West Medford

Jun 11, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 3 Comments

I’m on a streak of awful Commuter Rail stations here. West Medford is a strange little Zone 1A stop with a weird location. Why are there no stations in the more urban part of Medford? I’m not sure, but until the Green Line extension gets built (if ever), this is the only station in Medford (except for Wellington). It’s terrible.

The trip here was impromptu, so I didn’t have my camera. Thus, all of the photos are courtesy of my friend Shuvom’s phone.

There are a few entrances to the station. One of them is direct from the level crossing on High Street, and it’s as simple as stepping onto the platform. Meanwhile, on residential Playstead Road, a small staircase leads up to the station as well.

Hmm…”parking.”

The third entrance is from the station parking lot, and it’s one of the lamest Commuter Rail lots I’ve ever seen. Relegated to a small corner of the parking for a Rite Aid, the Commuter Rail section only has 34 spaces. Yes, it’s an urban station, but that’s a miniscule amount! The station also has a few bike racks, although the MBTA website denies this.

The stark outbound platform.

The whole station is low-level, and very much so – the step from the ground to the train is huge here. When our train arrived, a conductor had to hold an old lady’s hand to help her leave the train! The outbound side of West Medford is mostly asphalt, with a whole two benches. So much seating space!

The inbound side with its building.

Luckily, the inbound platform offers much more, seating-wise. Near the parking lot entrance there’s a bench with some advertisements right next to it. Other than that, you’ve got a bench in the shelter of the station building, which is much more desirable than the seating inside the building…

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Well, it can hardly be considered “inside,” since it’s just a shelter. But oh my gosh, what a dingy shelter it is. The walls are bare, with peeling paint, and the single light under there is completely shattered. The benches look really uncomfortable, since they have holes all over them, and just look at the litter! No one in their right mind would ever want to wait for a train in here.

Oh hey, it’s the Greenbush locomotive! This train ran express straight through the station.

Station: West Medford

Ridership: I’ll admit, this place does get a lot of ridership. I think the quick ride from here to Boston (13 minutes) is what attracts so many commuters – 819 per weekday, to be exact. Even in the evening rush when I was here, there were still a few locals heading into the city.

Pros: Well, the quick ride is the main pro. This is a dense area with no other rail transit, and the 13 minute ride to Boston is better than the 94, 95, or even the express 326 (the buses that serve West Medford).

Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE. The low-level platform, the lack of parking, the disgustingly dingy building…you can basically name anything about this station and it will most likely be bad.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a good amount of businesses along High Street, and a few of its restaurants look intriguing.

Final Verdict: 2/10
The fact that commuters can get a fast ride from here to Boston is a wonderful thing. But the station they have to use is anything but wonderful. I mean, at least give it a mini-high for accessibility! That step up to the train is huge! Oh, and I forgot to mention that inbound trains stick out onto the level crossing, which seems to have a…person? Yeah, there was a guy who seemed to be doing SOMEthing related to that crossing, and I think he was residing in the “crossing shack” right next to it. Poor dude…he has to hang out at this awful station all day.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

EZRide (Cambridgeport – North Station or Kendall Square)

Jun 11, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 6 Comments

Yes! I finally got a trip on the EZRide! I see these all the time whenever I’m in East Cambridge on a weekday, and I’ve always wondered what the heck they are. Well, the mysteries behind these strange blue buses plying the streets of Cambridge have finally been solved. Let’s see what this service is.

The temporary stop at North Station, a few hundred feet away from the normal one.

The EZRide’s main route is from North Station to Cambridgeport via Kendall. However, it changes pretty drastically based on the time of day. The morning and evening routes are different, while the bus operates as a shuttle loop from Cambridgeport to Kendall Square middays. I took the bus in the morning (thanks to a delayed opening at school), so that’s the route I’ll be covering. You can see the different variations here.

The bus arriving at North Station.

Okay, so the fares are a bit weird, too. The thing is, most EZRide passengers don’t have to pay at all. The majority of its ridership comes from either commuters or MIT students, both of which ride free (participating companies give free EZRide passes, while flashing an MIT ID gets you on the bus at no cost). For anyone else who may be riding, the fare is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for students or seniors.

The inside of the bus.

The bus that came to North Station was one of the older ones, and it didn’t have the greatest interior. The seats had a pretty ugly design, and the general look was quite bland and utilitarian. Worst of all, though, was the destination sign – it was literally just a piece of paper at the front of the bus that the driver would flip around at either terminus! That’s pretty bad…

It’s weird being on a bus over here.

Leaving the North Station stop on Nashua Street, we curved around alongside a park and the Charles River, then turned onto Monsignor O’Brien Highway at Science Park Station. Running alongside the Green Line’s elevated structure, we went by the Museum of Science on the other side. Eventually, we turned onto Museum Way, a strange narrow street lined with apartment buildings and offices.

Where the heck are we??

We then turned onto North Point Boulevard, with undeveloped industrial land on one side and more modern apartments on the other. After passing a park, we turned onto East Street and merged our way under the Green Line once more. We turned onto First Street, going by Lechmere on the right, but not actually going into the busway.

About to go under the Gilmore Bridge on North Point Boulevard.

There were offices on either side, but they got replaced by various small businesses and the behemoth of the CambridgeSide Galleria mall. Weirdly, we made a two-block deviation from the route – it’s supposed to go right onto Binney from First, but instead we made this strange jog via Charles Street and Second Street, then Binney. As we got closer to Kendall Square, we were going by a lot of pharmaceutical companies and the like, because, you know, it’s Kendall Square.

Look! Photographic proof that we went onto Second Street!

As the street curved south, it became Galileo Galilei Way, with still more offices lining it. We paralleled the Grand Junction Railroad for a bit, then turned onto Broadway, passing more – gasp! – offices. After that, we curved around onto Main Street, arriving at Kendall Square Station. However, no one was waiting, so we continued on to Cambridgeport.

The Microsoft building.

We headed down Main Street once more, and with all those offices still lining the street. We crossed over the Grand Junction Railroad, then turned onto Portland Street, which merged onto Albany Street. After that, we turned onto Mass Ave, and it seemed like we were heading into Central Square, but we headed onto Landsdowne Street before that happened.

That building on the left is pretty cool.

Landsdowne Street was lined with…more offices! The University Park MBTA stop was in view, where a bunch of 70s were laying over, then we made a few quick turns onto Pacific Street, then Sydney Street. Now the area was just plain ol’ industrial, with one and two story warehouses and offices everywhere. Once we turned onto Erie Street, it was the last stop, and the driver let me out in this strange neighborhood.

The bus heading down Brookline Street.

Now I had to get back to Kendall Square. I probably could have stayed on the previous bus if I had wanted to, but no…I wanted to ride one of EZRide’s newer buses. And lo and behold, the next bus that came was a new one! I got on it one stop later, just around the corner on Brookline Street.

The bus on Erie Street.

Unfortunately, the inside of this vehicle wasn’t much better. The seats were still ugly (but at least comfortable) and it was very dark. I mean, at least the new buses have proper electronic destination boards unlike the old ones, but it was still disappointing on the inside.

Ehh…

Brookline Street was lined with apartments, but we soon turned onto Pacific Street, where offices once again ruled. However, we did pick some passengers up outside of 70 Pacific Street, an MIT dorm. Then we turned onto Albany Street, passing a mixture of old factories and more MIT buildings.

Going over the Grand Junction.

We turned onto Mass Ave for a block, but only to cross over the Grand Junction Railroad once more. After that, we turned onto Vassar Street along with the CT2, with a big MIT factory on one side. We went by the Stata Center, and since this was a late morning run, it was only going as far as Kendall Square. Thus, we made a simple loop on Galileo Galilei Way, Broadway, and Main Street, arriving at the stop outside of the station.

The bus going back to Cambridgeport, now on its midday routing.

Route: EZRide (Cambridgeport – North Station or Kendall Square)

Ridership: My trips were pretty quiet, since it was the tail end of the “morning” route, hardly even the rush anymore. Outbound from North Station, there were only two other passengers, although there were about 10 students who got on at the dorm coming back. According to The Amateur Planner (whose writer, Ari, works for the company that runs the route), the EZRide gets about 2500 riders per day, and it can get packed during the height of the rush. At other times, though, particularly midday, the route doesn’t get many people at all.

Pros: This is a great, much-needed link between Kendall and North Station to get Commuter Rail riders down to the former. The Cambridgeport section doesn’t get quite as many people, but it’s still a valuable link, as well. Also, though it’s weekdays only (and for good reason), it runs quite frequently: every 7-10 minutes during rush hour, and every 20 minutes midday. Also, the fact that the route is free for MIT students and workers at certain companies is great! If this were an MBTA route, such a deal most certainly wouldn’t be offered, so it’s fantastic that the EZRide is willing to give free fares to those people.

Cons: Two main problems: number one is the fact that the routes change based on the time of day. I understand that this is based on the fact that the evening route caters to MIT students that don’t ride in the morning (as Ari says), but it makes finding the bus awfully confusing. Maybe this doesn’t affect longtime riders, but it’s pretty confusing for me and likely other new passengers. Also, I wish the EZRide’s buses were a bit better. The old ones in particular should really be replaced, although I’m not sure if they actually get enough funding for new buses.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Well…nothing much for people who aren’t students or commuters. I have a friend who once mistook an EZRide bus for the Kendall-Cambridgeside Galleria shuttle route and took it to the mall, so I guess there’s that. But the shuttle is free while the EZRide is not…

Final Verdict: 8/10

Overall, this is a great service that caters to a bunch of commuters and students! I love how those ridership categories don’t have to pay, which also encourages more people to use the route. It runs very frequently, and even though its buses could be better, that’s a small price to pay for a direct North Station-Kendall Square service (and indeed, Cambridgeport-Kendall Square).

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Newtonville

Jun 9, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 8 Comments

Oh no, not a Worcester Line I-90 station! I already inhaled millions of fumes at Auburndale, now I have to review another one? Well, at the very least, Newtonville is slightly better than Auburndale. Slightly. That really isn’t saying much at all.

Ughhhhhhhhhh.

Like Auburndale, Newtonville is right next to the wide Mass Turnpike. It offers two entrances at overpasses on either side of the platform: Walnut Street and Harvard Street. They’re both pretty much the same, with a sign, schedule, and a few newspaper boxes on the Walnut Street side. For the record, Newtonville apparently has 53 parking spaces, but I can’t for the life of me find them on Google Maps.

The Walnut Street entrance.

Okay, one perk that Newtonville has over Auburndale is that the stairs aren’t insanely scary. With the latter station, you can look right down as you’re traversing the staircase and see the ground way below. At least Newtonville’s stairs are wooden, so you can’t actually see through them. This also means that you don’t have to see the rusting going on below them! Yay…

On the platform.

Newtonville has a typical shelter for an I-90 station, meaning it’s awful. It’s all concrete and wooden, with litter everywhere despite lots of wastebaskets being provided. The benches that stick out of the wall of the shelter are terrible, although Newtonville does provide one actual bench – another step up from Auburndale.

Looking down the platform.

The whole rest of the platform is bare. I mean, there’s not even any random highway trash in sight from this station! Yes, I suppose the bags of salt thrown around in certain places are a bit weird, but it’s somewhat clean overall. Just try to ignore the constant sound of thousands of cars hurdling past…

The remains of an old platform.

Now, one huge problem with Newtonville (and the other I-90 stations) is that it only has one platform. That makes this whole section of the line incredibly hard to schedule. But the worst part is that you can actually see the remains of the old second platform at Newtonville! If all the I-90 stations had two platforms, the MBTA could get a lot more flexibility when scheduling Worcester Line trains.

A train leaving around the curve.

Station: Newtonville

Ridership: This is the the station with the second-worst ridership on the Worcester Line, just ahead of West Newton (another I-90 stop). However, although Newtonville only gets 293 inbound riders per weekday, perhaps it gets outbound ridership, too. It has a few bus connections, after all, and it’s still pretty urban and close to Boston.

Pros: Advantages over Auburndale: the stairs aren’t scary and there’s one nice bench. That is all.

Cons: Everything else that was wrong with Auburndale. Loud cars! Decrepit shelter! Not accessible! Only one platform! Strange litter everywhere (though to a lesser extent than Auburndale)! The list goes on and on! Does parking here even exist? Who knows?!

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s a lovely downtown here with small businesses housed in old-looking buildings. Also, this station is right near that Star Market through which I-90 runs, which is interesting. I mean, I’m sure it’s just a generic supermarket, but the highway running under it is kinda cool!

