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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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
431 (Neptune Towers – Central Square, Lynn via Summer Street)
Well, I’ve had it with this stupid bus. I’ve tried to take the 431 four times, and every time the driver has either decided not to do the route, or just not let me on for whatever reason. When my friend Sam and I tried to do the route recently, it was the former, and we decided enough is enough: we were going to walk the 431.
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| Well…that would’ve been the 431… |
Sam was the driver on the 12:08 PM walking 431 trip. We went through the Commuter Rail busway but no one seemed to want to get on, so we headed onto Union Street, with buildings, businesses, and parking lots as the surroundings.
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| Going down Union Street. |
We went under the Commuter Rail tracks, turning onto Central Square in the process. The sidewalk was rather nice and treelined here, with more businesses lining the street. We also went by a cool building reminiscent of the Flatiron in New York!
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| Slightly less impressive than the Flatiron, but still quite nice. |
Alongside the Flatiron-esque building, we found a mannequin outside of a store that seemed to want to get on the bus, but it couldn’t move to pay its fare so we had to leave it behind. Next, we turned onto Oxford Street, which had a lot of parking lots alongside it. There were still a few businesses, but they didn’t seem to be as interesting as the ones back on the main drag.
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| Sorry, sir… |
It felt much less urban when we reached the intersection with the wider Market Street. Here, there was a big shopping plaza with a bigger parking lot out front. We turned onto Market (deviating from the actual route slightly, I think), which became lined with more businesses. We then turned onto Tremont Street, which had a school on one side and the back of that shopping plaza on the other.
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| This is starting to feel less urban. |
Next, we went by an apartment building on one side, and an office on the other. We then merged with Neptune Boulevard, which featured a tree-lined median. There were a few businesses, then we passed a housing project and merged onto Summer Street.
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| Some retail on Neptune Boulevard. |
This street was lined with more typical housing, while the back of a school occupied one side. There were a few businesses at the intersection with Commercial Street, including a convenience store and an auto shop. We turned onto Commercial for a block, then turned again onto Neptune Boulevard.
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| Some more businesses on Summer Street. |
At this point, we had arrived at the route’s terminus, Neptune Towers. Now, it wasn’t exactly the grandest terminus, for one particular main reason: THERE WASN’T A STOP. No bench, no sign, nothing. Just a bunch of parked cars. Great signage, MBTA! Wonderful!
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| The bus laying over at Neptune Towers. |
Leaving Neptune Towers, we passed a playground that seemed to have some really cool sprinklers for kids. We went by a school from there, then merged onto Wheeler Street, going by an apartment and some offices. We reached that shopping mall again, where we turned onto Pleasant Street, and Tremont once more after that.
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| Hey, it’s a The Ride vehicle! Does that not belong at Neptune Towers more than a fixed MBTA route that never runs? |
Tremont Street was familiar territory from before, but this time we made a slight route deviation to serve Dunkin’ Donuts. Hey, we had been walking for half an hour and we needed sustenance! We returned to Market Street after that deviation, which took us under the Commuter Rail tracks and back into the Lynn busway.
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| A different 431 on a different day. |
Route: 431 (Neptune Towers – Central Square, Lynn via Summer Street)
Ridership: The 431 gets truly high ridership that blasts all other MBTA routes out of the water. Get this: 45 people per weekday, 41 per Saturday, and all of 7 riders every Sunday. Perfect!
Pros: You know, on a route like this, I might say “it exists” as sort of a joke pro. But the thing is, the 431 isn’t even consistent with that! I’ve tried to take it so many times and it’s decided not to run every single one!
Cons: Um, so, like, everything? Yeah, basically. It’s one thing to operate a completely useless bus loop that gets hardly any riders and only serves to make late 435’s even later, but it’s another thing to advertise a service that only sometimes exists. And the fact that there never seems to be any people that complain when a bus forgoes its 431 trip just means that no one’s using it in the first place. Neptune Towers doesn’t even have a stop, for heaven’s sake!
Nearby and Noteworthy: Get this: on our walk, we saw an ice cream truck. NOTEWORTHY ALERT!
