8 (Harbor Point/UMASS – Kenmore Station via BU Medical Center and Dudley Station)

Jan 27, 2015 | | 0 Comments

It’s not often you miss the last stop on a bus. But once we reached the last stop of the 8, the driver decided to drive away before yelling at us. Thus, for all intents and purposes, my friend Jason and I missed the final stop of a bus route. What an accomplishment…?

But of course, there’s a whole ride to talk about. We started out at Kenmore Station, from which we headed down Brookline Ave. We went over the Mass Turnpike, right past Fenway Park, and then went by lots of businesses and apartments. Passing the Landmark Center mall, right near Fenway Station, we then entered the Longwood Medical Center.
We turned onto Longwood Ave, going by tall hospital buildings, and then made a sharp turn onto Avenue Louis Pasteur. There was a short run on the Fenway, going by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, then the MFA and the E Line. The street became Ruggles Street, and we passed some Northeastern University buildings (one of many schools on this route), then headed into Ruggles Station.
From there, we went down Ruggles Street again, going by some housing developments and a park. We then turned onto Shawmut Ave, and entered Dudley Station. After that, we headed up Washington Street along with the Silver Line, making all of its stops until East Newton Street. There, we turned onto East Brookline Street, then Harrison Ave, then East Concord Street, then Albany Street (lots of twisting and turning).
This was the BU Medical Center, and so there were lots of tall hospital buildings again. On Albany Street, there was this yellow tube that went over the road – I have no idea what it’s for, but I know that it would be really cool to walk through. We then turned onto Mass Ave, and entered an industrial wasteland.
This went on for a while until Newmarket Station, where we turned onto Newmarket Square. We then turned onto Southampton Street, and after that we entered the South Bay Center Mall. This was a major stop, and almost everyone on the bus got off here. Leaving the mall, there was a nice skyline view, and this time I didn’t get accused of taking pictures of peoples’ daughters.
This came out surprisingly well, considering the amount of salt on the bus window.
We headed back to Mass Ave, going into the industrial wasteland again. But once we merged into Columbia Road, it turned residential. We followed Columbia all the way to JFK/UMASS Station, where a few people got on for the next part of the route out to UMASS.
From there, we headed onto Mount Vernon Street, going by a bank and a hotel. We also passed the Bayside Expo Center, where they’re planning to build the main stadium if we end up hosting the Olympics. Passing a school, we reached what is apparently the last stop of the route, next to an apartment building and a housing complex. Everyone on the bus got off except for Jason and I, and the bus left the stop.
“Hey!” the driver suddenly shouted. “Where are you going?”
“UMASS,” I replied. 
“That was UMASS!” he yelled back. 
“Fine, then drop us off at the last stop,” I said. 
“That was the last stop! So, where are you going? I’m not writing a book here!”
I still have no idea what that book analogy was supposed to mean, but I said we were going to the busway. I meant the UMASS busway, but he ended up taking us back to JFK/UMASS, which was actually better for us. I decided against taking a picture of the bus once we got there, though – I don’t think the driver would’ve been very happy about that.
This one at Kenmore will have to suffice.
Route: 8 (Harbor Point/UMASS – Kenmore Station via BU Medical Center and Dudley Station)
Ridership: There were exactly 30 people in total on our ride, which is great for a Sunday. Most of them got on at local stops and got off at the South Bay Center. The route performs well overall, as well, with almost 4,000 riders per weekday, 1,500 per Saturday, and 1,000 per Sunday.
Pros: This is a great crosstown route for southern Boston. It serves every line except for Blue, as well as Fenway Park, a few museums, a bunch of schools, two medical centers, and an evidently popular mall. It also provides a direct link from UMASS to those locations, though the free shuttle is much more efficient for getting to JFK/UMASS (and it’s free). The 8’s schedule is decent on weekdays, with headways of about 20 minutes during rush hour and 30 minutes during the day.
Cons: On weekends, though, it drops to every 40 minutes on Saturdays and every 45 minutes Sundays. Based on the ridership this route seems to get, that’s certainly not enough. Also, this route is long and twisty. And since it’s long and twisty, it’s prone to being late. I don’t use the 8 regularly, so I can’t say how reliable it is, but my guess is not very. After all, our trip was about 15 minutes late, and it was a Sunday!
Nearby and Noteworthy: Lots of stuff! They were basically all listed in “Pros”, though. Whoops.
Final Verdict: 6/10
This is a useful route, for sure, and lots of people use it. But that actually drops the score a bit, since it makes this bus’s bad schedule seem even worse. Also, the 8 seems like the sort of route that’s just asking to be late all the time. I’m not sure what could be done about it, but as it stands, this doesn’t seem like the most reliable route.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

64 (Oak Square – University Park, Cambridge or Kendall/MIT via North Beacon Street)

Jan 27, 2015 | | 1 Comment

I never really gave the 64 much thought until I read Jordan King’s guest post about it. The route sounded interesting, and I figured I’d have to give it a try at some point in time. Then a few of my friends, with no interest in buses at all, told me I should ride the route. Well, now I had to do it!

The bus on Green Street in Central Square.

The 64 starts at University Park, a little east of Central Square. We (my friend Jason came along “for moral support” – his quote) didn’t get on all the way over there, and like everyone else boarded at the Magazine Street @ Green Street stop. After everyone got on, we headed down Western Ave, going by lots of houses. There were a few apartments and industrial-looking buildings at the intersection with Memorial Drive, then we crossed over the Charles.

Nice view.

After the bridge, we turned onto a road paralleling Storrow Drive, We then turned onto Cambridge Street, heading over an exit of the Mass Turnpike. There was a view of…really just industrial wasteland. There wasn’t even a skyline view on the other side!

Still, industrial wasteland looks kind of pretty in the snow. Kind of.

There were some apartments on the other side of the bridge, but also a few auto shops and gas stations. We were joined by the 66 as we went over the Mass Pike again, and then after an industrial area, we stopped at Union Square, Allston. Here we went solo again, turning onto North Beacon Street.

The route would normally take a short detour from North Beacon Street via Arthur Street, Guest Street, and Life Street, but there was construction. So, we stayed on North Beacon, which was pretty darn industrial. We went by Market Street, as well as that really cool TV station, and soon after it got more residential.

Crossing under the Turnpike again, we were greeted by some fast food restaurants with huge parking lots. It got more parky, luckily, and there was a nice view of the Charles from North Beacon Street. We soon turned onto Brooks Street, crossing the Pike for the last time, and then the fun part of the route started.

I guess the river wasn’t frozen out here.

Unexpectedly, we turned onto Hobart Street, going through a nice-looking residential neighborhood. But this street was tiny, and we could barely fit between the parked cars. I would’ve loved to have seen a car try to go the other way, but unfortunately the road was quiet. We turned onto Falkland Street, and then the much wider Faneuil Street.

There were a few businesses at Faneuil Square (where the last 64 terminates on weekdays and Saturdays), then more houses. These eventually turned into apartments, and after passing a park, we arrived at Oak Square. The driver kicked us off and the bus looped around to head back to Central Square.

Huh. It says “no Beacon Street,” yet I’d swear the route went on Beacon Street!

Route: 64 (Oak Square – University Park, Cambridge or Kendall/MIT via North Beacon Street)

Ridership: On our ride, there were about 25 passengers in total. For a Sunday, that’s not bad. There were about 10 people who got on at Central, and the others fed on at various stops. In terms of rankings, it’s about halfway down the ridership list at places 70, 77, and 83 for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, respectively.

Pros: This route has a good chunk of northern Brighton all to itself. Also, a person sitting in front of us vouched for the fact that the route provides a speedy link from Central to Union Square, which it does indeed. During rush hour, the 64 is extended to Kendall, presumably for commuters to the area, which is great. The route runs pretty often during that time, too, every 15-20 minutes.

Cons: That’s raised to every 35 minutes during the day, and every hour at night and on weekends. The Sunday schedule is particularly brutal as the last trip that day is at 6:35 from Oak Square. Those are horrible service hours! A nitpick is that the University Park routing is annoying, but it’s not that bad.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Aside from Oak Square, which seemed nice, the 64 goes by the very first Staples store, in Brighton! I’m gonna be honest, it looked like just a regular Staples, but it’s still kinda cool.

Final Verdict: 7/10
This is overall a pretty good route, in that it serves a lot. It also provides a speedy link from northern Brighton and Union Square to Central Square. The schedule is the only real con for this route – every hour on weekends is bad enough, but the service span on Sunday is terrible. Still, for folks in Brighton, it’s better than nothing.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The MBTA isn’t running today because of the blizzard. Yes, I know I’m really late.

75 (Belmont Center – Harvard Station via Concord Ave)

Jan 25, 2015 | | 0 Comments

I think buses look amazing in the snow. It’s a shame, then, that on a snowy day I had to wait for the 75 in the underground Harvard busway. That said, I’d much rather wait for the bus in a tunnel rather than a sign out in the middle of nowhere, especially if it’s snowing. So it’s a mixed bag, I suppose.

The dark, wet busway.

Leaving the tunnel, we headed up Garden Street, going by the Cambridge Common. We then turned onto Concord Ave, passing houses and apartments, then a big laboratory. There were some businesses after that, and then closely spaced houses. We passed the Tobin School, and after that we left the 74 and 78 by turning onto Fresh Pond Parkway.

Fresh Pond can barely be seen between the trees.

The bus runs express along this section. Fresh Pond Parkway has Fresh Pond and parkland on one side (looks like they gave the road a fitting name), while car dealerships and gas stations linger on the other. We went by the Cambridge water works, and turned onto Huron Ave soon after. Running with the 72 for a few blocks before it turned onto Aberdeen Ave, we were solo once again.

Another snowy view.

Huron Ave had houses on one side and more parkland on the other. We went by a big apartment tower (“700 Huron Ave”, which appears on the route’s destination boards, too), and then a cemetery. On the other side was a scenic view of the Fresh Pond Golf Course, of which I failed to get a picture. It got fully residential when we turned onto Grove Street, eventually rejoining the 74.

And yet another snowy view.

We headed up Bright Road, then turned onto Concord Ave. Once again, there were houses on one side and parkland on the other. We then passed the massive Belmont High School complex, and I got off the bus at the Commuter Rail station. From there, the route makes the same loop that the 74 does through Belmont Center.

Ugh, what an awful angle!

Route: 75 (Belmont Center – Harvard Station via Concord Ave)

Ridership: Although it was a snowy Saturday afternoon, 11 people still isn’t very much. They all got on at Harvard and fed out at various points along the route. There were two other people who went all the way to Belmont Center. Looking at the charts, the 75 performs consistently badly ridership-wise no matter what day of the week it is.

Pros: This route is a fine alternative to the 74 if you’re going to Belmont Center. They’re coordinated most of the time, though most people got off along the 75’s independent portion. It’s also a surprisingly scenic ride, especially in the snow.

Cons: On its own, the 75 is every hour all through weekdays and Saturdays. Saturday evenings and Sundays it gets replaced by the 72/75, which runs every 40 minutes. I still believe that all service should be taken over by the latter, since neither the 72 nor the 75 get very high ridership alone.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Belmont Center again. See the 74 post for more information on that.

Final Verdict: 4/10
I will say that the 75 is slightly more useful than the 72, since it covers a much larger distance. Still, though, I feel that they should be merged full-time, which would be more efficient. Neither of the routes get especially high amounts of ridership, even on weekdays, so the MBTA could perhaps save some money by merging the routes.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Davis

Jan 24, 2015 | | 3 Comments

There are four folders on my computer that have pictures of Davis in them. The problem is, there aren’t too many non-blurry ones. Why? Because this station is too darn dark! I don’t know what it is – there are lots of lights at Davis, but they don’t seem to have much of an effect on the brightness. When I’m on the train and we arrive at Davis, it often feels like we’re still in the tunnel. Still, this station is clearly important, based on what it’s done for Somerville since it opened in the 80’s. Let’s take a look.

The station, looking bright for some reason.

Aside from its darkness, the platform is passable. The diagonal benches with art on them are pretty cool and unique. Unfortunately, ceilings get pretty low in parts of the platform, and it can feel a bit dingy. The coolest part of the platform, though, is the massive abstract art piece beside one of the staircases. It adds some much-needed color to the station (a lot of the station is gray), and really catches your attention.

Wow!

The mezzanine is, like the platform, passable. There’s a fair amount of fare gates (if you’ll pardon the pun) and fare machines, though the machines are a bit scattered. When you enter the station past the gates, there’s a massive picture of a CharlieCard to greet you. Interesting, since you can’t actually get CharlieCards at Davis.

Who doesn’t love these statues?

From the mezzanine, there are staircases to two entrances. The first is on Holland Street, and is pretty nice. This is where you catch the 87 and 88 buses towards Lechmere, which is pointed out back in the mezzanine. Heading out behind Holland Street, there are a whole bunch of bike spaces (which are always packed), and the Somerville Community Path towards Alewife.

Inside the other entryway.

The other entrance is accessed by a long-ish hallway that overlooks the platform. Along it are a bunch of tiles painted by kids (at the time) that are really interesting to look at as you walk by. Heading out, there’s a nice entryway with a little convenience store and even some payphones. What are those again?

The busway, looking slightly askew. By the way, see how it’s winter in the picture? This was taken last winter.

This entrance leads out to the station’s main busway. Davis isn’t a huge hub, but it’s served by six routes serving Somerville, Medford, Arlington, and Cambridge. The busway has the same dated architecture as the rest of the station, but it does have one redeeming quality: a countdown clock. I love how there’s one right at the busway, so when you get off you can instantly see if you should be running for your train or not. I’ve only seen this setup here and at North Quincy, but it really needs to be at more stations.

Even with a stationary train, it was still too dark for the camera to take a non-blurry picture.

Station: Davis

Ridership: This is actually the 12th busiest station on the system, with nearly 13,000 boardings per day! The fact that it was the only station in Somerville for 30 years (until Assembly opened recently) is probably some explanation. Also, this station gets student traffic as Tufts University is about a 15 minute walk away (they even announce it on the 01800 trains).

Pros: For now, it’s the closest station to a very large part of Somerville (but we’ll see how the Green Line extension changes that). And this station completely changed the area – Davis Square was a pit before the Red Line came along, and now it’s one of the most happening places in Greater Boston. As for the station itself, there’s lots of art scattered through, and I particularly like the huge piece next to the stairs. The numerous bike spaces are a plus, too.

Cons: The architecture is so very dated all around the station. Plus, the platform is really quite dark.

Nearby and Noteworthy: I love Davis Square! The Somerville Theatre is a great movie theater, and really cheap, too. There are also countless restaurants in the area.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Okay, Davis as a station is pretty bad. The architecture is very dated and boring, and the platform is very dimly lit. But I do like the many art projects scattered around, and more importantly, how much this station changed the area. Davis is a perfect example of how public transportation revitalizes neighborhoods. For that alone, I had to raise its score up to a seven (though the station itself is more like a five).

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The MBTA’s late-night service could be coming to an end, as they haven’t gotten enough sponsors to keep it open. Jetblue was willing to buy out the entire Blue Line, why is nobody offering money now?

Lynn

Jan 23, 2015 | | 4 Comments

I said in my post about Lowell that the station was pretty depressing. It was very functional and all, but just didn’t feel…right. Honestly, though, Lowell doesn’t even come close to how foreboding Lynn is. Really, this place is a dump.

The tall, tall entrance.

The main entrance is very tall and imposing. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, because it definitely lets people know that there’s a train station here. It leads out to the North Shore Community College campus on Broad Street, as well as the waterfront.

And the other entrance.

The second entrance is closer to Central Square. It gets its own pseudo-plaza that goes to both sides of the station. When I say pseudo-plaza, I mean a bit of pavement that has nothing of note on it. Inside, there’s a mosaic mezzanine that tried to look nice but sort of failed. A staircase leads up to the platform.

The main busway.

The bus situation at Lynn is pretty confusing. The station is a huge hub for sure, with many 400-series buses going all over the place. But they also go all over the place in downtown Lynn, and maps always make it seem more confusing than it is. Case in point…

Makes perfect sense!

As you can see in the “Downtown Lynn Area Bus Finder” above, finding a bus in Lynn is extremely easy! Just find one of the stops on the map – ignoring the two that are off it – and look at the lengthy list of bus routes that corresponds to each one. Also, make sure you do it in September 2003, since that’s when the map is valid. Seriously, just go to the main busway and grab the bus from there!

The dinginess of this area isn’t captured at all.

The busway leads to the main entrance. Your first sight upon entering is a whole bunch of rusty green staircases. It’s sort of reminiscent of what the Central Artery used to look like before the Big Dig. The staircases here lead to different floors of the parking garage. If five floors is too much of a climb, you can just take the smelly elevators up. The garage actually has more spaces than the station does ridership, so it’s literally more than enough.

The entrance to the platform.

Further past the green stairs is the entrance to the platform. Again, the mosaic tiles try to make the area look nice, but ultimately fail. Mosaics cannot compete with the rusting ceiling, water damage, and dark, grim atmosphere of the entrance.

The platform, taken from my personal helicopter. Or the top of the parking garage. 

The platform gets some respect from me because it’s elevated, which is fantastic. But other than that, it’s not the best. There’s a thin shelter that runs along it that doesn’t seem like it would be much use against the elements. Indeed, it’s only there for about half the platform. The view is nice, at least.

A train from down below.

Station: Lynn

Ridership: Surprisingly low – this station only gets 662 inbound riders per weekday (keep in mind that the parking garage has three hundred more spaces than that). I daresay the busway gets more ridership! Indeed, some of those Lynn buses can be pretty popular on weekdays.

Pros: It’s right smack in the center of Lynn, and a huge bus hub. The parking garage is huge, and the station’s elevated. It makes an attempt to look nice, but…

Cons: It doesn’t. This is a dingy, dumpy station. I suppose that can be said for its surroundings, too (sorry, Lynn), though Fields Corner isn’t the best neighborhood either, but I felt safe there. Is it because of its modern, well-kept station? Could be.

Nearby and Noteworthy: I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Lynn. Perhaps there’s a hidden gem somewhere, but the downtown area has never been appealing to me.

Final Verdict: 5/10
As a Commuter Rail station, it’s functional. It’s nice that it’s fully accessible, with a high-level platform. The garage is massive, there are lots of bus connections, and the station is elevated right in downtown Lynn. In fact, there are probably more good things about Lynn Station than bad. But it has such a foreboding feel – I didn’t really feel safe exploring the station. Imagine what the coveted Blue Line extension out here would do for the city – if they ever built it.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The MBTA is fining Keolis (operator of the Commuter Rail) $1.6 million because of late and dirty trains.

Beachmont

Jan 18, 2015 | | 2 Comments

I love small neighborhood stations. I also love modern, recently renovated stations. And I really love elevated stations. Beachmont manages to embody all three of these things. And so, I love it!

The station from across the street.

Beachmont wants to let everyone know that it’s there. You’d think an elevated station is eye catching enough, but the MBTA went one step further. They took one of the elevator shafts and raised it to twice the height of the station itself, then put a T logo and lights on it. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do that, but I really like it.

The entrance.

The station’s single entrance is under the elevated line. It’s well-lit and modern, with a cool floor pattern and bright blue pillars. There are also a few bike spaces here, though I think there are more than the six that the website says it has. Something I didn’t realize is that there’s even a 430-space parking lot for this station on Winthrop Ave!

The mezzanine.

The station’s mezzanine is beautiful. There’s a reflective ceiling, and that cool floor pattern again. It’s also very spacious, with lots of fare gates. There are two countdown clocks in here, one for each platform. There’s a set of stairs, an escalator, and an elevator each for the two platforms.

Long-time readers of the blog may remember my weird hat…

This station has the best elevator on the MBTA. It has very shiny glass walls, not that there’s much to see. But still, glass elevators are awesome anyway. Beachmont takes that extra step, though, and throws in a mirrored ceiling! It allows you to take pseudo-selfies like the one above. I don’t often rave about MBTA elevators, but this one is just fantastic.

The platform.

The platform is pretty standard, but nice. Most of it is sheltered, with a short open part to the north. There are a few benches, and quite a few wastebaskets, for some reason. Something unique to this station and Revere Beach further north are the tiles lining it. They show the station’s name, some abstract landscapes, and images of historic trains. It’s all very colorful, and just another awesome thing among many at Beachmont.

A train leaving the station, with Suffolk Downs visible in the distance.
A train going the other way. I like this one more, but felt the need to do both.

Station: Beachmont

Ridership: The station may have fairly low ridership, with only about 3,050 riders per weekday, but that’s a fair amount for a local station like this. Aside from the northern part of Suffolk Downs and a few businesses in the general vicinity, the surroundings of this station are entirely residential. I did the math, too, and this station is only slightly lower than the average ridership of the Blue Line north of Airport.

Pros: I love this station. Everything from the awesome “T” spire to the spacious mezzanine to the amazing elevators to the functional platform is great. And it’s elevated, which is a rare sight in Boston nowadays. Though there’s only one bus connection (the 119), that’s all you need for a somewhat geographically isolated station like this.

Cons: Um…gee, I honestly can’t think of anything. Oh, what about how the escalator on the outbound side goes downward? That’s ridiculous! Wait, it’s because most people arrive from Boston and there’s no point in going outbound from Beachmont. Okay, then, I got nothing.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few businesses around the station that look pretty nice. Also, grabbing the 119 from here and taking a jaunt around the Beachmont Loop gives you a great view.

Final Verdict: 10/10
I really can’t think of anything I don’t like about Beachmont! It’s a beautiful station, and very functional, with a larger-than-needed parking lot. Plus, it’s elevated! Perhaps this isn’t my favorite station on the Blue Line (Maverick is very cool), but it has no glaring problems that I can think of. And it’s definitely my second-favorite, or perhaps it even gets the number-one spot. Thus, Beachmont gets the elusive 10/10 score.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

119 (Northgate – Beachmont Station via Revere Center and Cooledge Housing)

Jan 18, 2015 | | 1 Comment

Well, I was very surprised at the view on this route. Honestly, I never suspected that there would even be one, but it was there, and actually pretty nice. But before we can get to the view, we have to start in pitland, the Northgate Shopping Center. Right when I got off the 429, there was a 119 waiting to head to Beachmont…

The bus at Northgate.

Leaving Northgate, we went around a big rotary, part of an interchange with Route 1. We then continued down Squire Road, and made a little loop around Linden Square. From there, we headed back in the direction we came, then turned onto Washington Ave.

The view from the rotary.

After a few industrial buildings, Washington Ave became more residential, with closely-spaced houses. We then turned onto Malden Street, going under Route 1, Passing a large school, we turned onto Cushman Ave, heading into the Cooledge Housing development, where all the houses were the same. We navigated our way through, via Adams Street, Cooledge Street, and Constitution Ave.

We then turned onto Broadway, joining the 116. This street was mostly businesses, initially with parking lots, then just blocks of them lining the road. After passing Revere City Hall, we turned onto Beach Street, which was once again residential. We then turned onto Winthrop Ave, which, aside from a small school and a park, was all houses.

There was an intersection with Revere Beach Parkway, a bridge over the Commuter Rail tracks (with a skyline view that I couldn’t get a picture of), and an underpass under Route 1A. Then the road widened into a parkway, still lined with houses but with a big, grassy median. As we were passing the northern part of Suffolk Downs, the street narrowed back to two lanes.

Those stables were really run-down.

At Beachmont Station, almost everyone on the bus got off. From there, we entered the second part of the route, the Beachmont Loop – the most scenic part of the 119. We continued down Winthrop Ave, then turned onto Crescent Ave in a cute little square. Going by lots of nice houses, we descended down to the coast and Winthrop Parkway.

The best picture I could get of the view.

Instead of going onto the parkway, though, we turned onto Endicott Ave, which rose above it. The view only lasted for a few blocks, but it was great. Definitely one of the lesser-known ones on the system. But alas, Endicott curved back inland, we turned onto State Road, and arrived back at Beachmont.

The spire of Beachmont Station is poking up just above the “119” on the destination board.

Route: 119 (Northgate – Beachmont Station via Revere Center and Cooledge Housing)

Ridership: On my trip, there were almost 40 people who rode – on a Sunday! I’m not sure if I rode during some sort of “Sunday rush hour” or something, because this route is worse than the 429 on ridership charts – yet for me it had double the passengers. Many of them came from Northgate, with a few more people getting on at Beachmont for the loop.

Pros: It makes a nice crosstown route through Revere, cutting across lots of north-south buses. Plus, the view from the Beachmont loop is great. The 119 runs about every 30 minutes during rush hour and on weekdays, which is pretty good.

Cons: But then it’s every hour all other times. I don’t know if my crowded trip was a fluke or not, but if the route’s getting that much ridership on Sundays, the schedule should definitely be improved.

Nearby and Noteworthy: The view is fantastic, and that’s pretty noteworthy, right?

Final Verdict: 7/10
This seems to be an important route. 40 people on a Sunday is the sort of ridership you see on a Key Bus Route, so the 119 must be doing something right. That said, it also doesn’t run often enough if it’s getting that much ridership. But you gotta give it credit for that view.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

2nd Anniversary!

Jan 18, 2015 | | 2 Comments

Wow. Has it really been two years? It feels like so long ago that I would be proud to have gotten 40 or fewer views in a day. Now, 300 or more is the norm. Back then, my plan was to do a post every Friday, or four a month. Yet in November of 2014, there were as many posts as there were days in the month! I know it’s said a lot, but I couldn’t have done any of this without you guys, my loyal readers. Thanks for having faith in the blog and leaving comments, whether it be angrily disagreeing with my opinions, or providing more information. Also, thanks to all my Facebook and Twitter followers – you guys have helped grow the blog so much! I’m looking forward to continuing to ride the MBTA’s buses and trains, and reviewing every single route and train station.

429 (Northgate Shopping Center – Central Square, Lynn via Linden Square and Square One Mall)

Jan 18, 2015 | | 0 Comments

Well, this was a crazy one. The 429’s primary purpose seems to be serving the Square One Mall in Saugus, along Route 1. It also goes all the way down to Northgate Shopping Center, which is another reasonably popular destination. Along the way from Lynn, it takes a very twisty route through local backroads, which made for an interesting ride.

The bus in Lynn.
We twisted our way through downtown Lynn, eventually ending up on Franklin Street. It was a mixture of houses and businesses, all very close together. After passing a Super Stop & Shop (do they just have a monopoly on every automatic announcement?), we turned onto Boston Street, which was mostly residential. There were, however, a few industrial moments along this stretch, including a sizeable factory.
We then turned onto Myrtle Street, which felt slightly more suburban. Soon after, we turned onto Holyoke Street, then O’Callaghan Way, going by a couple of schools. Unexpectedly, we entered the fancy-sounding Kings Lynne housing development, heading up Kings Hill Drive. The street made a tight u-shaped curve north and became Garfield Ave.
A suburban view.
We left the similar houses of Kings Lynne, and the neighborhood became a suburban residential one, with decently spaced out houses. Making our way to Walnut Street, we went by Birch Pond, with houses on the other side. Walnut Street also marks where we entered Saugus.
The frozen-over Birch Pond.
We left the pond and it was residential for a little while longer. But then, we reached the ultimate king of pits, Route 1. There was a stop at the Saugus Plaza, then we rocketed down the highway. On either side there were very trashy businesses with huge parking lots, but we didn’t stop for any of them. I’ve said that the area around Northgate is one of my least favorite places in greater Boston, but this part of Route 1 is much, much worse. This bus goes to Northgate too, though, so you get to see both.
Ewwwwwwww.
After going nonstop down the highway for a while, we finally turned off and pulled into the Square One Mall. Here, every single person on the bus got off except for me. We (or just me, I guess) then made our way to Essex Street, which was residential once again. At Cliftondale Square, there were some businesses, and we turned onto Lincoln Ave (with a few other people on the bus now).
Empty buses are intimidating…
Lincoln Ave turned residential again after Cliftondale. It turned into Salem Street once we entered Revere, but aside from a small apartment building it was still all houses. Soon, though, we passed a big apartment complex, then crossed under Route 1. Salem Street became Lynn Street after that, and we passed through Linden Square, turning onto Squire Road. This is the really pitty road to which I was referring earlier, but we didn’t have to stay on it for too long, as we turned into Northgate a few minutes later.
The bus gets ready to go back to Lynn.
Route: 429 (Northgate Shopping Center – Central Square, Lynn via Linden Square and Square One Mall)
Ridership: There were about 20 people who rode my bus, with Kings Lynne, Square One, and Northgate being the major destinations. As for the overall numbers, it gets about 1500 boardings weekdays, 1000 on Saturdays, and 550 on Sundays. Particularly with the latter two, this route is mostly frequented by shoppers heading to the two malls.
Pros: Well, for one thing, it makes for an interesting ride – a mix of suburban houses and pit-pit-pittiness. But in terms of functionality, it serves two malls and links them up to Lynn – three if you count Saugus Plaza. It’s the only direct link to Lynn from Northgate (via an admittedly circuitous route) as well as Square One, and the only route entirely to serve Saugus Plaza. Also, this route has a few school trips from O’Callaghan Way on weekdays – in both the morning and the afternoon! The 83 should follow the 429’s example.
Cons: The schedule could use some beefing up. It’s every half hour during rush hour, which is probably decent for a route like this, but then every hour other times. Particularly on Saturdays, it would be great if the route ran every 45 minutes or every half hour.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The malls, I suppose. Square One seemed to be the most happening.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Overall, the 429 is a pretty good route. It serves three malls, as well as western Lynn and northern Saugus. Its only problem is the schedule, which could stand to be improved. If you need to get from Lynn to Square One or (to a lesser extent) Northgate, though, then this is your bus.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

North Station

Jan 12, 2015 | | 12 Comments

If South Station is the king of MBTA stations, then North Station is most certainly the queen. (Back Bay is like the 6 of hearts or something.) This massive complex features 10 tracks, serving both the Commuter Rail and Amtrak Downeaster to Maine; an underground “superstation” for the Green and Orange Lines; a huge underground parking lot; and a direct connection to one of the most important sports venues in Boston. There’s quite a lot to talk about, so let’s get right to it.

When you get off a Commuter Rail train, you’re forced to move along with the current. This picture was taken in a hurry.

The Commuter Rail platforms are very simple, but that doesn’t matter – nobody waits on them. They’re all high floor, with a simple shelter providing basic protection from the elements. One end of it is entirely sheltered, but again, nobody waits on the platforms.

A portion of the huge waiting room.

There’s always a lot of energy in the waiting area. For one thing, there’s its huge size, and the fact that there are a million people going every which way to various platforms. The area also has some restaurants and lots of benches. Plus, there are the departure boards. You gotta love the departure boards.

Yes!!!

From the waiting area, there’s a bright hallway that goes down the length of the building. It connects the east and west entrances, and has various ticket offices along it. There’s also a direct connection to TD Banknorth Garden from here, as well as elevators down to the underground parking garage (offering 1,275 spaces).

The hallway.

The west entrance of the building is, obviously, on the west side of the building. It leads to a pedestrian walkway, with one end leading toward Causeway Street and the other going to Nashua Street. To get to the latter, you have to walk through a lengthy construction walkway. Also, Nashua Street is where the E-Z Ride bus boards to Lechmere, Kendall Square, and Cambridgeport.

A bold entrance.

To the east is – Surprise! – the east entrance. This entrance leads to a road which goes back to Causeway Street. It also leads to both the subway entrance and the 4’s bus stop. Something I like about both the entrances is that they have mini departure boards just inside. That way you know if you should be running for your train or not.

The subway entrance.

The subway has a pretty modern entrance on this side. It’s a long headhouse, with a sloping roof that tapers off at one end. My only problem is the fact that it’s not connected to North Station proper. Having to walk out to get to the subway can be annoying, especially when it’s freezing, like when I was there.

The entrance on Haverhill Street.

There’s another entrance on Haverhill Street, within a modern building. This one has a simple lobby and stairs down to the mezzanine. It connects with the main entrance there, which comes to the mezzanine via a hallway still decked out in a holiday advertisement. The station has a third entrance on Valenti Way, but I didn’t have time to see it on my trip.

The station’s massive mezzanine.

The mezzanine is simply huge. It has so many fare gates and so many fare machines that it’s clear it’s meant to shuttle lots of people through. Indeed, I had to wait at least a few minutes to get the above, somewhat empty shot. There’s one of those creepy security camera booths here, too, the kind with the tinted windows that takes up half the room.

Click on the picture to make it bigger. This shows the amazingly easy transfer.

And then the mezzanine descends down to the best transfer on the entire system. It’s too bad they got rid of the Green Line EL that used to be here, but this transfer is worth it. On the inbound side, it’s cross-platform, meaning the Green and Orange Lines are accessed from the same one! It’s so easy! And if I’m heading down to the Red Line from here, I can just take whatever comes first! I love it! And the outbound sides are easily accessed by another level above the platforms, so even those transfers are easy. I have to brave the transfers of death at State and Downtown Crossing too much, so this station is a breath of fresh air. It’s just the best.

One of the Green Line platforms.

The Green Line platforms are pretty nice and modern. They’re stacked on top of each other, but pretty much the same in terms of appearance. I really like the wall and how it curves up to become the roof. There were a few spots with chipping paint, but overall this platform is great. The only problem with it is that it’s much longer than the Green Line trains themselves. Make sure you know where to board, or the train could stop much further from where you were standing.

A train at the station.

The Orange Line platforms are more standard in layout – they’re just two side platforms. They’re also quite modern, with cool reflective pillars lining them. It’s very well-lit (though my camera didn’t agree and decided to take blurry pictures) and the ceilings are quite high. Plus, from the Forest Hills platform, you can get right to the inbound Green Line! Yes!

The Orange Line platform.
Kind of artsy, I guess.

Station: North Station

Ridership: Oh, it’s a doozy. This is the sixth-busiest MBTA subway station, with over 17,000 riders per weekday! The Commuter Rail’s ridership isn’t in the MBTA Blue Book, but I know that it’s quite heavy. TD Garden is also a big ridership draw, and there are probably some people that head to the North End from here (though Haymarket is generally closer).

Pros: Thanks to the recent renovations, this station is very clean and modern. Aesthetically, I don’t think there are any aspects of North Station that I don’t like. The direct connection to TD Garden from the Commuter Rail station is great, and the underground parking lot is huge. And we can’t forget about that amazing cross-platform transfer in the subway station.

Cons: My only major issue here is that there’s no underground connection between the Commuter Rail and the subway. Granted, this would be expensive to implement, and the current walk isn’t that long anyway.

Nearby and Noteworthy: The TD Garden, obviously. Also, for an really cool view, head up to Portal Park, just to the east of the Garden. You can look right up the Zakim Bridge, as seen in this photo. It’s definitely worth a look, and watching all those cars speeding by is hypnotic.

Final Verdict: 9/10
This station is great. I love everything about it aesthetically – apart from a few very minor paint chippings, this is a beautiful hub. The only thing I really don’t like about this station is the lack of an underground or sheltered walkway between the subway and the Commuter Rail. But honestly, that cross-platform transfer is what makes this station. This is the best transfer station on the system, I’ll tell you that much.
UPDATE 1/6/19: There is now an underground passageway to the Commuter Rail here! Check out my post about it here. The station now gets a perfect 10/10.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The guy that jumped over the Red Line tracks at Park Street has been all over the news lately. The MBTA may charge him for trespassing.

Lawrence

Jan 11, 2015 | | 1 Comment

I was pretty upset that I had to walk over a mile to get to Lawrence Station from the MVRTA’s Buckley Transportation Center. There’s no street signage leading the way, so I had to go to a library to ask for directions. And the station’s pretty far from downtown Lawrence, so that signage would be much appreciated. In other towns, they always have little road signs that point to the Commuter Rail, but apparently not here. That’s just bad publicity, MBTA!

Look, not even the station itself has signage! This could just be a random parking lot for all I know!

Lawrence (sorry, the Senator Patricia McGovern Transportation Center) is almost brand-new. Before 2005, the station was further west down the tracks, but that year they moved the whole thing to its current location. It now boasts a large parking garage and some nice amenities. Too bad they forgot the signage.

The side of the building.

Outside, there’s a small plaza to the west of the station. It’s mostly concrete, but there is a cool statue on the street corner. On the side of the parking lot, there are a few convenient businesses. By a few convenient businesses, I mean a police station and a closed café. Businesses indeed…

The busway and drop-off area.

There are signs in various places around the station that say “To Buses”. Well, if they mean one bus, then that’s fairly accurate. Only a single MVRTA route stops at the Commuter Rail station, and that’s the 33. Why don’t other buses serve it, especially the 85 downtown shuttle route? Well, the busway and drop-off area is as nice as a busway and drop-off area needs to be. Nothing spectacular, but nothing too dingy.

The waiting room.

On the side of the busway is a small waiting room. It’s pretty nice inside, with glass windows, bright ceilings and floors, and lots of natural light. There are a few rows of benches, and it was fairly crowded in there when I was at the station. Interestingly, there’s a small room that leads to the stairs to the parking garage that people wait at, too. It’s not nearly as nice, and it doesn’t have any benches, but people use it anyway for some reason.

The platform.

The platform is pretty nice. It’s entirely high-floor, so the station’s fully accessible. There are actually some trees between it and the parking garage, which is a good touch. A modern shelter leans over the middle section of the station. There aren’t that many benches, though, so I think the MBTA assumes most people will wait in the waiting room. Overall, it has a pretty modern feel to it, which I like.

A train arrives at the station.

Station: Lawrence

Ridership: Not bad for a Commuter Rail station – about 725 daily weekday riders. It was fairly crowded when I was there. I assume most of the riders consist of Lawrence locals commuting to Boston, though for some reason the MVRTA runs its Boston commuter service from here. (So you’re gonna terminate all the useful connections at Buckley but then run your Boston route from a station where a train goes to the same place. Thanks, MVRTA.)

Pros: Well, for one thing, the Commuter Rail takes much less time than the above MVRTA commuter service, so there! But also, the station is pretty good-looking aesthetically, and offers a sizeable parking garage of 400 spaces.

Cons: No signage is my big problem with this station. Either that or a shuttle to the Buckley would make bus transfers so easy! The 33 just runs every half hour, so I don’t think it’s properly coordinated with the Commuter Rail. Also, with the closed café (which seems to be closed for good), there should at least be a vending machine at the station to tide people over with a snack.

Nearby and Noteworthy: I got nothin’. Nothin’ specific, anyway.

Final Verdict: 7/10
I will admit, this is a nice-looking station. It’s modern and the waiting room is a good place to wait for the train. But though Lowell was depressing, at least the buses and trains stop at the same place there. I really wish the MVRTA ran a short shuttle from the Commuter Rail to Buckley, or just added the Commuter Rail as a stop to their downtown shuttle route. Unless, that is, the 33 is properly coordinated with the Commuter Rail. If I find that out from one of you readers, I’ll retroactively give this station an eight.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Service Change: MVRTA – Route 41 (Lawrence – Lowell) and the Buckley Transportation Center

Jan 10, 2015 | | 3 Comments

Yes, I actually went on another non-MBTA transportation authority while in Lowell. This is the MVRTA (Merrimack Valley Regional Transportation Authority), which covers a large area around its hub in Lawrence, going as far as Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. The 41 route goes between the Kennedy Center in Lowell and the Buckley Transportation Center in Lawrence. It runs every half hour on weekdays, which is really good for a non-MBTA system. Every hour on weekends isn’t great, but unlike the LRTA, the MVRTA runs on Sundays.

“Why are you taking pictures of the bus?” asked the driver. “Because I like taking pictures of buses,” I replied. “Fair enough,” he said, and questioned no more.

The bus was pretty nice inside. The seats all had “MVRTA” written on them, which was an interesting design choice, but they were fairly comfortable. If you want to get off, though, you have to push the – ugh – tape. MVRTA buses do use a flag-down system, though, so you can get on and off whenever you want.

The inside.
Looking toward the front.
The – blech – tape.

There was a screen up at the front of the bus, but it seemed to only display “ROUTE 41 TO BUCKLEY TRANSPORTATION CENTER” and the date on a continuous loop. The bus was pretty crowded when we left Lowell. In fact, in total there would be over 25 riders, which is a lot for a route on a non-MBTA system.

Weirdly, about half the route, from Lowell out to the border of Methuen, is designated as a “no stop zone.” That means that no one can get on or off the bus along that part of the route. I guess it’s because the bus runs on a pseudo highway during that time, but it’s a highway through Methuen, too.

The view of the Concord River. This was actually taken from the LRTA 2, but I forgot to put it in that post.

We started out heading down Appleton Street, following the route of the LRTA 2. We crossed over the Concord River, and even followed the 2 on its route up to the Saints Memorial Hospital. We didn’t pull in or stop (no stop zone, remember), and left the 2 by crossing over the Merrimack River on Route 38.

The view of the Merrimack River.
We then merged onto Route 110, or the VFW Highway, which parallels the river. We passed some sort of sewage treatment plant, but the highway was mostly separated from other roads and buildings. I could see a few houses through the trees, though. Soon we entered Dracut and the road became Merrimack Ave.
Eventually, we went through a residential area. But the people in those houses can’t use the 41 because of the no stop zone, which just seems ridiculous. There are places along the road here for buses to pull over, but no can do for the MVRTA. It became woodsey after that, with a few houses and industrial buildings along the road.
We entered Methuen, the stopping ban was lifted, and the street became Lowell Boulevard. No one got on or off until much later, though. We soon passed a church and a National Guard facility, then it became mostly residential again. Eventually, we left the river and passed under I-93 on a rotary.
We made a slight turn onto Haverhill Street, but it was still Route 110. When we approached the Merrimack Plaza (the only other place on the route besides Lowell where people got on), a dinging noise suddenly played over the bus’s speakers. “Merrimack Plaza,” said the best-sounding automatic announcer this side of the “Stand clear of the closing doors” guy in New York. So it turns out there are automatic announcements at major stops.
Seems like I can never get a decent screen picture without stuff getting in the way.
We continued down Haverhill Street, with the houses much closer together now. Eventually we entered Lawrence, and the occasional business would show up along the road. We crossed over some abandoned railroad tracks, and it was pure urban grit on the other side.
Not the nicest neighborhood, is it? This is just before the railroad tracks.
We turned onto Broadway, which was mostly businesses, some of which had apartments on top. Then we turned onto Common Street, passing a few small residential towers. We went by mostly parking lots and apartments, then pulled into the Buckley Transportation Center, the hub of the MVRTA.

The bus at the Buckley Transportation Center.

I have to say, I did not like the Buckley Transportation Center. It was basically just a dark, dingy parking lot where all the buses stop. There were some benches and wastebaskets, as well as glass (albeit dirty) windows on one side, but it just wasn’t nice at all. At least it’s sheltered, though.

My camera doesn’t really capture the dinginess of the bus station.
A pretty beaten-up map of the station.
Looking out the dirty windows.

There was also a small waiting room on one side of the bus area. It felt pretty cramped, but it had benches, an information booth, and a few vending machines. The place was crowded, so there was nowhere to sit, which can probably be a problem during rush hours. The transportation center also offers parking, but I couldn’t find any information about it online.

The waiting room.
Looking from the outside.

This whole time, I was assuming that the Lawrence Commuter Rail station was part of the Buckley Transportation Center. With my train home coming in about 50 minutes, I figured I could explore the station and then read my book for the rest of the time. Easy, right? Wrong.

After circling the Buckley Center, I realized that this was not the Commuter Rail station. I walked around the area for a bit but couldn’t find any signage for the station. Eventually I saw the Lawrence Public Library, and figured they’d know where the station was. They gave me directions, and it turned out the Commuter Rail is over a mile away from the library! Not to mention about a mile away from Buckley! With no street signage whatsoever! The Commuter Rail is an important destination, people!

Sigh…more about the station in the next post…

Although most of the MVRTA is flag-down, there are a few fixed stops downtown like this one.
A bus shelter.
The North Canal, as seen on my walk.
And the Merrimack River.

Lowell

Jan 10, 2015 | | 2 Comments

In my post about the LRTA’s downtown shuttle, I made a mistake. I said that the Robert Kennedy Transportation Center forms the whole of the complex: bus station and Commuter Rail station. But it turns out that only the bus station is the Kennedy Transportation Center – the whole complex is called the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal. So maybe I should just rename my post to that significantly longer name. Or, you know, I could just stick with Lowell.

The entrance to the station.
I feel like this station has seen better days. It’s really functional, and as a Commuter Rail station quite nice, but it just has this depressing feel to me. It’s weird, because this is one of the most user-friendly Commuter Rail stations on the system, with the simple bus terminal, large parking garage, and sheltered waiting room. But it just didn’t feel…lively, to me.
The bus terminal.
The bus terminal is surprisingly simple, especially for the number of routes it serves. There are three lanes of berths, and an easy, up-to-date map that actually helps you get around (cough, Dudley, cough). It has mostly benches on which to wait, but we’ll get to the waiting area in a sec.
Well, speak of the devil.
The waiting area is definitely functional. It’s spacious, with a lot of natural light coming in, and it has a few rows of benches. Passengers know when their buses are at the station because someone sitting in a booth outside makes announcements. The waiting room also features an out of order ticket machine (at time of writing), cool solar wastebaskets, a vending machine, and a Dunkin’ Donuts. There are even some cool historical images on the wall facing the bus terminal.
The parking lot.
The parking garage is pretty big – it has almost 700 parking spaces, spread out between three floors. There’s construction going on there right now (not sure why, I couldn’t find any information on the MBTA website), so I believe there’s only one way to enter the lot right now. Still, it’s a huge garage with lots of spaces.
The hallway to the Commuter Rail platform.
The hallway to the Commuter Rail is pretty bland. It does have more solar garbage bins, windows, and even benches along it, but it still feels depressing to me. I didn’t check the bathrooms along the hallway, unfortunately, but I have a feeling they’re not the nicest.
The glass footbridge out to the platform.
Heading out to the platform, there’s a door that automatically opens when it detects someone coming – very cool. There’s a glass footbridge leading out to the platform with fairly dirty glass, but still lots of natural light. To get down to the platform, you can use a set of stairs or an elevator, which wasn’t running when I got there. Luckily, a station worker fixed it before I left.
The platform.
The main part of the platform is fully high-floor, featuring lots of benches and wastebaskets (but just normal ones, not the awesome solar ones). At least in the winter, most people were waiting in the waiting room, though during the warmer months it may be nice to wait on the platform. The whole high-floor section is sheltered, though the low-floor section at the other end isn’t. Overall, not bad, if a little bit dingy.
A train leaving the station.
Station: Lowell
Ridership: This is the fourth-busiest Commuter Rail station on the system, with 1,770 daily boardings. It was certainly busy when I was there – from when the train arrived to when it left, there were streams of people getting on. They would feed out slowly from the waiting room in small groups to board the train.
Pros: This station is really functional. It’s filled to the brim with amenities, and is mostly sheltered. The bus area is nice and simple, and the LRTA buses go all over the place. The waiting area is nice enough, too, and so is the platform. The parking garage is pretty big, with lots of spaces.
Cons: Ergh, it just feels depressing to me! This isn’t really captured in the pictures, it’s just a feeling you get. I think you’d have to visit to understand what I’m saying.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I still have to recommend Eileen’s in downtown Lowell. It’s kind of expensive, but the pizza slices are huge and really, really good.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Yes, it may be a depressing station. But as a Commuter Rail station, this is really good. High-level platforms, shelter, and waiting rooms are all somewhat rare on the system. The bus area is easy to navigate, and there are plenty of spaces in the parking garage. Overall, a good, functional Commuter Rail station.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
It would seem the the Commuter Rail will start going to Foxborough full-time, starting in December 2016. Also, you probably know that Boston has been selected as the US candidate to host the 2024 Olympics. Possibly the only good thing that will come out of this is better transportation. Or will it?

Service Change: LRTA, Part 3 – 2 (Belvidere)

Jan 10, 2015 | | 0 Comments

The 2 is a crazy route meant to serve residential areas to the east of Lowell. I had wanted to ride another LRTA route for fun, and the 2 showed up at the Kennedy Center. When I got in, I asked the driver if it would loop around and come back to Lowell. “This is Lowell,” he replied. I told him I was taking a “joyride”, to which he responded “Joyrides cost 20 bucks.” A few passengers joined in on the joke, which showed just how local this route is. Everyone seemed to know the driver, and each other.

The bus boarding at the Kennedy Center.

The bus was a “clean fuel” one, and it was pretty nice inside. I assume these are the newest buses on the LRTA, and as such, it was very clean. The bus was slightly longer than the one I rode on the 14, and the seats were of standard comfort. But there were pull chords, once again! They’re the best!

Looking up towards the front.
The stop request screen.

We made our way to Appleton Street, which was mostly businesses. After we crossed over the Concord River, it became more residential, with closely-spaced houses. There was a fairly time-consuming detour to serve the Saints Memorial Hospital, then we came back down on High Street.

An odd view coming back inbound.

We soon turned onto Rogers Street, There was a big park, but other than that it was still all houses. After a second park, however, it turned to businesses with massive parking lots. Eventually, we turned onto Phoenix Ave, then pulled into the Hannaford’s Plaza. After that, we made our way through the massive Stadium Plaza parking lot across the street.

We headed back down Rogers Street for a bit before turning onto Douglas Street. This street was once again residential, with further-spaced houses. We turned onto Hovey Street just before a big school, then onto Wentworth Ave, then onto Andover Street. Andover Street was shared with the 11, which goes all the way out to Andover (the town).

We pulled into a plaza, then went back a bit and turned onto Burnham Road. We followed this all the way up to the end, when we turned onto River Road. This street, as the name suggests, parallels the Merrimack River, which could be seen between houses. Soon after, we looped around and headed back towards the Kennedy Center.

Looking at the river between houses.
The bus back at the Kennedy Center.

Service Change: LRTA, Part 2 – 18 (Downtown Shuttle)

Jan 9, 2015 | | 1 Comment

The Robert Kennedy Transportation Center (which also houses the MBTA Commuter Rail station), hub of the LRTA, is something like an 18 minute walk from downtown Lowell. It’s doable for sure, but you could also just take the downtown shuttle operated by the LRTA. That comes at a cost, though – my problem with the shuttle is that it costs a dollar, the same as any other LRTA city route. It would be so much more downtown shuttle-esque if it only costed 50 cents for a ride, since it’s meant to be taken short distances. On the flip side, buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every half hour on Saturdays, but there are no LRTA buses with Sunday service.

When I took this route there and back, both times were operated with minibuses. I did see some full-sized vehicles along the route, though, which seems silly to me. But going back to the minibus, it was pretty comfortable inside, with big, poofy seats. And there were pull cords again!

The inside of the bus.
The stop request sign up front.

We left the transportation center and made our way to Thorndike Street. This was an underpass beneath a few streets, then we came back up and crossed over the Pawtucket Canal. Paralleling the Merrimack Canal and the Lowell Trolley, there were businesses on the other side of Dutton Street. We then turned onto Arcand Drive, going past Lowell city hall, then we turned onto Father Morissette Boulevard.

This became French Street as we passed the Lowell High School, a park, and a bunch of brick buildings. We made our way around to Merrimack Street, which seemed to be the “main drag” of downtown, with a bunch of businesses lining it. This is the last stop of the outbound route, and where the bus lays over for a few minutes before heading back to the Kennedy Center.

The bus downtown.

After wandering downtown for a while and having really excellent pizza at Eileen’s, I headed back to the bus stop. On the way back, we headed down Merrimack Street, then turned onto Shawmut Street. This street was narrow and cobblestone, so it was a bit of a rough ride. We then turned onto Market Street, going by some more businesses.

Next, we turned onto Central Street, going over the Pawtucket Canal, then we turned onto Middlesex Street. This one was mostly parking areas, abandoned buildings, and totally empty lots. We then turned onto Thorndike Street, coming back to the Kennedy Center. It was definitely a quick way of getting to and from downtown Lowell, though it was a bit expensive.

The bus back at the Center.