436 (Liberty Tree Mall – Central Square, Lynn via Goodwins Circle)
Okay, let’s talk about the 435 for a sec, a route which I gave a 7. This is a prime example of the fact that I can be incredibly wrong sometimes, because the 435 sucks. It doesn’t run nearly as frequently as it should, so it’s always packed all the way up to the North Shore and Liberty Tree Malls. The 436, on the other hand? Man, if you’re going from Lynn to the malls, this route is so nice compared to its sibling!
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| Two shots of the bus in Lynn. |
Leaving the Lynn busway, we headed up Union Street, going by the businesses of downtown Lynn. We passed under the Commuter Rail tracks, and the retail continued on the other side. Eventually the scenery diversified to become a mix of residential buildings and businesses, then we turned onto Chestnut Street.
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| There’s where the 455 and 459 go! |
Chestnut Street was mostly residential, lined with dense houses. There was still the occasional business, though, especially at the intersection with Western Ave. It was here that the 434 joined our route, and the 435 a block later. There was some industrial scenery later on, but I was too focused on the view of Flax Pond to notice.
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| That’s lovely! |
The 435 left us soon after, and the street became Broadway. It gained a median, then we passed through Wyoma Square, where we headed onto Lynnfield Street, passing retail buildings. We came pretty close to Sluice Pond (but houses were in the way, unfortunately), and after passing a graveyard, the street curved north.
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| Wyoma Square. |
The street was almost entirely residential by this point as it curved west once more. At one point, the houses were broken by a hospital, some telephone wires, and a small convenience store. After another residential neighborhood, we reached Goodwins Circle. We looped around the rotary in order to serve a few businesses and a housing development, then looped around again onto Salem Street.
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| Goodwins Circle. |
The street became Lynnfield Street as we entered Peabody, and it was lined with houses once again. However, those houses eventually became office parks – at that point, we turned onto 1st Ave, then Centennial Drive. The route moved quickly at this point, since the only buildings along the street were scores of office parks.
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| Like this one, for example. |
At one point, we made an interesting deviation into a Children’s Hospital, looping around the parking lot, then returning to Centennial Drive. We then turned onto Summit Street, heading up through the woods before turning onto Forest Street, which was lined with houses. Next, we turned onto Lowell Street, and after some more houses, we went under Route 128.
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| My, that’s a bright crosswalk! |
Eventually we turned onto Prospect Street, and Essex Center Drive later on, joining the 435 and 465. We passed a few office parks, a Toys ‘R’ Us, and Lahey Clinic, then made our way into the North Shore Mall. From there, we headed out onto Andover Street, then Sylvan Street, going by lots of businesses, office parks, and parking lots along the way. Finally, we turned onto Endicott Street before pulling into the Liberty Tree Mall, the last stop on the route.
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| The bus at the mall. |
Route: 436 (Liberty Tree Mall – Central Square, Lynn via Goodwins Circle)
Ridership: In terms of the total numbers, the 436’s ridership isn’t anything special – only 823 riders per weekday and 527 per Saturday. However, when you take the numbers on a per-trip basis, each bus has an average of 25-30 passengers per trip! However, it never seems to get crowded like the 435 does.
Pros: Like I said, it never seems to get crowded like the 435 does! Also, although the schedule is infrequent, it’s generally sensible – every 20-30 minutes during rush hour, and every 70 minutes during the day and on Saturdays. And how about the ride? Yes, office parks make for pretty boring scenery, but it’s a surprisingly peaceful trip for a Lynn route.
Cons: Sunday service would be nice, especially to take some of the pressure off of the 435, but there are definitely other Lynn routes with more pressing service needs. Also, serving Goodwins Circle always seems like a hassle, but I suppose it’s a necessity.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Most people use this route for the malls…unless you like OFFICE PARKS, of course!
Final Verdict: 8/10
The 436 does its job pretty well – it gets people to work on weekdays, and it helps the 435 get people to the malls on Saturdays. Sunday service would be nice, but it’s not a huge necessity. Other than that, the 436 is just really peaceful for a Lynn route, and an enjoyable ride in general!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
465 (Salem Depot – Liberty Tree Mall via Peabody and Danvers)
Huh…this is one of the more interesting routes on the MBTA. It’s just weird to me that there’s a bus from Salem to the North Shore and Liberty Tree Malls, then onwards to Danvers! What’s more, it even runs on Saturdays, which was the day my friend Sam and I rode the route. Could such a far-out bus possibly get any ridership? Let’s find out!
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| The slightly out-of-focus bus at Salem. |
Leaving Salem Station, we made our way onto Bridge Street, then looped around onto North Street. We were essentially bypassing downtown Salem, but the houses lining the street were still pretty dense. We then turned onto Essex Street, going by lots of dense, historical houses.
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| Gotta love Salem! |
It started to get industrial by the time we reached the intersection with Boston Street, onto which we turned. We were on an independent section now, and the street was lined with newer houses, as well as a few auto shops and businesses. We passed a huge empty plot of land at one point, and even one of those storage places that I always associate with suburbia.
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| My, this is desolate… |
The street was a mix of dense houses and businesses from there. At one point, we passed an apartment building, and it started to get a lot denser. The street became Main Street around this point, for we were in Peabody – Peabody Square, in fact. Thus, the road became lined with businesses, and we merged with the 435.
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| A business block in Peabody Square. |
We then turned onto Central Street, crossing over a disused railroad track. A bunch of people got on at the main Peabody Square shelter, and the businesses started to thin out as we headed north. Eventually it became mostly houses, although there was still a bit of retail and we also passed a community center. Once we merged onto Andover Street, it was all houses.
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| A side street. |
We crossed over I-95 eventually, and the street grew much wider on the other side. Almost immediately, we pulled into the North Shore Mall to drop off some of our passengers for their shopping. After that, we made our way around the mall onto Essex Center Drive.
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| Going around the mall. |
We went by the Lahey Clinic, then Toys ‘R’ Us and a Shaw’s. There were also a few office parks to provide more scenery. Eventually, we turned onto Prospect Street, passing some housing developments with the mall parking lot still in view. The road became Cross Street, then we turned onto Andover Street again, then Sylvan Street and Endicott Street.
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| Oh look! Um…buildings! |
We deviated into the Liberty Tree Mall and dropped off a few more shoppers, then we entered the route’s (mostly) independent section. From here, the 465 makes a loop around Danvers whose only other route is a few night trips on the 435. Thus, we made our way back to Sylvan Street and headed north, the road lined with houses.
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| A street corner. |
We turned onto Pine Street pretty quickly, which was also residential. Once we turned onto Holten Street, there were a few businesses at the intersection, but scenery still mostly consisted of houses. However, we soon reached a church, as well as Danvers’s town hall and TV station. Here, we merged onto Elm Street, entering Danvers Square.
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| Danvers Town Hall! |
The street was lined with businesses, as was High Street, onto which we turned. It was at this point that we reached our layover, a simple stop next to a parking lot. It was a long layover, however – we stayed at the stop for about 20 minutes. Finally, we started up again and continued down High Street.
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| The bus at Danvers Square. |
We went through a short residential section, but then the street became industrial. After it went under Route 128, though, it became entirely houses. We turned onto Water Street, which had a bit of retail. The street then curved around over the Crane River, and we turned onto Endicott Street on the other side.
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| The Crane River! |
The road soon widened and became lined with parking lots and office parks. We also passed Endicott Plaza, a shopping center. After that, we crossed over Route 128 again, and returned to the Liberty Tree Mall on the other side. From there, it was back to Salem via the same route as before.
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| Going over the highway. |
Route: 465 (Salem Depot – Liberty Tree Mall via Peabody and Danvers)
Ridership: It’s not surprising that the 465 gets pretty low ridership – on weekdays, the route gets an average of 414 riders, while on Saturdays, the route gets only 267 riders. However, when passengers per trip are taken into account, it’s not too bad – about 16 on weekdays and 22 on Saturdays.
Pros: This is basically the MBTA’s only route in Danvers, so the 465 serves a big purpose in that regard. The route also serves as at least somewhat of a relief for the perpetually-packed 435, since they share paths from Peabody Square to Liberty Tree. The 465’s schedule is also pretty sensible – every hour on weekdays and every two hours on Saturday.
Cons: One big problem with the 465 is the layover in Danvers. If someone wants to get to the other side of the loop, an up-to-20 minute wait in Danvers Square is quite the annoyance. I also wonder what the purpose is of the rush hour routing via Water, Margin, and North Streets (formerly called the 468). I mean, it has stops and everything, but it only gets two trips in each direction.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Salem, Peabody Square, and Danvers Square are all pretty interesting downtowns, though the only one for which you would specifically use the 465 is Danvers.
Final Verdict: 6/10
Eh, this route definitely does its job and serves a good amount. However, the layover at Danvers is inconvenient for people going around the loop – it might be better to just give the bus a long layover in Salem and do the loop nonstop. As for the “468” routing, I guess serving that area might only be justified during rush hour, so I’ll let that issue slide. But this is just a “6” kind of route, you know? I mean, it’s every 2 hours on Saturdays!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
710 (Contracted Bus: North Medford – Medford Square, Meadow Glen Mall, or Wellington Station)
Hmm…ever got the feeling that the MBTA doesn’t care much about its contracted routes? After all, the route destinations on the website (and in this post title) for the 710 are WRONG! The bus never terminates at Medford Square or Meadow Glen Mall – the two termini are Stop & Shop or Wellington Station! Hang on, I might have to explain this…many people don’t know this route exists.
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| Ahh, our good friend Joseph’s! |
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| Another view. |
The 710 is definitely an odd duckling. It starts at “North Medford” (Highland Ave @ Doonan Street, to be specific), and takes a very local route through residential sections of Medford. It deviates to serve a hospital, runs through Medford Square, serves the Meadow Glen Mall, and terminates at either Stop & Shop or Wellington – but never both. And it only serves Wellington during rush hour…great.
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| The inside of the bus. |
Since the 710 is contracted, it has a bit of a weird fare system. It costs $1.70 to board ($0.85 for students and seniors), but you can only pay with cash or with a CharlieTicket pass. As it happens, I bought my monthly pass on a ticket this month, so I got on for free! Hooray!
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| Looking towards the front. |
The inside was typical for a minibus, with about 20 seats or so. Surprisingly, though, the wheelchair lift wasn’t jiggly! I mean, maybe I wasn’t paying attention or something, but I did not hear a single jiggle from that wheelchair lift in the back! Perhaps it was because the radio was blasting, another hallmark of minibus service.
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| Some construction near Wellington. |
The trip upon which my friend Mariana (who graciously took notes as I asked the driver questions about the route) and I embarked was a rush hour one, so we got on at Wellington. Heading out of the parking lot, we made our way onto Revere Beach Parkway and crossed over the Orange Line. We got stuck in traffic for a bit, but after a semi-illegal turn (don’t worry about it), we started cruising down the Fellsway.
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| Crossing over the Orange Line tracks with a train in view. |
We turned onto Riverside Ave afterwards, going by a shopping plaza (including the Stop & Shop where midday 710 trips terminate) and paralleling the 134. It got industrial from there, and when we turned onto Locust Street, it was lined with factories, auto shops, and warehouses. This was actually just a deviation to serve the Meadow Glen Mall, but since it’s under construction, not much was going on there and we didn’t pick anyone up.
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| Wotta great mall… |
We returned to Riverside Ave and continued the way we were going. It was now residential, with dense houses lining the road. At one point, the driver opened the window and yelled to a passerby, “Where are you going?” The woman said she was going to Forest Street, and the driver said “Hop in!” Giving a passerby a free ride is such a contracted bus thing to do, but it’s quite nice. It’s worth noting, by the way, that the 710 uses a flag-down system and has no actual stops.
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| A residential street off of Riverside Ave. |
We went under I-93, and instantly passed a hotel and an apartment building on the other side. From there, we did this strange figure-8 kind of route through Medford Square. First we turned into a parking lot, and then ran along Clippership Drive, with businesses on one side and the Mystic River on the other.
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| This is strange… |
Instead of going directly onto Forest Street, though, we turned onto Riverside Drive, running back the way we came along Medford Square’s main drag. After that, we turned onto City Hall Mall, which went by Medford City Hall, and then we turned onto Salem Street, going back the way we came again! Finally, we swung around onto Forest Street, starting the route’s independent section.
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| That’s a nice median on Salem Street… |
We left the buildings of Medford Square, and the street became lined with rather large houses. Soon, we turned onto Lawrence Road, then onto the wide Governors Ave. This was all part of the deviation to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, whose parking lot we turned into. We looped around to serve the stop, but there was a hospital shuttle blocking our exit. The driver’s solution? Reverse out of the busway and head back the way we came! Nice.
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| The hospital. |
We returned the way we came from there, all the way back to Forest Street. This time, we turned onto Webster Street, which was entirely residential aside from a playground. After going under I-93 again, we turned onto Fulton Street, whose houses were denser. We passed a field and crossed the Fellsway, but Fulton Street was all houses from there.
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| Gotta love leafy medians! |
There were a few small businesses at a strange intersection where the street went up a hill and curved left a bit, and then curved right at the next intersection. This was where the road got pretty crazy and twisty, and I can definitely see why the MBTA would entrust this service to Joseph’s and its minibuses – a full-sized bus could never take those turns!
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| A residential side street. |
Amidst all houses once again, the street went down a hill and curved around leftward. We went along some slight hills for a little while before reaching Molineaux Circle, where we joined the 99 on Highland Ave. We followed that route in the inbound direction for a little bit before reaching Doonan Street. Here, we stopped for about a minute, then made a full u-turn to head back to Wellington.
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| The bus at Doonan Street. |
Route: 710 (Contracted Bus: North Medford – Medford Square, Meadow Glen Mall, or Wellington Station)
Ridership: Nothing special, as you would probably expect – there were only two other people on both my outbound and inbound trips, and the driver said that’s about average. The route only gets an average of 19,176 riders per year (about 76 per day), after all. HOWEVER, when the bus came into Wellington while I was waiting for it, it dropped off almost 20 people! Turns out they were just headin’ into town and had asked the driver if the bus was going to Wellington.
Pros: Yes, it’s a very niche route, but it serves its purpose. The hospital deviation is a pretty long one, but it’s one of the biggest ridership draws on the route; ditto for Meadow Glen Mall, although that’s partly due to an apartment complex located nearby. During rush hour, it gets a few commuters from Wellington, although they don’t seem to be the main reason for this route’s existance. I also think the 710’s 60-minute headways are sensible, and can be done with one bus.
Cons: I have some…okay, a lot of problems with this route, particularly in the schedule, but I’ll get a few small issues out of the way first. Number 1, the outbound route in Medford Square is ridiculous and needs to be simplified. Number 2, there needs to be proper signage for the route at Wellington; right now, it boards in the drop-off area for cars with a “Shuttle buses only” sign being the only indication of a potential bus that stops there. Okay, so now onto the schedule…
Right, so first of all, why is there a two hour gap in the schedule? The driver informed me that a switch happens there, which requires driving the bus back to the yard and handing it over to the next driver. Seriously??? Just drive a car to the terminus and have the two drivers swap vehicles. Mission accomplished! Okay, secondly, I think the 710 should have Saturday service. One of its main ridership draws is shoppers, and I imagine it would get a similar level of ridership on Saturdays as on weekdays. According to the driver, the route used to have Saturday service, and many of its riders want it back.
And now for the big problem: why the heck does this route only serve Wellington at rush hour? Look at that huge group of people that took the bus there before I got on! Had that not been a rush hour trip, they would’ve been out of luck for getting into the city. Now, my guess for this service pattern is that the trip takes a half hour with no layover time, so it could get late if it served both Stop & Shop and Wellington. So…why not only serve Stop & Shop one way, in the peak direction? And Meadow Glen Mall, for that matter? Observe…
With this schedule, the route would be able to serve Wellington all day, plus it would get a layover! Hooray! But what about people going against the peak? Well, shoppers going from Meadow Glen or Stop & Shop back to North Medford in the morning could stay on the bus through Wellington and then head back, and vice versa in the afternoon. I think having an all-day connection to Wellington would increase ridership from people wanting to head into Boston.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s nothing along the 710’s independent section that’s really worth seeing, although if you happen to be going to Medford Square or Meadow Glen during rush hour, this is an alternative to the 134.
Final Verdict: 6/10
I gotta be honest, this isn’t a bad route. It serves some nice neighborhoods and gets a few local shoppers and commuters every day. Yes, it may be the lowest-ridership contracted route, but it’s pretty short and it does its job. THAT BEING SAID, it has many problems that ought to be addressed, the most glaring of which is all-day Wellington service. The whole driver switch thing is pretty badly handled, too. And get some dang signage at Wellington!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
LRTA: 13 (Billerica via Edson)
Looking to get from Boston to Lowell by bus, but the 14 has too many office parks for you? Well then, perhaps the 13 is more up your alley! It doesn’t take you quite as far south as the 14, but it still runs to the northern terminus of the 350, where you can change to MBTA services or vice versa. Let’s take a look at another long LRTA route.
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| The bus in Lowell, with an MVRTA 41 in the background. |
Heading out of the LRTA Gallagher Transit Center, we made our way onto Thorndike Street and went south. After going under the Lowell Connector (a highway), we crossed over the River Meadow Brook, and the street became Gorham Street. As we passed the mostly industrial buildings (with a few businesses) that lined the road, we also went under the Commuter Rail tracks.
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| A side street, with some strange lighting going on in the picture. |
There was a section where we passed a mix of houses, businesses, and industrial buildings, but that mix was soon restricted to one side of the street – there was a cemetery on the other side. After going by a sizeable abandoned building, we crossed over I-495 and entered Chelmsford. It felt a lot more suburban now, with more trees and houses along the street.
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| Going over the highway. |
There were a few industrial buildings and a church near an almost-connection with the 14 and 15 (the two corridors get very close together at one point). After that, the street became Boston Road and we entered Billerica. It was mostly residential, but there were a few industrial buildings dotted in, too. We passed a housing development and went under some pylons, then turned onto Lowell Street soon after.
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| Going onto Lowell Street. |
There were more houses until we turned onto Old Elm Street, where we went by two huge old factories and crossed over the Concord River. We pulled into the parking lot for North Billerica Station, dropped someone off, and returned the way we came. We turned onto Talbot Ave this time, which widened with a nice median for a bit, then we turned onto Pollard Street and crossed over the Concord River again.
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| Such a beautiful view…ruined by an awful picture. |
It was basically all houses from there, all the way until we reached Boston Road. Here, we joined up with the 14 again and there was retail for a while (and a few office parks). We passed through another stretch of houses and then reached Billerica Center, where we went by a common and the street was lined with businesses. But while the 14 headed down Concord Road, we continued down Boston Road and went solo once again.
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| Lovely neighborhood… |
There were a few houses for just a bit before we reached the Billerica Mall, which we deviated to serve. Returning to Boston Road, we passed a few businesses and housing developments, then it returned to being mostly residential. There were still some offices or industrial-type buildings along here, though, and even a few farms!
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| Oh hey, a parking lot! |
Eventually we reached another mall, Towne Shopping Plaza. After another deviation, Boston Road was starting to lean more toward retail and industrial buildings rather than houses. We crossed over the Shawsheen River, and it was almost entirely businesses and industrial buildings on the other side.
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| Oh boy, Towne Shopping Plaza! It’s beautiful! |
The street soon became houses once more, and then its name changed to Cambridge Street – we were now in Burlington. There were a few businesses at the intersection with Francis Wyman Road, but it was residential aside from that. Soon, we turned onto Wilmington Road, then looped onto Chestnut Ave, reaching the 350’s shelter. After laying over for a bit, the bus took off back to Lowell.
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| Two shots of the bus at Chestnut Ave. |
LRTA Route: 13 (Billerica via Edson)
Ridership: Since the LRTA is mum on individual route ridership, I can only give the data from my trip, which consisted of…five other people in total. Great job, 13, great job! That said, it was the last outbound trip of the day (6:30), so it makes sense that it wasn’t at all busy.
Pros: This is the primary route for Billerica, and it serves a lot of the town. It also offers a connection to the 350 at its southern terminus, which is great. Its schedule is normal for the LRTA, with every-hour service on weekdays and Saturdays. This route does have an interesting quirk, though, in that the every 30 minute morning rush service consists almost entirely of short-turns that only take about 10 minutes!
Cons: The route isn’t coordinated with the 350, unfortunately, but like the 14, it’s unlikely too many people are transferring. Other than that, the schedule has a strange 90 minute gap from 3:50 to 5:20 for some reason.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The route serves two malls, as well as Billerica Center. And if you’re getting to Lowell from Boston using the 13, then I would add Lowell itself to the list of noteworthy places.
Final Verdict: 8/10
This is yet another good LRTA route – essentially the 14 but with less office parks. Coordination with the 350 probably doesn’t matter in the long run, although it would be nice to iron out that 90 minute gap in the schedule. Still, the 13 is a pretty good route overall.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
LRTA: 14 (Burlington Mall/Lahey Clinic)
It’s fitting that the first LRTA route to be properly reviewed on this blog is also the first LRTA route I ever rode. This time, though, I took the entire route from Lahey Clinic to Lowell! What is this long trip like? Let’s find out!
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| The bus at the Lahey Clinic. |
From Lahey Clinic (which featured a nice little shelter), we made our way onto the wide Burlington Mall Road – oh yes, this route starts in office park land. After going by many office developments and a few shopping plazas, we turned into that classic beast: the Burlington Mall. We picked up some people there, then navigated back through the huge parking lot to return to the road of the same name.
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| Oh look…a…shopping plaza… |
Soon after that, we turned onto another wide road, Middlesex Turnpike. We were passing more office parks and shopping plazas, including 3rd Ave – the Assembly Square of Burlington. From there, it was just boring boring boring office parks! Big office parks, small office parks, technology corporations, random businesses located within office parks… WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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| Lovely… |
Well, okay, eventually we came by a pretty big field containing multiple baseball diamonds. Now that’s rather nice, isn’t it? I like the idea of a field in the middle of…wait…”MITRE Fields”? They’re named after a nearby corporation?! Sigh…
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| You’re a PHONY field! Phoooooooooony! |
We went by the huge MITRE corporation after that, and then a few housing developments. But don’t worry – the office parks came back soon enough. They started to get further apart, though, after we crossed the Shawsheen River. They were still around, but there was a lot of forest now and the road wasn’t as wide.
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| The 99 Restaurant! *clap clap* Always the real deal! |
The office parks did come back eventually, although we also went by the 99 Restaurant, considered to be a “major stop” on the route map. Eventually, we finally passed some good ol’ fashioned houses, then crossed over Nutting Lake. It was almost entirely residential on the other side, which was a nice relief.
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| Nice view! |
But were the office parks gone forever? Nope – this was a rush hour trip, and so we deviated onto Concord Road in order to serve Fields First Federal Street, yet another collection of office parks. We returned the way we came and headed the other way up Concord Road, now lined with mostly houses.
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| The blocked-off Middlesex Turnpike simply ends a little beyond Concord Road. |
Eventually, we reached Billerica Center, where we merged around a nice little common. There were a few little businesses here, as well as a church, a library, and…”Billerica Town Halll.” Yeah, the stop announcement sign had a bit of a typo there. It returned to being residential after that.
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| A retail block in Billerica Center. |
However, eventually the street became lined with…oh come on, more office parks? And auto shops? And shopping plazas? And millions of parking lots? Sigh…at least we got a nice river crossing. We deviated to serve Treble Cove Plaza at one point, and merged onto Chelmsford Road soon after.
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| Going over the Concord River. |
This street was lined with houses once again, then we went through a short woodsey section. On the other end was…more office parks. Sigh. We turned onto Brick Kiln Road, soon passing a UPS facility but not going in – a few trips per day deviate into it, but ours wasn’t one of them. However, it was all houses from there as we entered Chelmsford, and they continued when we turned onto Carlisle Street.
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| I mean, this is just getting old! |
Other points of interest along Carlisle Street were a tower (water, perhaps?) and a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle office park sneaking its way into a residential neighborhood. Soon we crossed over I-495, then stayed straight onto Boston Road, entering Lowell. This street made its way through a cemetery before becoming Plain Street. At this point, we deviated into yet another mall.
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| Going over the highway. |
We went under the Lowell Connector (another highway), then turned onto Chelmsford Street, which was lined with businesses. Eventually, it became a total mix of houses, retail, and industrial buildings, until we turned onto Thorndike Street. After that, we pulled into the LRTA hub, where the bus went out of service.
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| I got no pictures in Lowell, so here’s Lahey Clinic again. |
LRTA Route: 14 (Burlington Mall/Lahey Clinic)
Ridership: The LRTA doesn’t give ridership details for specific routes, but my ride on the 14 was pretty good – there were about 25 people in total. This was an inbound trip at 3 PM, so that’s not bad! This route does get a lot of reverse commuters, admittedly, which could also explain the decent ridership. Although…many of those riders were shoppers coming from malls! Okay, well, the point is that the 14 gets good ridership.
Pros: Well, for one thing, this is a nice long route that serves a lot. It has a consistent every-hour schedule six days per week, which is the standard for an LRTA suburban route. But my favorite part about the 14 is that it allows you to get to Lowell entirely by bus! Just take the 350 to the Burlington Mall, then hop on the 14! Yes, it’s significantly longer than the train, but it’s less than half the cost. Lowell’s a pretty cool city, and if you’re on a budget, this is a good alternative for getting there.
Cons: The route isn’t well-coordinated with the outbound 350 on Saturdays, though – the 14 leaves only a few minutes before the 350 arrives, so it’s an hour-long wait if you’re transferring. It would be nice if the 14 was shifted ahead about five minutes to make for better coordination, although who knows how many people even make that transfer?
Nearby and Noteworthy: OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS OFFICE PARKS. Oh, and some malls, Billerica Center, and Lowell.
Final Verdict: 8/10
This is a really solid route that serves a lot and also lets you get to Lowell much cheaper than the train! Well…except for that whole coordination thing. But I guess most people aren’t coming from the 350, so it doesn’t matter much.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Tappan Street, Dean Road, and Englewood Avenue
Okay, it’s time for our final trio! Our final…boring trio. Yeah, these stations aren’t too special. I do have memories of hanging out at Dean Road and watching the trains with my dad when I was really little, though, so that counts for something.
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| The platform at Tappan Street. |
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| The “plaza” at Dean Road. |
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| Englewood Avenue‘s platform. |
Alas, all three stations have their shelters on the outbound platform once again. That’s especially weird by this point, when we’re essentially at the end of the line! The inbound platforms are at least less decrepit than the Hawes-Kent-Saint Paul trio, though. Indeed, all three are comparable to those stops – Tappan Street and Englewood Ave are the same thing as Hawes Street, while Dean Road is the same thing as Kent Street. Well…this is all a bit anticlimactic, isn’t it?
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| Lots o’ great train pictures along this section! |
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| Some close headways.. |
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| A meet at Englewood Avenue. |
Stations: Tappan Street, Dean Road, and Englewood Avenue
Ridership: All three stations get pretty low ridership: Tappan Street gets 674 riders per weekday, Dean Road gets 398, and Englewood Ave gets 555. These are pretty local areas, after all.
Pros: Well, it can definitely be said that the stations are very pretty, thanks to the ever-beautiful C Line right-of-way.
Cons: But yeah, these stations have all the same problems as Hawes, Kent, and Saint Paul Streets. Why are the shelters on the outbound side? Why are the platforms so decrepit? These questions and more shall never be answered…
Nearby and Noteworthy: Tappan Street has a very charming business block alongside it, but the rest of Beacon Street is mostly apartments until Cleveland Circle.
Final Verdict: 5/10
I mean, these three stations are almost exactly the same as Hawes, Kent, and Saint Paul Streets, so of course they’re going to get the same score. I’m just worried about the B Line, where almost all of the stops are the same – and that right-of-way isn’t even pretty! But the B is for another day.
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Washington Square
These C stations are just too good! Washington Square is one of the line’s “accessible” stops, which means it has a lot more amenities than what we’ve been seeing before. Let’s take a look.
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| The platforms. |
The station feels a lot like an E Line stop, with wide platforms and shelters on both sides. There are other benches in the open air to provide more seating, too. The station has a few wastebaskets, as well, and wheelchair lifts on both sides (not that you need them with low-floor trains).
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| A clock! |
Washington Square has a few other amenities, too. There’s a Hubway station here, while at the western end of the platform, there’s a small plaza on either side of the tracks. They both feature some benches, with bike racks on one and newspaper boxes on the other. The best part is the clock on the northern plaza, though! It adds a bunch of character to the station.
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| A train at the station. |
Station: Washington Square
Ridership: This is a key station on the C, although admittedly the least-used of the four – it’s slightly below average for Green Line stations overall. It gets an average of 1,091 riders per weekday.
Pros: The station itself is great, with typical wide platforms and normal shelters. The other amenities add a lot, too, such as the bike parking and (most of all) the clock. There’s also a bus connection here with the 65 – the stops aren’t much, but it’s not like the 65 is a busy route.
Cons: Weirdly, the level crossing on one side of the station is completely inaccessible – one side of it has a step to the platform, while the other side doesn’t meet the platform at all!
Nearby and Noteworthy: Washington Square has many businesses and restaurants around the station.
Final Verdict: 8/10
I’d put this station on the same level as Saint Marys Street. Their platforms are essentially equivalent, but while Saint Marys Street got an 8 because of lack of character, Washington Square gets an 8 because of the weird inaccessible crossing. There’s definitely a lot of character here, though.
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Fairbanks Street
This station has some weird, inconsistent naming. So, I’m pretty sure it’s called Fairbanks Street – at least, that’s what Google Maps says. That said, the MBTA station page and the Blue Book both refer to it as just Fairbanks. And the station page says that the stop is located at Fairbanks Avenue! Oh well, it’s still an amazing stop regardless.
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| The outbound platform. |
Like Brandon Hall, Fairbanks Street is on the super scenic part of Beacon Street where one side of the road is higher than the other. A staircase leads up to the higher westbound side of the street, where more amazing automatic crosswalks will help you across (they trigger a flashing light for cars when you walk through a set of bollards).
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| Woah! |
The station is functional, too. Its outbound platform is bare, which makes sense, while the inbound side has a shelter, wastebasket, and newspaper box. As a side note, there is also a great ribbon formed out of flowers at the station. It’s a really nice thing to see…
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| A train at the station. |
Station: Fairbanks Street
Ridership: This is another one of the least-used stations on the Green Line (although only fifth-worst on the C), with an average of 444 riders per weekday.
Pros: Like Brandon Hall, this is a very pretty stop that’s also functional. It has its shelter on the correct platform, while the flower ribbon adds a nice bit of character.
Cons: Another similarity to Brandon Hall is this station’s close proximity to its neighbors. To be honest, Fairbanks Street and Brandon Hall could probably be consolidated into one stop and it wouldn’t matter much.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Lots o’ apartments. Yeah,
Final Verdict: 9/10
I would argue that Fairbanks Street is slightly better than Brandon Hall, if only because I love that flower ribbon. However, I still wouldn’t consider Fairbanks to be good enough for a 10, since its platform is iffy in terms of its condition, like most of the C. Still…great station.
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Brandon Hall
Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Here we are on the greatest part of the C Line! The bit where one side of Beacon Street goes up onto a hill and the street gets so scenic. Brandon Hall is one of the two stations along this section, and it’s great!
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| OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO AWESOME. |
Okay, so on the upper, westbound side of Beacon Street, cars can go pretty fast, you know? Luckily, Brandon Hall has you covered. At the crosswalk to the station, you need only pass through a set of bollards to signal a flashing light that tells cars to stop for you! From there, you can descend a staircase into the station. This special kind of crosswalk is on the eastbound side of Beacon Street, too.
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| The platform. |
The platform is also good for a C Line station. It has the shelter on the inbound side, which is always a plus, while the outbound side has a wheelchair lift. But the main thing about this station is that it’s beautiful, with lots of trees everywhere and beautiful Beacon Street apartments on the south side.
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| A train heading into Boston. |
Station: Brandon Hall
Ridership: Alas, this is the second least-used station on the C Line after Hawes Street, with only 356 riders per weekday.
Pros: This is definitely the prettiest part of the C Line right-of-way, and it makes this station look amazing. The trees everywhere add a bunch of character. Also, the station has its shelter on the inbound side, which is great, while the crosswalks here are insanely useful.
Cons: Not much, although considering how close this station is to its neighbors and its ridership, it could probably be eliminated. But…but it’s such a good stop…
Nearby and Noteworthy: It’s all apartments at this point on Beacon Street, but they sure are pretty ones.
Final Verdict: 9/10
It has to be said that the stop itself of Brandon Hall is essentially the same thing as Summit Ave. However, it’s really the surroundings that make Brandon Hall stand out – those trees are just so tranquil. Also, the crosswalks are awesome!
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Summit Avenue
Honestly, I don’t have too much to say about Summit Ave. It’s a pretty generic station, and I’m only giving it its own review because the next three stations all deserve reviews on their own, so…yeah, here’s Summit Ave. Woo.
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| The inbound side of the station. |
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| A train coming into the station. |
Coolidge Corner
Ahhhh, this one is a classic! Not only does Coolidge Corner have more character than what seems possible for a Green Line street stop, but it also gets amazing ridership! Let’s take a look at this wonderful station.
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| Did I mention that I love this place? |
Coolidge Corner has staggered platforms, with the inbound one on the west side of Harvard Street and the outbound one to the east. The tracks also make an s-curve in the middle of the station, although there’s most definitely a reason for that: so that the platforms can be as wide as possible! Seriously, they both have lots of room.
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| Such a classic shelter! |
The shelters at Coolidge Corner are just so good. They have this great old style and lots of seating space underneath. Although they have a few peeling paint issues, the shelters still look great, and add to the station’s character so much.
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| The inbound platform. |
The rest of the platforms are awesome, too, with lots of benches and wastebaskets, and 20 bike spaces in total. The station also has a ticket validator for faster boarding during rush hour, although I didn’t try it out when I was here on a Saturday to see if it was working. Finally, can I just say how great the signs here are? They all have this old-fashioned look, and even though they’re newer signs, they just compliment the shelters so much.
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| A pathway leading out of the station. |
There are a few paths out of the inbound platform that lead to the next block, as well as street parking, i.e. the classic C Line parking where cars face the tracks. Additionally, this station has one bus connection, with the 66. The stops are…less than impressive, though. Yes, they both have benches provided, but a shelter seems like a no-brainer, especially for a route as busy as the 66.
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| An inbound train leaving the station. |
Station: Coolidge Corner
Ridership: This is the busiest station on the C by far, and one of the busiest in general on the Green Line branches – it gets 3,440 riders per weekday.
Pros: Not only is this station great for functionality (wide platforms, lots of amenities, etc.), but it also has so much character. I mean, the shelters look amazing and complement the buildings around them, while the old-fashioned stylized signs are great.
Cons: I only have two qualms with this station, and they’re small: number 1 is the peeling paint on the shelters, which is annoying but an easy fix; number 2 is the lack of shelters for the 66. Yes, there are benches, but what about when it rains? What are people supposed to do then?
Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s so much to do in Coolidge Corner, including a movie theater and a bookstore.
Final Verdict: 10/10
You know, I had it in my mind that I wanted to give this station a 10 when I got here, and it still remains one of my favorite Green Line street stops (if not my favorite). And though it does have a few flaws, I think it’s arguably the best street stop on the entire Green Line, which is why it gets a perfect score. Yes, it’s not a “perfect” station, but it’s pretty darn close.
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Hawes Street, Kent Street, and Saint Paul Street (C)
After the pretty great Saint Marys Street, our next cluster of stations…isn’t as great. They are in absolutely beautiful neighborhoods, but in terms of the stations themselves, they’re definitely lacking. Let’s take a look.
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| The platform at Hawes Street. |
One problem with the C is that it often gets confused at what the peak direction is. You see, all three of these stations have shelters on the outbound side rather than the inbound. Hawes Street is no exception, with two simple (but functional) bus shelters on the outbound side.
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| The “plaza” at Kent Street. |
Kent Street and Saint Paul Street are slightly different than Hawes Street in that they have staggered platforms. Their outbound platforms are the same as Hawes, but strangely, the inbound sides still have no shelter. Instead, Kent Street and Saint Paul Street have little plazas across the track from the inbound side with a shelter, bench, and wastebasket. Only problem is that that’s not where the stupid train boards!!!
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| The inbound, um, “platform” at Saint Paul Street. |
So yeah, time to talk about the inbound platforms – they’re all decrepit. They’re tiny, low-level, and in awful condition. The one at Saint Paul Street is particularly bad, with this plank of wood along the whole thing. They’re all awful, though.
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| A train at Saint Paul Street. |
Stations: Hawes Street, Kent Street, and Saint Paul Street (C)
Ridership: Hawes Street and Kent Street don’t get many riders, with only 339 and 386 per weekday, respectively. Saint Paul Street gets significantly more, for some reason, with 849 riders per weekday.
Pros: These stations definitely have that typical C Line character. And if you’re going outbound, then you’re all set. Inbound, however, is a different story…
Cons: Okay, here’s a little lesson for these stations: when people get on the train, almost all of them are going into the city. And so you’re gonna have a lot more people waiting on the inbound platform rather than the outbound. So how about not having your inbound platforms be deteriorating messes, hmmmm?
Nearby and Noteworthy: Nothing much, just a lot of really beautiful apartments, and…wait…there’s a Holiday Inn between Kent Street and Saint Paul Street?! Gosh, I always associate those with suburbia, and yet here’s one right in the middle of Brookline!
Final Verdict: 5/10
Having a decent outbound platform is certainly a necessary aspect to any station. But you also need to have a good inbound platform. And most importantly, you need an inbound platform that’s not tiny, decrepit, and awful. These stations all fail at that. Miserably. Still, they’re nice enough in other aspects, but that inbound platform is quite important.
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Saint Marys Street
Man, I had forgotten how much I love the C. It’s the most reliable of the Green Line street lines, plus it has an absolutely gorgeous right-of-way! My friend Sam and I walked along its entire distance to see every single stop, so we’re gonna be taking a look at all of them. Let’s do this.
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| The station, seen from its wheelchair ramp. |
Saint Marys Street has a very E Line kind of feeling. It has some great wide platforms, and those generic but useful shelters you would find on the E. The station is on an s-curve, and I’m not entirely sure why, but perhaps it’s so that each platform gets a wide section? Also, the station features a wheelchair ramp on the outbound side, while the inbound gets a simple lift.
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| The southern side of the station. |
It’s also worth noting that to the south side of the portal, the station features a little…plaza? Okay, it’s not really a plaza, but it does have a newspaper box and ten bike spaces, which is definitely useful. The pedestrian crosswalks here are conveniently placed, with easy access to the station.
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| A train stopped at the station… |
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| …and another train going into the portal. |
Station: Saint Marys Street
Ridership: The ridership on the C is centered around its four “accessible” stations (although they’re all technically accessible with the newer Type 8 trains), and Saint Marys Street happens to be one of them. This is the second-busiest station on the C, with an average of 1,532 riders per weekday (although that’s less than half of the busiest, Coolidge Corner).
Pros: This station feels almost identical to the in-median E Line stops, which instantly makes it good. The platforms are wide, the shelters are useful, and Saint Marys Street even throws in that little plaza for bike parking!
Cons: There’s definitely a lack of character here compared to stations further down the line. I mean, the right-of-way is quite leafy here, but the C gets downright beautiful as you go further west.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There are lots of restaurants and stores to be found on the north side of Beacon Street, while the south side is mostly apartments.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Don’t get me wrong, Saint Marys Street is a great station, and if it were on a different line, it would probably score a 9. That said, we’re on the C, and I can’t help but give it a lower score when compared to some of the other gems further west.
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Route 128
I was not expecting much from Route 128. Every time I went past it, it always just seemed like a middle-of-nowhere park-and-ride station. Well…okay, it kinda still is, but it has a lot more to offer than just parking.
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| This happened to be the first thing I saw when I got off here. |
Okay, the end of the platform isn’t the best, but it’s not like anyone waits out here anyway. It’s basically just open concrete, with a few admittedly unique shelters that are apparently popular with railfans. Still, nothing much to see out here, so let’s go back to the main part of the platform.
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| Ah! Now we’re talking! |
The main part of the platform is all sheltered and chock full of amenities. Aside from the typical wastebaskets and some typical Orange Line-esque bench shelters, the station also features help buttons to call for assistance, as well as old Commuter Rail maps that really should be updated. Best of all, though, are the screens at the platforms that tell you the time, as well as the status of the next train. They’re unique to this station (they also show Amtrak trains), and they’re great.
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| The ticket concourse. |
From the outbound platform, there’s an entrance directly into the station building. It leads into a really nice circular concourse with both ticket offices and ticket machines. There’s also a small destination board in here for Amtrak arrivals.
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| Wow! |
Route 128 offers a lot in terms of waiting space. From the concourse, the room seen above is actually the smaller of the two waiting rooms. Even then, this one still offers lots of seating and feels like an airport. There’s also a hand sanitizer dispenser close by, which is a really nice touch, and the whole station has Wi-Fi.
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| GOOD THING THIS PICTURE IS OUT OF FOCUS TO TRULY SHOWCASE THE BEAUTIFUL WAITING ROOM. |
The other waiting room is even bigger, with a high ceiling and lots of natural light coming from huge windows. Again, it has lots of seating, but this one features a huge destination board! Okay, it’s only a screen and it only shows Amtrak arrivals and it’s really ugly, but it’s a destination board regardless.
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| Gross… |
There are a bunch more amenities in this waiting room, including wastebaskets and recycling bins! There’s also a payphone (for what it’s worth), and a smaller destination board further into the room. Finally, it has what appears to be a phone charger, although I can’t entirely tell if that’s what it is.
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| The first of two cafés. |
Yes, Route 128 has two cafés! And the first one, the On Track Café, is open seven days a week! Now, barring the fact that its logo is in comic sans, the On Track Café has so much stuff that it might as well be considered a convenience store. They even sell magazines! The room in which the café is housed also features some tables, wastebaskets, vending machines, and more generic seating.
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| The other café. |
The other café, Java Junction, is only open during the morning rush, but whaddayaknow – I was here during the morning rush! This place seemed to be a lot more crowded than the On Track Café downstairs, but maybe it’s because Java Junction serves hotter and fresher stuff. Also, it just happens to be closer to the platform, so perhaps people were just waiting here for their trains.
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| Ah, the main attraction. |
Okay, time for the parking garage. The huge, huge parking garage. Are you ready for the number of spaces it has? Get ready: 2,589. All that, and yet it gets over 75% filled on weekdays! I guess they really do need all that space. Route 128 has no bike parking, unfortunately, although…who the heck would want to bike here, anyway?
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| The parking lot elevator. |
The parking lot elevator isn’t particularly noteworthy. It moves at a fine rate, it doesn’t smell, and it generally gets the job done pretty well. The only reason I bring it up is because the floor has air bubbles in it! It doesn’t matter too much, but it was fun to step on the bubbles. Okay, this was a pointless paragraph, wasn’t it?
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| The view of the highway. |
Unfortunately, the view from the roof of the parking lot is rather underwhelming. You can’t see Boston, so the only things in view are the station’s namesake, and a bunch of development going on down University Ave. It’s probably not worth coming up here if you’re looking for a view.
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| The station’s footbridge. |
There’s a huge footbridge that connects to the main station building and also serves as a bridge between the two platforms. It seems like it’s also a popular place for people to wait, despite not having any benches (it does have a wastebasket and a recycling bin, though). They could possibly stick a few seats in here to make the conditions more comfortable, but it would probably be better for people just to wait in the more comfortable waiting room in the building…
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| A Commuter Rail train! |
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| A Northeast Regional train! |
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| An Acela train! |
Station: Route 128
Ridership: This station doesn’t actually get too much ridership on the Commuter Rail side of things, relative to the rest of the Providence Line: 853 inbound riders per day. Still, that’s pretty good for the Commuter Rail. For Amtrak, however, the station gets 444,670 riders per year, or about 1,218 riders per day. Yes, Amtrak actually gets more ridership than Commuter Rail here!
Pros: Parts of this station really feel like an airport – I wasn’t expecting it to have so many amenities! Both waiting rooms are great, as are both cafés. Finally, this station has a huge amount of parking, and as its name suggests, is right off of Route 128 for easy access.
Cons: I have a few very small cons with this station. Firstly, there’s that destination board, which is just annoying – if only it could show Commuter Rail trains, too. Also, the maps on the platform are out of date. These are pretty small issues, but issues regardless.
Nearby and Noteworthy: If you like huge expanses of development, then University Ave is for you! You’ll find lots of malls along there.
Final Verdict: 10/10
Route 128 is about as near-perfect as a Commuter Rail station can be, though there’s no denying that it has a few problems. But still…what other Commuter Rail station has airport-style seating? Or free Wi-Fi? Or two cafés, one of which is open seven days a week? Yes, Route 128 may not be a perfect station, but it’s definitely one of the best on the Commuter Rail.
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Mansfield
Mansfield is quite possibly the most exhilarating station on the Commuter Rail. You see, this is one of two places in the entire country (the other being Kingston, RI) where the Acela is allowed to go its top speed of 150 MPH. Let me tell you, it’s an amazing experience when one goes by. So, does that make Mansfield a great station? Well…no, not really.
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| WELL…NO, NOT REALLY. |
This station has the absolute worst mini-high platforms I’ve ever seen. First of all, they’re completely bare, without shelter or benches or anything. This would be an annoyance already, but then there’s the fact that the platforms are completely deteriorating! Parts of them are chipped off, and they’re covered in loose wooden planks to try to hide the even worse-looking concrete underneath.
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| Looking down the platform. |
The outbound platform is mostly bare, but it does have some quirks. For example, there’s a pay phone that’s more or less destroyed, with this big metal thing leaning out from the top. Also, there’s a station sign that’s balanced on two posts and wiggles at the slightest touch. Oh, and there are some benches, ads, and wastebaskets as well.
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| It’s from the town common, but here’s the building. |
The station’s building was opened in 2004, and it definitely has a modern feel. It has benches on both the platform side and the drop-off/pick-up side, although for the former, you would have to walk to the mini-high when the train comes. I will say that the benches are unique, with “Mansfield” formed into the metal they’re made out of.
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| The inside of the building. |
The station building was closed since it was a Saturday (it’s only open during the morning rush), but looking through the doors, it seemed like a nice place. It has a café with beverages and snacks, as well as indoor seating. I would imagine both are popular with commuters when waiting for trains into the city.
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| This is station parking, huh? |
Mansfield’s main parking lot is in…interesting condition. I mean, look at it! Yes, a good portion of the lot not seen in the picture is decent, but as you get to portions further out, it’s not even paved! The lot can get busy on weekdays, and the cars do actually stretch out that far, so a repaving is definitely in order. There is also a small lot next to the building, but it’s for Mansfield residents only.
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| One of the station’s footbridges. |
Chauncy Street next to the station is basically a highway, but there are convenient footbridges from both platforms over it. On the outbound side it leads to another station lot, but stairs leading down are also the way of crossing between platforms. Not everyone seems to be aware of that, though; I had to help a few people who were heading into the city that were lost about which platform to board on.
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| A little plaza. |
Meanwhile, the footbridge on the inbound side leads to a surprisingly charming plaza. It doesn’t really serve much of a point aside from some bike racks, and even then, there are more racks that are closer to the station in one of the parking lots. The plaza has a bench and a wastebasket, too, but I don’t know why anyone would need to sit out here.
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| Here’s a Commuter Rail train, but no one cares about that. Here’s the main attraction (with my friend Harry also filming the train): |
Station: Mansfield
Ridership: So. Much. Ridership. Mansfield is the second-busiest station on the Providence Line, and the fifth-busiest on the whole Commuter Rail, with 1,707 inbound riders per weekday. Considering that Mansfield is a pretty small-ish town, I think many of those people drive in from elsewhere and park in the huge lot(s).
Pros: I would say that everything in the general vicinity of the building can be considered “good.” The building, of course, is great and convenient, and it provides sheltered seating outside as well as inside. Also, I like how the small lot next to it is for residents only, since a lot of people probably drive in from other towns. The parking amounts to 806 spaces in total, which is huge, while the GATRA runs a fine route here (although it lacks signage). Oh, and you haven’t experienced Mansfield until you’ve witness an Acela go by. It’s incredible.
Cons: Basically, everything at this station that’s not around the building. The platforms are decrepit for the most part, and don’t even get me started on the mini-highs – that’s a safety hazard right there. Also, the main parking lot is a huge mess, and really should be repaved.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Mansfield isn’t the biggest town in Massachusetts, but there are definitely a good amount of businesses and restaurants close to the station.
Final Verdict: 6/10
Oof, this is tough. There’s a lot to like about Mansfield, but the mini-high truly threatens the safety of this station’s passengers with its loose wood planks, especially considering that Acelas speed through here several times per day. That said, the Acelas are really awesome… Honestly, this station really deserves a 5, but I’ll throw in an extra point for that high-speed action.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates