Woodland
Okay, you guys know how much I talk about the tranquility of the D Line. Of course, some stations are more peaceful then others, but you would think that the second-to-last stop on the line would be quite nice. Nope…Woodland throws tranquility out the window.
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| The platform. |
Even ignoring the window through which the tranquility was thrown (which we will get to), the platform has a more modern and unnatural feel than others on the line. It features a heated shelter, of course, but also…glass ones? And…evenly-spaced bushes planted by humans? It all looks way too perfect. Sure, it functions well, but it all feels so…gross.
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| Ew… |
And there’s that tranquility-dumping window! Yes, Woodland has a modern generic apartment complex right next to it literally called “Woodland Station”. Now, on the one hand, it makes for a very easy commute for its residents. On the other hand…it kinda ruins the station’s aesthetics by having this huge honking building right next to it.
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| An entrance to the station. |
Aside from the many openings leading to the apartment development, there is one more entrance that goes up to Washington Street. It’s a simple one, basically just a staircase with a sign on the road. From the station, this is considered to be the “hospital” exit, since the Newton Wellesley Hospital is within walking distance from the staircase.
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| The station’s bus stop. |
Although no MBTA buses serve Woodland, the MWRTA runs two weekday-only routes here from Natick. As such, there is a small bus stop along the road paralleling the station, a little past the drop-off area. The stop is basically just a sign, a bench, and a wastebasket. I honestly have no idea how crowded it gets, though – probably not very, since this is the MWRTA we’re talking about.
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| The parking garage! |
Strangely, Woodland has a full-on parking garage. With 548 spaces, it may not rival the vast lot at Riverside, but this is a good place to go if the latter is full. The station doesn’t offer quite as much in terms of bike spaces, though – in fact, it only has 16.
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| The station…viewed from above. |
Okay, since it’s only a three-story garage, I wasn’t expecting much of a view, and I didn’t get much of a view. Most of what you can see is just the nearby golf course, which isn’t the most interesting of locales. You do get a nice look at the station, but it’s not enough to justify the rooftop trip.
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| A train heading to Park Street (this was the day before Government Center would open). |
Station: Woodland
Ridership: This is the third least-used station on the D Line, with 957 riders per weekday. This is probably due to the fact that the station has golf courses on two sides and suburban houses on the other two. I imagine that the Woodland Station Apartments contribute good ridership, though.
Pros: Woodland certainly functions well as a station, and the apartment building does provide an easy commute for its residents. Plus, the fact that it has a parking garage is great, and makes the station an alternative to Riverside. Finally, it’s great the MWRTA provides commuter service here, so people can ride to their jobs in the Metrowest area.
Cons: Oh…only the aesthetics. It’s, um, too modern. Compared to the rest of the D. Gosh, do I have a flimsy argument here.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Unless you like to get to get your putt on at the golf course, there isn’t much around Woodland. Also, it seems like it would be hard to lug all of your golf clubs onto the Green Line.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Okay, I’ve had to throw my traditionalist views out the window for this one – perhaps the same window through which Woodland’s tranquility was thrown. Yes, it may not have that classic D Line peacefulness, and it may look overly modern and fake, but…well, the place still functions well. And ultimately, that’s the most important aspect of any station.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
354 (Woburn Express – Boston via Woburn Square and I-93)
Hey, guys! It’s me, Kilometers on the MBTA! Miles is sick, so I’ll be taking over for this post. And luckily for me, it’s a bus that serves office parks! I do love office parks. Thus, the 354 was quite a good bus for me. Well, except that all buses are terrible. Plus, I had to go to – ugh – downtown Boston first to get the bus, then travel through – blech – residential areas before getting to the lovely, lovely office parks.
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| The bus downtown. |
The bus starts right outside the Old State House and its subway station, on State Street. Gosh…I can’t believe we still have historic buildings like the Old State House around. Why can’t we bulldoze them and replace them with great new buildings? You know, stuff like Boston City Hall! Speaking of which, we passed that, as well as that new Government Center monstrosity, as we headed down Court Street.
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| What’s this? A pedestrian walkway? Just put a road in! Everyone knows that pedestrians don’t matter in cities! |
The street became Cambridge Street, then we turned onto Sudbury Street, the buildings getting slightly less tall as we headed toward Haymarket. When we crossed over the Greenway, I thought, “Why did they tear the elevated highway down in the first place? I liked it.” We entered into the I-93 tunnel and then burst out onto the Zakim Bridge. You know, a lot of people talk about how impressive of a bridge it is…I don’t really see the appeal.
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| Boston has an alright skyline, but I would prefer a proper skyline. Like Fresno. |
Soon after joining the highway, it stacked up and we hit traffic. Personally, I like to see traffic, since it reaffirms the fact that cars are still the dominant form of transportation in America. I don’t understand why cities are investing in public transportation when highways are clearly way better for everyone. The bridge we were on offered a view of the surrounding areas, but it unstacked and lowered once we passed Sullivan Station.
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| Near Assembly Square. |
We passed Assembly Square on one side, which in my opinion would be a good mall if it had more high-end fashion stores. After going along the Mystic River for a bit, we crossed it later on, then went by Medford Square on the left (reverse peak 354 trips take the exit to serve the square, but we sped right past). We entered the Middlesex Fells Reservation after that, which just seems like a big waste of space to me. Why not cut down all the trees and replace the reservation with a parking lot? The world needs more parking lots.
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| Now this is my kind of neighborhood. |
We eventually left the reservation, taking the first exit after it. Turning onto Montvale Ave, we passed lots of lovely businesses with parking lots out front. I do love parking lots. Near a school, we turned onto Central Street, then Pine Street. This was a somewhat narrow road lined with houses. Now, my question is, why the heck do they bother to build narrow streets? There needs to be lots of room for cars to go through. Narrow streets disgust me.
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| Does that house have solar power??? Gosh, just use fossil fuels like everyone NORMAL. |
The road merged into Salem Street, and for a disappointingly short time we went through an industrial area. We then turned onto Bow Street, going by an elementary school, and returned to Montvale Ave, passing the huge Woburn Memorial High School. Okay, what’s with all these schools? Education isn’t that important! I educated myself in urban theory, and just look how innovative and forward-thinking it’s made me!
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| Ugh…what the heck is this? |
We passed a little apartment building, and soon after we entered…Woburn Square. Now, lemme tell ya, this was a horrible place. There were so many businesses, and yet no parking lots! What’s more, this place had sidewalks! They could easily be destroyed to make room for more cars. These urban planners need to step up their game.
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| Some more houses. |
We went through the square past a common (which could be replaced with parking), and then we zoomed by a disgusting old library. Can we please update old architecture to keep with the times? We need more buildings like Boston City Hall everywhere. It got residential after that, with houses lining the street that started out dense but got more spread out.
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| Ah, beautiful pylons. |
We merged onto Lexington Street, with no break from the houses until we went under the pylons. And after that…ah, gorgeous parking lots! Oh my, the intersection with Cambridge Street had so many fast food restaurants with such large, luscious parking lots! Gosh, I would marry a parking lot if I could. Oh…whoops, I just typed that. So anyway, we turned onto Cambridge Street, joining the 350!
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| Ah, yes, this is a beautiful lot. Her name is “Brenda”. |
Alas, it was back to boring old houses after a little while. Luckily, these soon became housing developments. Now, I personally love housing developments. Too much variation in houses looks inconsistent; they all need to look exactly the same in order to be pretty. Additionally, housing developments encourage car use, which means my precious parking lots can be filled. Yes!!!!!
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| Apartment developments? I like ’em! They usually have big parking lots! |
Speaking of parking lots, we were all of a sudden surrounded by office parks! Malls! Car dealerships! All with huge, beautiful parking lots! The streets were all so wide, and cars were everywhere! It was heaven! We turned onto Wayside Road, going by a pulchritudinous shopping mall, and then the street became Van de Graaff Drive. We passed a corporate business hotel, (YAY!!!!) and arrived at our terminus, right outside of a huge office park. I got off the bus to explore this sacred land…
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| I wanted to do more parking lot pictures, but Miles made me do this stupid bus one instead. |
Route: 354 (Woburn Express – Boston via Woburn Square and I-93)
Ridership: Ugh, do I really have to do this? Miles made me find “ridership data” for this route…let’s see, um…683 riders per weekday? Oh wait, that’s the 236. I hate lists. Um…ah, okay, 728 riders per weekday. Not really sure what that means, but okay. Miles says that “most of those riders are probably residents of Woburn getting home or to work, with some reverse commuters coming from or going to office parks”. I think there’s a third, even larger ridership group, though: the ones who take joyrides to parking lots! You know, for those people who want to see lots of parking lots, but don’t have cars.
Pros: Well, that’s basically it, isn’t it? This “bus” allows people to go up to Burlington and enjoy its breathtaking parking lots! Um…oh, Miles wanted me to add that “it’s a good express route to Woburn and (to a lesser extent) Burlington that has a good amount of trips for an express bus. It runs as often as every 15 minutes in the evening rush! I also like how it takes over Chestnut Avenue service from the 352 once that stops running in the evening. It even provides reverse commute express service to Medford Square, serving it in the non-peak direction.” Okay, I have no idea what any of that means, but I guess Miles seems to like it.
Cons: Yes, there’s a very big con here: since it’s a bus, it takes cars off the road! There are 728 people who could be in cars that instead take this so-called “354”! That’s simply despicable. Miles also wanted to add that “Van de Graaff Drive is an odd place to end the route, though there aren’t many other termini that would make sense. There could probably be more reverse commuting if it was extended to the Burlington Mall, though, as it would pass more offices along that route.” Thanks for the “insight”, Miles.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Parking lots! Office parks! Malls! Yes!!!! Can you believe that Miles wanted me to add “Woburn Square” to that list? Geez, Louise, who does he think he is? He must’ve been joking. All I can say is that if someone takes this bus to visit a parking lot, Brenda is MINE!
Final Verdict: -50/10 (8/10 from Miles)
The 354 is a bus. Therefore, it’s horrible. I know I said that it can be useful for people wishing to visit parking lots, but seriously, guys, just get a car! These buses are clogging up our city streets and highways and making them inhospitable! Have you ever driven behind a bus? It’s awful! Buses need to be burned and destroyed. Same with trains – they should be replaced with highways. There, all the country’s transportation problems are solved!
Latest MBTA News: Eh.
Oh wait, Miles left one more note for me here…”April Fools”. Huh. Not really sure what that’s supposed to mean.
Waban
Yes! I’ve always thought that Waban has an absolutely hilarious name. I mean…Waban! Isn’t that funny? Wow, I love stations with funny names. Okay, if you can’t tell, I don’t have anything else noteworthy to say about Waban.
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| Oh man, these “middle of the tracks” shots are starting to blend together in my mind… |
Surprisingly, Waban’s outbound platform has three benches, which seems like a lot, considering it’s the third-to-last station on the line. The inbound side, conversely, features only a heated shelter, with no other benches. That said, the heated shelter is basically all you need. Most of Waban’s platform is bare asphalt, to be honest.
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| The biggish parking lot. |
For the D Line, Waban’s parking lot is pretty big, with 74 spaces. The station also features bike parking, with 12 sheltered spaces on the edge of the lot. Strangely, on the other side of the lot, there’s an old “honor box”, as well as two random newspaper boxes! I don’t think any of those are gonna get any form of patronage…
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| One of the station’s entrances. |
The only exit from the platforms is a pedestrian path from the outbound side. It runs up along the parking lot, with one way leading out toward Wyman Street and the other being a staircase up to Beacon Street. The latter could effectively be considered the “main entrance”, as it features a station sign and a T symbol. It also takes you to a really nice little business block – the square after which the station is named.
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| A train leaving the station. |
Station: Waban
Ridership: Waban has the lowest ridership on the D Line, and by a pretty high degree. With 545 riders per weekday, it’s almost 300 passengers less than the second-lowest station, Eliot. I’m not entirely sure why Waban gets such low ridership, but the surrounding areas are generally less dense than other stations along the line.
Pros: Wanna know what Waban is? Why, it’s tranquil! Yes, this is a lovely quiet station, and despite not having much in the shelter department, it still manages to have that D Line charm. Plus, with such low ridership, the heated shelter is basically all you need. Waban also offers lots of parking considering its ridership.
Cons: My main issue here is with the entrances, or lack thereof. The problem is that the only way of getting in is from the north, forcing people coming from the south to double back. Still, we’re talking about three minutes extra of walking, if that, so this is quite a nitpick.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Although it doesn’t offer too much in quantity, Waban’s “downtown” has to be the cutest business block I’ve ever seen. Really great old architecture, too.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Oooooh, I really wanted to go for the 9. I just reaaaaaaaally wish the station had a wooden shelter to truly make it a quintessential D Line station…and then some! Seriously, Waban has so much going for it. The only functional problem with it is the whole entrance thing, but it would never get fixed, and it really doesn’t need to be. A three minute walk is nothing. Argh, I just wish it had a wooden shelter, dang it! Yes, I’m overly picky with my D Line stations. So what? Waban is still great! Oh wait…it’s not accessible? Okay, that’s an actual issue. 8/10 it is!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Eliot
Last year I wrote an MBTA rap for a school project. It was…interesting. And I don’t really mean good-interesting. One of the lines in the rap went “Eliot Station is right by Route 9/The middle of nowhere, on the D Line”. However, I had never actually visited the station when I wrote that. Well, when I finally went there, I had the startling realization that…well, I wasn’t too far off the mark, as it turns out.
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| The station’s parking lot. |
I came to this station on Lincoln Street, which has a nice T symbol at the end of it to let everyone know that’s where Eliot is. The street ends with an entrance into the station’s parking lot – it’s official MBTA parking this time, with a whole 55 spaces! Okay, so that’s not nearly enough. At least the station also has 16 bike spaces next to the parking lot, and 22 sheltered ones on the inbound platform. Another pedestrian entrance leads from Meredith Ave, on the other side of Eliot.
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| Um…I’m not sure if this complies with ADA standards… |
The station is, as I said, “right by Route 9”, and it has a few entrances from it. The first one leads to the inbound platform, and it’s a very narrow path that goes right up a hill. Sure, it has a railing to help people get down, but I can’t imagine someone like a senior using this entrance.
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| The footbridge over Route 9. |
The outbound side has a staircase entrance down to the highway, but also, Eliot has a footbridge that actually goes over it. Paralleling the train tracks, the footbridge allows pedestrians to get over the massive road that would be impossible to cross otherwise. On the other side, people can descend a ramp to get to Route 9.
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| Looking down the platform. |
Considering that the outbound platform is just a few benches, there’s not much point in talking about it. The inbound side, on the other hand, has the classic D Line heated shelter, as well as…a glass shelter? Wait, no wooden one? But this glass one is so ugly! It’s all scuffed up and has an awful metal bench inside! Well…that’s a disappointment.
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| Woah! A double! |
Station: Eliot
Ridership: It’s certainly on the low end of the D Line’s ridership spectrum, coming in at second-worst. Eliot’s 814 riders per weekday almost certainly all go inbound, and fan in from the surrounding residential areas. And…I guess 55 of those people drive to the station, too.
Pros: Like many other D Line stations, Eliot has lots of entrances going everywhere, with the footbridge over Route 9 being especially useful. In terms of tranquility, Eliot gets a “somewhat” – although the platform is quite leafy, the highway nearby makes some unwelcome noise. Finally, the heated shelter on the inbound side is great, as always.
Cons: But the metal one is awful. For one thing, it’s ugly, and for another, the bench must be so cold in the winter! (I wish I had sat on it to find out…) In addition, though not much can be done about this, the station doesn’t seem to have enough parking. Perhaps more bike spaces could be added to encourage cycle commuters?
Nearby and Noteworthy: No, nothing much. The best thing you’ll get is the nearby Sudbury Aqueduct, which people can walk along.
Final Verdict: 6/10
Noooooo! I thought all of the further-out D Line stations would have character, but this one has none! It’s hardly even tranquil! Sure, it performs its duty as a station well, and I like the bridge over Route 9 a lot, but Eliot needs to step it up in the aesthetics department. Come on, Eliot, this is the D Line we’re talking about!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Newton Highlands
Newton Centre and Newton Highlands are the two D Line stations with old buildings, and thus they’re definitely among my favorites. They even both have small villages around them, though Newton Highlands’ is smaller. Still, that’s certainly not enough to detriment this place, so let’s take a look!
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| Argh, this station is so nice! |
Newton Highlands has a typical D Line platform, including wooden and heated shelters on the inbound side. The station also features benches on both platforms, and a few places where one can cross between the two. In terms of amenities, the outbound side is pretty bare…
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| Oh wait! |
Right, except for the station building! Now, to be honest, I think the Newton Centre one is better, with its vintage signs and generally more interesting architecture. Plus, that one has a diner in it! The Newton Highlands building is a bit more boring, and it only houses some lame offices. Still, though…an old building is an old building.
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| The path to one of the entrances. |
One of the station entrances leads to a more residential area. It starts on the outbound platform, and is a path that parallels the tracks for a bit. Eventually, it becomes a staircase that runs up to Hyde Street, within a leafy neighborhood that’s entirely houses. This entrance features a T symbol and the station name. A similar entrance can be accessed from Station Ave – this one is a simple path to the outbound side.
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| The station’s primary entrance. |
However, Newton Highlands’ main entrance leads right into the village. Once again, it’s a path that goes from the outbound platform, this time to the intersection of Lincoln and Walnut Streets. Outside the entrance, there are newspaper boxes, a wastebasket, and a bench – not sure why they’re there, but why not?
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| A 59 boarding at the station bus stop. |
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| A train coming into the station. |
Reservoir (and Cleveland Circle)
I’ll probably never review the Green Line street-running stops, since most of them are just…bad. And they’re all bad in the exact same way. But since Reservoir and Cleveland Circle are basically considered one station, I figured I’d give them both a chance in the spotlight.
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| Cleveland Circle’s “platform”. |
It had been a while since I had gone out on one of the street-running Green Line branches, but hooooo, boy – I had forgotten how simple these stops were. And Cleveland Circle is one of the better ones! It has a ticket validation machine, some newspaper boxes, and a shelter further down the platform. Such great amenities…
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| The station’s busway. |
Moving into Brookline, there’s a busway and drop-off area right outside of Reservoir Station. Admittedly, it’s only served by two routes, the 51 and the 86, but that’s better than nothing. This area also features sheltered bike spaces. Although there’s no official parking, Cleveland Circle has street parking along Beacon Street, which has to count for something, right?
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| The entrance into the station. |
The entrance to Reservoir also forms a little sheltered plaza. The plaza features more bike spaces, a wastebasket, some benches for buses or pick-ups, and one of those “Charlie on the MTA” plaques about the song (seems like an odd place to put one, but okay). Unfortunately, the shelter has some rather nasty paint chipping along its metal roof.
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| Looking down the platform. |
You know how most D Line stations have…mmm…character? Yeah, Reservoir has none of that. Most of the platform is sheltered, which should be a good thing, but it’s with those ugly metal paint-chipping structures. And though Reservoir Yard is right next to the station, which is pretty cool, it does ruin any tranquility Reservoir might’ve had.
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| The inbound side. |
Still, the platforms certainly don’t lack in amenities. The inbound side has a regular shelter (a bit pointless, since there’s a roof right over it), as well as a heated one. At the end of the station, there’s a ramp which curves around to the busway, giving it “accessible” status.
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| And the outbound side. |
The outbound platform is, as you would expect, more basic than the inbound one, although I would imagine this station still gets traffic heading towards Newton. This platform has only the normal shelter (no heat, unfortunately), and a few other benches. Its accessible ramp leads right alongside the yard, and it drops you off a little further north down Chestnut Hill Ave.
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| Instead of just one train, how about a bunch of trains? |
Stations: Reservoir and Cleveland Circle
Ridership: Because the D is infinitely faster than the C, Reservoir gets more than twice the ridership of Cleveland Circle – 3,404 riders per weekday versus 1,457 for the latter. Cleveland Circle was basically empty when I was here, while Reservoir was full of people dressed in green heading for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
Pros: The only pros I can really give Cleveland Circle are its location and the fact that it’s better than other Green Line street stops. Reservoir, on the other hand, is entirely sheltered, and features many more amenities than its C Line cousin.
Cons: Cleveland Circle has all the problems that Green Line street stops have: it’s too narrow, too basic, and the ride is too slow. Reservoir’s problems, on the other hand, are mostly aesthetic. The shelter running along the whole station looks awful, and the modern architecture makes the station lose any character it might’ve had.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Cleveland Circle has lots of businesses, mostly convenience stores and restaurants. I suppose the station of the same name is closer, but honestly, just use Reservoir. It’s a faster ride, and only a slightly longer walk. That said, if you’re not in a rush, the C is a pleasant ride, it has to be said.
Final Verdict: 6/10
Why is the score so high? Well, I was originally going to average out my opinions of the two stations, which would’ve resulted in a much lower score. However, Reservoir does perform well functionally, and I haven’t factored in the busway yet. Also, there’s a key point I haven’t brought up: the fact that the stations are so close. Having essentially a transfer on the outskirts of the Green Line can be incredibly useful, like if you’re coming from Newton and are trying to get somewhere along Beacon Street. I still dislike both of these stations, but they do have their perks.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Okay, writing the review for Cleveland Circle made me think: can I really try to review every MBTA station without doing the street stops? To be honest, I think that’s a no. Thus, I’m adding Green Line street stops to my to-do list! They’ll probably just get bite-sized reviews since there isn’t much to them, and I’m not sure when I’ll get around to visiting them, but look out for street stops in the future!
Happy Easter, by the way.
Beaconsfield
I love how quickly the neighborhoods of Brookline can change. Beaconsfield is in a very quiet, leafy residential area, yet it’s only a block away from busy, urban Beacon Street. We will be covering the latter once we review Reservoir, but for now, let’s take a look at Beaconsfield.
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| One of the station entrances. |
The more obvious entrance to the station is from Beaconsfield Road, which is lined with apartments. A T symbol marks where the station is, and from there, a quiet side street leads into it. It also goes to the station’s parking lot, which is once again not official MBTA parking. They just have an electronic meter where people pay.
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| Well, this is…unassuming. |
The other entrance is on Clark Road, which consists of houses rather than apartments. Honestly, if I had been walking down this street, I would’ve never noticed the small path that leads to the station! The only indication that it even leads anywhere is a little sign that says “Beaconsfield Path”. Perhaps a T symbol would be helpful?
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| The two platforms. |
Unlike Brookline Hills, Beaconsfield actually has a wooden shelter! Woooooo! This is the primary place to wait on the inbound platform, though it also has an outdoor bench. The wooden shelter even has a couple of cat silhouettes painted on it, which is a really nice (if slightly random) touch.
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| The station…viewed from above. |
Meanwhile, the outbound side features a heated shelter, of course, with fare machines and benches inside. It also has a lone outdoor bench, but come on – just use the shelter. It’s heated, for heaven’s sake! The station’s third and final entrance leads to the outbound platform, as well. It’s a staircase that comes from Dean Road with some actual signage telling pedestrians it’s a train station.
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| A train on the station’s curve. |
Station: Beaconsfield
Ridership: Since I called Brookline Hills “average” for the D, Beaconsfield is probably “below average”. It gets 1,075 riders per weekday, and I think the lower number can be attributed to the C being nearby – although its closest station, Dean Road, only has around 400 riders per weekday, to be fair.
Pros: It’s tranquil! Yes, the wooden shelter combined with the quiet neighborhood definitely gives Beaconsfield some good ol’ D Line peacefulness. Aside from that, the heated shelter is always a plus, and the station features bike spaces and parking (albeit not official parking). Finally, the fact that the station has three entrances is great, making it easier for people in the surrounding areas to get there.
Cons: Well, firstly, there’s the lack of official parking – paying by meter is certainly not optimal when commuting to Boston for the day. Also, the absence of signage on the Beaconsfield Path along Clark Road is annoying. Admittedly, the neighborhood is so local that residents probably just know where it goes, but a small T symbol would still be nice.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The surrounding areas are mostly residential, so I doubt you’ll find anything interesting around here. Even nearby Beacon Street is just lined with apartments rather than any retail.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Okay, Beaconsfield is your true quintessential D Line station. From the wooden shelter to the heated one to the quiet platform to even the lack of signage…yeah, it’s all there. Of course, the quintessential D Line station always earns a 7, so…there you go!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Brookline Hills
In terms of rapid transit stations away from Boston, the D was basically my final frontier. Well, no more! I went and visited every station I hadn’t reviewed yet along that line, and now it’s time to write about them all! Let’s do this.
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| Oh yeah…there’s also gonna be a lot of this kind of platform. |
Brookline Hills is your quintessential D Line station…almost. The only thing it’s missing is a wooden shelter on the inbound side. Instead, we get a boring glass shelter in which to wait. Other than that, the inbound side doesn’t have much other than a few signs and maps.
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| Ooooh, someone left the door open… |
The outbound side, like every D Line stop, has a heated shelter! Inside, you can find benches as well as CharlieCard machines. This platform also has a bench out in the open to wait at if…actually, I don’t know why anyone would wait there when there’s a heated shelter. Anyway, there are also wheelchair ramps on both platforms, making the station accessible.
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| The small parking lot. |
Brookline Hills doesn’t have any official parking, but there is a small lot right next to the station. I’m not sure if it’s affiliated with the station or not, but payment is done via an electronic meter. In addition, there are a few bike spaces next to the lot.
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| A Riverside-bound train entering the station. |
Station: Brookline Hills
Ridership: I would say ridership here is about average for the D – 1,225 riders per weekday. It was quiet on the Sunday I was here, but that’s to be expected for the D on Sundays. Brookline Hills is clearly a local station, based on its residential surroundings, and it seems like most people walk here since the parking lot is so small. Another major ridership draw is probably students, since the station is right next to the Brookline High School.
Pros: You’re gonna be hearing this a lot in the coming posts, but hey – Brookline Hills is quite tranquil! The area around it is very quiet for the most part (until you walk to Route 9, but we won’t mention that). Also, the station is accessible, has a heated shelter, and features bike spaces and at least some form of parking.
Cons: Speaking of the parking, I do wish it was official MBTA parking. I don’t really know what kind of parking it currently is, but paying by meter doesn’t exactly encourage driving in for the day. Also, and this is more of a personal problem, it would be great if the station had a wooden shelter instead of the glass one. They just have so much more character.
Nearby and Noteworthy: A swimming pool is right near the station! Come on, that’s pretty awesome.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Yep. This is the classic D Line station. Well, minus official parking. And a wooden shelter. But other than that, Brookline Hills is great! Gosh, I’m gonna be struggling to fill this space up by the time I get further down the line…
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
BAT: Ashmont Route 12 (Routes to Boston and Beyond)
It’s strange to think of a non-MBTA route being able to enter MBTA bus territory and serve a subway station, no less! And yet, here we are with the BAT’s 12 bus. Running all the way from Brockton to Ashmont, this is both the BAT’s longest route and its busiest. What draws so many people to this lengthy ride? Let’s find out.
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| The bus at the BAT Center. |
Heading out of the BAT Center complex, we navigated through downtown Brockton via Commercial Street, Centre Street, Montello Street, Lincoln Street, and Main Street in quick succession. A lot of people got on at a shelter on Main Street, then we left the tall-ish buildings of downtown behind as we headed north. Now, since the 12 runs parallel with the 1 along this section, the latter takes care of all the local stops, since it’s much shorter.
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| Welcome to beautiful downtown Brockton… |
That said, we still made stops along the way, so…yeah, I’m not sure how strictly the “no stops” thing is followed. Regardless, the street was an eclectic mix of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. We also passed a cemetery, a school, and a church along the way. Although coming pretty close to Montello Station, we did not serve it directly.
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| An empty plot of land. |
It got less dense after that, with the apartments becoming just houses and the businesses becoming more spread out. As we entered Avon, the businesses left completely and it became a suburban residential neighborhood. And once we passed an intersection with the wide Harrison Boulevard, the 1 ended and we were alone on West Main Street.
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| A patch of trees. |
We went by a little convenience store on one side and an industrial warehouse on the other, and then it was houses once more. After a little while, Avon Middle High School was on the left and an incredibly cute library was on the right. These buildings signified that we were arriving at Avon Square, which was…nothing much, actually. It was basically just a fire station, a church, and a few businesses along a wide, pedestrian unfriendly road.
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| Mmm…gotta love Avon Square. |
This also marked the point where we were joined by the MBTA’s 240 bus. Yes, from Avon Square all the way up to Ashmont, the 12 is paralleled by the 240, stopping at the same stops. This seems like an interesting arrangement, with two transit authorities basically running the same route, but I guess that’s how it is.
Soon after Avon Square, we entered Randolph. Although South Main Street hosted a few industrial and commercial buildings, it was still mostly houses. However, we soon passed a school and went under pylons in quick succession, and arrived in Crawford Square just a bit later.
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| A street in Crawford Square. |
There was a connection to the 238 here, although the square was still underwhelming. The street was too wide, the sidewalks were too small, and the businesses were too uninteresting to make it seem like a fun place to hang out. As we continued up North Main Street, the businesses started to get big parking lots around them, and we even passed a small shopping plaza.
However, after that, it went back to mostly houses, with a bit of retail. There were also a few churches, industrial buildings, housing developments, and another school. Near the intersection with Pond Street, North Main was lined with businesses for a little while. We passed through one more residential stretch, then the street grew incredibly wide, went by some highway development, and went under I-93 with a cloverleaf interchange.
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| One of the ramps onto the highway. |
Right after that, we entered Quincy, the street became Randolph Ave, and we were right smack in the middle of the Blue Hills Reservation. Understandably, this section had no stops, so we were just speeding through the woods. Once we left the reservation into Milton, there was a bit of retail, and then it switched over to spaced-out houses.
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| Woods! |
The fringes of the reservation still dominated the right side of the road, while the left featured houses and, at one point, the entrance to a golf club. We also passed the huge Milton Department of Public Works, which seemed like just a big industrial complex. After that, we turned onto Reedsdale Road, which was mostly residential except for a library. For a short time, we were also running with the 245 along here.
The 245 left us at Brook Road, where we continued onto Central Ave. The houses got closer together as we got further north, until they became businesses. Here, we crossed over the Mattapan High Speed Line at its Central Ave stop, and then went over the Neponset River.
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| What a lovely view! |
On the Boston side, we turned onto River Street, joining the 27. After a mix of apartments and retail, it became entirely the latter when we entered the Lower Mills area and turned onto Dorchester Ave. From there, the street became lined with apartments on one side and a huge hospital on the other. More residences now lined the street on both sides, then we finally took a right into the Ashmont busway.
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| The bus gobbling up passengers to go back to Brockton. |
BAT Route: Ashmont Route 12 (Routes to Boston and Beyond)
Ridership: This is by far the busiest route on the BAT, with 2,029 riders per weekday and 1,301 per Saturday. There’s no data for the 12’s Sunday service yet, but every time I see one on Sunday at Ashmont, it’s packed. My ride on a late Saturday afternoon was lighter, with about 25 passengers in total. Most of them went from beginning to end, but a few people got on between Brockton and Avon and others got off at local stops along the route.
Pros: It’s a BAT route that connects to the freakin’ Red Line! That in itself is awesome! Of course, this makes it quite busy, and it even has a few express trips during rush hour. Although the route has a premium fare over the rest of the BAT ($2.00 instead of $1.25), it’s still vastly cheaper than taking the Commuter Rail into Boston (which costs $7.50). Finally, although the headways are the same as other BAT routes Monday through Saturday, the 12 has a longer service day, from 4:50 AM to 12:20 PM on weekdays and 5:05 AM to 11:40 PM on Saturdays.
Cons: The Sunday service is bad. I mean, it only runs about half as often as other BAT routes! Now how does that make sense? Is this not the busiest route on the system? I’m pretty sure it’s still gonna get ridership on Sundays! So why doesn’t it run as often as other routes?
Nearby and Noteworthy: Hmm…to be honest, the most “noteworthy” place the route serves is Ashmont, but only because you can get the Red Line to actually interesting attractions from there. I mean, I could mention the small squares the 12 passes through, but none of them were very captivating.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Well, regardless of the 80 minute headways on Sundays, the 12 is definitely one of the best routes on the BAT. It runs as often as other BAT routes all other times, but it also has a longer service day, and – oh yeah – serves Ashmont! It’s a cheap (but slow) alternative to the Commuter Rail, and it gets a bunch of ridership along its massive length. If only it had more frequent Sunday service…
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BAT: Brockton Route 8 (Southfield via Warren and Plain Street)
The 8 serves both one of the densest and one of the most suburban sections of Brockton. The former is a straight shot, while the latter is a loop at the end of the route. Since Campello (where I was) is the halfway point between these two, I wanted to take it around the loop and then head back up to Brockton. And this time I didn’t have to pay twice!
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| The bus in a residential neighborhood. |
I got on the bus just outside of a school, on Warren Ave. We instantly turned onto Clifton Ave, which was lined with dense houses, then we made another turn onto Main Street. After a quick connection with the 2, we merged around onto Plain Street. This road was industrial as it crossed over the Commuter Rail tracks near Campello Station, but it was all houses on the other side.
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| A perfect example of the suburban neighborhood. |
We turned onto Otto Street, then Summer Street, with houses on one side and woods on the other. We then turned onto the suburban-feeling Carl Street, with no sidewalks and large front yards. Soon, we reached Plain Street, which passed a church and went under some huge pylons before becoming lined with houses once more.
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| The pylons. |
Next, we turned onto East Street, which was – You guessed it! – suburban and residential. This took us up to Edson Street, which went under the pylons again and became Summer Street. We made our way back to Plain Street now heading toward the BAT Center.
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| Some denser houses. |
After crossing Main Street again, we took a slightly different route than the outbound one – a block away on the one-way Keith Ave, lined with dense houses. We then rejoined the outbound side and turned onto Warren Ave, the main portion of the route. We passed a school, then the street was lined with dense houses and apartments – a big departure from the suburban neighborhood we had just left. Compared to the commercial/industrial Main Street a few blocks away, Warren Ave had few businesses except for some small corner stores. We did pass an industrial lot at one point, though.
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| The lot. |
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| A different bus getting ready to set out on the 8 from the BAT Center. |
Ridership: This route seems to get average ridership for the BAT, with 668 riders per weekday, 349 per Saturday, and 117 per Sunday. My Saturday ride pretty much typified this, with about 20 passengers in total. Most of them got on along the dense section rather than the suburban loop, which is to be expected, and everyone got off at the BAT Center, of course.
Pros: I like the way this route serves two different “worlds” of Brockton: the dense houses further north, and the suburban residences around the loop. Of course, the former gives the route more ridership, though people still got on in the suburban section, too. In addition, the schedule is the classic BAT schedule that most of the routes have, with every 20-25 minute service rush hours, every 50 minutes during the day, every 45 minutes at night and on Saturdays, and every 40 minutes on Sundays.
Cons: Again, the default BAT schedule can be infrequent, but since that applies to most of its routes, it’s not a specific con. It could be a potential problem that this route spends a lot of its time within three blocks of the 2, but both routes get decent ridership, so I guess it’s fine (the 2 gets more, though).
Nearby and Noteworthy: As with presumably most Brockton routes, this section is basically a “no way.”
Final Verdict: 8/10
This is another solid BAT route. Considering that most of them have the same schedule, I’ll probably be saying that a lot of the BAT is “solid”. Still, the 8 serves some dense neighborhoods and some not-so-dense neighborhoods, and that seems to give it fine ridership, so it gets a fine score from me.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Government Center
Yes, it’s finally here! The moment we’ve all been waiting for! After 1 year and 364 days, the crucial connection between the Green and Blue Lines is once again open. And let me tell you, it’s beautiful. I don’t want to leave you hanging any longer, so let’s take a look at the brand new Government Center!
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| Oh, look at that beautiful Boston City Hall! That glass station entrance…pshhhh. |
I kid, of course. Boston City Hall is like Boston’s great big pimple, while Government Center’s new entrance is the pimple remover. I mean, it’s simply beautiful. The glass headhouse is amazing, and really announces that there’s a train station here a lot better than the old one. I do wonder why there are still construction signs pointing the way to State and Park Street around the station, though.
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| The entrance. |
The actual entrance is amazing, too. Located right off of Cambridge Street, there are six pairs of automatic doors that lead into the mezzanine – four in the front, and one on each side. The sheer number of doorways into the station is instantly an improvement from the original Government Center’s tiny entrance.
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| The mezzanine. |
Inside, the mezzanine is huge and spacious, with a bunch of fare gates into the station. They’re the “new” type of fare gates like the ones at Assembly that make different noises. Plus, they have two wider reduced fare gates! I do wish it was one on each side, but two on the end is better than nothing. In addition, there are fare machines on either side of the big mass of gates.
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| Plants! |
Other amenities in the mezzanine include countdown clocks for both the Green and Blue Lines, on either side of the fare gates. There are also wastebaskets, of course, and interestingly, potted plants. I don’t think there’s ever been an MBTA station with those before, but they look quite nice!
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| Inside the big glass structure! |
Once past the mezzanine, you enter the huge glass area that’s visible from all around the station. We’ll see how long the glass stays clean, but for now, it looks great! There are some good views of the surrounding area from inside the enclosure, as well as LED lights that change from blue to green! Stairs lead down to the Green Line, as well as up and down escalators.
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| The main attraction! |
Of course, the newest addition to Government Center is the brand new elevators, making it finally accessible! There are two that go from the mezzanine down to the Green Line, and they’re big, glass, and quick. The only problem is that the one I took (and possibly the other one, too) already smells bad. Geez, that didn’t take long.
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| The Green Line platform! |
Remember how dark the Green Line platform in the old Government Center was? Yeah, well you can kiss those memories goodbye, because it’s sooooooo bright! Not only are there lots of LEDs lighting up the place, but the glass structure adds lots of natural light to the station, too. And everything is painted white to make the platform even brighter. The more light, the merrier, I guess.
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| A poster about the retail space. |
However, one aspect of the platform that’s decidedly missing is retail space. Specifically, the station used to house a Dunkin’ Donuts right on the platform that’s not there anymore. The T is currently looking for businesses to occupy the space, so hopefully something worthwhile comes up there. Another unfortunate omission from this new station is the fantastic murals that were in the old one – there is a little information board about them, at least.
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| Along the track. |
The Green Line platforms feature proper countdown clocks going outbound and the ones showing how many stops away the trains are going inbound. I do wish the platform had more benches, though, since it’s quite spacious, yet rather empty. Couldn’t they fit more benches in? There are very, very few.
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| Possibly the coolest part of the whole station. |
Along the curved inbound platform, there are “mind the gap” signs along the track, which in itself is awesome – but we’re just getting started. Do you remember how screechy the trains were at the old Government Center? Well, that’s all changed. Now they have these sprayers along the curve that grease the tracks to keep the trains from screeching! THAT’S AMAZING! Now all we need is one of these bad boys at Boylston.
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| A train heading to North Station. |
One of my favorite things about Government Center is that it’s probably the second easiest transfer on the whole system (after North Station‘s cross-platform one). There are a bunch of staircases (and now two elevators) that all lead directly down to the Blue Line from the Green Line. One of the staircases has a vintage “Scolley Square Under” sign, while the other has historical information! And the elevator I took did smell alright this time, so that’s a plus.
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| The Blue Line platform! |
The Blue Line platform is quite possibly even brighter and whiter than the Green Line one. Basically…yeah, everything’s painted white. But it looks quite glossy, at least for now! We’ll see what happens as the station gets older and dirtier, though.
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| Further down the platform. |
As for the platform itself, it’s quite clean and spacious. On one end, there’s an emergency exit that, to be honest, should probably just be made into a regular entrance. Also, the Blue Line platform has the same lack of benches that the Green Line one has – I only saw two! Maybe they’re trying to encourage good health by making all the passengers stand.
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| A train bursting into the station. |
Station: Government Center
Ridership: In 2013, before the station closed, Government Center was actually the least-used transfer point on the system. Still, 10,828 riders per day is not a low number, and the station still ranked 17th on the system. To be honest, it wasn’t that crowded today, and the ridership consisted of either people making transfers or transit fans taking photos. Still, once more people realize the place is open, I’m sure ridership will increase.
Pros: This. Place. Looks. Great. There’s no other way to put it, it looks amazing. From the huge glass structure outside to the spacious mezzanine to the bright Green Line platform to the shiny Blue Line platform, they really did an awesome job with the aesthetics here. Not only that, but this station is fantastic functionally. The huge amount of fare gates at the entrance allows for many people to enter at the same time, and the transfer between the Green and Blue Lines is definitely one of the simplest and easiest on the system. The fact that the station is accessible now is of course a huge plus, and oh – the Green Line track sprayers! They are the most amazing thing I have ever seen. And heard. Because there’s silence because the trains don’t screech!!!!!
Cons: There are only two problems I have with the new station. The first is that there’s no retail yet, but that should be taken care of soon. Hopefully a food or convenience store will take the spot, since that would be very convenient while waiting for the train. My other issue is the lack of benches. Maybe I’m lazy, but it seems like it’s customary to include a good amount of seating space in train stations. The worst part is that there’s plenty of room on the massive platforms, and yet it seems like they haven’t really taken advantage of that.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I have to say, Government Center is probably on the least interesting corner of the downtown square. Boston City Hall is an eyesore, and generally its plaza is the most boring place ever. Okay, so the Big Apple Circus is there now, but other than that, the area isn’t noteworthy at all.
Final Verdict: 9/10
I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by the new station. There are the big things, like the glass headhouse, the big mezzanine, and the bright platforms, but then there are also little details that I really love: the potted plants in the mezzanine, the LED lights that switch from green to blue, and – of course – the Green Line track sprayers. And the place is accessible now! Since I’m not that upset about the lack of retail space, the only thing keeping this station from a 10 is the fact that there are so few benches. Perhaps the MBTA has a reason for omitting them from the platforms, but I think there should definitely be more than what they have now. Other than that, though, this is a really, really great station. Kudos for building something wonderful, MBTA!
UPDATE: In my rush to get this post out on opening day, I forgot to mention that the B terminates at Park Street now. One the one hand, this makes it harder for passengers on that branch to get to Government Center, but on the other hand, it does prevent the bottleneck between it and Park Street. It’s neither a pro nor a con, but I figured I ought to mention it.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Campello
Why is it that you sometimes see seagulls in places that aren’t even close to the ocean? I know this is a random way to start, but there were two seagulls in the empty Campello parking lot, and I was wondering what the heck they were doing there! Um…anyway, time to look at Campello Station.
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| The street leading to the station. |
Around the neighborhood, there are a bunch of convenient signs that point the way towards the Commuter Rail station. Although their usefulness to a person who commutes there every day is questionable, they at least helped a newbie like me find my way. The station is located on Riverside Ave, a gritty, industrial-feeling street. There’s also a second entrance located off of the larger Plain Street that’s useful for people coming from the east.
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| That’s a biiiiiiiiiiig parking lot. |
Of course, since this is an Old Colony Line, it has to have a huge parking lot. Or rather, a huge empty parking lot. And it’s not just because I was here on a Saturday – the 535-space lot only gets around 20% filled on the average weekday. Still, better safe than sorry.
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| The platform. |
Since the station is single-track, there’s only one platform. And whaddayaknow, it’s got that most classic of Old Colony shelters – bland, but does the trick. The station also features ads, benches, wastebaskets, and newspaper boxes. As usual, the platform is much longer than the sheltered part, but there isn’t much to talk about out there since it’s just a bunch of benches.
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| I didn’t see any trains when I was here, but SEAGULLS! |
Station: Campello
Ridership: There weren’t any trains coming for another hour when I was here, so the station was dead. However, Campello is ultimately the second-busiest station in Brockton, with almost 700 inbound riders per weekday. I guess most of those people walk or take the bus here, since the parking lot is so empty all the time. The station is in a pretty dense neighborhood, after all.
Pros: It’s a typical Old Colony station, so it gets the job done. The fact that it’s fully high-level is certainly a plus. Also, it has a huge (perhaps unnecessarily so) parking lot, which could contain a lot of cars if people actually drove here.
Cons: I guess Campello’s only problem is that it has that Old Colony blandness going on. You know, there’s the stark platform, the huge asphalt parking lot, and the bland metal shelter, none of which help it out much in the visual department.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The surroundings are mostly either residential or industrial, but there are a few businesses on nearby Main Street.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Like many Old Colony stops, I don’t have much to say here. Campello is a perfectly efficient station that may look a bit boring, but it gets the job done. Um…well, it also seems to attract seagulls. Wooooooo.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
BAT: Brockton Route 2 (South Plaza/Campello via Main Street)
Wouldn’t it be nice if every transit authority had a photo policy like the MBTA’s? Or even better, if there was a single policy that applied to all authorities? It would certainly prevent annoying instances like what happened to me on the 2 from occurring. This time, the driver’s argument was that I could get arrested for taking a picture of a bus driver. I’m not sure if that’s true (leave a comment if you know), but I was taking a picture of the bus, not the driver! Sigh…whatever.
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| The bus at the BAT Center. |
Pulling out of the BAT Center, we made our way to Centre Street, which went under the Commuter Rail tracks. Once on the other side, we turned onto Montello Street, passing parking lots and vacant brick buildings. Soon after, we headed left onto Crescent Street, then Maple Ave, going through a backlot.
By the time we made it onto Main Street, we had bypassed downtown Brockton – the inbound route takes care of that section of town. However, the inbound and outbound routes were together now as Main Street became more industrial. Side streets were lined with houses, but we were mostly going by either auto shops or small businesses.
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| One of those residential side streets. |
The industrial-ness was broken at one point, with an intersection at South Street. Here, there were a few business blocks and even a post office. We passed a park after that, with a connection to the 8 and Campello Station. However, once past there, the auto shops came back and it felt gritty again. Eventually, we turned off the road to directly serve an apartment building, then returned to Main Street, passing the BAT’s main yard.
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| The yard! |
The auto shops multiplied exponentially after that, and it seemed like at least 60% of the businesses were car-related. In addition, the parking lots increased in size as we continued south, culminating with an almost empty mall – Kmart Plaza. As the bus layed over in the parking lot, I asked the driver if I could take it back up to Campello Station. “You have to pay again to do that,” she said. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I tapped my card again, even though it did seem a little unfair…
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| The bus after I got off near Campello. |
BAT Route: Brockton Route 2 (South Plaza/Campello via Main Street)
Ridership: My Saturday ride had about 25 passengers, all of whom got on at the BAT Center. As expected, they slowly trickled off as we headed further away from downtown. The 2’s ridership is about average for the BAT, with 954 riders per weekday, 590 per Saturday, and 199 per Sunday.
Pros: Aside from the meandering in downtown Brockton, the 2 is a straight shot right down Main Street. It goes through a lot of dense neighborhoods, which gives it decent ridership. In addition, the route’s terminus at Kmart Plaza offers a connection to BAT’s thrice-daily route to Bridgewater State University. The 2 gets the schedule that most BAT routes have, running every 20-25 minutes rush hour, every 50 minutes during the day, every 45 minutes at night and on Saturdays, and every 40 minutes on Sundays.
Cons: Even though the schedule can be infrequent, it’s one bus shuttling back and forth outside of rush hour, which seems most economical. Also, the deviation to serve the apartment building seems a bit unnecessary – it’s quite a short walk to the street. Nonetheless, the detour doesn’t add much time to the route, and it seems like people use it, so it’s not that bad.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There might be some gems amidst the constant auto shops, but a lot of this route feels industrial. Um…there’s a Kmart at the end?
Final Verdict: 8/10
Since the BAT has such uniform schedules, I wonder if most of its routes will get similar ratings from me. I can say that as a route, the 2 is straightforward and serves a lot, which makes it a good one in my book. Considering that the apartment deviation is both short and well-used, the subtracted two points are mainly just for the general infrequency of the BAT’s schedule, which can’t be helped.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Brockton
I think downtown Brockton is pretty widely considered to be…well, let’s say a “sketchy neighborhood”. And train stations are usually where the sketchiest parts of sketchy neighborhoods happen to be. I have to wonder, then, if it’s a coincidence that Brockton Station happens to be right next to a police station. Hmm…
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| Some parking along the side of the police station. |
There are two places at Brockton to park, the first one being a strange lot next to the police station. The thing is, I’m not really sure where the station parking ends and where police parking begins, since a lot of it is reserved for police vehicles. Plus, it goes up a slope, so many of the spaces are at an angle, which must make it interesting to park there.
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| This was taken from a moving bus, which explains its awfulness. |
Luckily, there’s a more traditional parking option available in the form of a BAT parking garage. I’m not sure how much of it is considered station parking (if any), but the MBTA website says the station has 266 spaces, and there are not that many in the weird slope lot. Thus, I assume the strange little two-story garage contains the rest of the station parking, and parking for the BAT, as well.
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| A little plaza. |
Next to the police station and outside of the station’s entrance, there’s a small plaza with a few amenities. For example, it has some weirdly-placed bike spaces. I mean…unless it’s normal to park your bike right on the dirt. Also, there are benches, a payphone, and a map of Brockton and the BAT system. This plaza acts as the “gateway” to the Commuter Rail station, with one staircase leading directly to it while another (a block away) requires walking through the police station parking lot. One final exit is via the ramped parking, and that leads to the BAT Center (more on that later).
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| The proper entrance to the station. |
The way you get onto the platform here is reminiscent of Braintree, another Old Colony station. Like that station, Brockton has a center platform that requires crossing one of the tracks to get to. At least there are plenty of lights and signs to inform passengers of the crossing. Once in the middle of the tracks, there is a staircase and a ramp up to the full high-level platform.
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| Up on the platform. |
Although the platform is elevated, there isn’t much of a view. Thus, we’re left with a standard Old Colony station, with benches and wastebaskets under a fairly stark shelter. There are vintage Commuter Rail maps, though, presumably from when the station opened (1997).
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| Mmm…interesting. |
Of course, most of the platform is open. And…yeah, it’s basically more benches and wastebaskets for the whole length of the insanely long station, which is typical for the Old Colony Lines. However, Brockton stands out from the crowd by having insanely robotic announcements that don’t say anything important! Woo!
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| The BAT Center, complete with solar panels! |
Of course, no discussion of Brockton would be complete without talking about the BAT Center, right across the street from the Commuter Rail. Even though they’re technically separated, I’m considering them to be part of the same facility, since they…basically are. Although to be honest, the BAT Center should really be renamed to the BATCave. And for what it’s worth, all of the BAT’s buses should be called BATMobiles. Okay, okay, I’ll stop now…
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| The inside of the BATCave…I mean, Center. |
The inside of the BAT Center is awesome. Just in terms of aesthetics, a lot of it is made of wood, and so it has a great, rustic feel to it all. Of course, its facilities are quite modern, including a countdown screen! Admittedly, it’s pretty unnecessary since most BAT buses leave the hub at the same time, but it’s still nice to have.
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| The businesses in the building. |
The BAT Center also features two cafés, as well as a convenience store! And there are tables and wastebaskets everywhere so people can eat while they’re waiting for the bus! Plus, the Center has a ticket booth, ticket machines, and bathrooms (though their doors remain locked unless you get a key at the ticket booth, which does make sense, considering the neighborhood).
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| The outdoor area. |
Outside, each bus route gets its own specific bay, and for the most part, they all leave the BAT Center at the same time to make transfers easier (it’s a pulse system). The outdoor area also has shelters with more seating, as well as wastebaskets and even more countdown clocks for individual routes! Not to mention, there are speakers for announcements about when the next “pulse” is! I love this place so much…
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| Oh, right, there’s also a Commuter Rail station. Um…that’s fine, too. |
Station: Brockton
Ridership: Unsurprisingly, this is the busiest of the three Brockton Commuter Rail stations, and the third-busiest on the whole Old Colony system, with 778 inbound riders per weekday. And to be honest, it seems to get some degree of outbound ridership, since a few people got off a train coming from Middleborough on a Saturday! As for the BAT…well, this is the main hub of a very busy bus system, so I think you can imagine how much ridership it gets.
Pros: Okay, so the BAT Center, right? Yeah, so it’s got all these cool amenities, like cafés, bathrooms, and countdown clocks! It has a whole bunch of seating, it’s all indoors, and it’s so awesome! Oh yeah, and then there’s also the Commuter Rail station. It’s high-level, which is…standard for the Old Colony. Um…it has that robotic voice, too…
Cons: Okay, all jokes aside, there really isn’t much wrong with the Commuter Rail station, either. It’s what you’d expect from an Old Colony station and nothing more. I guess specific signage to the BAT Center could be nice, but other than that, there are no glaring flaws here.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I mean, there’s certainly a lot nearby (this is downtown Brockton, after all), but it’s only noteworthy in that I wouldn’t recommend spending much time here…
Final Verdict: 9/10
Yeah, I have a weakness for big Commuter Rail hub stations with lots of amenities. It has to be said, though, that most of those amenities are within the BAT Center rather than at the station itself. Indeed, if the BAT Center wasn’t included in this review, the station would probably get a 7 at most (considering it’s average but not bad). However, the awesomeness of the BAT’s hub raises it up that extra two points. What a great place to run buses from! And…the Commuter Rail station is a fine place to run trains, I guess.
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BAT: Stoughton Route 14 (Stoughton via Brockton)
As I stood doing nothing in a little room at the Cobbs Corner Mall meant for dropping off bottles and cans, I got quite a few strange looks from passerby outside. Look, I didn’t realize the bus would be this late, okay? About 15 minutes after it was scheduled to arrive, the 14 finally showed up, and as the driver left for another 5 minutes, I stepped into the warmth of the bus.
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| The bus at the mall. |
The inside of the bus was strikingly similar to most other non-MBTA systems around Boston. To be honest, by this point, all of these vehicles’ interiors look the same to me. This particular bus was interesting in that it did have an automatic announcement system, but only once we got to the Westgate Mall, way later along the route.
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| Looking toward the back… |
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| …and the front. |
Once the driver returned, we swerved around through the parking lot until finally exiting onto Washington Street heading south. We then turned onto Sharon Street, which quickly became Central Street once we exited Canton into Stoughton. The neighborhood was mostly residential in the form of both regular houses and a few developments. We also passed the occasional business along the way.
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| The Stoughton Water Works! |
Eventually we reached an industrial section, with a few office parks along the street. However, we also went by a school, a fire station, and the Stoughton Water Works, which was an interesting thing to see. We crossed over a single Commuter Rail track, and then it was residential once more for a bit.
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| The one track. |
As we turned onto Washington Street, the surroundings all of a sudden became fast food restaurants, auto shops, and the like with big parking lots out front – my favorite kind of neighborhood! That said, this is where we finally started getting some riders, so clearly some people like the area more than me. The parking lots did become smaller once we merged onto Park Street and headed through Stoughton Square, coming a block away from Stoughton’s Commuter Rail station (another one which I have yet to visit).
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| The main bus stop in Stoughton Square. |
Leaving the center, the street became residential with increasingly dense houses (and a few businesses scattered around, too). After Park Street made a slight curve to the right, there was a short section of forest, and the houses felt further apart once they came back. We passed through another round of office parks, and then the businesses with big parking lots came back…again.
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| A water tower looms behind the basketball court. |
The road became North Pearl Street, and it did get residential again for a bit. We went by a cemetery, then turned onto Pleasant Street, which crossed over Route 24. Eventually we reached the wide Reynolds Memorial Highway and then turned onto Westgate Drive. The parking lots were back, culminating in a gigantic one for the Westgate Mall. Most 14 trips actually terminate here, but ours was one of the four per day that continue to downtown Brockton, so we headed back down the way we came after stopping at the mall.
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| Woo, parking lots, yay… |
Heading back down to Reynolds Memorial Highway, we rejoined Pleasant Street, now heading eastward towards downtown. The street was a mixture of houses and businesses, and though there was definitely more of the former, the latter was well-represented. The houses got denser as we got closer to the city, and soon everything was replaced by retail. We eventually went under the Commuter Rail tracks and then pulled into the BAT Center, the hub of the system.
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| The bus, now out of service at the BAT Center. |
BAT Route: Stoughton Route 14 (Stoughton via Brockton)
Ridership: The ridership on my ride was local, with everyone seeming to know each other. Overall, it got about 15 riders in total, which seems alright for a Saturday. In 2014, the route got 208 riders per weekday and 160 per Saturday, and it’s one of the lower-ridership routes for the BAT.
Pros: This is Stoughton’s only bus route, and not only does it serve a decent portion of that town, but it also provides a link to Cobbs Corner. Unfortunately…that’s about all the good things I have to say about the 14.
Cons: Yeah, okay, so first of all, the schedule is pretty bad. I’m not saying the route gets a ton of ridership, but every 80 minutes seems a bit ridiculous. Still, I guess the route averages a relatively small amount of people per trip, so the infrequency makes sense. But I’ll bet it would average more people per trip if all of them were extended to the BAT Center! Why terminate at Westgate? That just makes the route so isolated.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There weren’t any attractions that caught my fancy along this route. Stoughton Center didn’t seem like a very interesting place, although if you’re into malls, the 14 has plenty of those.
Final Verdict: 5/10
To be clear, this score is not based on the frequency of the route. The frequency, based on the current ridership, makes sense. Rather, the low score is because of the simple fact that only four trips per day serve the BAT Center. I’m sure this route would get much more ridership if it always went downtown since it wouldn’t just be an isolated stub from Westgate to Stoughton. It might be harder to schedule, but it would be worth it, and I think this route is basically unfinished until that happens.
UPDATE 7/1/19: 7/10
The route has gotten a major upgrade, now running every 40-45 minutes, with every trip servicing the BAT Center. Huge improvement!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates