Service Change: LRTA, Part 1 – 14 (Burlington Mall/Lahey Clinic)
Yes, as I not-so-subtly hinted in the last post, I did indeed take the LRTA up to Lowell from the 351. The system has 18 main routes, all fanning out from the Lowell Commuter Rail station. These are further divided into city routes and suburban routes, the former being cheaper to ride than the latter. And luckily, one of those suburban routes heads down to the 351’s neck of the woods.
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| A bus sign that was very high up on the pole. |
The 14 starts out at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, then makes its way to the Burlington Mall. From there, it goes up the Middlesex Turnpike, going by an abundance of office parks. I waited for the bus a little further north of Dawes Drive, right near a residential complex. I couldn’t find any bus signs along this side of the street, and there wasn’t even a sidewalk. When the bus came after a 35 minute wait (which wasn’t fun), I flagged it down and got on (good thing the LRTA also uses a flag-down system).
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| That’s a welcome sight. |
After a dispute with the driver (guess Student CharlieCard passes don’t work on the LRTA – good thing I had the buck-fifty), we set off. There were two other people already on the bus from Lahey and the Burlington Mall, and there would be about six riders in total. Certainly not the best. The inside of the vehicle was mostly wooden, and it looked pretty good. Plus, pull cords for stop requests! There weren’t any automatic announcements, though, as expected.
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| The inside of the bus. |
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| And looking towards the front. |
Middlesex Turnpike narrowed into a two lane road without a median, and we went by some more office parks. There was also a totally out of place 99 Restaurant. Soon after that, though, the neighborhood got (gasp) normal! Yes, it became entirely residential, with a break to cross over a pond.
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| The best picture I could get of the view… |
The houses continued all the way to the end of the Middlesex Turnpike, where we turned onto Concord Road. Although twisty, this road was also entirely residential. There were, however, some businesses and a library at the intersection with Boston Road, on which we joined the 13 (which goes to the 350 and 352 terminus). After passing Billerica’s town hall, we went by some more houses and then through Billerica Center, which didn’t seem very appealing to me. It had a bunch of huge parking lots, and wasn’t pedestrian friendly at all.
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| The view of the Concord River. |
We crossed over the Concord River, leaving the 13, and the overly large parking lots continued. We soon turned onto Chelmsford Road, luckily, which was residential again. After a section of woods, we made a sharp turn onto Brick Kiln Road, an industrial street. This is also where we joined the 15, which goes all the way to just over the Littleton border. We passed a massive UPS facility, then it once again got residential.
There was another connection with the 13, where we turned onto Carlisle Street. We crossed over I-495, then went through a huge cemetery, leaving the 15. Soon after, we pulled into the Meadow Brook Center (a shopping mall) to pick someone up, then returned to Plain Street, now in Lowell proper. We turned onto Chelmsford Street, going by some more businesses with slightly smaller parking lots. After a little while, we turned onto Thorndike Street, and pulled into the Robert Kennedy Center, the hub of the LRTA.
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| And it was actually straightforward! There’ll be more information on the terminal once I do a proper review of Lowell. |
351 (Oak Park/Bedford Woods – Alewife Station via Middlesex Turnpike)
Well, I got far fewer strange looks than expected when I boarded this one. The 351 is a reverse-commute route, meant to transport people from Alewife to the scores and scores of office parks up in the northwest. As it’s a commuter bus, it’s rush hours only, and I had to get up early in order to ride it from Alewife. Oh, the things I do for this blog…
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| Even the vehicle itself is rare! You don’t see that ad wrap too often. |
We left Alewife and made our way to Route 2. We went by the stop at the pedestrian bridge, (which even the 351 stops at – has anyone used that stop ever?) and passed the developments on the other side of the highway. Whereas all the other Route 2 buses take each exit to make stops, we blazed through, remaining on the highway. The views from there were mostly residential at first, but eventually they turned to office parks (a very, very common sight along this route).
Taking Exit 52, we travelled up north on Route 128. From here, there wasn’t much to see except for forest. Near our exit, there were views of a few malls, but mostly more office parks. 33 was the exit we took, and from there we turned onto Wayside Road. We passed a plaza, then turned onto South Bedford Street, which was all office parks.
After turning onto Burlington Mall Road, there were a few houses that made it into the mix, but it was primarily office parks or shopping plazas – all with massive parking lots. We crossed the Middlesex Turnpike, and the street we were on became Second Street. There were a few more offices, then we went through what seems to be Burlington’s version of Assembly Row, Northwest Park.
But when we turned back onto the Middlesex Turnpike, it was once again office parks. There was a small detour to serve the Network Drive complex, and we turned onto Burlington Road soon after. But we left that to serve the MITRE Corporation complex (it’s pronounced “MITE-er” apparently, but I’m still calling it “MIT-ra” – it’s more fun to say), and then came back onto Cosby Drive.
This round of office parks along Cosby Drive saw all the passengers get off except for me. The driver asked me where I was going, and I told him Dawes Drive in Billerica (the last stop on the route). Unfortunately, the bus serves a few other areas before Dawes, but the driver just took me directly there. He had good intentions, but actually getting somewhere wasn’t what I wanted to do…
Normally, the bus would take a left onto the Middlesex Turnpike and serve the Bedford Woods and Oak Park complexes then come back to Dawes Drive. Since it was just me, though, we took a right onto the Turnpike instead, going by a few housing complexes (everything’s a complex in this neck of the woods). We turned onto Dawes Drive, going past two hotels, and the driver let me off at the EMD Serono research center. He changed the bus to “NOT IN SERVICE,” and left the complex. So there I was, in the middle of nowhere with no other bus connections. Or were there? Stay tuned!
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| The driver gave me a strange look when he came back around the loop. So I guess that’s one, then. |
Route: 351 (Oak Park/Bedford Woods – Alewife Station via Middlesex Turnpike)
Ridership: There were almost 20 people who rode, all getting on at Alewife. Right after we got off the highway, the stop requests started chiming, and people fed out in ones and twos to various office parks.
Pros: It provides service to a lot of office parks. And it’s quick, too – we made it up to Burlington Mall Road in only 10 minutes! The only other route to serve the office parks is the LRTA 14 bus up to Lowell, and that bypasses a few areas like the Northwest Park. Plus, it goes up to Lowell, while the 351 goes closer to Boston. I will say this, though – the 14 is pretty convenient if you’re stuck at Dawes Drive…
Cons: Well, the bus only runs four times a day in each direction. But actually, that’s really all you need. Unlike the 352, which had mostly shoppers on it (which would justify two-way or midday service), the 351 is just hardcore commuters. There’s no reason for anyone else to ride this route, unless office parks are your thing. However, if the Northwest Park becomes the hub it’s planning to be, then 351 service could be increased. Or they could just detour the 350 to serve Northwest Park, which would probably be better.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Yeah, office parks. But maybe Northwest Park will be something worth seeing in the future. And this is the only MBTA bus to serve Billerica, even if it just barely crosses over. Too bad there’s nothing interesting in that small corner of the town.
Final Verdict: 7/10
This bus does its job well as a hardcore commuter route serving a whole bunch of office parks. So actually, I think the schedule is perfectly reasonable in that respect, since buses at other times would be totally empty. Though actually, the 351 was on the chopping block in 2012, so maybe the LRTA 14 will eventually be the only option. That would be a pain for those working in the office parks if they had to take the 350 up to the Burlington Mall, then change to the 14 from there. It would take longer, too.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The fate of MBTA late-night service will be discussed soon. People seem to be using it, so hopefully it sticks around.
Random Photos: The Lowell Trolley (or not)
I was really excited to find out that Lowell actually has a streetcar service downtown. But it turns out it’s seasonal. So, all I could do was take some pictures of one of the stations.
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| An old Boston and Maine locomotive on display at the stop. |
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| It looks so enticing… |
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| Looking down the tracks. |
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| This is the closest I got to seeing a streetcar. |
Random Photos: Safety Hazard at Lowell Station, Part 2
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| Needless to say, I walked quickly through here. |
Random Photos: Safety Hazard at Lowell Station, Part 1
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| I hope there aren’t any fires around here… |
Random Photos: View From Lowell Parking Lot
I was a little disappointed by the view at the top of the Lowell Station parking lot, but it was still pretty good.
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| Not bad, not bad. |
Random Photos: Goat on the Loose
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| Um…okay, guess I’ll keep my eye out. |
Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs (the racetrack) seems to be either closed or on the verge of closing. The website calendar shows the horse-racing schedule ending abruptly in October, and Wikipedia says that October 4th was the last race at the track. If Suffolk Downs does indeed close, though, it’ll render the Blue Line station even more obsolete than it already is. So let’s take a look at a station that’s always at the bottom of MBTA ridership lists, Suffolk Downs!
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| The Walley Street side of the station. |
On the Walley Street side of the station, there are a few bike spaces and a road loop. I assume this part of the station acts as a kiss-and-ride area, though there’s nowhere to sit while you’re waiting to be picked up. There are also old streetcar tracks here, which is really cool. The interesting thing about that is that it suggests a streetcar line used to serve the station, though there are no bus connections now.
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| Interesting that they kept those tracks. |
The station’s sole entrance, on the Walley Street side, is interesting to say the least. It’s a mixture of brick and concrete, as well as the ugly black fences that permeate the station. Really, they look terrible, and they’re everywhere. The entrance also has a big blue T logo, and big maps for each direction of the Blue Line.
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| The entrance. |
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| The footbridge, which is pretty ugly. This is the side of it used to get between inbound and outbound platforms, within fare control. |
The “mezzanine” isn’t much. It has a customer service booth (which was totally empty when I was there), two fare machines, and four fare gates. The ceiling is low and pretty ugly, while a single, pure concrete pillar only continues to detract from the aesthetic appeal. There’s also one of those random rolling chairs here, which I feel like are in a lot of MBTA stations…
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| I had to back up into a corner in order to get this picture. |
The platform is also pretty ugly. A very small portion of it is sheltered, and a pretty bad-looking shelter at that. The footbridge adds to the gritty look, with its metal bars and rusting crossbeams. That’s what you use to get between the platforms, too. There aren’t any elevators, but long snaking ramps for those in wheelchairs. Nothing as cool-looking as Herald Square in New York, though.
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| The sun sets further down the tracks… |
The other end of the platform is entirely unsheltered. It has more of those annoying fences, and a bunch of concrete poles with lights on them. There aren’t any places to sit on this side, though the platform doesn’t have a lot of benches, anyway. Suffolk Downs has a pretty isolated feel overall, and it’s not really worth visiting.
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| A train coming into the station. |
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| Okay, so I have two train pictures. I like this one because you can see where the tracks rise up to Beachmont Station in the background. |
Station: Suffolk Downs
Ridership: Pretty much nonexistent! It’s the second least-used station on the MBTA (the first being Science Park, interestingly), with only 1,125 boardings per weekday. I assume most of the ridership comes from the residential areas around the station, because Suffolk Downs just doesn’t seem to be a happening place.
Pros: Well, it’s nice that it has a parking lot, and the streetcar tracks are nice…
Cons: First of all, you have to cross the annoying footbridge to the other side of the station in order to get in from Bennington Street. I don’t see why they couldn’t just stick some fare gates on the Bennington Street side. Also, the whole station is just really dated. There’s so much concrete, and those stupid fences are everywhere. You would never think this station was rebuilt in the 90’s (which it was).
Nearby and Noteworthy: Most of the surrounding area is residential, aside from Suffolk Downs itself, which is closed (or something like that). There was, however, a restaurant on Bennington Street called Napoles – I have no idea if it’s good or not, but the building has a big model plane on it, which is pretty cool.
Final Verdict: 3/10
There isn’t much to write home about with this one. It’s an ugly, isolated station that nobody uses. The only really noteworthy thing about it is the streetcar track, but it’s not worth going all the way out to Suffolk Downs to see a track stub.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
109 (Linden Square – Sullivan Square Station via Glendale Square)
When I got to Linden Square on the 108, I was already ready to go back. So I was pretty happy to see a 109 coming along a few minutes after I got off the 108. The 109 spends most of its time on Broadway, and heads through Everett on its way back to Sullivan. So let’s get right to it.
We started out heading down Lynn Street, then turned onto Eastern Ave, which was a residential neighborhood. This turned to industrial wasteland on one side and a big cemetery on the other. We turned onto Broadway, still with the cemetery on one side. After a short industrial stretch on both sides of the road, it became a mixture of houses and businesses.
There was a small common, then a high school, and then it went back to houses and businesses. When we reached Glendale Square, it became all retail, and the businesses stuck around past there (with a few houses in between). In Everett Square, there were once again all businesses, as well as some bus connections.
After that, we made our way around a rotary, and it became almost pure industrial. We sped through here without making any stops, since industrial wastelands aren’t usually hotspots for ridership. There was a massive power plant on one side and a huge windmill on the other, then we went over a bridge into Boston. After a few more industrial buildings, we turned into the Sullivan Square busway.
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| Man, it was wet that day! This is back in Linden Square. |
Route: 109 (Linden Square – Sullivan Square Station via Glendale Square)
Ridership: There were about 25 people who rode in total, which isn’t bad. But looking at the MBTA Blue Book, it says that the 109 actually has better ridership than the 108. So I’m going to assume that my ride was a fluke, especially since I’ve seen hoards of people boarding the 109 at Sullivan before.
Pros: This is a nice, straightforward route right down Broadway. I think more people use it to get from Broadway to the Orange Line than for Linden Square service, but it’s good that it serves Linden Square, too.
Cons: Once again, the schedule. Rush hour is good, with every 15 minute service, but during the day that rises to every 40 minutes. It’s every 55 minutes during the night and on Sunday, and every 40 minutes on Saturdays. It’s slightly better than the 108 some times and slightly worse other times.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Both Glendale Square and Everett Square seemed to have a lot of interesting businesses, but a surprisingly high amount of the route was industrial. I wouldn’t visit the industrial bits…
Final Verdict: 6/10
Well, it fares slightly better than the 108. Overall, I’d say their schedules are about equal, with certain times better for one route over the other. But I had a few issues with the 108’s somewhat crazy route, whereas the 109 is really straightforward. Thus, it gets that extra point.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
108 (Linden Square – Wellington Station via Malden Center Station and Highland Ave)
The last two buses I reviewed had pretty low ridership. It’s probably because they have low ridership anyway, but one could make the argument that there weren’t that many people around, as I took them on Christmas Eve. But if that were the case, it certainly wouldn’t explain the extraordinary ridership I saw on the 108 the very same day. So let’s take a trip up to one of my least favorite neighborhoods in Greater Boston, Linden Square!
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| The bus at Wellington. |
We looped around to Revere Beach Parkway having left Wellington, and braved a massive traffic jam over the Orange Line tracks. Luckily, things cleared up when we turned onto the Fellsway, going by a huge mall. We didn’t stay for long, though, as we soon made a sharp right turn onto Riverside Ave.
It was a nice residential neighborhood, which continued onto Middlesex Ave. But soon, there was a block of businesses, a park, and the king of all superstores, BJ’s. Indeed, the next section of the route was full of chain businesses with massive parking lots, but then it went back to houses suddenly. There was, however, the occasional business or apartment.
We turned onto Pleasant Street, and since this was a midday trip, Pearl Street. Passing a stadium and some more houses, we then turned onto Charles Street, passing under the Orange Line tracks. There was a short industrial section along Commercial Street, then we were surrounded by the tall buildings of Malden Center. We turned into the busway, where there was a hoard of people waiting to get on.
We then headed down Center Street, picking up more people at the king of all Stop & Shop stores, Super Shop & Shop. There were more businesses on Main Street, and the Malden High School on Salem Street. This marked the end of Malden Center, and the neighborhood was now a mix of houses and businesses.
It eventually turned entirely residential, though there was also yet another school. The intersection with Lebanon Street played host to more businesses, and another school. The 106 left Salem Street there, and the 411 and 430 turned onto Broadway a little later on, leaving just the 108. We passed the final school on the route, and then it became all residential. Salem Street curved to the east, paralleling Route 1 for a bit, then we turned onto Lynn Street. This led back to the Linden Square stop, which luckily wasn’t in the really ugly area to the east.
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| The bus gets ready to go back to Wellington. |
Route: 108 (Linden Square – Wellington Station via Malden Center Station and Highland Ave)
Ridership: There were almost 55 people who rode in total! On Christmas Eve, too! The route was basically split into two in terms of ridership – the part from Wellington to Malden Center acts as its own self-contained route, while everyone heading out to Linden Square got on at Malden Center. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 108 was a merger of two separate routes, since that’s pretty much how it operates, ridership-wise.
Pros: This is the most direct route to Linden Square from Malden Center – the 411 follows almost the exact same route as the 108, but it diverges to serve the Granada Highlands housing complex. It does ultimately serve the same stop in Linden Square, though. But the 108 also runs more often than the 411, plus it serves the neighborhoods between Malden Center and Wellington.
Cons: Turns out I actually have quite a few problems with this route. First is the schedule – it’s good during rush hours (about every 15 minutes) and on Saturdays (every half hour), but it’s pretty bad other times. On weekdays it runs anywhere from every 15 minutes (good) to every 45 minutes (pretty bad). During the night and on Sundays it runs every hour, which is quite awful, especially considering the ridership I saw. But I also have a few issues with the route itself. For one thing, what’s with the stretch on the Fellsway, then the sharp turn onto Riverside Ave? Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid the Fellsway entirely and turn onto Middlesex Ave right from Revere Beach Parkway? And also, what’s with the Pearl Street routing? It just seems like a pointless detour – buses only travel on it during midday, and nobody got on or off there on my ride.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Well, I’m not a fan of Linden Square, so I’d go with Malden Center. There are lots of interesting businesses there.
Final Verdict: 5/10
Well, I wasn’t really expecting this low of a score. The 108 seems like a good link from Malden Center to Linden Square (as well as a good connector for the neighborhoods between Malden Center and Wellington), but just look at the size of that “cons” section! Aside from the schedule being pretty meh, the route seems to have a few seemingly unnecessary detours. Perhaps people use them, but no one on my trip did…
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Once again, the MBTA will be providing free rides after 8 P.M. on New Year’s Eve. This is the 22nd year they’ve offered free rides for the holiday.
85 (Spring Hill – Kendall/MIT Station via Summer Street and Union Square)
Man, I thought I’d hate the 85. I figured that no one would ride it, and I could give it a scathing review. Turns out, though, that it seems to be a somewhat well-used local route (note the emphasis on somewhat), and the ride was really enjoyable! That said, I feel like I should hate it, for the same reasons I hated the 68 – it’s close to more frequent services. This is possibly my most inner-conflicted review ever…
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| That headlight on the right is exceptionally bright (rhyming unintentional). |
The bus was early, and so we layed over in Kendall for a bit. During this time, someone tried to ask the driver where the train station was. I wasn’t sure what happened, but all of a sudden they were yelling at each other, with the person finally storming off. I mean, asking for directions to the train station is a perfectly valid question! What got the driver/person so mad?
Soon after the fight, we left and headed down Main Street, then turned onto Ames Street, Broadway, and Hampshire Street (along with the CT2). Leaving the office buildings of Kendall Square, it became residential, with the occasional businesses. We turned onto Columbia Street, a cute, entirely residential neighborhood, and then onto Webster Ave.
This street was an industrial wasteland, and so was Prospect Street. When we crossed over the Commuter Rail tracks, I saw some construction and wondered if it was of the new Union Square Green Line station. But we sped past, and, turning onto Somerville Ave, entered the Square. It had some nice small businesses, but soon we were off on Summer Street, finally leaving the CT2.
We went by a field, and it became mostly residential. There was, however, a gas station and a convenience store at the intersection with School Street. We also passed a big nursing home, but it was mostly just houses. Turning onto Central Street and then Avon Street, we reached the last stop and everyone on the bus got off. I walked through the neighborhood to find Highland Ave so I could catch another bus.
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| I really love this picture for some reason. |
Route: 85 (Spring Hill – Kendall/MIT Station via Summer Street and Union Square)
Ridership: Admittedly pretty low – there were about 15 people who got off at Kendall, and about 10 on my bus. Most of the riders on my trip got on at Kendall, though there were a couple people who got on at Union Square. Almost everyone got off at Spring Hill, which was somewhat surprising. In terms of overall numbers, the 85 is in the bottom 30 in terms of bus ridership, but barely.
Pros: It provides local service along the CT2’s route, and it’s the only bus to serve Spring Hill. And really, I should be complaining about how close Spring Hill is to other bus routes, but I just can’t. I don’t know, there was a fair amount of people who went to Spring Hill, and this is the fastest ride to the Red Line from there.
Cons: So instead, I’ll complain about the schedule, because it’s pretty awful. The route runs every 40 minutes, weekdays only. That means on weekends, people in Spring Hill are forced to walk the three blocks to the 88 or the five blocks to the 83 or 87. Oh, wait, now I’m complaining about Spring Hill’s proximity to other, more frequent services. Darn it!
Nearby and Noteworthy: Union Square is probably the most happening place along the route, though Kendall’s pretty trendy, too.
Final Verdict: 4/10
I could not decide between giving the 85 a 4 or a 5. I eventually opted for the former, because I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t. I gave the 68 a very low score due to the fact that the whole thing is in walking distance to more frequent services. I think the 85 covers more, though, and it gets better ridership than the former. But though I really want to like this route, it’s still pretty close to other routes, and its schedule is terrible. Sorry, 85.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
68 (Harvard/Holyoke Gate – Kendall/MIT via Broadway)
I actually use the 68 almost every day. See, I have clubs most days of the week after school, so I can’t take the glorified school bus back home. If I can time my club departure right, though, I can grab the 68 right outside of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin and take it the few blocks to Harvard Station (because walking to Harvard takes energy). But I had only taken the whole route once before, and I didn’t review it then. So since I’ve taken the whole thing again, I’ll give the 68 the review it rightfully deserves. (Though it may not like its final score…)
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| Too bad that pole got in the way. |
The bus was a bit late coming to Holyoke Gate, but we were off soon enough. We curved around to Johnston Gate, where surprisingly no one was waiting, and then went through a tunnel. After that, we turned onto Broadway, going by some apartments, and then past the high school. It then got residential, with ornate brick apartments on one side of the street and sizeable houses on the other.
We passed a few businesses, and another school. There were a few more businesses at the intersection with Prospect Street, where the 64 joins the 68 on Broadway during rush hours. We went by a park, then it became a mixture of retail and residential buildings. There was another school, and then out of nowhere we were surrounded by the office buildings of Kendall Square.
Normally the route would go further down Broadway and swing around onto Main Street to stop at Kendall Station. But the “swing around” street was being worked on, as an MBTA Police vehicle on Broadway told the bus driver. So we followed the police van, snaking through the bowels of Kendall Square, and somehow ended up back at the Kendall Station bus stop. The few riders on board got off, and the driver got ready to head back to Harvard.
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| The bus sign appears to have fallen down… |
Route: 68 (Harvard/Holyoke Gate – Kendall/MIT via Broadway)
Ridership: Both times I took this bus there were only about 10 people who rode, riding for fairly small distances. And it’s always pretty much empty whenever I take it after school. I think part of the reason for the low ridership is the route itself – you can see from the length of this post that it’s a short one. Also, the route is sandwiched between the 1 and the 69, which are both more frequent than the 68. And even when it gets further from those two, it’s never far away from another route with a better schedule.
Pros: Well, it provides service on Broadway. But is this service needed?
Cons: Signs point to no. As I said in “ridership,” the 68 doesn’t have any portions where it’s the only option. The schedule seems to reflect this, as the route only runs every half hour, weekdays only, until not even 7 PM. So on weekends, those who use the 68 are forced to walk to the nearest other service, a walk which is never longer than about 15 minutes.
Nearby and Noteworthy: None of the businesses we passed seemed especially noteworthy, but maybe there’s something along the route.
Final Verdict: 2/10
This route just doesn’t seem necessary. It’s very short, and most of it is close to other services. On weekends people have to use those other services anyway, since the 68’s schedule is awful. I honestly feel like the MBTA could scrap this route, and it wouldn’t affect that many people (I’m even willing to walk to Harvard after school). Indeed, this is one of the least-used routes on the system, with even less ridership than the 4, which was on the chopping block a few years ago.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Weekend service for three Commuter Rail lines starts tomorrow! Huzzah!
GUEST POST: 66 (Harvard Square – Dudley Station via Allston and Brookline Village)
The last time I rode the 66, it was a crazy route that was always late either because a bus broke down or there were severe traffic problems. But that was like a year and a half ago so I figured why not take another ride on the 66?
The trip starts with a packed bus at Dudley, more than the last time I rode it. From there we head down Malcolm X Boulevard, which changes to Tremont Street. We pick up several more people at Roxbury Crossing, which makes the bus so crowded that people actually get on in the back of the bus! We finally make it to Brigham Circle where we join the 39 and the Green Line (E). As we make our way down Huntington Avenue we suddenly hit a lot of traffic. So what normally is a 5 minute trip down Huntington Avenue took over 15 minutes.
Leaving Boston, we now travel down Harvard Street in Brookline, going mostly express, and before I know it, we are at Coolidge Corner were 30% of people got off to probably catch the Green Line (C). Now I will spare the boredom of the rest of the Harvard Street stretch as it’s mostly just stores and houses. We finally get to Comm. Ave where a lot of people get off to catch the Green Line (B). Minutes later we’re in the heart of Allston, Union Square, where more people get off and on. We travel down Cambridge Street over the Mass Pike Bridge and then make a left on North Harvard Street by the Hess Gas Station. So far this trip had been going very well until….. I heard a lot of noise coming from the engine, and suddenly the Bus Driver told everyone, “The bus is dead.” At that moment, I thought “I can’t finish the review!” But of course, the 66 is one of those bunching routes so one was right behind us. I got on and we continued down North Harvard Street, across the Charles River, and into Cambridge, and finally, after a long 30-45 minute trip, I finally arrived at Harvard Square.
The Fleet: The Route 66 is a mostly Cabot Route with Albany St. Buses operating on the Brighton Center trips during the morning weekday rush hour. So expect to see NABI CNG’S and occasionally a New Flyer D40LF (the 800’s and the Shield Bus 0700) or a New Flyer C40LF (6000 series). The buses are okay, but the NABI’s can be sometimes useless.
Ridership: This is one of the 15 key bus routes on the T so the ridership is expected to be big, but the amount of people that ride this bus is like…..I can’t believe they don’t have articulated buses on the 66, even on a Sunday!
Final Verdict: 8/10
Central
Oh, how I hate it when stations don’t have free crossovers! Especially when I’m not paying attention to what entrance I’m going into and end up on the wrong platform, then when I try to get into the other one it says “Pass already used” and I have to get a 1 to Harvard to take the train from there. Yes, the situation only pertains to Central, but it was really annoying when it happened.
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| That train stuck around for quite a while before leaving. |
Even though you can’t cross between them, the platforms are kinda nice. I love the walls, which have a mosaic pattern along them, and there are different ones in each waiting area. Something I didn’t notice when I was there, but that I can see in the picture is an old-fashioned Central sign. It’s pretty cool that they kept that. Unfortunately, the ceiling does have quite a few random pipes, lowering the aesthetic appeal of the station.
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| The main entrance, with the escalator shelter visible in the background. |
Central actually has three entrances (six if you count the other side), lined up along Mass Ave. They’re all New York subway style, meaning they’re just staircases leading underground from the street. The main one, the middle of the three, also has an elevator and an up escalator. The other two just have stairs.
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| The mezzanine of the main entrance. |
The main entrance has the biggest mezzanine of the three, which means it’s slightly less tiny than the others. Actually, it’s basically a long, thin hallway with the fare machines on one end and the gates on the other. There’s even a customer service booth – what an amenity! And this is the only entrance that has one.
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| The second mezzanine. |
The second entrance has a sign that says “PURCHASE CharlieCards/Tickets.” I’m not sure why it says this, since you can’t get CharlieCards at Central. The fare machines in the (tiny) mezzanine are also interesting, in that they have signs over them saying “Cash, Credit/Debit, Tokens.” Why does it say “tokens?” The token system doesn’t exist anymore! What an odd entrance…
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| The smallest mezzanine is really quite cramped. |
The smallest entrance of the three is accessed by a really tight staircase. It can barely fit two people going in opposite directions, and even then you have to squeeze up to the wall a bit to make it past. What’s more, this mezzanine literally has no fare machines. Oh, there’s room for one, but I guess this station just had to be even more annoying. At least the entrance’s sign says there aren’t any fare machines, but still.
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| The main bus shelter on Mass Ave. |
The complicated bus system at Central is nothing to sneeze at. And even if you did try to sneeze at it, you wouldn’t know where to sneeze because there’s no signage to the station’s three bus stops. The main one is on Mass Ave, and it’s primarily for the 1 and 47. It’s a nice shelter with a multicolored glass roof. There’s nothing else to say about it, really.
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| A shelter on Green Street. |
There are three Central buses (the 64, 70, and 70A) that leave from University Park, about a 10 minute walk away from the station. Why? Who knows? Let’s make the bus situation even more confusing! I wasn’t able to walk to University Park, but I got the above picture of a shelter on Green Street. This is the closest stop to the station for outbound University Park buses. And don’t be fooled by the Mass Ave shelter – the 64, 70, and 70A stop there, but only on their way to University Park.
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| Looks like my shadow photobombed the picture. |
The third one is an actual busway, located on Magazine Street. It serves the 83, 91, and CT1, and is the most “advanced” stop out of the three. For one thing, it’s not a street stop like the other two – cars aren’t allowed in this busway. And this one actually has schedules in a little sheltered bin! They still get soaked if it’s raining, but it’s nice to have them there. The question is, why can’t the 64, 70, and 70A use this much more sophisticated stop?
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| Good thing the platform was a little longer than the train so I could get a picture of it. |
Station: Central
Ridership: Believe it or not, this is one of the very busiest stations on the system. It comes in seventh place in terms of ridership, with over 16,500 riders per weekday! I don’t know why it gets such high ridership, but the residential areas around the station are pretty dense. And this station covers quite a few Cambridge neighborhoods, including East Cambridge and all of Cambridgeport.
Pros: As I said, the station serves a lot of important neighborhoods in Cambridge. As for Central itself, well, I like the mosaics on the platform and the Magazine Street busway. That’s pretty much it.
Cons: Well, there’s the fact that the platform is pretty ugly overall. Or there’s the fact that there are three separate bus stops, without signage in the station letting you know where to go. And of course, there’s the lack of free crossovers. And actually, Central’s a pretty nasty station in that regard if you’re heading outbound and accidentally use the inbound platform, because Kendall also has no free crossovers. You’d have to go all the way to Charles in order to head back in the other direction.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a whole bunch of restaurants and businesses near the station. One place that I go to for breakfast occasionally is Veggie Galaxy in Central Square. Its french toast gets the totally arbitrary Miles Seal of Approval.
Final Verdict: 5/10
Okay, so this is clearly an important station. But is it a good station? Not really. The platform is ugly, the bus system is overly complicated, and there aren’t any free crossovers. This is also one of those stations where you can find very…unique smells. But I suppose a whole bunch of people use it, and it’s certainly in a good location.
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Fields Corner
For the most part, Red Line stations are aesthetically meh. The line doesn’t have that many awful-looking stations, but there aren’t many amazing ones, either. Enter Fields Corner, which looks fantastic after its renovation in 2008. Plus, it’s elevated! Huzzah!
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| The eastern end of the station’s busway. |
The station’s main (more or less) entrance is from the busway. Now, I believe I’ve mentioned before how weird and complicated the bus procedure here is. Buses have to go onto a road that rises up next to the station, then turn around onto the busway proper on the other side of the tracks. I don’t know why it’s done like this, since it seems like it could be so much simpler.
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| And the other end. |
The busway itself is split into two parts. Routes that serve Dorchester Ave (the 18, 201, 202, and 210) board on the eastern end, while routes that serve Geneva Ave (the 15, 17, and 19) board on the western end. There’s a bit of shelter, as well as benches and some historical images and information on the walls. A nice path gives connections to Dorchester and Geneva Aves.
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| The smaller entrance to Fields Corner. |
There’s a second entrance, too, a smaller one on Charles Street. It’s in a much more residential area, and is accessed by a short flight of stairs. Near the entrance is some greenery that brightens the place up a bit. Not that it really needed brightening, but it’s still a great addition.
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| The mezzanine, from within fare control. |
I love this station’s mezzanine. For one thing, the lighting – there are normal white lights, but also these sleek red ones. There are also red stripes on the walls in some places, and the whole thing is just so awesome! The mezzanine has lots of fare gates and machines, so this station doesn’t have to worry about clogging up (not that it gets much ridership). There are even more historical plaques in here, and natural light gets in, too.
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| The platform. |
As for the platform, it gets quite a lot of natural light, being above ground and all. I love how the walls are made of glass so you can look out, and the ceilings provide adequate shelter. My only problem with the platform was the fact that I found a map there that was so scuffed up it could barely be read (and there might’ve been more). First of all, it was one of the new maps, so I have to question how it got dirty so quickly. Also, it shouldn’t be that hard to replace a simple map! Maybe nobody’s mentioned it before…until now. Mwahaha.
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| A train makes its way around the corner before the station. |
Station: Fields Corner
Ridership: Not great – about 5,300 people board here every weekday. That can probably be attributed to the fact that the station is in a mostly residential area, and would primarily be used by locals.
Pros: This station looks great all around. There isn’t a single part of this station aesthetically that I don’t like. And it’s good in terms of functionality, too – like how the mezzanine has a bunch of fare gates, or how the platform provides pretty good shelter.
Cons: There was that smudged map, but that’s more of a minor quibble. My real problem with this station is the bus situation. Why do they go on that road right up to the station before going back down again, only to loop around back to the busway proper? There must be a simpler way to do this.
Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few businesses around the station, including a shopping plaza to the south of it. The houses are mostly concentrated to the north and west.
Final Verdict: 8/10
I think this is one of the best-looking stations on the Red Line. Also, it’s elevated, which sweetens the deal. Really, it’s just the busway system I don’t like – the route the vehicles take feels way too circuitous. What if the busway was turned into a two-way street, so buses could drop their passengers off, loop around without anyone on board, and then come back to pick people up? But the two-way thing would probably be hard to do, wouldn’t it? Okay, so maybe the current way is the simplest. Still, though, Fields Corner is a great station regardless.
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