Final Verdict: 2/10
Look! One point better than Auburndale! A 2/10? That’s almost a 3/10! Visit Newtonville, guys, it’s really worth it. Way better than Auburndale, lemme tell you. Honestly, though, the I-90 stations are so good that you should just visit them all! Especially if you like, um, litter. Or…cars. Or something.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Heath Street

Jun 8, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 5 Comments

One line has Alewife. Another line has Wonderland. But none of those can compare to the might and power of…Heath Street? Heath Street, with its strange “V.A. Medical Center” subtitle that sounds like “D.A. Medical Center” on the trains? Not much of a terminus…

The shelter along the inner loop.

The train has a little loop here, and Heath Street is along the loop in a short right-of-way. One of the platforms feels like a typical median E Line station, and it’s great. It has a decent shelter, some wastebaskets, a bit of greenery, and a ticket validator! There’s just one problem…

This is where you ACTUALLY board.

Trains don’t actually board on the platform with all the stuff on it! Instead, you have to use this asphalt strip that A) is further away from the train, since trains go on the inner track, and B) has nothing on it aside from a wastebasket and a pointless wheelchair ramp.

A little building.

The station also has a building that is used by workers. It seems to just be a little office, but there’s also a bench on the outside that could theoretically be used for waiting for the train or the 39 (but the latter has a shelter, too). The other bus connection here is the 14, which actually boards on the loop.

Hey, parking! Wait…

There’s a rather worn-down parking lot within the Heath Street loop, and at first glance, it seemed like a little station lot. However, it turns out it’s parking for V.A. Hospital employees – a hospital, keep in mind, with two parking garages and a few other lots. Does this little 20 space lot really need to be used for employee parking? I mean, Heath Street might benefit with at least a bit of space for cars, even though it’s quite urban.

A train on the loop…

…and heading out towards Lechmere.

Station: Heath Street

Ridership: Heath Street’s ridership isn’t particularly high, with an average of 820 riders per weekday – it’s in the bottom 20 for Green Line stations. This could be for a few reasons: for one thing, the Orange Line is reasonably close, and that offers a much faster ride downtown; also, I’m sure many people opt to take the 39, since the E is often delayed.

Pros: This station does have amenities, and where they exist, they’re pretty good. After all, the platform is nice and wide, with all the street stop necessities, plus a bit of greenery to make everything look nice!

Cons: But the platform is on the wrong side. I understand why the MBTA would want people to board on the right side of the train so that they can pay their fares at the front, but I don’t think this station ever gets crowded enough that a fare dodger wouldn’t be caught by the driver. I mean, they could always put a Customer Service Agent here during rush hour so people can actually use the shelter – I think there’s often someone in that building on weekdays, anyway. It just seems like a waste to have such a lovely platform that no one can use. Also, for the record, the E used to go all the way to Forest Hills, but it was cut back in the 80s. That service will probably never get restored, but it makes a bit of an “incomplete” feeling at Heath Street (the 39 covers the former service).

Nearby and Noteworthy: Apartments and the V.A. Hospital – and not much else.

Final Verdict: 5/10
What a strange little terminus. Honestly, if that platform were in use, the station would probably end up with a 7! But as it stands, people have to wait at the strange asphalt bit with only a wastebasket for company. Opening the left hand doors would make a world of difference for people’s waiting experiences here.

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Fenwood Road, Mission Park, Riverway, and Back of the Hill

Jun 7, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 8 Comments

Nathan and I got on the train at Brigham Circle heading outbound. The train pulled up to a light and waited about 45 seconds for it to change. Finally, we went through the intersection and arrived at the stop just on the other side (a few hundred feet), where Nathan and I ran out of the train as I yelled “THANK YOU!” to the very confused driver. This ride basically epitomizes the street-running section of the E. There really isn’t much to say about these stations – they’re only signs and sometimes a shelter, if you’re lucky – so just enjoy the photos!

Welcome to Fenwood Road. And what’s that platform in the background? Why, I do believe that’s Brigham Circle! Geez…

The inbound Mission Park stop, with a 66 getting in the shot.

Both sides of Riverway are visible here. Strangely, it’s the outbound that gets the shelter.

The stop at Back of the Hill…with Heath Street about five feet away in the background.

A train about to round the curve at Riverway.

Stations: Fenwood Road, Mission Park, Riverway, and Back of the Hill

Ridership: Ohhh, not very high. Not very high at all. Running down the list, Fenwood Road gets 221 riders per weekday, Mission Park gets 548, Riverway has 495, and finally, we have Back of the Hill with a sickly 39 riders – the lowest-ridership station on the entire system.

Pros: The one good thing I can say is that the 39 uses these stops, too. Thus, if the E is being awful (i.e. all the time), you can just get a bus if it happens to come first.

Cons: Um…you do realize these are just bus stops, right? I mean, you’re lucky to even get a shelter at these miserable pieces of junk! Not to mention that the E is so slow over here, since it’s running in mixed traffic. And every time the train makes a stop, it slows everyone down behind it because the train’s in the middle of the street and people have to run out to get into it. At least the 39 pulls over for you, for heaven’s sake!

Nearby and Noteworthy: The scenery is mostly apartments along here, and there isn’t too much to see or visit. Riverway is pretty close to Brookline Village, though, if you feel like taking the slow way there.

Final Verdict: 2/10

Hey, at least some of them have shelters. That’s worth an extra point, right? Geez, I must be in a good mood…

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Brigham Circle

Jun 5, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 1 Comment

Ah…we’re starting to get to the sketchy part of the E. No longer do we have the gorgeous buildings of Northeastern University, the Museum of Fine Arts, or the Longwood Medical Area. No longer do we have super wide platforms. No longer do we have those lovely trees lining the median. No, by this point, all we have is Brigham Circle.

Not the nicest-looking platform in the world…

Brigham Circle has staggered platforms, with the inbound side further east than the outbound. Presumably this is because of limited space in the median, which would certainly make sense – these platforms aren’t as wide as the other stations down the line. Other than that, though, they do have all of the necessities for street stops: two shelters (only one on the outbound, but that makes sense by this point), wastebaskets, accessibility, and a ticket validator.

This platform certainly feels…skinnier.

In fact, it was the only working ticket validator we had come across the whole day! Well…sort of. Nathan and I decided to test it out, and it printed out tickets for us. But when we looked at them, they said they were valid for May 19th…and today was the 22nd! All I can say is that I really hope these things work during the height of the rush hour.

A train on its way to Lechmere.

Station: Brigham Circle

Ridership: Each weekday, the station gets 2,547 riders – slightly below Northeastern. There are still a few hospitals and schools to generate ridership by this point of the line, but you’ve also got a lot of local riders from apartments to the east.

Pros: I feel like I’ve said this with every station, but Brigham Circle has all the necessities of a street stop: shelters, accessibility, wastebaskets, and a sort-of working validator (?).

Cons: Unfortunately, Brigham Circle is slightly worse than the other stations on the line. For one thing, the platforms are much narrower due to limited space on Huntington Ave. Also, the right-of-way is just kind of generic by this point, and downright ugly in certain spots.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few parts of the Longwood Medical Area that this station is slightly closer to than the station of the same name. Other than that, small businesses abound to the east.

Final Verdict: 6/10
Brigham Circle is definitely the lesser of the in-median stations of the E Line. It still has all of the basic amenities you would want, but the platform isn’t as wide, and it’s not as pretty as the stations before it. Still, though…it’s better than the street section. Stay tuned!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Longwood Medical Area

Jun 5, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 4 Comments

Ahh, Longwood Medical Area: the more convenient, but WAY less tranquil alternative to Longwood Station on the D. Oh wait, the D also has a decent schedule and can be reasonably trusted to be on time. As for the E? Yeah, I know I’m just reviewing the stations here, but I’m still gonna diss the E as much as I like!

Ooh, nice curve!

Honestly, Longwood is basically a curved version of Northeastern on a slight hill. I mean, they both have wide platforms, a few wastebaskets, and two shelters. Yes, Longwood lacks outdoor seating and a ticket validator, but other than that, it’s basically identical to Northeastern. Umm…yeah, there really isn’t much else to say with this one.

That’s such a great-looking right-of-way!

Station: Longwood Medical Area

Ridership: Let’s see here…wait, this is the busiest station on all of the Green Line branches? 3,813 passengers per weekday? Wow! I guess I underestimated this place! It helps that this station gets both hospital workers and students, as there are many colleges around Longwood Medical Area.

Pros: This is another good E Line in-median station! It has shelters, a wide platform, wastebaskets – basically all of the basic things to be expected at a street stop.

Cons: It does lack outdoor seating and ticket validators, but that’s about all that’s wrong with this place.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Do you like hospitals? Great! Longwood Medical Area is the place for you! Actually, though, if you don’t mind walking, the D is a much better way of getting here. The E is the closest station to colleges like MassArt, though.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Ultimately, I would say this station is just like Northeastern, minus the benches and ticket validator. It does make up for that by being on a rather nice curve, though! Okay, commuters probably don’t care about that, but it makes for great pictures.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Museum of Fine Arts

Jun 4, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 0 Comments

This is by far the Green Line street stop I use the most, and it’s one of the nicest! Whenever my family goes to the Museum of Fine Arts, we put all our faith into the E (for better or for worse) and head out to the station of the same name. Let’s see what makes this place so great.

Looking down the platform.

I will say that Museum of Fine Arts is very similar to Northeastern in a lot of ways. They both have wide platforms with two shelters on each side, and lots of wastebaskets as well. Although MFA lacks extra outdoor seating, it makes up for it with nicer shelters, lacking the peeling paint that Northeastern’s had. Both stations even have broken CharlieCard validators!

A crossing. And…what’s that strange thing to the left?

There are great pedestrian facilities here, with crosswalks on either end of the station. But what’s this on the outbound side, way at the end of the platform? A wheelchair ramp? What? Yes, Museum of Fine Arts features one of very few wheelchair ramps on the street-running sections of the Green Line. It’s also completely useless, since there are these newfangled things called low-floor trains. Don’t know if you’ve heard of them.

This is probably dangerous, but it’s a cool photo…

All E Line stops connect with the 39, but MFA has a few more bus connections, as well; a plethora of bus routes run down Ruggles Street coming from the Longwood Medical Area or Ruggles Station (and points beyond). And although the routes (the 8, 19, 47, CT2, and CT3) only get a shelter, that’s still better than nothing.

A train stopped at the station.

Argh, this right-of-way is so pretty!

Station: Museum of Fine Arts

Ridership: Surprisingly, this is the lowest-ridership station on the E’s in-median street section. It’s still pretty good for Green Line street stops, though, with 1,683 riders per weekday. Aside from museum-goers, there are also student riders, as we are still very much in college-land here.

Pros: I think this is the best station on the E. It has all the amenities you would want from a street stop, it’s very clean, and the right-of-way looks great! The station even has that strange wheelchair lift.

Cons: Not much! I guess the broken ticket validator and lack of outdoor benches are problems, but these are more annoyances than true issues.

Nearby and Noteworthy: It’s right in the name! The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, too.

Final Verdict: 8/10
Museum of Fine Arts is top-notch for a Green Line street stop. It has all the basic amenities you would expect from a street stop, plus the wheelchair lift! Yes, there could be a few more outdoor benches, but this is a great station overall.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Northeastern University

Jun 1, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 1 Comment

The saga of reviewing Green Line street stops starts right now! The section of the E from Northeastern to Brigham Circle is one of the nicest street-running sections of the Green Line. Of course, it’s the E, so the likelihood of trains being on time is about 0.000001%, but hey! It looks great! Let’s start with the first station out of the portal, Northeastern University.

Looking down the platform.

Northeastern is right at the heart of – you guessed it – Northeastern University, and thus many college buildings surround the station. There are crosswalks to the median of Huntington Ave on either side of the platform. The Green Line right-of-way is very picturesque along this section, with numerous trees lining the tracks.

On the inbound side.

The majority of the platform is unsheltered, but there are still a lot of amenities. Wastebaskets and benches line the platform, interspersed with lovely trees. The station signs still have those old Green Line maps, though, with service to Arborway still considered “suspended” rather than “permanently obliterated.”

The shelters.

Both platforms at Northeastern have two shelters, and since benches run along their whole length, it offers a bunch of protected seating. The station also has those strange CharlieCard validators that let you tap your card and get a paper ticket in return. The one here wasn’t working at the time, but…well, hopefully they work during rush hour.

Um…what?

One strange anomaly about Northeastern is a station sign that’s located beyond the end of the platform heading toward the portal! I have no idea why it’s there – all that lies past the platform is dirt. Perhaps the earthworms residing there need to know which station they’re at…

A train coming into the station…

…and heading into the portal.

Station: Northeastern University

Ridership: With 2,650 riders per day, Northeastern is the 10th busiest Green Line branch stop. Most of this ridership comes from students (of course), and lots of ’em. It’s too bad they have to rely on the worst branch of the Green Line, but I digress.

Pros: In terms of street running stations, this one is great. It has a wide platform with a good amount of shelter and lots of benches, plus those trees really add a lot of character.

Cons: The shelters have a bit of peeling paint, and this station just isn’t as nice as Museum of Fine Arts a few blocks away. Also, the fact that Ruggles is located 0.2 miles from here is kind of insulting – that’s a much better station on a more reliable line that’s only 4 minutes of extra walking! Seriously, just don’t trust the E. Ever.

Nearby and Noteworthy: The surroundings are mostly college buildings, and the student-oriented businesses and restaurants usually associated with them. It’s a pretty busy place.

Final Verdict: 7/10
It may be simple, but Northeastern is definitely one of the better Green Line street stops. Its platform is a good width, with lots of shelter and seating, plus it’s accessible. Yes, it may be on the unreliable E, but the 39 stops right next to the station if you’d rather take that. Also, Ruggles is only a few minutes away. Basically, the E Line will always be terrible, but at least its stations are nice.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Newburyport

Jun 1, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 2 Comments

I remember reading an article about the isolation of Newburyport Station. It talked about how the station is in the middle of nowhere, and it described how vacant the place is at night. I will agree that the station is a hallmark of parking over pedestrians, and I’m sure it can feel awfully foreboding at night, but for tourists coming in during the day? It’s really not that bad.

The platform.

Another view looking the other way.

Of course, Newburyport is the quintessential modern Commuter Rail station, having been built in 1998. This means that it has a pretty bland feeling. The platform is entirely high-level, with two identical metal shelters. One of them is completely useless, though, since it’s way on the north end of the platform where no trains stop! I mean, more shelter is always welcome, but it does mean you have to walk back a bit to get to the train. The rest of the platform is what you would expect, with a few benches and wastebaskets scattered here and there, but not much else.

Cool, a station building – ohhhhhhh…

Newburyport has a building that could house something great! I mean, it used to have a restaurant in it, and it featured bathrooms and sheltered waiting and everything! But…as you can see, it’s been abandoned. Why can’t they at least open up the bathrooms and put some seating in there? It all looks intact!

Oh dear…I think the photographer is drunk. That’s quite crooked.

Still, the building offers some form of shelter in its plaza outside the entrance. However, with no seating space, you’re forced to either stand or sit on the floor. Other points of interest in the “plaza” are a wastebasket, an outdated Commuter Rail map, and a broken payphone.

Can you believe that there are two other lots?

I mentioned that this is the quintessential modern Commuter Rail station, and you know what that means: lots of parking! In fact, way too much parking. The station has 814 spaces, yet they only get 21% occupied on weekdays. As for bike spaces, the station has 22 of ’em, with some by the parking lots and others right on the platform.

*gasp* What’s this?

Another thing that article mentioned was that the walk to downtown Newburyport is long and on roads with no sidewalks. It is a reasonably long walk, at around 25 minutes, but there’s no need to walk along the roads when you have the Clipper City Rail Trail! This pedestrian path has lots of art along its length and starts literally right where the station platform ends. It takes you right downtown, and is a lovely walk.

Why didn’t I include this in my summer shuttle post? Oh well…

Of course, if you’re unable to walk downtown (or you’re just lazy), you can also use the MVRTA services that come to this station. I’ve already discussed the 53, as well as the strange shuttle that just runs downtown, but those are summer-only. Another option is the MVRTA’s year-round service here, the 54, which runs to Salisbury Beach one way (via downtown Newburyport), and to Amesbury the other way. It serves the station every 70 minutes weekdays and Saturdays.

A train with marshland in the background.

Station: Newburyport

Ridership: Per weekday, the station gets two less riders than there are parking spaces – 812 – making it the busiest station on either branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Lines (but Salem, Beverly, and Swampscott get more ridership on the shared section). Still, I find it interesting that the lot only gets 20% full, which means that most people must commute here in other ways. I also wonder if the data is skewed a bit, since this station must get way more riders in the summer than in the winter.

Pros: The platform is fully high-level, which is always a plus, and the two shelters on the platform are welcome, despite being oddly placed. Newburyport certainly offers lots of parking, and it’s a LOT more than necessary, but at least you’ll always get a space! And yes, the station is far from downtown Newburyport, but the Clipper City Rail Trail is a really great walk.

Cons: Well, it’s a modern Commuter Rail station, so don’t expect a lot of character here. However, the Clipper City Rail Trail makes up for that department with its numerous art installations. Newburyport’s building just seems like a wasted opportunity, though. If no restaurant or café wants to occupy, then at least stick some seats in there and reopen the bathrooms! It would help make the station feel more hospitable, especially since it’s basically in the middle of nowhere.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s nothing in the immediate vicinity of the station, of course, but if you walk to downtown Newburyport, you’ll find an absolutely lovely historical place. It’s one of greater Boston’s most charming seaside towns.

Final Verdict: 7/10
If the rail trail didn’t exist, the score would be much lower. But since the trail is there, you can take a scenic trip to downtown Newburyport even though the station isn’t particularly close to it. As for the station itself, it’s boring, but it gets the job done fine. Really, its only main problem is that building that’s completely closed. Do something with that thing, MBTA!
UPDATE 9/30/2018: noahproblem in the comments has told me that a Mexican restaurant now occupies the previously empty building. That’s a good start! We can raise the score up to an 8 for that.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

MVRTA: 53 (Newburyport Summer Shuttle)

May 30, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 1 Comment

Beach day! The MVRTA’s seasonal services started this weekend, one of them being the 53 from Newburyport Station to Plum Island, via downtown Newburyport. Now in its second year of operation, the route is funded by the City of Newburyport, and (at least when I was on) it got hardly any riders! Maybe the ridership will get better as we get further into summer…

The bus in the station parking lot.

We even hit a bit of a snag before we could even get on the bus. Firstly, my friend Anna and I spent a while running around to actually find the stop for the summer shuttle. There was actually a decently-sized sign showing the stop in Lot A of the station, so that’s on us. However, when we tried to get on the first bus that came into the station (simply signed as “Shuttle”), the driver told us he was only going downtown. Yes, it turns out the MVRTA runs a second route from the station to downtown, with its only indication of existence being this awful poster:

“Custom House Shuttle,” huh? Well, I looked at the Custom House website, and THAT doesn’t even give information on it!

Well, anyway, the Plum Island bus came soon after, and we got on. We headed up Boston Way, going by another lot for the station, then turned onto Parker Street, then Graf Road. The surroundings consisted entirely of random office and industrial parks, placed willy-nilly along the roads.

Welcome to beautiful Newburyport!

We then turned onto Low Street, leaving the industrial area and going through an intersection with Route 1. The road was now called Pond Street, and it had houses on one side and a park on the other. After a small shopping plaza, we turned onto Eppa Way, then High Street, going by a really nice pond on one side (part of the park that had bordered Pond Street).

Those are some big houses!

We then turned onto Green Street, which was lined with historic-looking houses and apartments. As we got closer to the water, businesses started to appear as well. We turned onto Merrimac Street for a block, then State Street, going right through downtown Newburyport.

A big pedestrian plaza.

You can normally flag down the shuttle wherever you want, but State Street is a “no stop zone.” However, it does have one official stop right outside of the Newburyport Library with a strange sign saying “Bus Stop Only.” A few people were waiting here, but when the driver asked if they were going to Plum Island, they said they weren’t and stepped away from the bus. Thus, we continued to the end of State, where we turned onto High Street (again), which was lined with historic houses and trees.

This place is so nice!

After a few blocks, we turned onto Federal Street, going by more houses, as well as a church. Next, we swung onto Water Street, an intersection where there was a house from 1690! The street name was an accurate one, as we soon found ourselves right along the gigantic Merrimac River. On the other side of the road, there were huge houses that must be worth a fortune.

That’s a river???

The road became Plum Island Turnpike, and we started to speed past empty fields. Then planes started appearing! Yes, apparently there’s a small airport up here, and the road happened to go right by it! After the airport, it got a lot more marshy, with some great views across the grasses.

Those planes are so small…

In the distance, houses built on stilts over the marshes could be seen. The road then went up onto a bridge, and we were now on Plum Island. After a bit more marshland, we all of a sudden entered the developed part of the island, and the street was lined with tiny beach houses and businesses.

Gotta love marsh views!

The driver made a stop alongside the main Plum Island beach, but no one got on or off. Thus, we curved onto Northern Boulevard, which was almost completely lined with beach houses. They were all tiny, and some of them were on stilts,

Looking down one of the small side streets.

The streets had a numbering system by this point, but it was a bit strange, since the odd-numbered ones were on one side and the even numbers on the other. Finally, at 79th Street, Northern Boulevard ended in a small loop – this was Plum Island Point. The driver let us off and looped around to head back to Newburyport.

The bus along Northern Boulevard.

MVRTA Route: 53 (Newburyport Summer Shuttle)

Ridership: There were only three people going toward Plum Island and four going back to Newburyport. I’m not sure if the ridership is usually this bad, but the service just started operating this weekend, so perhaps it gets more people during the summer.

Pros: This is a fantastic shuttle in theory. A bus from Newburyport Station to Plum Island is a great idea, and the route is incredibly scenic. The fare is only a dollar if you have a CharlieCard ($1.25 otherwise) and you can get a $3.00 day pass if you think you’ll be taking the route a few times. They’re even planning to give it some proper advertising! Take notes, SLOOP.

Cons: Unfortunately, a whole slew of issues drag the shuttle down. Firstly, there’s the route downtown. The bus makes a whole bunch of twists and turns and takes a very indirect route through the city. I guess it’s to make sure that it can serve the library along the one-way State Street, but it ends up getting the bus stuck in traffic and making it late. Still, the library seemed like a busy stop, and the shuttle might be obligated to serve it for one reason or another – if it didn’t have to stop there, it would make more sense for the shuttle to run via Green Street one way and State Street the other, especially since this particular bus really doesn’t need to serve the residential areas along Federal Street (and the 54 serves them, anyway).

Then there’s the schedule, which is a bit of a mess. See, whenever buses run from downtown to Plum Island, the route gets convenient headways of every half hour. But every time a trip runs all the way to the Commuter Rail (they’re timed with trains), it makes an hour-long gap in Plum Island service. Now how can this be fixed? Well, the MVRTA seems to have two shuttle routes in Newburyport, the other being that strange one from the Commuter Rail to downtown. However, that latter route, to my understanding, basically runs empty at all times that don’t correspond with trains. So we have two buses to work with. How about splitting the Newburyport shuttles into two separate services? One can shuttle back and forth from Plum Island to downtown every half hour, and the other can do Commuter Rail to Plum Island trips that correspond with trains, with Commuter Rail to downtown short-turns otherwise. A shuttle day pass would allow you access to both routes. This might make more sense if I map and schedule the idea:

Right, so that ended up being confusing. I tried to accommodate for both Friday and weekend trains with Route 2 (something the 53 doesn’t necessarily do), but it ended up making a really crazy-looking schedule. Still, I think the concept works better – even though there are still hour-long service gaps, this time those gaps are from the Commuter Rail to downtown, which hardly anyone will be using, anyway. Still…it is quite hard to read. Schedules would probably have to be posted at all major stops, since it’s really hard to memorize, unlike Route 1 (or indeed, the 53). If the view there is too small, here’s a link to the full spreadsheet.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Newburyport is a really lovely town, with so many different businesses in a very historic setting! Also, Plum Island is a great beach, particularly up where the bus terminates at Plum Island Point – it’s a lot quieter up there than at the main area further south.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Overall, this shuttle is pretty solid, with a fine schedule and a fine route. Honestly, my schedule concerns are mostly with the other MVRTA shuttle from the Commuter Rail to downtown, since that just seems to be running empty buses all the time (I didn’t get to take it, though, so I could be wrong). Should I get the chance to ride that route this summer, it’ll most likely get a low score for the fact that it seems useless, but the 53 does a decent job at doing what it’s doing. I mean, the hour-long gaps in Plum Island service can be annoying, but the radical schedule changes are mostly to fix the other shuttle. Overall, the MVRTA could do a much better job coordinating and running its Newburyport shuttles. But the 53 on its own? Yeah…it’s not bad!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

West Gloucester

May 29, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 0 Comments

For the record, I wanted to take the 7:22 train back to Boston. But nooooo, Michael wanted to walk somewhere. And I suggested West Gloucester, since it’s reasonably close to downtown Gloucester, where we were. However, we got lost, and after 2 and a half hours of walking through barren woods and bogs, we finally arrived at the station. It’s a strange place at 10 PM…

The station’s “entrance,” as it were.

The entrance we used was this strange pedestrian path from Essex Ave. It had unpaved sections, and was incredibly narrow. It felt like a forest trail or something! There was no signage, so we were using the light of the station as a guidepost. The main entrance is much better signed, with a driveway for cars, further down Essex Ave.

The empty parking lot.

The station has a pretty small parking lot, with 44 spaces. However, this is a perfectly good amount for West Gloucester’s ridership – indeed, the lot only gets about 22% full on weekdays. There are also seven bike spaces here, which again seems like a good amount.

Looking down the platform. There’s Michael sitting under the shelter…

Most of the long outbound platform is bare, save for a few wastebaskets, a completely demolished payphone, and a mini-high way far down. The inbound side (which is much smaller) gets a typical 90s Commuter Rail shelter. It’s made of metal, with a single bench underneath, as well as some wastebaskets and a newspaper box.

Oh gosh…

West Gloucester features some absolutely horrible mini-high platforms! They’re literally just concrete blocks and nothing else. No shelter. No benches. And as a bonus, the inbound side is right across the tracks from an electric substation! Hope you like constant buzzing noises, because you’ll be hearing a lot of ’em!

All of my train pictures were terrible, so here’s a big spider we found while waiting for the train!

Station: West Gloucester

Ridership: Oh, truly amazing! A whole 94 riders per weekday! That’s, like, almost 100! No, this is the third least-used station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, beaten only by Riverworks and Prides Crossing – the former can only be used by GE employees, and the latter gets three trips per day. Admittedly, if you look at West Gloucester on a map, it is in a very woodsy area with not a lot of stuff around it.

Pros: Well…the presence of parking is nice, and it’s certainly enough. And…I guess there’s a shelter. That’s a good thing. CATA stops here, too…three times a day. Hooray?

Cons: Right, well, for starters, there’s the unmarked pedestrian entrance that feels like you have to explore a vast forest just to get into the station! Then there’s the fact that the mini-highs are COMPLETELY bare, with not even a solitary bench to cater to the few commuters who use this place. Or how about the electric substation, buzzing away right next to the station for all to hear?

Nearby and Noteworthy: Nope. There’s no reason why anyone who doesn’t live in or have relations with the surrounding houses should come here.

Final Verdict: 4/10
This station has only the most basic amenities possible, and even that is stretching it (cough, pedestrian entrance, cough). It serves a few very small neighborhoods, and even then, only 94 of its residents use it every day! The spider was a neat find, though…

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

South Acton

May 27, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 3 Comments

I’ll admit, I’m usually against newer Commuter Rail stations. Indeed, South Acton is very new, having finished renovations about six months ago. And yet, it’s a surprisingly nice station – certainly better than the horrible old one. Let’s see it!

Oh no! Closed parking!

South Acton has a rather unassuming entrance along Main Street. There are no T symbols or anything, and a sign casually announces a “dead end”. Yet if you proceed to the end…there you go! South Acton Station! There’s a small relief parking lot here, but the main one is accessed from Central Street – 287 spaces.

That is a foreboding footbridge…

As this is a new station, the platform is fully high-level. Most of it is bare, but there are a few benches here and there, as well as robotic announcements that get broadcast from time to time. They sound awful.

Under the fancy footbridge.

There’s a lot more “stuff” in the sheltered area under the station’s footbridge. Although the ceiling is corrugated (classic modern Commuter Rail), there are more benches here, as well as wastebaskets. The station still had a lot of traffic cones and construction equipment when I was here, but it wasn’t too big of a deal.

Gasp…woahhhhh…

Yes, South Acton does have stairs you can use to get up to the footbridge between platforms, but why would you want to use those? This place has an elevator! It’s super fancy and glass, and it doesn’t smell awful like many MBTA elevators, because…well, the station basically in the middle of nowhere. But still…elevators!

Train pictures are hard at night, okay?

Station: South Acton

Ridership: This is actually the busiest station on the whole Fitchburg Line! 902 inbound riders per weekday may not seem like much, but it’s a full 15% of the line’s overall ridership. I honestly have no idea why South Acton gets so many people, but I guess I can’t complain!

Pros: They did a really good job renovating this station, with a fully high-level platform, a good amount of shelter, lots of seating, and that amazing footbridge with elevators! Modern Commuter Rail stations don’t usually have a lot of character, but South Acton feels quite peaceful.

Cons: Some proper signage would be nice at the station’s entrance, but I think all the locals know where this place is, so it’s not much of a problem. However, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, South Acton doesn’t have enough parking! Okay, there’s no way for me to prove that it needs more parking, but just look at the numbers: 287 spaces in a station with bad pedestrian access that gets over 900 riders per day? Yeah, I think it needs more parking. I can imagine that lot getting filled up on weekdays.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s a small “downtown” near the station, but it really doesn’t have anything worth noting. However, if you walk further up Main Street, you eventually reach The Discovery Museums! The idea of a small science museum in a little town is wonderful, and this place seems quite charming.

Final Verdict: 8/10

I was very pleasantly surprised with South Acton. The renovation greatly improved it from its original state – it used to be a single-track station! Now the station has proper shelters and high-level platforms, both of which make it much better. Plus, it has those elevators!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

West Concord

May 26, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 1 Comment

Well! This is most definitely the superior Concord station, especially compared to the other one. But seriously, West Concord is better than its companion in every way possible! I love this place so much…

There’s a lot to talk about before we even get to the station!

Outside the station, there’s this nice little plaza with so much stuff in it! I mean, you’ve got your classic benches, grass, and trees for starters, but how about the water fountain…that also has a specific place for filling up water bottles? There are also some plants with a unique drainage system for waste from a nearby parking lot! You’ve also got remnants of an old railroad junction, plus a solar garbage can! It’s amazing!

Another great station building!

Moving on, this is another station with a wonderful old station building. This one is put to great use, too, with an entire café inside! It also has a door that leads out to the platform (the inbound side!) in case you need to run and catch a train. The café even has some outdoor seating, including one with a checkerboard on it!

Looking straight down the platform. There’s a train leaving in the distance.

This station is on a straightaway, and the platform feels long as a result. Not much is offered along the majority of it, especially on the outbound side – it’s just a straight line with a few benches or wastebaskets here and there. As for the inbound side, it gets the building, so there’s a bit more sheltered seating. A fence separates the two platforms, but there are a few level crossings used to cross over.

Hooray! It’s accessible!

Yes, unlike its eastern cousin, West Concord actually has wheelchair accessibility in the form of some really charming mini-high platforms! Yes, they may be rusting a bit, but the wooden shelters are just lovely. Each side has only a single bench, but that’s better than nothing, and the shelters can still fit a good amount of people underneath.

Bike parking! And regular parking!

Okay, there isn’t that much bike parking – only 10 spaces. But still, that’s something! And as for car parking, West Concord doesn’t disappoint, with 146 spaces. I think it might still be municipal parking, but the MBTA website says it still has a 20% availability rate on weekdays, so that’s fine! There is a fee, though, at $4.00 per day – although strangely, an old honor box says it’s $5.00. I’m going to trust the website and say it’s $4.00, but you never know.

WOAH.

But despite having a fee, West Concord’s parking completely makes up for it with an electric vehicle charging station. Yes, it may have a 4 hour maximum, so you can’t charge your car all day while working in Boston, but it’s just so cool! Does anyone even use this? Who cares? It’s amazing!

A train coming…

…and going.

Station: West Concord

Ridership: This station is just behind Concord in terms of ridership, making it the 4th-busiest station on the Fitchburg Line! So if West Concord gets 541 riders per weekday and Concord gets 592…gosh, Fitchburg only gets 518 riders! The town of Concord has over double the ridership, yet only half the population of Fitchburg! This is so strange!

Pros: There’s just so much to love about this station! The plaza alone has so much fun, unique stuff, from the solar wastebasket to the old train junction to the plant drainage system. West Concord’s building is beautiful, and put to very good use. Plus, it’s actually on the inbound platform this time! This is the only accessible station in Concord, and…did I mention the electric car charging station? Gosh, I love that.

Cons: There is a level crossing here, but if a train driver stops well, it won’t go down while the train is stopped (at least on the inbound side). Other than that, there really isn’t much wrong here. The parking’s expensive for the Fitchburg Line, but if you really want to drive in, just use nearby South Acton’s cheaper parking (although there’d be a trade-off with fares). Plus, the electric charging station makes up for it!

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s a charming little “downtown” around the station with lots of small businesses. It’s no Concord Center, but it’s something!

Final Verdict: 10/10
You know what? I knew this station would get a 10 from the moment I stepped foot in that amazing plaza. And yes, I did have doubts when I found out about the parking cost (it’s one of the most expensive stations on the Fitchburg Line), but come on! This place just does everything right! It checks all the boxes for a wonderful Commuter Rail station, including lots of character. West Concord manages to combine old elements like the station building and the former track junction with new ones, like the solar garbage can and the electric car charger! This station is as good as it gets.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Concord

May 25, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 3 Comments

Welp, we’re headin’ out to northwestern suburbia now. Don’t let the hillbillies get you! But yes, Concord is actually one of the busiest stations on the Fitchburg Line, and it’s right near the center of town. This place has some great character, but also big flaws. Let’s take a look!

Gosh, I’m such a sucker for character…

Why do the lovely station buildings always have to be on the outbound side? Yes, Concord’s outbound ridership is probably miniscule, but that side of the station does get a really great building. It even has a mural of (presumably) Walden Pond painted all along it! There’s a bench underneath the shelter of the building’s roof, too. As for inside, the old station is occupied by quite a few different businesses, from a fashion store to an optician!

A different kind of building!

Strangely, though, the outbound side doesn’t have a wastebasket, which means litter can accumulate around the bench under the old building. However, this shortcoming is made up for with an ice cream shop further down the platform! I’m not an ice cream fan myself, (“Gasp” from the readers!) but the shop even has a door that leads out to the platform so you can rush out to a train if you have to.

Ohhh…oh nooooooo…

And then there’s the inbound side. Where to begin? How about the cracked, decrepit asphalt along the whole thing? Or maybe the ugly green bus shelter that is the extent of the covering along the platform? Poor inbound riders…they deserve better than this.

Some parking.

There are a few parking lots in the immediate vicinity of Concord, and I’m not sure which ones are official and which ones aren’t. Indeed, the MBTA website says that it’s run by the town of Concord and is free, so it might be generic municipal parking. It’s not a lot, either, with 86 spaces, and if the parking’s municipal, then it must fill up fast. There are also 10 bike spaces here.

An express train, having already whipped past the station!

Station: Concord

Ridership: Well, this kinda puts a bad mark on the Fitchburg Line’s overall ridership – Concord is its third-busiest station after South Acton and Waltham, with 592 riders. The fact that it gets more ridership than Fitchburg is kinda sad, considering the sizes of the two towns (well, Fitchburg is a city, but I digress). Still, I guess lots of people commute from Concord to Boston, and many students use the station to get to and from nearby Concord Academy, so there’s that. But…Fitchburg has over double the population of Concord! Okay, I’m sorry, but this greatly confuses me.

Pros: There’s no denying that the place has character, especially on the outbound platform – that building is simply spectacular. But other than character (and ice cream) Concord really doesn’t offer much. I mean, the parking’s free, but I’m not sure if it’s explicitly station parking or just general use. Such a small lot would get filled up regardless of price, anyway.

Cons: For starters, the inbound platform is a mess. You know how this is one of the busiest stations on the Fitchburg Line? Well, I can’t imagine dozens of commuters trying to cram under that shoddy little bus shelter! Meanwhile, the outbound platform fills up with litter because it doesn’t have a wastebasket (the inbound side has multiple, for reference), and the whole station isn’t even accessible! Finally, the train has to spill out into two level crossings when stopped here, which is always annoying.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Concord is a really lovely town with lots of history. Concord Center is a short walk from the station, and it offers a great small-town feel. Even the little cluster of businesses near the station is worth checking out!

Final Verdict: 5/10
Sorry, Concord, but your beautiful building isn’t gonna save you this time. If the inbound side could get better shelter and some mini-high platforms in general, the rating would shoot up, but at the moment, this station is surprisingly barebones. Yes, it’s charming. Yes, it has ice cream. But it also has level crossings, dodgy parking, and no accessibility. No, thanks.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

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