Final Verdict: 1/10
GET. RID. OF. THE. 431. It’s that simple. There is no point in keeping this route around in order to run a full-sized bus to some apartment complex that’s only a few blocks away from other routes, anyway. You know what they should do? Just utilize The Ride! It doesn’t have to be a fixed service, per se, although they could even just run The Ride vehicles on the tiny loop to Central Square, following the current 431 schedule. No service would be lost and it would be a much better use of resources, plus the 435 could get a proper layover (which it desperately needs).
UPDATE: The MBTA has discontinued the route, but things aren’t much better – the route is still there, but now it’s just an extension of the 435. Nothing has changed. I’m sure all of the problems mentioned in this post still exist.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
GATRA: Wheaton T Shuttle/Route 140
As the name suggests, GATRA’s 140 route is a bus meant for students at Wheaton College. I checked Wheaton’s website for more information: “The GATRA route 140 schedule is a campus favorite.” Barring the strange inclusion of “schedule” in that sentence, the website definitely makes the route seem appealing. Why, I’ll bet it’s gonna have lots of people! Oh wait…it’s summer. Why do they still run this thing??
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| What a strange-looking bus. There was no signage at Mansfield, incidentally. |
The 140 uses a pretty interesting minibus, although personally I’m not the biggest fan of how it looks on the outside. Still, it seats a lot of people on the inside, and there was even a screen in front! There weren’t announcements, unfortunately (aside from “stop requested”), so the screen just repeated the date and time over and over again. Finally, the bus was pretty quiet, owing to the fact that its wheelchair lift wasn’t too jiggly.
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| The inside of the bus. |
From the station, we headed onto Crocker Street, running alongside a common. We turned onto North Main Street from there, then Old Colony Road. The scenery was mostly apartments, but once we merged back onto North Main, there were businesses everywhere.
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| Prepare for lots of back views – rear windows are fun! |
The street turned into South Main Street at another common, and it got residential south of there. We turned onto Spring Street, and after some more houses and an apartment, there was a short woodsey section where we went over a river. The houses came back after that, and we also passed a cemetery.
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| Spring Street. |
We merged onto School Street, which became quite wide as we passed through a huge intersection. On the other side, we entered the Mansfield Crossing shopping complex. Lots of businesses and parking lots lined the road, culminating in a big parking lot for a mall, through which we looped and picked up no one.
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| Was there signage? Ha! |
We went back the way we came, except this time we turned onto the wide Commercial Street (Route 140). It was basically a highway running through the woods, which became even more so when we merged onto I-495. It was only the distance of a single exit, and a close one at that, but it was still cool to have a bit of an “express” section.
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| The section on I-495. |
We turned onto South Main Street once more at the next exit, intermittently passing random businesses with parking lots. When we entered Norton, the street became Mansfield Ave, and soon after we went by an apartment development on one side of the road. We then reached another mall (Great Woods Plaza), and of course we had to go in and serve it! Hey, wanna guess if there was signage or not? Answer: NO!
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| Sigh… |
We went by a trailer park upon returning to Mansfield Ave, but then the scenery got really nice – for a decently long stretch, the street ran alongside or even over the Norton Reservoir! On the land portions, it was a solid mix between houses, businesses, and industrial buildings.
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| Beautiful! |
After the reservoir, it became mostly houses again. Eventually, we turned onto West Main Street in downtown Norton…if it can be called that. It was basically just a common and a church, with a few businesses down Taunton Ave. We turned onto Howard Street, which was lined with Wheaton College buildings, and reached the last stop (with a sign!). Here, we laid over for a bit before leaving again to return to Mansfield.
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| Oh boy…this is not a photogenic bus. |
GATRA Route: Wheaton T Shuttle/Route 140
Ridership: Look, I’m sure this route gets great ridership when school is in session. Sure, it only gets about 80 people per weekday, but that jumps up to around 130 per Saturday – GATRA’s fifth-busiest route. The 140 even has Sunday service when school is in session, and the Wheaton College website goes as far as to call it a “campus favorite.” But on my summer ride? No one. Not a soul.
Pros: The 140 is a quick link (25 minutes) from Wheaton College to the Commuter Rail, and it serves a number of malls and shopping centers along the way. The schedule can be roughly simplified to every 30 minutes rush hour, every 90 minutes during the day, and every hour on weekends, although it’s really not that consistent.
Cons: Well, firstly, a 25 minute trip means you can easily have a clockface schedule, but the 140 refuses to do this most of the time. I also question the 70 minute layover at Mansfield on Saturdays – it’s clearly for the driver’s break, but having a driver switch would allow for one extra trip. Of course, I consider all of this to apply only to school days, because…WHY DOES THIS ROUTE RUN DURING THE SUMMER?! It’s clearly meant for students, and if my Saturday afternoon round trip was any indication, no one uses this thing during school vacation.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Students seem to use this route mostly for shopping, and you can, too! It serves a few malls, with Mansfield Crossing seeming to be the most interesting one.
Final Verdict: 6/10
There’s certainly no denying that the 140 gets ridership during the school year. But based on my experience (maybe it was a quiet day for one reason or another), no one uses this thing during the summer. The schedule could definitely be toned down when school isn’t in session, and could generally be tinkered with to give the route clockface headways. The 140 is definitely a solid route, but it has a lot of problems that need to be fixed.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
GATRA: 15 (Oak Hill)
The 15 is the shortest GATRA route in Attleboro, and also the one with the least ridership, not to mention an inconsistent schedule. What is this strange route? Does it get any passengers? Let’s find out.
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| The bus at the Attleboro Transit Center. |
From Attleboro, we went onto Capron Street, going under the Commuter Rail tracks, then turned onto Union Street. The scenery was pretty industrial, although Union Street had a major stop where a few people boarded the bus. We then turned onto Park Street, which was a mix of houses, businesses, and offices, with some variety in the form of the huge Sturdy Hospital.
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| A side street. |
Park Street became residential from there, the street lined with houses. At one point, we went past a factory, a field, and a gas station in quick succession, and there was an apartment complex soon after. From there, we went by a huge chapel called LaSallete Shrine, which is considered a major stop on the route.
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| The field. |
There was a bit of forest after the shrine, then it became houses once again, aside from a fire station and a seafood restaurant at an intersection. It was residential past there, although we also passed a Mass Audubon nature reserve. There were businesses at Oak Hill Ave, though, onto which we turned. We drove down here for a bit before making a u-turn at the Oak Hill Trailer Park, which is the strange last stop on the route.
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| A nice shelter at Oak Hill. |
GATRA Route: 15 (Oak Hill)
Ridership: The 15 is the least-used route in Attleboro on weekdays, with about 35 total passengers, while on Saturdays, it’s the least-used GATRA route in general, with only about 17 riders. My Saturday ride was surprisingly “busy,” though, with about five other people for the total round trip. Perhaps the 2:30 Saturday trip always gets a surge of riders?
Pros: A GATRA route that doesn’t make deviations? Well, that’s a pro right there! I like the 15’s simplicity in general – it’s a short, straight route that gets the job done and gets it done quickly. As for its schedule, the route generally runs every 60-90 minutes on weekdays, while on Saturdays, it has two morning trips and three afternoon trips – it’s not a lot of service, but it makes sense for the route.
Cons: The thing is, the weekday schedule has some odd quirks. You know how I said it “generally” runs every 60-90 minutes? Well, that’s because there are a few places where it can have a headway as close as 25 minutes! Why? What’s the point? Is it just something for the bus to do while it lays over? Seems like a waste of gasoline…
Nearby and Noteworthy: Mass Audubon reservations are always fun for hiking, while the LaSalette Shrine looks beautiful.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Well…it’s a GATRA route, so I’m giving it a break. To be honest, the 15 is hovering at around a 6.5 for me, but I give the GATRA a lot of hate, so I figured I’d round it up. Don’t get me wrong, this route has its problems, but it wins out with its simplicity and pretty sensible headways (aside for the weird tiny ones on weekdays).
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates