evening trip to downtown Milford. The route used to have a direct trip there in both rushes, but now there’s only one in the morning, so passengers commuting home have to transfer to the 14 at Quarry Square.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Downtown Hopkinton was actually a pretty neat little place, and there’s a 5.5 mile rail trail from there to Milford that looks scenic.
Final Verdict: 6/10
Wow, the 6 gets a 6! The thing is, the majority of this route is very low-density, and there isn’t much ridership coming from the places it serves except for the two shopping plazas in Framingham (which are also covered by the 4S). No, the main attraction here is Milford, and I do think extending the route to Quarry Square was a good idea. It allows for more shopping ridership (hopefully), as well as an easier connection to the 14 – but we’ll be talking about that in the next post!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

River Works

Feb 12, 2017 | | 1 Comment

Awwwww yeah, here we go! It’s the station I thought I would never be able to visit! River Works is a Commuter Rail stop meant only to serve the GE River Works facility in Lynn, and thus is only open to its employees. Thanks to a connection on the Commuter Rail, though, Nathan and I were able to check the place out, and it was quite an experience!

The outbound side.

The outbound side of the station is notably worse than the inbound, despite the fact that more people travel that way from here. This side features two old shelters with peeling metal paint, benches, and wastebaskets. Inside one of them is a super old poster featuring the “MBTA Customer Bill of Rights” and some old Commuter Rail chief. There’s also a wooden bench outside just chained to the barbed-wire fence – I guess no one will be stealing that!

Trim the hedge, I can’t read the scary signs!

This side also has a screen with a third, horrible wastebasket next to it. Next to the shelters, there’s a gigantic gate leading into what looks like a complete no-man’s-land from here to the Lynnway. Imposing signs on the gate warn against trespassing, while on the other side there’s a message instructing passengers to call Amtrak if there’s a railroad emergency. Amtrak definitely doesn’t serve this place, guys…

The outbound side from a little further.

The outbound boarding procedure is a complete mess, by the way. The shelters are separated from the tracks by a private road that just kinda runs alongside them. Plus, there’s not even a proper platform on this side, so passengers have to duck under the level crossing as the train’s approaching in order to get close enough to board!

The inbound side.

Now, as a big yellow line running along the ground indicates, the inbound shelter is actually within GE property. It’s arguably the best shelter here – it’s modern, big, and features a long bench with a wastebasket. Also on this side is another imposing gate, this one leading into the facility itself. We actually saw this one open, as the operator shift for the Commuter Rail drawbridge was changing, and I can now say that it’s very creaky when it moves.

The “fare gate”, as it were.

And now we get to the big behemoth of an entrance this place has. To get both in and out of this station, you have to present an ID card (Tap? Swipe? We couldn’t tell.) and type in a secret code on the keypad! That unleashes one of the huge creaky turnstiles (there are two) to allow access in or out of the GE facility. They’re really not joking around with the whole employees-only thing, are they?

A train heading out.

Station: River Works

Ridership: Okay, the ridership stats given in the Blue Book don’t tell the whole story here, since the Blue Book only covers inbound riders – River Works gets an average of 56 per day. However, many more people are commuting here from outbound down the line, and I would go as far as to predict that River Works gets more outbound riders than inbound. Oh well – regardless, ridership is pretty good considering that it’s a station meant purely for employees of the GE factory.

Pros: The waiting facilities here are pretty good for such a low-service Commuter Rail station (most trains only stop here during rush hour) – it’s got lots of shelter and seating room. The keypad system for getting in is also really cool, and prevents any outsiders (like Nathan and I, to be perfectly honest) from entering GE.

Cons: The outbound platform is significantly worse than the inbound side. Why is it bisected by a road? Why do people have to board on the other side of the gates for the level crossing? Why is there a super old poster rotting away in there? This is where the majority of people are going – I need answers!

Nearby and Noteworthy: If you’re a GE employee, then work is nearby and noteworthy. If you’re not a GE employee, then…well, you probably shouldn’t be here.

Final Verdict: 5/10
Essentially, this is a stark imposing station for a stark imposing facility. It offers a lot of shelter and benches, and it’s nice that the factory gets its own station for commuters, but the outbound platform (and generally the whole area) just looks terrible. It also has that horrible boarding procedure, which is just ridiculous. But hey, the inbound side is good! And the station features that keypad turnstile – can’t beat that!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
A big thank-you to John Arico for arranging our visit here. Also, we filmed a video review of River Works, so stay tuned for that tomorrow!

MWRTA: Blandin Hub

Feb 11, 2017 | | 0 Comments

Like the GATRA’s Bloom Terminal, the MWRTA chose to locate its hub at its main yard. This is a boon for scheduling, since you can have buses and drivers start shifts mere minutes before their trips. Of course, you may remember that the Bloom Terminal was absolutely terrible – the MWRTA’s Blandin Hub isn’t quite as bad, but it certainly ain’t good!

A statue outside the building.

I will say that the hub’s entrance is very nice. A path offers a more direct route to the hub from downtown Framingham, although it’s still pretty out of the way – why can’t pedestrians use the alternate employee entrance from East Street? Outside the main entrance, there’s a memorial to citizens of the MetroWest area who fought in the Vietnam War.

And once again, Sam strikes a pose.

Ouch. Yeah, the waiting area of the Blandin Hub is less-than-impressive. There’s a board with schedules for all the routes and three benches haphazardly spread around. One of them has a tiny bike rack hidden behind it. It’s all covered by a really boring metal shelter. The one cool thing about this area is the bookcases – the MWRTA has a library where passengers can take out books to read while waiting for the bus!

Looking out at the yard.

Right, and now I need to dedicate a whole paragraph to the stupid stupid stupid boarding procedure here. As you can see above, there are poles that prevent buses from going up to the sidewalk to pick people up. Is the solution to: A) Extend the sidewalk up to the poles so passengers can have easy, accessible boarding, or B) Have buses board on the other side of the poles and make people walk to them? Well, the MWRTA chose option B, and that’s just ridiculous. That makes buses harder to board, especially for disabled folks who have to make the step down from the curb!

The inside of the building.

You know, the day we went to the terminal, it was pretty cold. Good thing the Blandin Hub has a spacious interior…oh wait, it’s tiny. The only place open to the public is a minuscule vestibule (hey, that rhymes!) with ONE SEAT. There’s a door further into the building, but despite a lack of signage saying so, the area is employees-only. I will say that the actual atmosphere of the building is pleasant – there are colored pictures hung up on the walls, and the receptionists are very nice. If only there was, I dunno, MORE THAN ONE SEAT.

Have a belated “happy holiday’s” from the MWRTA! Argh, it pains me just to WRITE it with an apostrophe like that…

MWRTA Station: Blandin Hub

Ridership: The hub was never too busy when we were around – I think the most people we ever saw was around 6-7. I guess that about lines up with the MWRTA’s ridership, though, since the system just doesn’t get that many people.

Pros: This hub is in a much better location than their former hub, which was practically in Natick – sure, the walk from downtown is still less-than-ideal at almost 10 minutes, but it’s a necessary evil if the MWRTA is to have a proper facility like this. And there are a lot of aspects of it that I like: the outside area is all sheltered, there’s parking for bikes, the receptionists are nice, the Vietnam Memorial is poignant, and the library is a fantastic inclusion.

Cons: Firstly, the boarding procedure is just stupid, and I’m sure it’s an easy fix – how hard is it to extend the sidewalk a few feet? Also, there really should be a more robust interior here. It’s cold and uncomfortable outside in the winter, and the one seat inside is just sad. It seems like waiting here in the cold is a disagreeable experience no matter where you go…

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s nothing interesting in the immediate vicinity, but if you walk to downtown Framingham, there’s, uh…some buildings? Look, I’ll be honest, Framingham has one of the starkest and most boring downtowns in any Massachusetts city. I don’t think it’s really worth a visit.

Final Verdict: 4/10
Yes, I do like a lot about this hub. But the experience of waiting here is just miserable in the cold! I’m sure it’s better in the summer, but even then, the benches and building are very stark, and you still need to walk out to buses past the poles in order to board. Well, at least there’s plenty of reading material in the library!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

MWRTA: 1 (Woodland Shuttle)

Feb 10, 2017 | | 1 Comment

Yeah, it’s kinda easy to forget that Woodland has a bus connection, isn’t it? The MWRTA actually runs two buses here, but the one we’re focusing on today is the 1, which goes from Woodland all the way to the Natick Mall! Not bad for $1.25, eh?

OH NO, IT’S A MINIBUS! ABORT, ABORT!!!

Okay, it wasn’t that bad of a minibus. It was standard fare, with those classic minibus seats and a bunch of MWRTA posters everywhere with dubious grammar. The wheelchair lift wasn’t too jiggly, but it could get annoying if one sat next to it for too long.

The inside.

We pulled out of the Woodland Station busway (gosh, it just feels weird to say it!) and turned onto Washington Street, passing a golf course on one side and a hospital on the other. As we merged with Beacon Street (the same one that runs into Boston), we crossed over I-95, then we turned onto Walnut Street, crossing the Charles River. After some office buildings, we reached more residential fare on Cedar Street.

Going over the tiny Charles.

Eventually we merged off of Cedar Street in order to turn onto one of my least-favorite roads ever, Route 9. Luckily, it wasn’t too horrible yet – right now it was just woods and houses with driveways that would be a pain to get in and out of. At Wellesley Hills, we took the underpass, speeding under the downtown area instead of, you know, stopping. Sure, the MWRTA 8 serves it on Washington Street, but the 8 barely ever runs!

Zooming over a side street.

We crossed over the Worcester Line tracks, and it went back to being residential beyond there. There were a few businesses and offices as we crossed over Weston Road, and then we entered…the horrible part of Route 9. The street was lined with so many suburban businesses with parking lots out front, and it was disgusting! For the record, the bus was supposed to deviate onto Overbrook Drive to serve a housing development, but we didn’t…

This shot doesn’t do the grossness justice!

We got a very quick forest break, and then the horrible buildings were back. The gigantic Mathworks building occupied the other side of the street – we just sped right by, but eastbound buses deviate to serve it. Other than that, it was just more suburban businesses, shopping plazas, and of course, parking lots.

Beautiful office parks…

Later on there was another quick break from the disgusting buildings. For a brief moment the road was on an isthmus running through a lake, offering a nice view…until we reached land again. More office buildings, anyone?

At least we’ve got the lake.

And then it was deviation time! We took an off-ramp from Route 9 and turned onto Superior Drive. This took us to a parking lot deviation, in order to serve an under-construction branch of Mathworks. After that, we returned to Superior Drive and took a left outside of a FedEx facility, snaking through more parking lots until we popped out onto Speen Street.

Going past the FedEx building.

We went by a pretty small shopping plaza, then it was time for the big moment we had all been waiting for: the Natick Mall. It was a long process, too – first we merged onto Natick Mall Road, taking us past part of the mall and into a tunnel under another part. On the other side, we went around a rotary and exited onto Flutie Pass. We went by a parking garage (one of many at this mall), then after another rotary, we arrived at the Natick Mall shelter.

Alright, Sam, thanks for photobombing…

There are a few select trips on the 1 that are extended to Framingham, and Sam and I were under the impression that we were on one of those trips – after all, the schedule said it was. However, the driver asserted that it wasn’t, which would mean that he was either incredibly early or incredibly late. Either way, we were forced to get off at the mall, so we would have to board another bus to get into Framingham.

Alright, well, have fun going back to Woodland…

MWRTA Route: 1 (Woodland Shuttle)

Ridership: When we took the 1 out to Natick around mid-morning, we were the only people on board; coming back during the evening rush, there were three other people – and this is one of the busier routes on the MWRTA. Over the course of 2015, the 1 got 35,280 people, or around 140 riders per day. Most of those trips were during the rush hour – this route is popular with reverse commuters heading out to the Route 9 area.

Pros: This is just a great concept for a route. It’s awesome that reverse commuters have a connection from the Green Line out to MetroWest jobs. I could even see this route being used by shoppers – the Natick Mall is huge, and this bus is the most convenient way of getting out there from closer to Boston.

Cons: Thanks to traffic on Route 9, the 1 has a bit of a chronic lateness problem. However, there’s nothing that can be done about that – instead, let’s take a look at what is quite possibly the stupidest schedule I’ve ever seen! Okay, they have it down pat middays and during the evening rush – about every 80 minutes during the former and every 40 minutes during the latter. Great. But what the heck are these departures during the morning rush? 7:44, 8:03, 9:03, 9:17, 10:22, 10:31????? YOU HAVE TWO BUSES TO WORK WITH, WHY THE HECK ARE THEY RUNNING RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER?!?!?!!?! You have a gap of over an hour, then two trips within NINE minutes of each other? A five-year-old scheduled this, I swear.

Nearby and Noteworthy: I’ve never been inside the Natick Mall, but it’s definitely…big. I’m sure it has a store for everyone!

Final Verdict: 5/10
Look, the route is great and the midday and evening rush schedules are fine. But that morning rush schedule just rubs me the wrong way. How are such stupid headways considered okay? Why should passengers have to be waiting over an hour in the morning rush? The other problem with the 1 is its lateness, which can get pretty darn bad…and I’m sure with that stupid schedule, it causes horrible bunching to make those hour-long gaps even worse! Brilliant!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Anderson/Woburn

Feb 8, 2017 | | 17 Comments

Holy moly, this station is incredible! Not since Route 128 have I seen a Commuter Rail station with this much stuff! Could Anderson/Woburn be as good as that station, which received a perfect 10? Let’s find out!

Looking down the platform.

This is a modern station, having been built in 2001, so the entire platform is high-level. Also, about half of it is sheltered, which is really good for Commuter Rail standards. Sure, it’s nothing special to look at, with a typical modern shelter and views of either a gigantic parking lot or random industrial buildings, but the place has lots of benches and wastebaskets – ultimately, that’s what matters most!

The station’s smaller exit.

On the other end of the platform, there’s actually another shelter. Over here you’ve got a small, simple exit – it’s a staircase that leads onto a footbridge over the tracks and into the parking lot. This is very useful for automobile commuters, since this lot is huge! It contains 2000 spaces contained over a massive area, including a long-term lot for extended trips.

Coming toward the building.

The vast parking lot has a sidewalk along it, which is good – I would hate to try to walk through that whole thing! Alongside the lot, there’s what I believe is a drop-off area, and it features a forlorn black shelter in which to wait. It has sliding doors, and the inside contains a few benches. I don’t know why anyone would want to be picked up here when there’s a much better drop-off area on the other side of the building, but hey, it’s an option.

The busway!

An alternative name for this station is the “Anderson Regional Transportation Center”, and the reason for that is that it’s served by a bus, the Logan Express! That’s right, coach buses run from here to the airport every half hour on weekdays and Sundays and every hour on Saturdays, and they get a proper busway! It’s basically just a bunch of sheltered benches along the building, offering plenty of seating for waiting passengers.

OH MY GOD!

And now it’s time to cover the true masterpiece of this station: the building! There’s a lot to talk about in here, but first, can I just say how pretty it is? I came here a few days before Christmas (yeah, yeah, I know the review is painfully outdated), so the place was decorated with wreaths and lights! Plus, it’s just really modern and clean, and I like the sleek architecture.

Down on the first floor.

At ground level there were even more decorations scattered about, including a Christmas tree and a bunch of presents everywhere! This station has a few spots for businesses, but right now the only one occupied is a Dunkin’ Donuts. Admittedly, that’s still a great place to go for commuters in the morning…or the evening. It’s open all the time!

The robust ticket area.
Continuing to the other side of the building, the station has a fully-featured ticket area. You’ve got a Logan Express ticket office, an ATM for withdrawing money, a CharlieCard machine (very interesting to see out here), and a Quik-Trak machine for Amtrak Downeaster trains, which stop here on their way to Maine. Wow, that’s a lot of options!
A waiting area opposite the ticket area.
This is also a very pleasant station to wait at. There are benches everywhere, plus wastebaskets and recycling bins. A few vending machines in the hallway sell snacks for cheap prices, there’s a water fountain, and the bathrooms here are actually clean! Not to mention you’re inside, so the wait is warm!
Looking out at the other side of the building.
Meanwhile, the other side of the building leads to the long-term parking, as well as a drop-off area. There are lots of benches out here for people getting picked up, and wastebaskets, too. This area even has some bike spaces, which were occupied! I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting that – this station is practically in the middle of nowhere!
The entrance to the Commuter Rail platform.
Coming back into the building, it’s time to head back out to the platform. A set of stairs and an elevator lead up to the second floor, where a few benches allow for more waiting space. It’s a little annoying how there’s just a scrolling screen above the door instead of a proper departure board, though.
The longgggg ramp down to the platform.
The footbridge is pretty typical for a modern Commuter Rail station, with a metal roof and grated walls. It has a staircase down to the parking lot on the way to the platform, which one can get down to by means of another staircase or a very long ramp. A newer station would probably feature an elevator instead, but hey, at least the ramp looks really fun to run down!
A train leaving the station.
Station: Anderson/Woburn
Ridership: It’s ridiculously high for the Commuter Rail – 1,502 inbound riders per weekday! That makes it the seventh-busiest station on the system, and the second-busiest on the Lowell Line. As for Amtrak ridership…well, it’s a heck of a lot lower. In 2015, the Amtrak Downeaster got 16,901 passengers, or 46 people per day. Finally, the most recent Logan Express ridership I can find is from 2002, when it was getting 234,422 riders per year (642 per day), and I’m sure it’s only gone up from there.
Pros: This is one of the best waiting experiences on the entire Commuter Rail. Just look at the building! It’s so clean and modern and it has basically all the amenities one could ever want! I’ve gone through all of them in detail already, but it’s what makes this station great. Also, Anderson offers a bunch of parking, a high-level platform, and a decent busway for Logan Express buses.
Cons: It’s kinda weird to call a place a “Regional Transportation Center” when it only has one bus route, although admittedly, there aren’t too many places one could send a bus from here. No, my main problem with Anderson is the fact that there’s no exit to the west side of it. There are houses over there! The 134, even! Instead of as little as a 10 minute walk, residents have to drive three miles to get to the station! It’s like Quincy Adams all over again…
Nearby and Noteworthy: Absolutely not! There are a few suburban big-box stores in the vicinity, but for all intents and purposes, this station is in the middle of nowhere.
Final Verdict: 9/10
You have no idea how close this is – if there was at least a footbridge to the west, this station would have a perfect 10. If you had an exit over there, people could walk or bike in from their houses and save a lot of time. Maybe you could even route the 134 over here and give it a proper terminus! But yes, aside from that problem, Anderson/Woburn is absolutely perfect. That building is just amazing, and it offers an infinitely better waiting experience than the station it effectively replaced, Mishawum. If only all Commuter Rail stations were this nice!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Transit Tales: Last Bus Madness

Jan 31, 2017 | | 0 Comments

The “last trip” system on the T is fantastic in theory, but it doesn’t always work out in practice. To put it simply, the last trains downtown all have to wait for each other, then there are a bunch of bus routes that have to wait for those trains to get out to their respective stations. For a more detailed explanation, check out this post from the Amateur Planner – but to put it simply, despite the T shifting the last E’s departure time earlier, the last trains, and thus the last buses, are almost always late.

And I had the pleasure of dealing with one.

It all started on the 73…

So I was coming back from my friend’s house in West Cambridge rather late at night, and I had just missed the 12:27 inbound 71. (but it was using a diesel bus, so who cares, right?) That meant I would have to wait for the 12:46 73, which is the second-to-last one. My feeble mind believed that this trip would become an elusive 77A, getting me home in around 20 minutes, so you can imagine my disappointment when I discovered it wasn’t going to do that. “Oh well,” I thought, “I’ll just get on a 77 at Harvard. Easy.” Turns out nothing is easy when it’s the last trip…

The bus stopped at University Road. I feel bad for that 71 behind it…

The first sign of trouble was when the bus stopped at University Road, just outside the Harvard Bus Tunnel. The driver said he was going to get some water and left the bus. The minutes dragged on, and eventually I went outside and started taking pictures. Buses were gathered in Bennett Alley waiting for the last train to arrive, and the drivers were all hanging out in their vehicles.

A 77 in the front, a 74 in the back, and an unsigned 96 on the right.

The driver of the 77 said I could wait on his bus – a much better arrangement than being out in the cold. Before I got on, though, the 73 driver came back out and gave me a cup of water, which was very nice! So now I was sitting on an empty 77 in Bennett Alley just waiting for the last train to get closer so we could drive into the tunnel.

A bus to myself!

Eventually we started to make our way into the tunnel. The 73 and 71 went first, presumably going to the Cambridge Common in order to loop back around to the Lower Busway. Next, our bus headed down, followed by the 96, and the 74 brought up the rear.

The empty busway.

At the 77 berth, there were four other people waiting, although the last train had yet to come. We were basically playing the same waiting game as before, only with different scenery. The driver was outside the bus doing some sort of stretch/dance singing “Waiting for the inspectorrrrrr!” It was now about 1:15 – the last 77 is supposed to depart at 1:00.

Looking out into the empty mezzanine.
This whole time the Red Line countdown clock was saying that the next train was arriving, but the minutes kept ticking by. Finally, at around 1:20, the train finally came in, although weirdly the clock switched to “2 minutes” at this point. There was a small trickle of people that came out from the fare gates, two of whom got on our bus, so I guess it was worth the wait. Finally, at 1:22 (22 minutes late), we left the tunnel and headed on our way!
Coming out of the tunnel.
I had told the driver that I was hoping to catch the last 83, assuming we would beat it. When we got to Porter Square, the driver asked if I had a tracker, and I said no. He suggested I run out and check for the bus, so I dashed over to the Somerville Ave side of the station and looked down the street – nothing. When I came back, the 77 had switched over to the left lane, and the driver was gesturing towards the next stop. Time to run again!
I wasn’t expecting this many cars to be out this late at night!
When I got back on the bus, the driver said that the 83 had left. Thus, I stayed on the 77 up until North Cambridge Carhouse, which I had subtly noted was the most convenient stop for me. I didn’t think he would actually let me off there (it’s usually only served by 77As), but it was very nice! As the bus sped away taking its eight or so other passengers up to Arlington, I started walking home.
Bye!
So how was the experience overall? Well, the last trip system really could use some work. Don’t get me wrong, I love how passengers are guaranteed connections to the last bus routes and subway services, but they should really fix the scheduling. I guess there’s no way of knowing how late a train will be, but buses shouldn’t have to wait over 20 minutes past their scheduled departure to leave a station! Is there an easy solution to this problem? None that I know right now, but I’m sure some minor improvements could be made poking around in the schedules. With that said, it was definitely an adventurous night (or morning) made more friendly by some great drivers, although it’s probably not something I would want to do again anytime soon…

Wilmington

Jan 30, 2017 | | 3 Comments

So, why Wilmington? Well, my friend Nathan and I were debating whether to visit this station or North Billerica. The reason we chose Wilmington was because we’d have a little more time before the next inbound train came. Cool story, huh?

The parking lot.

Wilmington’s parking lot is long and skinny, and doesn’t actually offer that many spaces – just under 200. It seems like there are a few industrial lots around the station that could theoretically be converted to station parking, which could be a good idea, seeing as the parking on offer doesn’t seem to be enough. There are also a few bike spaces near the ramp to the outbound platform from here.

The station’s bus stop.

Alongside the parking lot, there’s a small plaza area for pedestrians, separated from cars with some big yellow poles. There are newspaper boxes alongside the platform, and a surprisingly decent bus stop for the LRTA 12. Sure, there isn’t any shelter, but a good amount of benches is provided.

Heading down the outbound platform.

The outbound platform has a building along it, which houses a convenience store and a café – both of them have staircases leading down to the platform, but I’m not sure if they’re actually open to the public. (UPDATE: the convenience store is closed) As for the platform itself, it’s a long one. There are sporadic benches and wastebaskets all the way out to the end, where one could technically get onto Main Street if they wanted to, but it’s not a proper entrance.

The sheltered inbound platform.

A single level crossing takes passengers across to the inbound platform, staggered with the outbound. The level crossing actually features an alarm that goes off whenever a train comes by, which is both safe and really annoying. A large part of the inbound side is sheltered, even a decent chunk of the low-level portion. The mini-high (just like the one on the outbound platform) is standard, with a few sheltered benches.

Another exit!

On the other end of the inbound platform, there’s one more exit from the station. It’s a pretty long ramp that goes under a bridge and leads out to a housing complex, Metro @ Wilmington Station. It’s always nice to see transit-oriented development!

A blurry train going by!

Station: Wilmington

Ridership: For the Lowell Line, it’s the third least-used station. But it’s the Lowell Line, so that’s not saying much! Yes, 544 inbound riders per weekday is still a perfectly good number for the Commuter Rail.

Pros: This station offers a lot of modern amenities, including good mini-high platforms, a decent bus facility, and some convenient TOD apartments. I like in particular how a large part of the inbound platform is sheltered, making for a more comfortable waiting experience – even if the mini-high is full, people can still be sheltered and close to it.

Cons: Parking is rather lacking here, and it could theoretically be expanded into one of the nearby industrial lots around here. Also, that alarm when trains come in is really annoying, but for the sake of safety, I shall let it slide!

Nearby and Noteworthy: This station is technically in “downtown” Wilmington, but it’s borrrrrring! There are some shopping plazas about a 15 minutes walk up Main Street, but it’s not like you’ll find anything unique there.

Final Verdict: 8/10
Purely as a waiting experience, Wilmington is spot-on. Whether it’s the bus or the train, you’ve got some great facilities here for Commuter Rail standards to wait at. Of course, if you’re trying to park here…well, let’s just say I recommend you arrive a little early.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Miles on the MBTA Anniversary Rodeo!

Jan 23, 2017 | | 1 Comment

To celebrate Miles on the MBTA’s fourth anniversary, Josh, Jordan, Miles, and Nathan embark on the MBTA Rodeo, a series of challenges all around the system devised by Sam. Join us for 43 minutes of action-packed competition and rivalry between the contestants. Who will win?

Harvard Shuttle: Barry’s Corner (Continuum – Kennedy School – Harvard Square)

Jan 23, 2017 | | 2 Comments

You may remember the last time I tried to ride the Barry’s Corner route – it didn’t go so well, thanks to Harvard’s old malfunctioning Blue Bird bus. Luckily, with some time between the end of school and a concert, I was able to head out and try again. Instead of the Blue Bird, this time I got a minibus, which is common for the route, I believe.

The bus laying over in Harvard Square.

Barry’s Corner is a sort of reverse-commute shuttle, running from Harvard Square to the Continuum in Allston, a modern complex from which most of the route’s ridership comes. I hopped on the bus along JFK Street, but after we headed past a bunch of businesses and a park, the bus had to lay over at the next stop. The minibus was pretty nice, with big poofy seats and a semi-jiggly wheelchair lift. Also, the radio was playing NPR, which is the most Harvard thing ever.

Wow, it’s rare to see a minibus this crowded!

After our layover, we made a hard turn onto Brattle Street, running through the heart of Harvard Square. There were many brick buildings housing businesses all around, and we also passed that modern Harvard Station entrance that leads into the bus tunnel. The street became Eliot Street and we went by a VERY crowded bus stop for the 66 and 86.

Travelling down Eliot Street, with a 66 in the background. Thanks, rear window!

The street curved around past some more businesses and Harvard buildings, then we turned onto JFK Street again. After a bunch of Harvard buildings, we traversed the intersection with Memorial Drive and crossed the Charles River. We went over Soldier’s Field Road on the other side, now travelling down North Harvard Street.

Going over the river.

We zoomed past a bunch more Harvard buildings, including the university’s gigantic stadium. After passing a few more sports fields, we turned onto a side street that led into a parking lot. We looped around and arrived at our terminus, the Continuum. As the other passengers and I got off, some workers from the building came outside onto the bus to get back to Harvard Square.

The bus at the Continuum.

Harvard Shuttle Route: Barry’s Corner (Continuum – Kennedy School – Harvard Square)

Ridership: Ridership seems to be strongest going toward the Continuum in the morning and away from it in the evening. Since I got on the bus before the “terminus”, there were five other commuters on board, but they got off in Harvard Square. The bus seems to run mostly empty in the non-peak direction.

Pros: Barry’s Corner is a route that serves its purpose, taking people from the Continuum up to Harvard Square. Its schedule is pretty good as well, running every 20 minutes during the morning and evening rushes.

Cons: I just think this route is a waste of resources. Wouldn’t it be better to put this extra bus on the Allston Campus Express during these rush periods to increase frequency on that route? It would allow for better balance of ridership, and you could even have the route deviate to serve the Continuum during those times so no service is lost.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few businesses near the Continuum, but even a ride on this route is pretty cool. It’s just weird to parade through Harvard Square in a minibus!

Final Verdict: 6/10
For what it’s worth, Barry’s Corner definitely achieves its intended purpose: to serve the workers at the Continuum. But it could get more ridership while still achieving the same purpose if the bus was just put onto the Allston Campus Express. I mean, personally, I think that route doesn’t run often enough anyway, so I’d love to see more service on it.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Wedgemere

Jan 20, 2017 | | 3 Comments

Two stations half a mile apart…on the Commuter Rail? That’s rare on the Red Line, let alone the MBTA’s regional rail service. And yet, despite being so close together, Wedgemere still holds its own against its neighbor, Winchester Center. Indeed, it’s a heck of a lot better!

What an interesting facade!

Wedgemere has an interesting compact exterior leading up to the platform. My friend Nathan and I came in first on the eastern side of the tracks (the outbound side), where there’s a small park with a path leading up to the station from Bacon Street. Well, “park” is a lose term – it’s more like an open field.

Getting closer to the entrance.

At the entrance to the station, there’s a set of stairs and a ramp leading up to the outbound platform. The ramps here are new, having been added to the station in February 2013 – it’s odd that Wedgemere was upgraded to be accessible but not Winchester Center, but it certainly makes this one a lot better. To get to the inbound side and parking, there’s a convenient pedestrian tunnel under the tracks (not in the best condition, but it’s fine).

The entrance on the other side.

On the other side of the station, there is car and bike parking – 119 spaces for the former, and an unspecified amount for the latter (but it’s a good amount). The entrance to this side of the station is surprisingly amenity-filled, with a wastebasket, some newspaper boxes, a mural, and machines to pay for parking! Also, all of the payment signage has the…BAT Centre in the corner? That’s about 30 miles away, guys…

Up on the platform.

Taking the stairs or the ramp (your pick) up to the platform, we see that a good amount of it is sheltered. Underneath the sheltered area, there’s your typical Commuter Rail fare, with benches, wastebaskets, and a few ads. There’s also a building on the inbound side, but it’s empty and decrepit. Apparently it housed a coffee shop until 2014, but I guess that’s gone. So now the building is just this rather ugly blemish on an otherwise-decent platform.

The inbound mini-high platform.

Wedgemere’s mini-highs are practically new, having been built in 2013 with the rest of the station upgrade. Thus, they still look great. Functionally they’re pretty standard mini-high platforms, with a ramp and a staircase leading up to each, and a single bench on both.

The café car took a trip on the Lowell Line!

Station: Wedgemere

Ridership: It’s the lowest-ridership full-service station on the Lowell Line, but Wedgemere still gets a decent 512 inbound riders per weekday. You also have to remember how ridiculously close it is to Winchester Center, which has a good amount of ridership itself. The two Winchester stations add up to just over 1,300 people per day – I guess Winchester has a lot of commuters!

Pros: With its recent renovation to make it accessible, Wedgemere is a great semi-modern station. It offers decent parking for the density of the area, a bunch of amenities, and well-sheltered platforms. I also love the updated signage here – it makes the stop feel like a rapid transit station!

Cons: It would be great to see some sort of business occupy that building, since it looks really decrepit at the moment. Maybe there’s not enough ridership to generate profit for such a business? There are a few other parts of the station that feel a little run-down, namely the pedestrian walkway and some of the staircases.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Just a buncha houses and a fairly generic park. Take the train one more stop for Winchester Center – that’s where all the good stuff is.

Final Verdict: 8/10
I still think it’s strange that the lesser-used, more suburban stop in Winchester received accessibility updates while the busy town center station was just left in the dust. Whatever the reason, it does mean that Wedgemere is quite superior to Winchester Center. Sure, it has a few small areas that could benefit from an update, but overall, this station is clean, well-signed, and a pleasant place to get the train.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Four Year Anniversary! (+Rodeo)

Jan 19, 2017 | | 2 Comments

Wow, has it really been four years since I started this blog? Four years…wow, I don’t even know what to say! I’m so happy I’ve stuck with this for so long, gaining more viewers and expanding my reach to cover Massachusetts RTAs as well (which has been a blast). I know I still have a bit more of the MBTA to finish, and that will most surely happen in 2017. Stick around, faithful readers! There’s much more to come. And I want to thank each and every one of you for sticking with me for this long – I couldn’t have gotten this far without your readership and support.

But of course such a momentous occasion needs a celebration, right? Well…here’s a little something. Stay tuned for the full video – things got very intense!

Winchester Center

Jan 14, 2017 | | 6 Comments

An elevated Commuter Rail station? Oh wow, that’s cool, I’m sure I’ll love it! Oh wait, it’s also falling apart? Shoot…well, we’ll have a look at Winchester Center anyway.

One of the station parking lots.

The parking system in Winchester Center is a bit…weird. I mean, okay, it has 237 spaces contained in two lots (one on each side of the tracks), which is great, especially for a town center station like this one. But on the MBTA website, under “Parking Rate”, it says “Town Permit”. My guess is that parking is free, but it’s for residents only. Oh well, I guess that’s okay – nearby Wedgemere has spaces for everyone.

Underneath one of the ramps.

Access to this station is done by some very long winding ramps. On either side of the tracks near the parking lots, ramps snake up alongside the station, sheltered by wood with stone walls. The inbound side ramp has some bike spaces under it, and despite it being pretty dingy under there, they are at least sheltered.

The area around the station’s bus stop.

It’s most definitely a public road, but I can’t help thinking of the street that runs alongside this station as a “busway”. The 134 serves the stop in both directions, which seems pretty unnecessary, truth be told. I mean, it’s not even like the stop offers much! What have we got here? Some bike spaces, a wastebasket, and a newspaper box. So how about, I don’t know, a bench? Pshhh, guess we don’t need that!

Ohhhhhh noooooo…

Winchester Center’s platform is, well, decrepit. The whole thing is low-level, and though most of it is technically sheltered, that tiny wooden roof isn’t gonna protect passengers from much. Oh, and be careful of the “STEEL PLATE”! Yeah, I have no idea why that’s there, either.

Oh come on, this isn’t helping!

The platform offers very little in terms of amenities, as well. One or two benches? Some wastebaskets? Great. Also, a bunch of ads. Like, there are more ads than anything else on this stupid platform. And yet…it’s also really nice to wait up here. I mean, it’s elevated! You get a super pleasant view of Winchester Center! That alone is super unique for the Commuter Rail, and it makes me like this stop at least a little bit.

No trains came by, so here’s a shot of lovely Winchester Center…from above.

Station: Winchester Center

Ridership: Okay, the ridership here is less than average for the Lowell Line, but you have to remember that the Lowell line gets a lot of people. Also, Wedgemere is ridiculously close, which probably takes riders away from here as well. Despite all that, Winchester Center’s ridership is still quite high for the Commuter Rail, with 789 inbound riders per weekday!

Pros: Winchester Center is most definitely a unique stop. I mean, it’s an elevated Commuter Rail station in a town center! I gotta give it some credit, don’t I? Other than that, there’s a good amount of parking here, even if it’s only for town residents.

Cons: Look, the place is decrepit. It’s falling apart. It needs a facelift. Why did they feel the need to renovate nearby Wedgemere but not here? Also, Winchester Center has absolutely no excuse not to be accessible. You’ve already got the gigantic ramps leading up to the platform – put a mini-high up there already!

Nearby and Noteworthy: This station is right in Winchester Center, and it seems like a really nice downtown. It’s got a variety of businesses, many housed in charming businesses, as well as a historic common. A classic New England downtown!

Final Verdict: 4/10
Alas, uniqueness can’t save this station. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of an elevated Commuter Rail station right smack in the middle of a downtown is awesome – but Winchester Center falls flat beyond its concept. It’s in horrible shape, and needlessly inaccessible. You have these gigantic ramps, and they’re the only way of getting up to the station, anyway – how about doing something with them?!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates