Abandoned Hospital!
For a change of pace from my usual reviews, here are the photos I took at the abandoned Boston Regional Medical Center! All of the pictures are taken from outside – don’t worry, I didn’t trespass!
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| The beat-up parking lot. |
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| Looking through a glass door. |
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| A narrow hallway. |
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| Some overgrowth. |
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| Heading up to the main entrance. |
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| Getting closer… |
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| This road has seen better days. |
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| Someone needs to empty that wastebasket! |
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| Looking into the main entrance. |
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| A zoomed-in shot. Look at the fallen plaster! |
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| Another corner of the building. |
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| A side of the hospital. |
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| Looking back toward the main entrance. |
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| That looks unsafe… |
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| What a lovely shot of a radiator. |
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| The building again. |
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| An old sign. |
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| Even the church was abandoned! |
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| A rusting door. |
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| How do you even bend a metal sign like that? |
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| A side of the building. |
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| I wonder if that staircase is sturdy… |
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| A bus shelter? What for?! |
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| I don’t think anyone will be smoking around here anymore… |
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| Some sort of utility closet? |
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| Ahhhh, that’s so creepy! I wanna go in so bad! |
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| Another door. |
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| Lots of overgrowth going on here. |
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| More bent metal! |
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| Some loading docks. |
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| Old signs! |
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| These generators were still on… |
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| There was another main entrance down this way. |
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| Are you wondering why that big board is there? |
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| Now you know… |
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| Looking beyond the broken glass. |
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| Some sort of receptionist desk? |
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| That hallway goes on for a while… |
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| Zoomed in on the hallway. |
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| The outside of this particular entrance. |
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| Handicapped only, guys! |
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| This seems isolated. |
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| If this were a horror movie, the creepy ghost child would be sitting in that chair. |
99 (Woodland Road – Wellington Station via Main Street and Malden Center Station)
The MBTA runs a bus route to an abandoned hospital. I’m not sure if I made myself clear enough: THE MBTA RUNS A BUS ROUTE TO AN ABANDONED HOSPITAL. And I mean proper abandoned, like, falling apart and everything! The 99 is the culprit, and it all starts at Wellington Station…
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| The bus letting some people off at Wellington. |
Leaving Wellington, we made our way out to Revere Beach Parkway, where traffic was thankfully light. We went on a bridge over the Malden River, and since this was a Saturday trip, we merged onto Mystic View Road to serve the Gateway Center mall. Thus, we circled around a big parking lot, picked up a few people, and headed back up the way we came.
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| That blotch on the window to the left ruined the picture! |
We went back around the rotary and onto Revere Beach Parkway again. Eventually we reached another rotary, where we merged around up to Main Street, which was much narrower and lined with businesses and apartments. It was a pretty good mix, with some intersections offering lots of retail, while other times the surroundings were mostly residential.
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| Looking down Eastern Ave. |
We passed a park, and soon after we entered Malden Center. For some reason, the 99 runs along the northern side of Malden heading outbound, so we continued past lots of businesses on Main Street. We then turned onto the wide Florence Street, going over a parking lot while passing apartment buildings and houses. The street curved south, but we bypassed the eastern busway at Malden Center, instead going under the Orange Line tracks and around to the other side.
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| The view of the parking lot. |
Leaving the western busway, we headed up Summer Street, passing an apartment building and some businesses. We then turned onto Clifton Street, which was a local road lined with houses. Eventually, we reached a park, where we made two quick turns onto Highland Ave, then Savin Street.
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| Rounding the corner of the park. |
We went by a cemetery, then the narrow street curved up and around a hill. The driver floored it past the houses lining the road until we twisted around to a parking lot for the Malden Family Health Center. This hospital wasn’t abandoned, but it was under construction, so the driver swung around the parking lot and we headed all the way back to the park without any new passengers (although there was no one on the bus, anyway).
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| Ah, the Fellsway is such a nice road! |
We turned back onto Highland Ave, continuing north this time. We went around a rotary at the Fellsway, and the street went up a slight hill, still lined with houses. This continued all the way up to Molineaux Circle, where there was a gas station, an apartment building, and a skating rink.
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| Another shot of the Fellsway! I’m sorry, it’s just so nice. |
Molineaux Circle also marked the end of civilization, except the bus just kept on going. We floored it down Woodland Road, which was an apt name – we were in the middle of the forest. Eventually, the bus pulled into a parking lot next to a huge building with peeling paint. Yes, it was the terminus at the Boston Regional Medical Center, closed since 1999.
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| Oh my, that’s a decrepit stop… |
The hospital used to have what probably was a decent bus shelter! However, by now, all but one of the glass windows has fallen out, and it’s just kind of…there. It had a hard wooden bench with lots of graffiti everywhere, as well as a perpetually lit CFL light. Yet the bus stop pales in comparison to the rest of the hospital! I can put my pictures up on the blog if you guys want – they’re pretty amazing.
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| The bus underneath the peeling paint of the first balcony. |
Route: 99 (Boston Regional Medical Center – Wellington Station via Main Street and Malden Center Station)
Ridership: On my ride? Hardly anyone! There were less than 10 people on both my outbound and inbound trips, and all of them were confined to the shared section with the 106! Literally no one went north of Malden Center. The route’s ridership is surprisingly high overall, though, with 1,555 riders per weekday, 1,049 per Saturday, and 591 per Sunday. Still, I’ll bet most of that weekend ridership is on the shared section, if my ride is to judge.
Pros: Well, I guess the route does serve a little pocket of houses in suburban parts of Malden and Medford, which is good. And it provides very frequent service during rush hour – every 15-20 minutes. Serving Gateway Center on Saturdays makes sense, and a good amount of the low ridership on my trips came from there.
Cons: Alright, let’s start with the obvious: THIS ROUTE TERMINATES AT AN ABANDONED HOSPITAL IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Moving on, the 99 has a really inconsistent schedule, running intermittent 40-45 minute headways on weekdays and every 50 minutes on Saturdays. Aside from nights and Sundays, with every hour service, the 99 has no coordination with the 106, which means you can end up playing leapfrog like what happened on my ride back from the – oh yeah – ABANDONED HOSPITAL. Additionally, the deviation to serve the Malden Family Health Center is completely unnecessary on weekends, and the bus basically rockets up there only to speed back down, like the driver wants to get through it as fast as possible. Honestly, though, I would argue that this route doesn’t need to run at all on weekends. I mean, the 106 has 30 minute service on Saturdays, which is perfectly capable of handling traffic between Wellington and Malden – and the 99 past Malden gets no one, so what’s the point? Sunday is a different story, where the 99 and 106 alternate to form every 30 minute service, but this could be amended by running 106 short-turns only between Wellington and Malden on the hour. Finally, and I’m not sure if I mentioned this, but the 99 terminates at an ABANDONED HOSPITAL. WHYYYYY?
Nearby and Noteworthy: Well…the abandoned hospital. Yes, it’s insanely cool to explore, although the “No Trespassing” signs discouraged my friend Mariana and I from actually entering the building (despite the fact that one of the doors was open). But that doesn’t mean the bus should run through the woods to serve it!
Final Verdict: 5/10
Yes, the 99 may get somewhat busy during rush hour (including passengers to an office park near the Boston Regional Medical Center), but other than that, it really doesn’t need the level of service that it gets. IF the bus were to continue running on weekends, the Malden Family Health Center deviation could be axed and the bus could terminate at Molineaux Circle or close by. Honestly, though, this route doesn’t need weekend service. The 106 does a fine job on its own, and additional short-turns on that route on Sundays would cover the loss of 99 service.
UPDATE: The MBTA changed the terminus name to “Woodland Road”, but it’s still the same place. So…whatever.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
411 (Kennedy Drive or Jack Satter House – Malden Center Station)
The 411 has to be one of the most diverse – and crazy – routes on the MBTA. It includes a few strange deviations, including one through marshland in Revere! Keep in mind that this route sometimes uses new Excelsior buses, so it can be very odd to see them up north of Wonderland. Let’s take a look at this madness.
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| The bus arriving at Malden. |
With lots of commuter passengers on board, we left the Malden Center busway and headed out onto Centre Street. Some more people got on outside of Super Stop and Shop, then we turned onto Main Street, running along Malden Center’s main drag. Continuing onto Salem Street, we passed Malden High School, then it became a mixture of houses and businesses.
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| I love this house! |
Eventually, we turned onto Broadway, going up a slight hill. It started to get a bit industrial, but before the scenery got too awful, we turned onto Central Ave. This street was lined with houses, although we soon turned onto Kennedy Drive, passing through a gate to enter the Granada Highlands Complex. We made a loop around it, going by apartments and various leisure activities for the residents before leaving the complex.
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| A different apartment building on Broadway. |
The street curved around to parallel Route 1 for a bit, and we continued to run alongside the highway when we turned onto Salem Street. We then turned onto Lynn Street, which was lined with houses. Reaching industrial Linden Square, we turned onto the insanely wide Squire Road, passing Showcase Cinemas with its huge parking lot.
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| The view of the theater. |
At an interchange with Route 1, we headed around a massive rotary, and there were lots of parking lots on the other side of it – they were practically lining Squire Road. We turned onto Charger Street, running along an industrial area next to Northgate, but then we headed into the mall itself. After dropping off some passengers there, we returned the way we came, all the way back to Linden Square.
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| What lovely lighting for such an awful parking lot. |
Back at Linden, we made a really sharp curve onto Washington Ave, which became residential. We then turned onto Malden Street, going under Route 1 and passing very dense houses. The street eventually curved to the right, but the houses felt never-ending…well, until they ended.
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| This pair of streets is awesome! |
Near a school, Malden Street went up onto a slight hill, and it was all businesses when we turned onto Broadway. This is where the 411 splits, with the inbound route following the 117 and the outbound route following the 116. Since we were heading outbound, we turned onto Revere Street a block later, running along with the 116.
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| The intersection with American Legion Highway. |
After some houses, there was some pretty ugly scenery at the intersection with American Legion Highway, where a lot of express routes into Boston run. After that, Revere Street made a few curves, passing houses, apartments, and the occasional business. We crossed over the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail tracks, then turned onto North Shore Road, going by all houses. Eventually they fell away into just parking lots, and we went around a rotary into the Wonderland busway.
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| Some apartment buildings next to the station. |
My friend Nathan and I could’ve stayed on the bus to continue to Jack Satter House, but we decided to wait for the next one instead, since we knew it would be an Excelsior. While waiting, we walked out to Revere Beach over Wonderland’s fantastic Zakim Bridge replica. It was a little eerie in the darkening sky with a light rain coming down. We also got a few pictures of our previous bus returning from Jack Satter.
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| The beach! |
We returned to the busway and caught the next bus, continuing the journey. Once again, we headed up North Shore Road, but continued past Revere Street this time. The houses gave way to marshland, but it was all so weird because we were on an Excelsior! Those buses never go to this part of the MBTA except when they’re on the 411. Eventually, we turned onto Oak Island Street, making a stop right outside of the Jack Satter House apartment building and Revere Beach.
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| And here we see the gorgeous Jack Satter House, featured in an amazing photograph. |
We turned onto Revere Beach Boulevard, with restaurants and apartments on one side and Revere Beach on the other. However, we had to move a block away from the beach when we made our way onto Ocean Ave instead. The scenery consisted of trees and parking lots, including a Wonderland back lot from which the station can be accessed.
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| Prepare for an onslaught of pictures from the Zakim Bridge replica! I love these so much. |
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| The bus getting closer. |
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| Going by in a blur. |
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| Goodbye! |
We continued down Ocean Ave, going by some huge concrete apartment buildings. Finally, we turned onto Beach Street, crossing over the Blue Line tracks at Revere Beach Station. This is where Nathan and I got off to head onto the Blue Line, but the rest of the 411’s loop just follows the 117, then runs up Broadway a bit more to rejoin the outbound route.
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| Excelsior! What are you doing up here?! |
Route: 411 (Kennedy Drive or Jack Satter House – Malden Center Station)
Ridership: It’s pretty low overall, with only 1,087 riders per weekday and 563 per Saturday. However, this could be because the route has a bunch of little pockets of ridership – no one rides this from beginning to end. Generally, you’ve got a lot of commuters from Malden Center to Granada, then there’s a shopper contingency from Granada to Northgate. After that, buses are quiet up to Wonderland, where there’s another group of riders that take the route from the station to Jack Satter House. My rush hour trip had about 45 riders in total, but most of them got off between Malden Center and Granada.
Pros: Well, for one thing, it’s a really fun ride! It runs between two completely different parts of greater Boston – three if you count the marshland north of Wonderland! And of course, that means that the route also serves a lot. During the morning rush, it only runs between Malden Center and Granada, but it does so every 10-25 minutes. Otherwise, the 411 is less frequent, with every 25 minute service during the evening rush, every 65 minutes during the day, and every 70 minutes on Saturdays. However, this is a fine schedule for such a long, twisty route with a lot of shared sections.
Cons: Oh, that “twisty” part is very accurate. The section from Malden Center to Granada is direct, but you’re in for a ride once you get past there. There are lots of twists and turns, including that long Northgate deviation, and the fact that it runs down Ocean Ave after Jack Satter House forces it to make a huge loop around Revere. It kinda feels like a few different routes patched together, which, in a sense, it is.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There are lots of small businesses along the route (plus Revere Beach), but it’s almost guaranteed that the 411 is the least direct way of getting to any of them!
Final Verdict: 7/10
This is one of those routes that feels the urge to “serve” everything in its path, with deviations to Granada and Northgate. However, though it takes forever to do the whole route, no one is taking this from beginning to end. The deviations are mostly places where ridership swaps over, with most of the bus getting off and new people getting on – they don’t inconvenience too many through riders. I mean, if you really want to get between the Orange Line and the Blue Line, the 110 does it in half the time! As for the 411, it may be completely insane, but it serves a few little ridership pockets, and it’s a heck of a fun ride.
UPDATE 9/1/19: The route only runs past Kennedy Drive (er…”Granada Highlands”) during middays on weekdays. I also have no idea why I gave this awful route a 7 when it deserves, like, a 4 at best.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
430 (Saugus Center – Malden Center Station via Square One Mall)
After the wonderful downtowns of Wakefield and Peabody, I had high hopes for Saugus Center. Unfortunately, as my friend Nathan and I stepped off an outbound 428, it was clear that it wasn’t much. Standing next to a rotary with only a few gas stations and pizza joints for company, we waited for the next 430 back to civilization.
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| Okay, that house in the background is admittedly fantastic. |
Before returning to Malden, though, the 430 first does a little loop north of Saugus Center, so we set out on that. We headed up Central Street, which was residential until we passed the Saugus Iron Works historical sight. And it’s quite historical indeed – the first ironworks in North America, according to the always-trustworthy Wikipedia!
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| There’s the iron works! Can’t really see much… |
We turned onto Appleton Street, which was lined with houses once more. Soon we reached a field, where we turned onto Summer Street. We hit Main Street eventually, which took us back into Saugus Center, where we went around the rotary again. Turning off at Central Street, we finally began the inbound route proper.
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| The rotary in Saugus Center, taken while we were waiting. That car really ruined the shot. |
There were a few businesses south of the center, but it soon became just houses. We passed the Saugus Senior Center, and soon after, we turned onto Lincoln Street, connecting with the other three Saugus buses at Cliftondale Square. There was lots of retail here, of course.
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| The turn onto Lincoln Street. |
Going around a rotary, we headed down Essex Street with the 429. It was residential once more, aside from a field and a seemingly-unused train track. We merged onto Vine Street, which curved past more houses, then we turned onto Main Street – less than 10 blocks away from our Saugus Center starting point.
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| “Mmm…gotta love Route 1,” said nobody ever. |
We went around a highway ramp with a sharp curve onto Route 1, however we soon exited off to serve the Square One Mall. After many shoppers got on the bus (including an old lady who paid her entire fare in small change), we had to take an indirect route out of the mall through its parking lot. However, we eventually made it onto Essex Street, and then back onto Route 1.
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| “Mmm…gotta love malls,” said nobody ever. Oh wait, lots of people like malls. Never mind… |
We passed some typical Route 1 scenery for a little bit (auto shops, fast food, strange highway motels, etc.), then merged onto Broadway. It was industrial, with a lot of empty parking lots next to strange businesses. As we were joined by the 411, now in Malden, the street got residential, including a big apartment building.
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| A quarry. |
We turned onto Salem Street, joining the 108. This was typical Malden scenery, with houses most of the time and retail blocks at major intersections. There were a few breaks to the pattern, though, including some apartment buildings, a school, and various religious buildings.
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| Some generic buildings near Malden Center. |
It started to get denser as we got closer to Malden Center. After passing the high school, the surrounding buildings got much taller. We went through the Center’s main pedestrian business area, but once we turned onto the wide Centre Street, it became parking lots, office buildings, and huge stores. Finally, we turned onto Commercial Street, then entered the Malden Center busway.
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| The bus getting ready to go back to Saugus. |
Route: 430 (Saugus Center – Malden Center Station via Square One Mall)’
Ridership: For such a suburban route, the 430 gets pretty decent ridership, with 1,292 riders per weekday and 739 riders per Saturday. My trip was inbound during the evening, so I wasn’t expecting too many passengers, yet there were still a bunch of shoppers heading home from Square One. In total, my ride had about 25 riders, which is great for a reverse-peak trip!
Pros: This bus serves a lot of Saugus, and connects it all up to the Orange Line! It’s also the only weekend route to serve Saugus Center, and the only link from Square One to a subway station. Thus, it has a pretty good schedule considering its suburban nature – every 25 minutes during rush hour, every 65 minutes during the day, and every 70 minutes on Saturdays. The route also has two night trips that additionally serve the Granada Highlands Complex to cover for the 411, which stops running earlier in the day.
Cons: The route in Saugus is really, really indirect – it essentially makes a sideways “s”. Also, the loop at Saugus Center seems pretty unnecessary outside of rush hour. It basically just serves a residential neighborhood, and it seems like the bus mostly runs empty around the loop.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few downtowns along the route, Malden Center and Cliftondale Square being the two interesting-looking ones. Also, the Saugus loop does have one other purpose, and that’s to serve the Saugus Iron Works! I can’t imagine anyone ever using the bus to get there, but you could be the first!
Final Verdict: 8/10
Up until Square One, the 430 is a very direct link between Malden Center and Saugus. And even with its indirect routing, it does mean that the route serves more, and it’s still the only route from Saugus to the Orange Line. Sunday service would be a bit much, but I’m glad the route has Saturday service, too, in order to cater to shoppers. Overall, the 430 may not be the most premier of MBTA bus routes, but it gets its job done!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
WRTA: 22 (Union Station Hub – Shoppes at Blackstone Valley via Millbury Center)
It’s strange that despite taking a way more indirect route than the 4, the 22 somehow manages to only take three minutes longer to get from Worcester to Blackstone Valley. Whereas the 4 has a lengthy express section and is mostly direct, the 22 is all local and deviates to serve Milford Center. It’s one of the WRTA’s longer routes (in that it actually leaves Worcester, which a lot of routes don’t), so let’s take a look.
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| After reviewing two WRTA routes with Proterras, this Gillig looks kinda boring… |
Unfortunately, though the electric Proterra buses are awesome, the bulk of WRTA routes use Gilligs, and the 22 is no exception. On the inside, it felt like any other bus on a regional system, with cords to request stops and mostly forward-facing seats. Also, along the whole ride, the driver kept yelling “You two in the back! Are you too cold?” And my friend Nathan and I would say “No, we’re good,” and she would respond with “Okay, just checking.” This happened at least three times! I guess it was a nice gesture…
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| The inside of the bus. |
WRTA buses have to do a bit of a strange loop to get out of the Blackstone complex, so we circled around the back of the mall, passing lots of loading docks. We then looped back around, now on the edge of the parking lot. There was a great view looking down a cliff on which the mall is situated, then we finally returned to the main road and left the complex.
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| Well…consider that photo attempt a failure. |
We were now on North Main Street, which crossed over Route 146. The road started to curve south, lined with suburban houses. As we continued, they slowly got denser and denser until we arrived at Millbury Center. Here, we were surrounded by businesses, which kept going as we turned onto Elm Street. There were some houses when we turned onto Canal Street, then it got industrial as we headed north along Howe Ave.
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| Ahhh…lovely Millbury Center. |
There was a short forest section where we passed a pond and went under some pylons. The street became Millbury Ave and the houses returned once more, interspersed with a bit of retail as we progressed further north. We passed under I-90, and as we crossed Route 20, the street became Massasoit Road and we entered Worcester.
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| Some industrial scenery around Route 20. |
The houses were denser now, and they only continued to get closer together. We passed a field, but nothing much broke the residences for quite a while. Eventually, though, we went by a school and a church, and then all of a sudden, there were apartments and businesses everywhere.
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| An urban side street. |
However, we unexpectedly turned onto Dorchester Street, which was narrow and very hilly. In fact, buses have to bypass this section during heavy snow periods to avoid slipping. We climbed up a very steep incline, going by mostly apartments, but also two schools. The other side of the hill was also very steep as we descended down to Vernon Street, onto which we turned.
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| The intersection with Vernon Street. |
This street was still lined with apartments. We crossed over I-295, and it got a bit industrial as we merged onto Green Street. However, the surroundings soon turned to businesses as we went under some train tracks. Finally, we turned onto Foster Street, and entered Worcester Central Hub right after.
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| The bus back at the Central Hub. |
WRTA Route: 22 (Union Station Hub – Shoppes at Blackstone Valley via Millbury Center)
Ridership: See, this is a perfect example of why the WRTA should publish ridership statistics! My ride only had five people, and they all came from Blackstone (which was odd), but I have no way of knowing if other trips are more popular. We were going against the peak direction, after all.
Pros: This is the only bus that serves Millbury Center, which presumably gives it some good local and commuter ridership. Indeed, this is basically the only bus that serves Millbury, since the 4 runs express through the town. The 22 also has a pretty good schedule, running every hour on Saturdays and about every hour on weekdays.
Cons: The key word is that “about” – the route actually runs anywhere from every 66 minutes to every 77 minutes on weekdays! The times the bus leaves the Central Hub are complete madness, and there’s not much that can be done about that given its length, but it’s really annoying. Additionally, and this is another issue with not knowing the route’s ridership, the bus could theoretically run on Sundays, but I would have to know how many passengers it gets on Saturdays before making that call.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Eh…I would have to say Blackstone again, since the 22 takes only a few minutes longer to get there than the 4. Millbury Center just doesn’t seem that interesting, and most of the rest of the route is suburbs.
Final Verdict: 7/10
The 22 definitely serves a lot, and despite taking an indirect route, it’s still a quick way of getting to The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley. After all, every rider on my trip came from the mall, so clearly the route is seen as an equal to the 4. The 22’s schedule is a lot less consistent than the 4’s, though, and that ultimately puts my bias toward the latter, but for Millbury riders, this is a great bus. Monday through Saturday, at least.
UPDATE (6/24/17): This route was eliminated by the WRTA! Most of the sections are covered by a newly-extended 1 or 4.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
GUEST POST: 171 (Dudley Station – Logan Airport via Andrew Station)
Sam Hegg got to ride on the incredibly rare 171, and wrote a fantastic review of the route. Thanks, Sam!
The 171 is a special route because it only runs two one way trips to the airport. Sure, there are a lot of routes that run one or two trips a day, but what makes this route even more special is that these leave Dudley (the starting point of the route) at the lovely hours of 3:50 AM and then again at 4:20 AM, which made riding the route all the more challenging. So when my friend wanted to ride the 171 and pay for the Uber to get to Dudley, I couldn’t resist the urge to ride the last route I’ve never before taken.
I should explain how early morning service works (meaning 3 AM to 4:30 or so) before I begin with the route review. All buses from the 171 come off of a special variant of the 15 that begins in Ashmont, runs up Dorchester Avenue (like the 18) and then like a 15 from there to Dudley. Also operating at this hour are northbound only 28 trips that run Mattapan-Dudley, which are run by one bus that picks up people going to Dudley, then runs out of service back to Mattapan. These are run to connect the people on Blue Hill Avenue to the 171 route. Finally, the 171 gets these people from the 15 and 28 to Andrew and the Airport.
The front half of the bus was mostly filled with MBTA employees having a conversation as we left Dudley Station at 3:50 AM. We went up Washington, made a right on Melnea Cass and a left on Harrison Avenue. We made a loop through BU Medical Center where no one got on or off. A T employee got off after the loop however, probably walking to a nearby bus garage.
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| The interior of the bus. |
Then the bus went down Mass Ave and through Newmarket Square. There were two stops named “Newmarket Square” in fact. We stopped across from the Southampton Garage (where all 60 foot buses are stored) to let out another employee, who the other employees sent off with wishes for a good day.
Just over the bridge from Southampton Garage is Andrew Station. Some people got off here, but mostly it was people getting on. The bus was pretty crowded at this point. I’d estimate 20-25 people were onboard as we left Andrew.
The bus made a left out of the Andrew busway and ran down Dorchester Avenue. An unofficial stop was made outside of Cabot Garage near Broadway to drop off all of the remaining T employees, who thanked the driver and said their farewells until tomorrow.
We passed right by Broadway Station and then made a right turn onto Broadway (the street the 9 runs on). We then cut through Southie to the same entry point that the SL1 uses to enter the highway, where the driver floored the bus.
A steady stream of passengers got off at each of the terminals. Even though the bus is supposed to go as far as Airport Station, nobody goes there and the 171 will usually end at Terminal E, where it will deadhead to Southie and start another route.
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| The back of the bus at the airport… |
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| …and the front. |
Ridership: Pretty good for 4:00 AM. Most of the people came from the early 15 and 28 trips with a few people boarding at Dudley and a few more at Andrew.
Pros: An early link to the Airport for those who need it. This bus is also great for T employees as it gives them another option to get to work.
Cons: It’s a shame the bus doesn’t run a wider variety of service hours. Heck, most routes haven’t even started service by the time the 171 ends! I think a route connecting Dudley, Andrew, and the Airport would get people at other hours in the day as well as the hours it currently runs.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Well, there’s the beautiful Dudley Square, the upscale BU Medical Center, the marvelous Andrew Square, and the serene Logan Airport. And if you’re a Bostonian, you know I’m being sarcastic.
Final Verdict: 6/10
This bus does its job of a sort of “early morning owl” so to speak. For a bus at 4 in the morning it certainly gets people, and it’s pretty much the only public transportation option in the area at that hour. The schedule could DEFINITELY be better, but overall I’m impressed with the 171.
WRTA: 4 (Union Station Hub – The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley via Millbury Street)
The 4 doesn’t seem like the most noteworthy route at first glance – it’s a pretty short one that runs between Worcester and some suburban mall. However, it has two factors that make it an interesting ride. The first is that the route has a lengthy express portion, which can be fun. The second is that it uses all-electric Proterra buses. This makes the express part even more fun!
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| The bus charging at the Central Hub. |
From the Central Hub, we looped around a rotary, and after a quick run down Foster Street, we turned onto Green Street. This went under some train tracks and became lined with small businesses, occasionally with apartments on top. We passed through an industrial area with abandoned buildings and empty plots of land, which continued as we turned onto the narrow one-way Harding Street.
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| A dirt parking lot, I guess? |
Around this time, my friend Nathan and I were discussing the small towns surrounding Worcester, when this large man in an overly-revealing tank top shouted “Hey! Hey, young guy!” I turned around. “I was just trying to figure out where you’re from,” he said, “I can’t tell from your accents.” We told him we were from Cambridge. “Oh, okay,” he replied.
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| A complicated intersection. |
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| At least this parking lot is paved. |
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| The turn onto Millbury Street. |
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| A car wash with a residential hill in the background. |
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| Crossing the highway on McKeon Road with the Wal-mart in view. |
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| WOO! PARTY TIME! ALL RIGHT! |
UPDATE (6/24/17): This route has been extended to serve Millbury Center to cover for the eliminated 22. Now its schedule is kind of awful and inconsistent…
WRTA: 80 (Downtown Hub Loop)
This is a bit of a strange one, because this bus doesn’t exist. You know, usually I link to a page on the authority’s website about the route I’m reviewing, but that can’t be done for the WRTA’s 80 because it literally doesn’t have a schedule page! The only way to find out it exists is by looking at the system map and finding it in the bottom right corner! Indeed, my friend Nathan and I only discovered it by looking at the countdown clocks in the WRTA Central Hub.
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| Ooooooooooh. |
Oh yes, the 80 was using one of the WRTA’s Proterra buses! They’re battery-powered, totally electric, and really really cool-looking. In fact, the WRTA apparently has the largest electric bus fleet in North America! These buses are really worth a ride, even if only for a short distance. Actually, the 80 is perfect for a quick ride, especially since it’s free! We had no idea this was the case, though, since there’s NO INDICATION OF THIS ON THE WEBSITE, but yeah – free downtown shuttle!
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| Woah… |
The Proterra was amazing inside. It felt super clean and modern with bright lights, fancy seats, and a rear window. There were automatic announcements for major stops, but the bus itself was really quiet. It had a similar sound to trackless trolleys, which would make sense considering that they’re both electric.
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| Sitting at the back made for some really fun pictures. |
Heading out of the Central Hub, we circled around a rotary outside of the Union Station building, then twisted back to Front Street. We passed along a construction site, then turned onto Church Street, which went alongside Worcester Common. After that, we made a bit of a sharp curve onto Franklin Street, rounding the corner alongside the Common.
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| That’s a tall building… |
At Worcester City Hall, we turned onto Main Street. Where there were offices before, this street was now lined with lots of businesses and apartments on top. As they started to dwindle out and get replaced by parking lots, we turned onto Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, which passed Worcester District Court and led to an intersection with modern buildings.
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| The businesses on Main Street. |
Next, we turned onto Major Taylor Boulevard, which was flanked by offices and a hospital. We merged onto the wide Foster Street, which continued around the hospital and past a parking lot. Finally, it led us back to the Central Hub, completing the short little loop.
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| The bus back in the hub. |
WRTA Route: 80 (Downtown Hub Loop)
Ridership: On my trip, there were only two other people. One was a woman who went from downtown to the Central Hub, while the other was a talkative old man who loudly discussed how places used to look “before any of these new buildings were even here!” He only went for a few stops. WRTA doesn’t publish ridership statistics, unfortunately, but a quick conversation with the driver revealed that the 80 gets good ridership in the morning, but not so much in the afternoon. I’m not sure why that would be, but a driver of the route is a trustworthy source, so I believe it!
Pros: This is a really great little loop! It serves most of Worcester’s “downtown” area, and though it only runs on weekdays, it’s every 15 minutes since the loop is so short. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? There’s really only one problem with the route…
Cons: IT DOESN’T EXIST. When I say that, I mean that it gets NO MENTION AT ALL on the WRTA website! And gee, it turns out the shuttle was added three years ago to boost downtown businesses when the WRTA’s hub moved to its current location! But this news story says that “only a handful of riders” uses it – wonder how that could be fixed. It’s a simple webpage, guys, it’s not that hard! Geez, at least the SLOOP got an online schedule! The 80 has literally nothing! You know the schedule information I wrote in the “pros” section? I had to find that out from the driver. This is NOT how you run a bus service!
Nearby and Noteworthy: The 80 serves basically all of downtown Worcester! And sure, none of it is a particularly long walk from the Central Hub, but the bus is free! If you’re tired or have heavy bags (or just want to take a ride in an electric bus), you might as well give it a try!
Final Verdict: 5/10 (but the route is a 9)
The 80 is basically in the same boat as the SLOOP, except that this ship has already hit the iceberg. It seems like the shuttle gets decent ridership now (according to the driver, at least), but that’s no excuse for not publishing a schedule! And yes, at some point there could be advertising for the fact that Worcester has a free shuttle, marketing to out-of-towners or non-commuters, but an online schedule – heck, an online mention – is needed as soon as possible. This is a really great route, but gosh, guys, give it some dignity!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Worcester
It was 2:29 PM. I was perched just inside the doorway of my Chemistry classroom, ready to bolt. Suddenly, the chime of the bell went off, and I sprinted out of the room, just ahead of Nathan across the hall. We both dodged around the crowds heading down the stairs and burst out of the school, running across the courtyard. Nathan had planned it all out – we had to get the 2:36 Red Line train to Braintree in order to make it to the 2:55 Commuter Rail trip to Worcester.
But when we made it down to Harvard at 2:35, the countdown clocks said it was 3 minutes until the next train! Nathan checked his subway map app, and it turned out our train was late. We decided we would still try to make the 2:55, despite a horrible cramp on my part. The train came in, and we got on at the back of the second car to be able to make it up the stairs as quick as possible at South Station. As we got closer to our destination, we made the realization that we would have only a minute and a half to get to the Commuter Rail.
At Park Street, Nathan checked a Commuter Rail app to find out that our train was on Track 1. Good – it would be a pretty straightforward run. As the subway car pulled into South Station, we slipped through just as the doors opened. Nathan ran up the escalator while I climbed the stairs two at a time, and we burst into the main station. I took the lead, dodging through the crowd while glancing up at the departure board to see that the train hadn’t left yet. And lo and behold, there it was on Track 1, slightly behind schedule but waiting there in all its glory! We had made it.
And once we got to Worcester Union Station, it was clear that it was all worth it.
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| Is it a cathedral? No, it’s the station building! |
Need I say more? The building alone is incredible, and we haven’t even gotten inside yet! Situated right in downtown Worcester, it features two amazing spires and lots of intricate details everywhere. Along the front of the building, the old railroads that used to serve the station are engraved: Boston and Albany, New York, New Haven and Hartford, and Boston and Maine.
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| You can see “P & W Railroad” in the background on the bridge for the Providence and Worcester freight line running here. |
Outside of the main station entrance, there’s a nice little plaza. It features well-trimmed grass, a statue, and a bunch of benches lined up in a row. It was empty when I was here, and the amount of benches might be overkill, but it could be a nice place to sit and watch cars go around the rotary.
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| What is this, a hotel? |
Oh my gosh, the entrance area is awesome! EVERYTHING is marble! There is just…oh my gosh, so much marble! It really feels like a hotel entrance. It doesn’t even have much of a purpose, most commuters will just walk on through to get to their trains! It did appear that a few people were waiting for pick-ups in here, though.
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| WOW. |
This, my friends, is Worcester’s Grand Hall. That is an apt name, for it is quite grand. The funny thing is that it basically serves no purpose, since most people just walk through it, but still…just look at it! Part of it was blocked off and illuminated with disco lights when we were here, and it turns out that’s because someone was having a wedding! There’s a use for it, I guess.
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| A restaurant! |
Ah, but the Grand Hall also features a whole entire restaurant! Yes, there is quite literally a reasonably-priced restaurant right in the middle of this train station! I think it usually has seating out in the Grand Hall, but due to the wedding, it was restricted to within the restaurant itself.
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| Awwwwwww, yeah. Okay, that probably looks tiny. I recommend clicking it to make it bigger. |
From the Grand Hall, you’ve got a massive concourse from which every part of the station leads. It has a lot of great stuff, and I’m just gonna go around the whole thing! Starting from the left, there’s this rack of brochures, which is rather interesting. I mean…Worcester isn’t exactly a major tourist destination, after all.
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| Looking further around the concourse. |
Moving on, there’s an Amtrak ticket office for once-a-day Lake Shore Limited trains to Chicago. Next, a random LED sign just flashes the time and “Welcome to Worcester Station” over and over again (it really should be replaced with a proper destination board), then there’s a lovely statue. Things like the statue are examples of the little details that make this station so amazing!
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| Clearly the most functional room in the building. |
Next, the payphone room! Oh boy oh boy oh boy! From there, the concourse features an ATM, which is a convenient little touch, and then there’s a hallway leading to the parking garage. We’ve got a wastebasket, then the centerpiece of the concourse, a spiral staircase leading up to the Commuter Rail platform!
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| The curved staircase leading up. |
Alongside the staircase, there is a bench, as well as WRTA schedules. Also, behind the staircase is a little café! We didn’t have time to go in and see the menu or anything, but it looked like a nice little place to grab a quick bite. Also behind the staircase is an elevator alternative up to the Commuter Rail.
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| The concourse…from above. |
Of course, for all its glory, Worcester Station does have its sketchy bits. This weird old guy with blue lips (I’m not kidding) kept following Nathan and me around, telling us where to get pictures and regaling us with stories about putting pennies on the rails or how he almost got run over by a train. Or…I think that’s what he said? Honestly, I couldn’t comprehend half the stuff that came out of his mouth. But yeah, that just goes to show that you gotta keep your wits about you here.
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| Bathrooms! |
Heading into the hallway toward the parking lot, there are bathrooms! (The Grand Hall has bathrooms, too, but the men’s room was blocked by the wedding festivities so I couldn’t see what it was like.) Surprisingly, and especially for train station bathrooms, they were incredibly nice inside. As we were leaving the area, though, a strange janitor remarked on how we should take pictures there in the morning, because that’s “when the homeless people shower. [laugh]” I’m kinda creeped out now…
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| The hallway to the parking garage. |
The hallway to the parking garage is clean, modern, and unique. The floor is nice and shiny, while the would-be blank walls are instead lined with historical images of Worcester. As for the ceiling, that’s the unique part – it’s corrugated, giving the hallway a strange warehouse kind of feel. And yet, it doesn’t detract from the aesthetics at all.
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| Inside the garage. |
The hallway to the parking garage is darker and less visually pleasing, but the garage itself is decently big. Although five stories tall, it only has 500 spaces, but that’s still a good amount for an urban station like this. Plus, it usually has 200 spaces or more open on weekdays, so most people have different ways of getting to the station.
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| The ticket office in the garage. |
Interestingly, the garage has a ticket office on the first floor! Since this was a Saturday, the office itself was closed, but it’s strange thinking that at some points during the day, there are actually people inside those isolated booths. Alternatively, there are also simple machines, as well as – even stranger – an MBTA fare machine! Um…okay, interesting place to put that.
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| The machines and the stairs. |
Between the stairs and the elevator, the stairs are the much faster way of getting between floors of the lot. The elevators are hydraulic, smelly, and soooooooooo sloooooooooow. I have never been inside such a snail-like contraption in my life! Still, they make the lot accessible, at least. But geez, they take forever…
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| Woah… |
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| Okay, I had to include two, since this view is so great. |
The view from the roof of the garage is amazing. Seriously, if you end up at Worcester, taking a trip to the top of this structure is really worth it. It offers sweeping looks at downtown Worcester, industrial areas, houses up in the hills, and even the station platform! But we still have a lot to get through before we talk about that platform.
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| Ehhhhh… |
Going back to the station itself, the hallway to the parking garage also leads out to its own entrance! A…very sketchy entrance. Yes, it looks alright in the picture, but that fails to capture the fact that we were standing in a very dark tunnel underneath the mess of train tracks at Worcester. They tried to light it up with LEDs, but Back Bay has LEDs everywhere, and they don’t help, either. An entrance here is nice and all, but certainly don’t plan on hanging out around it.
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| Man, Worcester has some great staircases! |
Heading out to the bus terminal from the main concourse, there’s a hallway with similar architecture to the rest of the station. After some vending machines, you go down a slightly curved staircase to get down to ground level. Behind the staircase, there are some water fountains and more bathrooms.
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| Hmm…I think we’ve left the nice part of the station behind. |
Once you get into the terminal for intercity buses, the ceiling gets low, the architecture gets bland, and everything feels a bit more foreboding. Still, the amenities are all there. A staffed ticket office lets passengers purchase trips on Peter Pan and Greyhound, while electronic departure boards let them know when they’re leaving. There are ample benches, as well as vending machines in this indoor section.
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| Well, it would appear that the word “focus” has left my vocabulary… |
Outside, the intercity buses board along a simple platform. It has benches along it, and it’s all covered by a generic metal shelter. Ultimately, most people will wait for their buses inside, but the outdoor facility is decent enough.
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| The WRTA facility. |
But wait, there’s more! Worcester is also the hub of the WRTA, with every single one of its routes serving it. As such, it gets a big, fancy facility that requires a quick 50-foot jaunt to get to from the station.
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| Inside the main building. |
Yes, the main WRTA facility may be small, cramped, and pretty sketchy, but man, does it have a lot of stuff in it. The Dunkin’ Donuts is the main centerpiece, with a sign advertising it outside the building, too. Above its counter is an electronic board giving departure times for WRTA buses, while in front of the waiting area’s airport-style seats is a TV that shows the news. The building also has bathrooms and change and ticket machines.
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| The sheltered bus area. |
The outdoor bus area, like the rest of the WRTA facility, is chock-full of amenities, but also quite sketchy. Still, the whole thing is sheltered and dotted with countdown clocks, although I think they might be schedule-based rather than based on where the bus actually is. In addition, there are benches and maps to further help people get around. Surprisingly, despite being served by so many routes, the busway isn’t that confusing. Maybe it’s because it’s all in a simple straight line.
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| Oh, yeah, I forgot this was a Commuter Rail station! Here’s the platform…from above. |
Finally, to culminate this massive review, let’s look at Worcester’s Commuter Rail station! It’s accessible from the main concourse by heading up the spiral staircase or by using the elevator. There’s an indoor waiting area on the second floor of the concourse with a few benches so people can wait for trains in the heat if they want.
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| Oh dear…that is not a good picture. |
Right, so it turns out I forgot to get a picture of the main platform (don’t ask me how, I don’t even know myself), so I’ll have to describe it from memory. The main part of the station is a very long mini-high platform, about three or four cars long. It has lots of benches on it, as well as an empty payphone case. It’s pretty generic for Commuter Rail standards, but it does the job.
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| An outdoor section along the building. |
On the western end of the platform, there’s a strange section that leads around the side of the building. It doesn’t seem to have much of a functional purpose, since it just stops once it reaches the end of the building. However, it is a great place to watch Providence & Worcester freight trains running along their elevated track, although I didn’t get to see any when I was here.
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| Lovely… |
Despite the mini-high being pretty sufficient, the platform goes on for way longer as a low-level. A little further down, a huge highway runs over the station, rendering everything under it…quite dingy. This is where a bunch of litter assembles, while the constant noise of the cars above is annoying. Luckily, no one actually has to wait under here, so it can just rot away, for all I care.
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| The bike area. |
Continuing down the low-level platform, there are a few sheltered bike spaces. It’s not many, they’re at a strange place on the platform, and there’s plenty of room for more spaces, but having them there is a plus. There are even “bike route” maps showing the bike-friendly roads and paths in Worcester. All this area needs is some indication from the main station that it actually exists!
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| More parking! |
Over on this side of the station, there is even more parking, contained in surface lots! They contain a total of 150 spaces, for which commuters can pay at a couple of small machines. According to those, these spaces are $4.00 per day (compared to $8.25 at the garage), though the MBTA website claims that they’re only $3.00.
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| This is pointless… |
Strangely, wayyyyyyyy on the end of the platform is a random shelter! It’s the generic kind that you get on newer Commuter Rail stations, but…why is it here? It doesn’t have benches under it or anything, and no one would ever wait this far down the track, anyway! There are also some ads over here, which I doubt anyone will ever see.
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| Oooooooh… |
But there is one other reason to come to this end of the platform: it offers a wonderful view of Worcester’s massive CSX freight facility! This is where cross-country freight trips begin, and there’s always something going on here. I didn’t get to see much happen aside from some simple shunting, unfortunately, but this place can get very busy, especially on weekends.
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| Oh…hello. |
Worcester also features a Commuter Rail yard, but it looks so tiny compared to the CSX facility. Also, I know I don’t usually talk about operational aspects of stations, but when Nathan told me about how this yard works, I knew I had to include it. The procedure to get into the yard from Worcester takes forever, due to the amount of times trains have to change direction. The yard itself is fenced off with private parking for MBTA employees.
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| These trains are so great… |
But wait, there’s more! (Last one, I promise.) This station is also served once a day by Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited train to Chicago! We were lucky enough to see the inbound train heading to South Station, and it made a pretty lengthy stop here in Worcester. Okay, that’s finally the end.
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| Three trains: a freight shunter, the Amtrak again, and a good ol’ Commuter Rail train. |
Station: Worcester
Ridership: As you would expect, this is one of the busiest Commuter Rail stations on the system; 8th busiest, to be exact, with 1,475 riders per weekday. This is way more than the station’s parking, so many riders must walk or take the bus here. Speaking of the bus, as the WRTA’s hub, Worcester’s bus station can get very busy. I’m not sure specifically how busy, since the WRTA doesn’t seem to publish ridership statistics, but it was quite crowded the whole time I was here. As for intercity buses, the terminal seemed to have a decent amount of people waiting. Finally, there’s Amtrak ridership, which really isn’t much. On the once-a-day Lake Shore Limited, ridership amounts to a total of 8,439 riders per year, or 23 riders per day! Wowee!
Pros: I…I don’t even know where to begin. I mean, the Commuter Rail platform is essentially high level for the most part, the station has a bunch of parking, and both bus terminals are packed with amenities! And the Grand Hall…woah. There are so many other amazing little details that make Worcester amazing, but I’ve basically listed them all in the review already.
Cons: The glaring problem with Worcester is its people, in that the station can feel quite sketchy, especially in the bus areas. However, I feel like this isn’t the station’s fault, more the fact that…well, it’s Worcester! Other than that, I do wish the station had larger and more obvious bike parking to encourage more cycle commuters. Oh, and the Commuter Rail facility is kind of a mess to get into for trains.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Well…I’m not sure if what kind of stuff you’ll find in Worcester’s downtown, but this station is right in it! Try not to run into any strange people.
Final Verdict: 9/10
Wow…this is such an amazing station. I mean, the Grand Hall alone is majestic! I would most definitely put Worcester on the same level as South Station – it’s that good. There are so many different parts of the station, all with amenities, and they’re all connected with really good signage! Yes, the place is a bit (okay, a lot) sketchy, and it could use some more bike parking, but come on. The Grand Hall alone gives this place a 9/10, not to mention every other amazing thing here!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
GATRA: Scituate Loop (SLOOP)
Hmm…I feel like going to Scituate today. But alas, Greenbush isn’t anywhere near the town center, Scituate Harbor. Maybe there’s an alternative way of getting there? Here, I’ll use my trusty friend, Google Maps, to find out.
Okay, well, I guess I give up. Thanks for reading, everybody!
Oh wait! What’s this on the GATRA website? A bus with a great, easy-to-remember name that runs every half hour, seven days a week, with a loop around Scituate? Huh! Wish Google had thought to inform me about that! That’s right, we’re looking at the grossly underrated SLOOP today!
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| The bus at Greenbush. |
There’s a confusing bit on the schedule where some trips serve Greenbush Station directly and others don’t. The 2:07 trip was scheduled to serve the station, but due to a lack of signage, I decided to wait just west of it, on the New Driftway. Turns out the bus did actually serve the parking lot, and then stopped for me as I flagged it down (the SLOOP will stop anywhere for passengers).
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| Oh, minibuses… |
The inside was as generic as any minibus, loud wheelchair lift and all. However, I did have this exchange with the driver when I got on:
ME: How much is the fare?
DRIVER: 1 dollar.
ME: I read on the website that students only have to pay 50 cents.
DRIVER: Yeah, sure, whatever.
I guess that’s 50 cents for me, then? It was a strange conversation.
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| A blurry store. |
We headed down the New Driftway for a bit before going around a rotary onto Country Way. There was a nice lakeside view on one side, and after a few businesses, the road became lined with small houses. Everything had the vibe of a seaside town, and it was lovely.
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| A side street. |
After passing a few farms, the houses started to get denser. On weekdays, buses head left onto First Parish Road, making a deviation to serve Scituate Town Hall, as well as the High School. Since it was a weekend, though, we turned right instead,
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| Oh my gosh…that is a castle. |
We passed a school, then turned onto Central Park Drive, which paralleled a field. We looped around a parking lot for another school, and as we headed along the other side of the field on Branch Ave, I realized that we had passed a castle! Well, maybe it’s technically a “tower”, but who cares? Just look at it in the picture! It’s amazing!
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| Another park. |
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| Crossing over the Greenbush Line. |
The deviation involved serving Wheeler Park, a housing development with an interesting penny-farthing bike for a logo. Still, we had to go around these slow loops in order to serve the whole development, and though it only took about two minutes, it felt very unnecessary. Returning to Common Street, we made a sharp turn around onto Stockbridge Road, going by a cemetery.
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| Inside Wheeler Park. |
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| The bus at the harbor. |
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| A few shots of the town, because it’s lovely. |
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| Because taking pictures across the bus always works… |
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| The bus going on its way. |
UPDATE 1/7/17: Ohhhhhhh, boy, did they really screw this one up. I loved this route. I really loved it. But they just HAD to go and add North Scituate to it, didn’t they? Now the SLOOP has a gigantic 20 minute deviation there! Wow, that won’t hinder people at all travelling around the one-way loop! And how did that affect the schedule? Yeah, so long, half-hour service – now it’s every hour. And it’s not even consistent! 12:40, 1:35, 2:30, 3:40, 4:45…what are these departure times? Yeah, let’s just go ahead and lower that score to a 2/10. I’m so mad…
Greenbush
Greenbush doesn’t really have the same end-of-the-line feel that many Commuter Rail termini have. After all, this station is effectively in the middle of nowhere, whereas a lot of the Commuter Rail’s biggest terminals are right in downtowns of cities. Still, despite not being a huge station with a bunch of amenities, Greenbush still has a good amount of charm and tranquility.
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| Wooooooo… |
Okay, so maybe the parking lot doesn’t have it. Still, this station does feature a lot of parking – 1,000 spaces, contained within two gigantic lots! This is an Old Colony station, after all. I sincerely doubt the amount of space provided is necessary, but if Greenbush experiences a sudden population boost, the lots are there!
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| The platform. |
The station features a typical Old Colony platform. It’s fully high-level, with a pretty generic shelter running along most of its length. The many benches are simple, though a few of them feature historical information about Scituate and the Greenbush Line’s history. There are also wastebaskets, probably way more than necessary.
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| A drop-off area. |
The other side of the platform doubles as a drop-off area, with a few benches facing toward the parking lot. There’s a single bus connection here, and it’s the GATRA’s SLOOP route! However, it gets no signage, and I’m sure many people don’t know it exists, but we’ll be talking about that in a later review. In the meantime, the station is rounded out by a few old “honor boxes” and newspaper boxes, as well as some bike spaces.
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| Oh yeah, there’s also a yard here! |
Station: Greenbush
Ridership: It’s the busiest station on the Greenbush Line, but that’s not saying much. It’s not exactly the most well-used line on the system, after all. Still, Greenbush gets 527 inbound riders per weekday, and I assume most of them come in and park in the parking lots. I mean, just look how big they are!
Pros: This is just a nice little station. Sure, it’s generic, but did you expect anything else from an Old Colony Line? Even though it doesn’t look like it in the pictures, Greenbush is surprisingly tranquil. It’s mostly quiet with just the hum of the trains in the yard as background noise. It’s a nice place to wait.
Cons: Okay, 1,000 spaces is seriously overkill, but that’s not much to complain about, is it? I guess it’s a pretty boring station overall, though.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Gosh, if only there was some way to get to Scituate Harbor from here. Hmm…stay tuned!
Final Verdict: 8/10
Yeah, I figured this would be a quick review. There’s just not that much to say about Greenbush. It’s a good station, even if it’s rather boring and generic, and it’s the busiest station on its line. There really isn’t much to say other than “it’s good.”
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
RIPTA: 22 (Pontiac Ave)
The area around the Warwick Mall is not a suitable place for pedestrians – especially not at night. Cars speeding along big wide roads with intermittent sidewalks, huge parking lots everywhere, and an absence of crosswalks all contribute to a nerve racking experience. It didn’t help that I had no idea where the Warwick Mall stop actually was – turns out it’s way on the other side of the complex! It’s also really sketchy at night…
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| This is a hub? |
Seeing as the Warwick Mall is considered a “transit hub” served by five routes, you’d think it would have some proper facilities. Admittedly, a shelter is better than what malls usually get, but first of all, this place needs some signage! There’s none from outside the mall building, and maps inside don’t give any information either. Secondly…gosh, I mean, you can see from the picture, the stop is a bit of a mess. This isn’t necessarily RIPTA’s fault, but geez, it’s a pretty uncomfortable place to wait at night.
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| It took so many tries to get a decent picture of the bus laying over in the parking lot. |
Okay, so the 22! This is one of three RIPTA routes from the Warwick Mall to Providence, and it’s the only one without an express portion. The whole route runs local, and the areas it serves are mostly pretty dense. Unfortunately, since it was nighttime, I didn’t get to see much, so I’m gonna be relying a lot on good ol’ Google Maps for this one. Figured I’d give the full disclosure there…
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| The bus boarding. |
We navigated out of the mall, which took a while since it’s so huge. Once out of the parking lot, we made our way onto Oaklawn Street, which had even more lots in front of businesses and offices. Luckily, we soon turned onto the narrower Mayfield Ave, which was residential, mostly in the form of developments.
The road became East Street for a bit as we passed a prison, and then it turned into the route’s namesake, Pontiac Ave. The surroundings got industrial from there, with big warehouses set off from the road, including a Pepsi bottling plant! We went under the Lincoln Ave Freeway, and then, once more, there were lots of businesses with parking lots out front. Gosh, maybe it’s a good thing it was dark…
Eventually, it became a mix of houses and businesses. We went by an apartment complex and a school, then the street was mostly lined with sizeable houses. However, we eventually reached Rolfe Square, where there was retail on both sides of the street. It would’ve felt like a nice downtown, except that a lot of the buildings were unoccupied.
We came close to Cranston city hall and Cranston High School East, but they were on a side street. Pontiac Ave, meanwhile, became all houses again, with a brief break as the road went over the Huntington Expressway. Soon after that, we entered Providence and merged onto Reservoir Ave, which was lined with businesses and parking lots for just a little bit. It soon became dense houses, though.
There was a short industrial section near the Commuter Rail tracks, then we merged onto Elmwood Ave, joining the 20. After a cemetery, the street became lined with a mix of businesses and houses. We went by a second cemetery, then it became Broad Street, with the surroundings becoming entirely retail. Going by the Providence Central High School, we crossed over I-95 and entered downtown Providence.
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| This is the ONE time I tried to take a picture out of the bus. As you can see, it didn’t go so well. |
The buildings were much taller now, ranging from apartments to offices. The street became Weybosset Street, lined with businesses with apartments on top. We also passed a theater, which was very nicely lit-up in the dark. The street eventually curved around, and we were now surrounded by office buildings. We soon turned onto Kennedy Plaza, and the bus got ready to make its final trip back to Warwick.
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| Okay, this one isn’t bad, actually. |
RIPTA Route: 22 (Pontiac Ave)
Ridership: Back when RIPTA did its reports in 2012, this bus had great ridership, with 1,923 passengers per weekday, 944 per Saturday, and 923 per Sunday. It was the 11th highest weekday route, while weekend service was strong (Saturday and Sunday ridership was about the same, interestingly). Since the report was conducted, I’d imagine ridership is still strong, since the route’s headways are about the same as they were then (with more frequent service on Saturdays now).
Pros: Of the three main Cranston routes (the 21 and the 30 being the others), this one is the furthest east, and it serves quite a lot of the city (not to mention Providence). It also runs…kind of frequently? Well, it does on weekdays, at least, with consistent half-hour service.
Cons: Okay, every 45 minutes at night makes sense, since my night ride only had about 15 people on it. However, the 22 has those exact same headways on weekends, which could definitely be improved – I think every half hour service on both Saturdays and Sundays would be great. This is further proven by a little tidbit at the end of RIPTA’s detailed analysis of the route: “This route had a 20 minute frequency and was a top five route, we think it could be again.” Ignoring the comma splice, I completely agree with that statement! I assume it’s talking about weekdays, but increasing weekend service is also very important.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Well, certainly not the Warwick Mall! Actually, there didn’t seem to be many noteworthy places along the 22, but I guess Rolfe Square in Cranston is the closest you’ll get to one.
Final Verdict: 6/10
I mean, it has to be said that this route has pretty standard headways for the RIPTA. Plus, the route itself is great, making a direct path through Cranston and Providence. However, I really think that it has the ridership to run more frequently. The note in RIPTA’s analysis about every 20 minute service on weekdays is a start, but based on the urban nature of this corridor, every half hour on weekends would be great! As it is currently, it’s just an average route that gets the job done fine.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
RIPTA: 12x (Arctic/Route 117 Express Park and Ride)
There’s a place called “Arctic” in Rhode Island? “That sounds like the most amazing place ever!” was my initial thought when I discovered the 12x while poking around the RIPTA website. Always looking for an excuse to visit Rhode Island, I rushed to the 3:30 Commuter Rail after school and jumped on the 12x at Kennedy Plaza. Turns out Arctic was not the most amazing place ever, although here’s a review of the 12x, anyway.
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| The bus with the Providence skyline in the background. |
Considering the amount of people waiting at Kennedy Plaza’s express stop, it was kinda sad to see only a few of them get on the 12x. At 5:05 on the nose, we headed down Exchange Terrace, paralleling a park on one side and Providence’s old Union Station on the other. We then merged onto Sabin Street, passing the modern Rhode Island Convention Center.
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| “I don’t know what this is a picture of, but I’m going to take it” was my mindset here. |
We turned onto Empire Street, which had an office-y feel to it, and then Weybosset Street, passing a big, fancy theater. After going by a park, the street got narrower and lined with multistory brick buildings. We went by some more office buildings as it curved around and became Exchange Street, running perpendicular to Kennedy Plaza.
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| A park along Exchange Street. |
We then turned onto Memorial Boulevard, which paralleled the Providence River. Alongside the Providence Place Mall, the street became a highway ramp, and we navigated a huge interchange to get onto I-95. The highway was slightly below ground level, but many apartments and buildings were in view on either side.
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| You gotta admire intricate interchanges like this. |
The surroundings soon got more industrial, with big vats to the east. There was a view of the Rhode Island Hospital, then the highway curved southwest with dense houses in view. However, we also passed a big industrial yard at one point, so it wasn’t fully residential. It eventually became a mix of both, with houses on one side and factories on the other.
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| I’m obliged to include this bug, because it’s fantastic. |
There was a short woodsey section where we crossed over the Pawtuxet River, and then it was pure industry. The scenery was swapping between forest and industry for a while after that, right up until our exit – 10A. We navigated around the highway ramp onto Centerville Road, and at the Route 117 Park and Ride, many passengers got off to go to their cars.
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| The parking lot. |
We soon turned onto Toll Gate Road, which was a strange mix of houses and offices. We went under I-95, then passed the huge Kent County Hospital. There was a short forested section, but as we crossed the incredibly wide Bald Hill Road, auto shops populated the intersection. From there, the street became a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial, continuing as we merged onto Providence Street, going by an apartment building.
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| Crossing Bald Hill Road. |
We went over the Pawtuxet River again, with an old mill converted to apartments spanning the water. There was a small rotary where we merged onto East Main Street, lined mostly with houses. We then turned onto Main Street, ascending a hill. Going by an apartment tower, the street was lined with residences but also a few industrial buildings. These became businesses as Main Street entered Arctic Center – the unassuming last stop was just a sign.
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| Goodbye, bus! |
RIPTA Route: 12x (Arctic/Route 117 Express Park and Ride)
Ridership: The RIPTA’s ridership data is a few years old, and for the 12x, it dates back to when the route was called the 90A. It didn’t have very much ridership then, with only 62 passengers per weekday, and if my ride is to judge, the ridership still isn’t high. My trip got a total of around 10 people, which is pretty darn shabby, even for an express bus. Around half of those people got off at the Route 117 Park and Ride lot, while the other half disembarked at Arctic Center.
Pros: This is a niche express route, giving West Warwick peak hour service up to Providence. Its schedule is the standard for RIPTA expresses, with three trips in the morning and three trips in the evening.
Cons: But it’s really niche. I mean, the 12x serves a small park-and-ride lot and a small town center already covered by two local routes. I suppose there’s a market for express service from West Warwick during rush hour, but it’s certainly not a very big one. It’s also worth noting that the local section of this route operates in a strange loop, with AM service running via Centerville Road and PM service running via Toll Gate Road. This is because the Route 117 Park and Ride is on one side of a divided highway, so it’s effectively on a one-way. However, the loop formation means that anyone commuting along a one-way section only gets service in the morning or evening.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I gotta say, Arctic Center is a pretty boring place, despite its cool name. However, there is one restaurant there that is a fantastic experience: Boneheads Wing Bar. Right in the center of town, the food is pretty good, but the whole place is themed around rock music, which is awesome. For a music geek like myself, it was incredibly fun reading the menu items, most of which are named after bands or songs. I’m not sure if it’s worth a trip all the way down to Arctic, but this place is pretty cool.
Final Verdict: 6/10
I guess the 12x does its job fine as an express, and provides peak service from West Warwick to Providence. Its ridership group is a small one, but it would be bad to cut them off and force them into cars. However, I wonder if that group could be made larger if there was a solution to that one-way service issue. What if the route ran the whole loop in both the morning and the evening, with the Park and Ride acting as the official start/end point instead of Arctic Center? In the morning, it could start at the lot, go around the loop via Arctic Center, serve the lot again, and then go up to Providence – vice versa in the evening. I’m not sure how much ridership that would draw from residents living along the loop, but it could be an interesting experiment.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
I’m going to Bermuda over April Break, so I won’t be posting until after I get back on Saturday. Goodbye until then!
62 (Bedford VA Hospital – Alewife Station via Lexington Center and Arlington Heights)
Alright! The final Alewife review! You know, most of Alewife’s buses fall into the same mold: weekday-only routes serving northwestern towns that only get riders during rush hour. Although the 62 doesn’t satisfy the weekday-only requirement, the rest basically holds true. This is a long route, so let’s get started.
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| It’s hard to get good pictures in the Alewife busway… |
Being around 5:00 PM, my trip was a rush hour one, so there was a throng of people who all tried to get onto the bus first. Once everyone was in, we navigated through the dark Alewife busway before reaching daylight, turning onto Alewife Brook Parkway. The road went up onto a bridge over the Alewife facilities, and then we made our way through a dreadfully slow intersection onto Route 2.
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| Huh…never noticed that marsh before. |
Speeding down the highway, we went past a marsh and a soccer field, while the “Route 2 Westbound Pedestrian Bridge” stop that no one ever uses served the office parks and apartments on the other side of the road. However, as all local buses do, we took the first exit, but no one got off at Lake Street. Thus, we returned to the highway, and no one left at the second exit, either.
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| Spy Pond, seen from Route 2! |
From there, we merged onto the “Route 2 Service Road”, which ran parallel to the highway. Rising up on a hill over it, the bus made frequent stops for commuters returning to their houses in the quiet residential areas beyond the highway. Eventually, we turned onto Park Ave, which was entirely residential. Ascending a hill, we passed the Park Circle Water Tower, and then lots of houses as we descended it.
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| I love that tower! |
We soon reached a steep downward slope, and past the traffic waiting for the light to change was Mass Ave. Finally reaching the intersection, we turned onto it and it was lined with businesses. However, the Arlington Heights Busway was very close. We looped around it, picking up a few passengers, and then we returned to Mass Ave, continuing past the 77 and 79‘s terminus.
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| More front view experimentation! You can see how crazy the hills are around here. |
There was still a lot of retail along the street, but it was predominantly lined with houses. We entered Lexington along this section, getting joined by the 76 at a small rotary. From there, it was basically all residential, up until the National Heritage Museum. We passed through a park, and after some more houses, we entered Lexington Center.
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| I got off the bus at Lexington Center coming back, but I figured I’d put the picture here. |
Ah, how I love Lexington Center. It has such big sidewalks with lots of benches along them, it’s leafy, it has a bunch of great small businesses, and its buildings are historic. Not only that, but we passed the wonderful facades of places such as Lexington Town Hall and the Post Office. As we were leaving the downtown, we went by the incredibly important Lexington Battle Green as a final send-off from this great little town.
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| Yes! Good ol’ Lexington Center. |
Of course, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Soon after leaving Lexington Center on Bedford Street (leaving the 76 to stay on Mass Ave), there was an intersection with malls and businesses, all with big parking lots out front. It didn’t last long, luckily, and the surroundings soon returned to houses.
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| A side street. |
The neighborhoods were mostly residential, but we also passed the occasional office or industrial building. We also crossed the Minuteman Bikeway at one point. The road widened soon after that in order to get over I-95, then we went by some typical highway development: an ugly office park and a really gross-looking inn.
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| The bridge over the interstate. |
The development continued for just a bit longer with pylons, a Boston Sports Club, and a hospital, before returning to houses. The street became Great Road as we entered Bedford, but soon after we passed through another pitty area (fast food restaurants, auto shops, and a huge mall, all with enormous parking lots). We also went over the tiny Shawsheen River along this section.
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| No parking lot pictures, but how about these McMansions? |
There were more houses from there, and just before another shopping plaza, we turned onto the narrower Loomis Street. This was in order to serve Depot Square, the terminus of the Minuteman Bikeway. To be honest, it was a mostly industrial area, but it did have an old train next to the historic Bedford Depot.
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| Hey, I tried my best… |
It was at Depot Square that we turned onto South Road, a narrow street lined with houses. However, we soon came across some history. The tiny Bedford Center featured a few little businesses, a common, the “Old Town Hall”, and the magnificent First Parish In Bedford – a really great-looking old church.
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| Going past the common in Bedford Center. |
We were now on Springs Road, another narrow residential street. The houses went on for a while until the stop names started getting weird – they became “building numbers”. Yes, we had entered into the larger-than-expected VA Hospital complex! And…also a golf course. Anyway, we made a loop around Avenue D to get to a simple shelter on Spring Road, with brick buildings in view. It was an interesting place for a terminus, but this was it.
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| The bus at the hospital. |
Route: 62 (Bedford VA Hospital – Alewife Station via Lexington Center and Arlington Heights)
Ridership: This is the second-busiest Alewife route, just below the 350 on weekdays, with 1,644 riders. Of course, as this is an Alewife commuter route, it gets packed during rush hour and is pretty quiet all other times. My ride got 40 people, and it wasn’t even the true peak period yet! Also, the Saturday 62/76 combined route gets surprisingly decent ridership for its frequency, with 662 riders.
Pros: The 62 serves so much. This is mainly because of its insane length, cutting right through Bedford, Lexington, and Arlington, and linking them all up to Alewife just on the edge of Cambridge. A bunch of commuters use this route to get to the Red Line, which is why it runs so often during rush hour. Although the headways aren’t consistent during that time, there are three trips 10 minutes apart in the morning (among others), and a similarly close schedule in the evening. It’s more regular during the day, with constant every hour service – same on the weekends, running every 60-70 minutes.
Cons: The 62 doesn’t have much of a night schedule, with only two or three trips after the evening rush – the last one leaves for Alewife a little before 9. Still, it probably doesn’t get much ridership past there, so I guess it’s okay. I understand the lack of Sunday service, although maybe a cut-back route on those days that runs as far as Lexington could be an interesting experiment.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Basically the town centers are the places worth checking out here: Lexington Center and Bedford Center. The former is definitely worth taking a visit to, especially if you haven’t been before.
Final Verdict: 8/10
This is certainly one of the best Alewife routes, both due to its length and the fact that it has Saturday service. The 350 is in a league of its own (honestly, it probably deserves an 8 or even a 9, rather than the 7 I gave it in that review), but I would say the 62 is slightly better than Alewife’s other premiere route, the 76. The 62 serves more since it’s straighter, and it has a better schedule during rush hour. Overall, this is a pretty darn good route.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
73 (Waverley Square – Harvard Station via Trapelo Road)
Yes! Finally! My actual last Key Bus Route to review! It’s a good one, too. I was originally holding off on the 73 because I wanted to wait until it switched back to trackless trolleys, but honestly, that’s not gonna happen anytime soon. Thus, I shan’t dilly-dally any more! Let’s take a ride on the quick and serene 73!
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| A non-blurry picture in the Harvard busway? This is a miracle! Too bad this wasn’t actually the bus I rode… |
The 73 boards in the Harvard Lower Busway, which could be confusing to newcomers, but signage points this out pretty well. Something that is confusing to newcomers, however, is the fare system. Despite the fact that it doesn’t use trackless trolleys with left-hand doors anymore, the 73 still has passengers pay when they leave. It’s a bit odd, but it does speed up boarding at Harvard.
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| The bus I took. This picture looks surprisingly okay… |
We popped out of the tunnel onto Mount Auburn Street on the edge of Harvard Square, and for the moment the road was lined with multi-story buildings. After the first stop outside a post office, though, it got much more leafy and quiet. We passed by a cute business block, but the street was mostly lined with dense houses.
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| A shot of the Charles River from my ride back. |
Once we reached Memorial Drive, we ran parallel to it for a bit, with a nice park between us and the river. I was focusing on that side since it was quite scenic, but on the other side of the street, there was a big condominium. As Memorial Drive curved away from us, we went by another apartment building, then the huge Mount Auburn Hospital.
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| A residential side street. |
Mount Auburn Street curved a bit as it had an intersection with the massive Fresh Pond Parkway. After crossing that, the Mount Auburn Cemetery was on one side while houses, apartments, and a small pediatrics office were on the other. There were businesses at the intersection with Aberdeen Ave, including a big Star Market that got its own stop announcement.
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| Ahh…I love that median on Aberdeen Ave. |
We split off of the 71 after the miniscule Mount Auburn Bridge, where we merged onto Belmont Street. There were small businesses for a bit, then it became lined with dense houses. However, the street soon became this lovely mix of houses interspersed with really cute business blocks. It was so nice!
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| Another street lined with houses. |
Eventually, one side of the street became occupied by a golf course while the other side featured bigger houses. There was a small bus loop at Benton Square, where certain 73 trips begin. It’s also worth noting that this part of Belmont Street is up on a hill, and going inbound, there’s a great view of Boston for a few seconds.
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| I was experimenting with shots out the front of the bus on this ride. |
The street was now called Trapelo Road, and it went by lots of businesses at Cushing Square soon after the bus loop. We also passed an apartment building, then the street became lined with houses and started heading back down the hill. Eventually, though, it once more became that great mix of houses and small businesses.
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| Another frontwards shot. |
Soon the surroundings became entirely retail, and here we turned onto Church Street, entering Waverley Square. I got off, paying as I did so, and then the bus did a short loop via Lexington Street and returned to Trapelo Road. After picking up a few more people at a stop on the loop, the bus started back towards Harvard.
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| The bus at Waverley Square. |
Route: 73 (Waverley Square – Harvard Station via Trapelo Road)
Ridership: The 73 is a Key Bus Route, so of course it gets high ridership, However, it’s generally on the lower end of the Key Bus Route spectrum, with 6,424 riders per weekday, 3,207 riders per Saturday, and 1,974 riders per Sunday (it does get more ridership than its 71 companion, though). Despite its more serene nature on weekends, the 73 can get packed during rush hour – even my trip around 3:30 got a good 30 passengers heading out of Harvard, though it can get to be much more as the evening progresses.
Pros: Ah, there’s so much to love about this route. For one thing, its schedule is great. To accommodate its rush hour crowds, the 73 runs as often as every 5 minutes during those times. Otherwise, it goes every 15 minutes during the day and on Saturdays, every 20 minutes on Sundays, and every 25 minutes at night. These are all perfectly timed based on the route’s ridership. Additionally, it’s a lovely ride through some great neighborhoods, and the route itself is quick, straight, and serves a large chunk of West Cambridge, Watertown, and Belmont. Finally, the strange exit fare system is neither a pro nor a con, so I’m just gonna mention it here to make the “pros” section longer because this is such a great route.
Cons: No trackless trolleys, unfortunately, but that has advantages and drawbacks all on its own. However, the 73 does have a bit of a bunching problem, although I will say that that’s very hard to avoid with every 5 minute service. Besides, it’s nothing compared to the 1 or the 77, neither of which run as frequently as the 73! Finally, I know that Aria A. suggested that the 73 gets merged with the 72 because of its redundancy with the 71, although I personally disagree there. Honestly, the Mount Auburn Street corridor in Cambridge is a very busy one with the hospital being a major ridership draw – it would lose a lot of service with the merger, plus it would lengthen the ride for 73 passengers. Merging the 72 and the 75, on the other hand? Yeah, that should happen.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I don’t know any specific places the route goes by, but they all look so interesting! The 73 passes so many small businesses along its route, running the gamut from restaurants and little stores to even a tiny movie theater!
Final Verdict: 10/10
Okay, as you may know, 10s are rare occurrences on this blog. Let me explain my reasoning: the 73 is the best run Key Bus Route on the system. It operates very frequently during rush hours to accommodate the unavoidable crowding, and still has a great schedule other times, contributing to its higher ridership. And yet this is also one of the most serene bus routes on the MBTA, both because of the lovely neighborhoods it runs through and the fact that you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a seat outside of rush hour. Frequent service, good ridership, and tranquility? It’s like the 71, except it runs more often (though I do love the 71, too)! And sure, it may experience a bit of bunching here and there, but only on weekdays during its times with really close headways. Seriously, this is hands down the best Key Bus Route, and one of the best regular bus routes, on the MBTA. If it ever switches back to trackless trolleys, it might as well be an 11!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates