Chinatown

Dec 8, 2014 | | 2 Comments

Having a monthly pass is the best. Sure, you could walk from Chinatown to the Aquarium, about 15 minutes, but that requires energy. Why not take the Orange Line two stops to State, then the Blue Line one stop to Aquarium? I already paid for the month, so let’s do it! So naturally, this adventure from Chinatown to the waterfront started at Chinatown Station.

The first thing to note about Chinatown is that there are no free crossovers. This is partially due to the fact that the downtown Orange Line stations are built diagonally from each other for no reason. Really, why did they build them like that? It’s their fault that we have an endless walkway of death at State, and nobody likes the endless walkway of death! Also, the Chinatown platforms are at different heights, but not on top of each other. Why? What’s the point?

The first entrance. All photo credits, once again, go to my friend Chloé Gilligan.

The entrances, I have to admit, are really well integrated into the city. They’re literally integrated into the city, actually, as they’re all in building exteriors. Note that I only looked at the two that lead to the inbound platforms, because of those stupid crossovers, or lack thereof. So yeah, the first entrance is pretty standard, with a big T logo sticking out so people know there’s a subway station there.

And the second entrance.

The second entrance is a little more ornate. And by ornate, I mean there are some grates that vaguely resemble a pattern surrounding the Chinatown sign. There’s another T logo sticking out here, and this one also has an elevator.

The mezzanine.

Coming into the station, you’re greeted by a weird smell that seems to be a mix of urine and fish. Think of the smell at Downtown Crossing, then add fish to that. It’s not very pleasant. The mezzanine is also very stark and boring (both entrances lead to the same area). Low ceilings and ugly, metal poles are the main attractions here.

The platform.

Just like the rest of the station, the platform is really ugly. The ceilings are bare rock, and though they lack random pipes, they’re still unpleasant. There is an art installation, though – it’s basically just a bunch of multicolored poles. Not much, but I guess it’s something. I prefer the mural at Prudential more, though. As I said, I haven’t been to the outbound platform, but it looks like it’s slightly less repulsive according to this Wikipedia picture. This station is still pretty darn repulsive, though.

A train speeds into the station.

Station: Chinatown

Ridership: Not bad, but not good. Chinatown gets about 6,500 riders per weekday, making it 33rd on the system. It was reasonably crowded when we were there, and that was a Saturday. I’d imagine this station gets some tourist traffic, though Boston’s Chinatown can’t be that much of a draw.

Pros: Well, the art tries to spruce things up. And it’s nice that the entrances are in buildings.

Cons: For one thing, no free crossovers. That’s never fun. Also, the whole station smells like a mixture of pee and seafood – not a good combination. This station is one of those really ugly ones, too, with low ceilings and intrusive metal poles. Something I didn’t mention is that there’s a bus stop here, serving the SL4, SL5 and 11. But there aren’t any shelters, which is one of the key features of bus rapid transit! Come on, Silver Line!

Nearby and Noteworthy: Chinatown probably has some excellent local restaurants, but I know none of them. This station is also a stone’s throw (literally a block) away from Boylston and the theater district.

Final Verdict: 3/10
I was originally going to put this station on the same level as Prudential, a 4. They’re both ugly, have an art installation that’s not very noticeable, and are generally bad stations. Chinatown is actually better-looking than Prudential is, in fact. But then I thought of the smell, the fact that the Silver Line stop doesn’t have a shelter, and of course, the lack of free crossovers. Thus, this station scrapes a 3.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

World Trade Center

Dec 7, 2014 | | 4 Comments

Courthouse was a hidden gem of sorts. The station was absolutely beautiful, yet it had the second-worst ridership on the entire system. (I can now say that it’s graduated to third-worst! Hooray!) World Trade Center is pretty much in the same boat. It’s really beautiful, and has the fifth-worst ridership on the subway system. It’s an improvement, I suppose.

The station itself is enclosed, but it’s actually not underground. It’s still below grade, though, and so after it Silver Line buses have to rise up to D Street. Now, I really hate how buses don’t have control over the traffic light at that intersection, but I’m not going to fault the station for it. It’s more just poor planning for the route on the MBTA’s part.

The first entrance to the station. All photo credits for this post, by the way, go to my friend, Chloé Gilligan.

But anyway, the station. The first entrance is on a bridge which conveniently leads to both the big World Trade Center on one side and the massive Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on the other. The bridge also offers some fantastic skyline views. There’s a commemorative statue outside the entrance, as well as a wavy rooftop. It’s pretty modern and welcoming.

And the second entrance, taken from the median of Congress Street (we didn’t jaywalk to it or anything…)

Both entrances are conveniently accessed by the same elevator shaft. The second one is on Congress Street, and is more to provide access to the area around the station (the other one is mainly for the two Centers). It’s another modern entrance, though a bit more standard than the other one. Still, good stuff.

Looking down into the mezzanine. Unfortunately there aren’t any pictures of the mezzanine proper.

The fare-paying area was again nice and modern but pretty standard. It was a lot bigger than what’s probably needed, but you can’t complain about that. And once you get through the fare gates, you see the greatest MBTA art installation this side of the Kendall Band. It lines the entire wall of the mezzanine, and at first glance it just looks like a long picture of fish. But when you walk along it, the fish move. It was absolutely fantastic. Not to mention there’s another wave design above the fish, giving the whole mezzanine an underwater feel.

From there, it’s extremely easy to get down to the platform. Two sets of stairs, one inbound and one outbound. The platform is really nice, too. As I mentioned before, the station is partially above ground. so a lot of natural light gets in there. Even at night, there are big tall lights along the walls which probably keep the station lit up. Man, this and Courthouse are some of the best stations the MBTA has to offer. But don’t talk about the ridership…

An overview of the platform with two buses at the station, one of which has a purple destination board!

Station: World Trade Center

Ridership: Oh, no. Can we not? Let’s just end the review here, 10/10, thanks for reading. Sigh. Yeah, this station fares slightly better than Courthouse, with almost 1600 riders per weekday over the latter’s 1300. But that’s still really bad, World Trade Center, so don’t look so smug. I’d imagine most ridership here comes on event days at the WTC or BCEC, though there are also some apartments and a hotel near here.

Pros: Just like Courthouse, this station is absolutely beautiful. I think I might even like it more than its western companion, just because of those fish. Courthouse was awesome and all, but it didn’t really have any art, per se. WTC has the fish as well as the whole underwater theme, which makes it very unique.

Cons: Yeah, yeah, the ridership, blah, blah, blah.

Nearby and Noteworthy: The constant development in the Seaport District is astounding. Every time I visit a new building has sprung up. A lot of them are residential, though, and not especially noteworthy. This station is basically in a no-man’s land between Fan Pier (served by Courthouse) and Liberty Wharf (served by Silver Line Way). Still, there’s the WTC and BCEC, so on event days at either this is the station to use.

Final Verdict: 8/10
Courthouse got a 7, pretty much for the sole reason that it’s beautiful. Well, I actually like World Trade Center a little more than Courthouse in terms of beauty, plus it gets marginally better ridership. For that, I’ll throw in an extra point. 8/10!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Salem (Before and After)

Dec 6, 2014 | | 3 Comments

Man, this station used to be a dump. It had a low-level platform, a massive parking lot, and was just really ugly. Now, it has a high level platform, a massive parking garage, and some nice greenery to make the station look better. Throughout this post, I’ll be doing before-after pictures to compare the dumpiness of the old station to the betterness of the new one. Note that the “before” pictures will be exceptionally low in quality due to the fact that they were taken on a Nintendo 3DS. And unfortunately, I can’t put them side by side. But never mind that, let’s take a look at the drastically improved Salem Station.

Looking at the old station (I don’t have any overview pictures of the new one since the garage is in the way).

The entrance used to be pretty haphazard. You could tell it was an MBTA station thanks to the sign, but then there was a long set of rickety stairs that led down to the platform area. Now the entrance leads directly into the parking lot, and you can either take an indoor flight of stairs down, or use the glass elevator. I, of course, opted for the latter.

The old entrance.
And the new one, sadly lacking a “T” symbol.

The previous parking lot had just been, well, a parking lot. It had 340 spaces, which is actually pretty good. But as they say, bigger is better, so the new garage more than doubles that amount with over 700 spaces. There are apparently even spaces for electric cars here! The design of the parking lot also helps it stick out and lets people know, “Hey, there’s an MBTA station here!” I wish it had a logo on it, though.

The old parking lot.
Okay, so the fifth floor was the only one I looked at. But the view was amazing!

On top of that, the new station also has a waiting area. It was still being worked on when I was there – they’re going to put windows in and enclose it. But it’s already sheltered, and they’ve got benches. The new station boasts a bike area, too. It seems pretty expansive right now, but I guess they might add a cage. The MBTA website says a cage is there now, but I’m not sure if that’s an error or not. Either way, there’s a lot of parking for bikes.

The waiting area, admittedly kind of drab.

The busway of the old station was really primitive. It was basically just a sidewalk, though it did have an awkward bench in a wooden shelter. Now, there are pseudo benches, I suppose. I think passengers are expected to wait in the waiting room, which I guess makes sense. Annoyingly, they’ve kept the temporary busway from when the garage was being constructed, and to someone who hasn’t been there before, it looks like buses still stop there. They even have a “buses” sign pointing to it, which confused some tourists. Also, it’s annoying how they use outdated signs for the routes and just put white tape over the out-of-date stuff. Really, how expensive is it to get new signs?

The old busway.
And the new one.
Look, they’ve even kept the shelter from the temporary busway!

And finally, the platform. Although it’s single track (probably because of the lengthy tunnel that heads through downtown Salem to the south of the station), it becomes double quickly on either end. The old platform was mostly low-level, but I believe there was a ramp on the north side for handicapped people. Now, it’s fully high level, and it’s already looking pretty good despite the fact that they’re still building the northern part.

The old platform – blech.
And the new one. It’s a big dark, thanks to the shadow of the parking garage.

So overall, Salem Station has improved quite a lot over its predecessor. For one thing, there are elevators now instead of the crazy staircase from the old station. There’s also a waiting room, and a nicer busway. And finally, that parking garage is such an improvement over the lot they had before. Good job, MBTA.

An old locomotive at the old station.
And a new locomotive at the new station!
Also, a new passenger car leaving the new station.

Station: Salem

Ridership: Outside of Providence, Salem is the busiest station on the entire Commuter Rail system, not including the three hubs. In 2013, Salem averaged about 1200 inbound boardings per day. That certainly justifies the 700 space parking garage, doesn’t it?

Pros: Aside from the three hubs (North and South Stations, and Back Bay), this is the best and most modern Commuter Rail station I’ve ever been to. It has a whole bunch of amenities that don’t exist on the rest of the system. Fully high level platforms, in particular, are a pretty rare sight on the Commuter Rail. And the garage? It’s massive! It makes this a great park-and-ride station. There’s a nice busway, a convenient waiting area, and elevators to serve the garage. They’re even working on bike paths around the station! What doesn’t this place have?

Cons: These are mostly just pet peeves: I wish the entrance had an MBTA sign, I wish they got rid of the temporary busway, I wish the bus signs weren’t outdated, and I wish some parts were better lit.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s so much to do in Salem. Check the Nearby and Noteworthies on the 451 and 459 for some of them.

Final Verdict: 9/10
This is the Commuter Rail station that all other Commuter Rail stations look up to. It may have a few flaws, but in terms of Commuter Rail standards, this is one of the best. I’m excited to see what they do with it as construction draws to a close. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back up here, but there’s still one Salem bus I haven’t ridden yet, the 465. Hmm…

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

455 (Salem Depot – Wonderland via Central Square, Lynn)

Dec 6, 2014 | | 2 Comments

The 455 used to go all the way down to Haymarket, but during the bus massacre of July 2012 it was cut back to Wonderland. Trips to Wonderland had previously been weekend service, but now it goes there full time. That’s not to say that the cutbacks made the schedule bad, though; this is the most frequent bus that serves Salem.

This route is coordinated with the 459 on weekdays, since they both share local portions. Whereas the 450 and 456 go through a part of Salem with trashy businesses and large parking lots, the 455 and 459 serve a nicer, more residential area. I’m certainly not complaining.
So, we did the typical Salem bus loop, leaving the other routes by turning onto Congress Street. Going over a bridge, we then passed the Shetland Office/Industrial Park. (office on the schedule, industrial on the stop announcements, no idea which one is right.) Right after, we turned onto Harbor Street, a cute residential road, then again onto Lafayette Street.
This street had a mixture of houses, apartments, and architectural styles. There were a few really cute businesses at this one intersection. It wasn’t with a major street or anything, but you could tell the businesses were locally run. The scenery was mostly houses for a while after that, until a retail block at Loring Ave, which we turned on.
We went past a development (“Rainbow Terrace”), and then Salem State University. It went back to houses after that, then it got rural and marshy for a bit. Loring Ave turned to the left, and there were some businesses, as well as some developments and apartment complexes. This was Vinnin Square, with a connection to the 441 and 448 to Marblehead. We soon entered Swampscott and Loring Ave became Essex Street.
We went by a cemetery, Essex Street went over the Commuter Rail tracks (luckily with no level crossings, cough, cough, 451), and we passed Swampscott High School.  Pretty soon after, we entered Lynn, and the businesses-house ratio slowly grew. We turned onto Chestnut Street, then Union Street, and eventually it became all businesses as we came into downtown Lynn.
Turning onto Silsbee Street, Mount Vernon Street, Spring Street, Broad Street, and finally Market Street, we stopped at the Lynn Commuter Rail station. There were a fair amount of people waiting here, but unfortunately we were about 15 minutes early and had to wait here. After the long layover (though without any pen personifying, cough, cough, 451). we finally continued up Market Street.
We then turned onto Common Street, which had houses on one side and Lynn Common on the other. There was some retail when Common Street became Market Square, then we turned onto Western Ave. This was a mix of businesses and houses, then at West Lynn Garage we switched drivers for some reason.
Going through Lynn had been pretty slow, so the next part was quite a relief. After a stop at the G.E. River Works Plant, Western Ave became Salem Turnpike, and it was a straight run through marshland. The driver floored it, and we made no stops along the way. At Brown Circle, we made our way to the American Legion Highway. There was another rotary, Bell Circle, where we turned onto VFW Parkway. This led us to yet another rotary, which led into the Wonderland busway.
The bus in Salem.
Route: 455 (Salem Depot – Wonderland via Central Square, Lynn)
Ridership: There were about 30 people who rode this bus, about half of whom got on in Lynn. That’s a pretty good amount for a reverse-peak run just before rush hour. Not everyone got off in Wonderland – some people got off at local stops after Lynn.
Pros: First and foremost, the schedule for this bus is really good for a 400 route. It’s every 15 minutes during rush hour, every 35 minutes during the day (with every other trip being a 459), every hour at night, every half hour on Saturdays, and every hour on Sundays. Not to mention there are also 450 weekend trips that go from Salem to Wonderland, though those don’t run as often. I also like how this route serves the more residential eastern part of Salem, over the uglier western part served by the 450 and 456.
Cons: The 450W is a much faster ride to Wonderland on weekends, since it bypasses downtown Lynn. That part can be really annoying on the 455, especially if you have to wait there. Also, every hour on Sundays isn’t great,  but it’s not terrible for a 400 route.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Salem, once again. There is so much to do in that city! I should go during Halloween sometime.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Overall, this bus is pretty good, mainly for its schedule. The only real problem I have with that is the Sunday schedule, though the headways become every half hour when you factor in the 450W. That said, it could be annoying if you were trying to head into downtown Lynn on a Sunday. But overall, the 455 seems to get the ridership to match its good schedule, and considering how far it takes you, it’s a pretty good route.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
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451 (North Beverly – Salem Depot via Cabot Street or Tozer Road)

Dec 6, 2014 | | 12 Comments

This route is really isolated: it’s the northernmost MBTA bus route; it only runs eight times a day; it’s one of the most expensive buses for the MBTA to run; it was on the chopping block in 2012; and it goes down a road on which not even Google Street View has travelled! They’ve gone all the way down to Antarctica, but Tozer Road is just way too inaccessible for them. Anyway, let’s waste no more time and head up to Beverly on the 451.

455 photobomb in the background!

Leaving the busway with just one other person riding, we headed down North Street through downtown Salem. We then turned onto Norman Street, which became New Derby Street after a massive intersection. Then we turned onto Hawthorne Boulevard, which is where the 451 leaves all the other Salem routes. Going by Salem Common, we passed the infamous Salem Witch Museum, then turned onto Winter Street.

What a bridge!

It was residential here, with some beautiful old architecture. Then we turned onto Bridge Street, which had a few businesses in between the houses. At around this point, one of the passengers suddenly said “Is this the Wonderland bus?” Upon finding out that it wasn’t, he swore loudly as he left the bus to head back to Salem Center for the 455. So eventually, with one fewer passenger, we headed onto Bridge Street’s namesake, a large bridge. Heading over the Danvers River, we entered Beverly on the other side.

The view of Beverly.

We headed down Cabot Street, initially going by houses and then some businesses. These got nicer and more happening as we went along – there was even an old-fashioned movie theater! Interestingly, the 451 bypasses the Beverly Commuter Rail station, though that seems to be in a more industrial area, and anyway, it’s covered by the Beverly Local Bus.

I love that sign!

Soon we turned onto Elliott Street, which was more residential. Annoyingly, there were two level crossings with the Commuter Rail on this section, which meant the bus had to stop and open the doors to check for trains twice. We then turned into the big parking lot of the Cummings Center, which seemed to be a strange office park/mall mixture. When we left that, we had to cross over the level crossings again, which made this part of the route take a really long time.

There would normally be some nice fountains here, but they were probably turned off for the winter.

Going back down Elliott Street, we turned once again onto Cabot Street, which was a nice residential area. After crossing over the Commuter Rail tracks again (and with some more stopping and door-opening action), there were a few trashy businesses. Then we went by a park and had another level crossing with the Commuter Rail tracks! Geez, Louise!

We went by a few schools, but it was mostly residential fare. At an intersection with some more trashy businesses, we turned onto Dodge Street and crossed Route 128. There was a big mall, then it turned residential once again. The businesses came back at North Beverly Station, which we passed but (thank goodness) didn’t cross over. There was one more stop after the station, which was announced as Super Stop & Shop, the second one to appear on the route, in fact. Yes, both Stop & Shops on the 451 are in their elusive “super” forms.

I was the only one on the bus by this point, but I didn’t want to get out here and wait an hour for the next one. So, I just sat there in the back. The driver eventually turned off the vehicle, which made things even more awkward. Quietly checking my schedule, it looked like we were 15 minutes early and would have to lay over for that long.

It was all right at first, but then the driver started to loudly whistle. Did he notice me? Would he kick me out? It got even weirder when he started to personify his pens…out loud. “I need you, and you,” he said in between the whistling. I thought he was talking to me at first, which would’ve been really creepy. I was so relieved when he started up the bus again (still whistling) and maneuvered it out of the small mall we were in.

So we headed back down Enon Street, and then Dodge Street again. But this time we turned onto Tozer Road, a very rural street that didn’t have sidewalks or even Google Street View! We went past “Beverly Commons,” which seemed to essentially be a gated community, and then we crossed the darn Commuter Rail tracks again. After crossing Route 128, we passed a lot of industrial warehouses, and apparently a tennis club.

It’s just endless, snowy woods.
We went by a “green energy park,” which is pretty cool, then after turning onto Sohier Road, we passed the Beverly High School. It got residential again, and we went by a middle school. We turned onto Colon Street, Cabot Street (crossing over the stupid tracks again), and then Rantoul Street. Turning once again onto Elliott Street, we crossed over those rascally tracks twice, stopped at the Cummings Center, (with two people getting on this time!) and then crossed over the tracks again.
“Massachusetts Economic Opportunity Area.” I guess that’s what the Cummings Center is…
We headed back through the nice businesses of Cabot Street, and then went back over the bridge. Unfortunately, the driver was driving in the left lane, so the view from the bridge was pretty bad. The Commuter Rail tracks have a separate bridge over the Danvers River, but you can’t see it from the road one. Actually, I’m surprised the tracks don’t just have a level crossing with the river! They have about a million of ’em already!
An industrial view of Salem.
We headed back down Bridge Street, Winter Street, Hawthorne Boulevard, and New Derby Street. Then we turned onto Washington Street, going past lots of nice businesses. We then turned onto Bridge Street, and drove into the Salem busway.
And the bus back in Salem,
Route: 451 (North Beverly – Salem Depot via Cabot Street or Tozer Road)
Ridership: This is one of those extremely local routes where very, very few people ride. There were only six passengers who rode the bus up towards Beverly (not including the guy that wanted the 455) and only seven coming back.
Pros: Although Beverly has its own local shuttle, the 451 goes much further north than it, and also serves Salem Station, a minor bus hub. Other than that, though, there aren’t many good things about the route.
Cons: Namely, the schedule is terrible. The bus only runs eight times a day, weekdays only, with a gap in between rush hours. I mean, it gets pretty poor ridership, but that’s a really bad schedule.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The “downtowney” part along Cabot Street in Beverly was really nice, particularly that movie theater. This is also the only bus that goes by the Salem Witch Museum (admittedly kind of a tourist trap, but still worth a look), though it’s a short walk from the Salem Station. The route also goes by the New England Pirate Museum, which I went to when I was younger. I seem to remember liking it, and it has pretty good Google reviews.
Final Verdict: 4/10
Look, I know this is the only MBTA route that serves Beverly, and it’s definitely worth a ride if only for the bridge over the Danvers River. But good luck trying to do so, because the schedule is terrible. The ridership is bad, but this route ought to stick around, being the only one in Beverly.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

450/450W (Salem Depot – Haymarket or Wonderland Station via Highland Ave)

Dec 4, 2014 | | 1 Comment

A long time ago, on one of my very first for-fun bus trips, my father and I took the 459 up to Salem. I mentioned in that post how we got stuck up there, and a 459 back to Boston never showed up. At one point, there was a 450 that came, but for some reason I didn’t want to take it. Think of this ride as an apology for so rudely ignoring that bus.

Leaving Haymarket, we headed up North Washington Street for a bit before turning onto Valenti Way, then Beverly Street. We then took the highway ramp towards Logan Airport, heading into a tunnel. We came back up for a few seconds, then floored it into the Callahan Tunnel under Boston Harbor.

I thought a picture in the Callahan Tunnel would look cool. I was wrong.

We came out in East Boston, and Route 1A rose onto a bridge. We went very close to the airport, but instead of taking the exit for it, we stayed on Route 1A. Going by Airport Station, the highway rose up again for a bit before coming back down to ground level. The first stop outside of Haymarket was in an industrial area, but we just sailed right past it.

There were a few off-site parking lots for Logan Airport, as well as some hotels with shuttles there, along this portion of the route. We went through an extremely industrial area (it was just a bunch of vats), which was announced as Suffolk Downs. I mean, Suffolk Downs is close, I guess, but you can’t actually see it from where the bus runs, and who uses the 450 to get there? We then went through Bell Circle, which is where the 450W on weekends joins up with the route from Wonderland.

We continued onto American Legion Highway, or Route 60. There was a massive church and yet another Logan Airport-related hotel (even though we were pretty far from there by now), but there were also a few houses along the highway. Unfortunately, though, it got industrial again at Brown Circle, where we headed up on the Salem Turnpike.

The view from the Turnpike.

The driver floored it, since the road was just a straight run through massive areas of marshland. There were a few industrial warehouses along here, but it was mostly just the reeds of the Rumney Marsh. But then, right out of nowhere, there was a massive (and I mean huge) factory that appeared by the road.

Why, hello there!

Then we slowly went onto a bridge over a river, and Salem Turnpike became Western Ave. We were in Lynn now, and it was once again industrial. At the West Lynn Garage, the driver pulled over and another one crossed the street to our bus. The two drivers conversed for a bit, (too long, to be honest – we were on a schedule!) then the other one took over the bus. After that, Western Ave became a mix of houses and businesses.

At South Common Street, many of the routes leave Western Ave to serve downtown Lynn, but we didn’t join them. This meant a relatively speedy ride compared to if the bus served downtown. Western Ave was still a house-business mixture, though with more of an emphasis on the former. At Eastern Ave, we were joined by the 456. and then we went on a bridge over a pond.

The view of the pond.

We went through a residential area, then we entered Salem, Western Ave became Highland Ave, and the surroundings got a whole lot dumpier. There were a few houses, but for the most part it was ugly businesses with massive parking lots. My fa-vor-ite. Finally, it got nice again, and we were back in a residential area.

We passed the huge Salem Hospital, and when Highland Ave became Essex Street, there were some nice businesses (without massive parking lots, thank you very much). Then we went through a fantastic-looking residential neighborhood, with very old-fashioned houses. In downtown Salem, we turned onto Summer Street and then Norman Street, going by plenty of businesses. We turned onto Washington Street at a massive intersection that took quite a while to traverse, then we turned again onto Bridge Street. From here, we made our way to the new Salem busway.

The bus back at Haymarket.

Route: 450/450W (Salem Depot – Haymarket or Wonderland Station via Highland Ave)

Ridership: In total, there were almost 25 people that rode this bus. That’s pretty good for a route of this caliber, and the fact that it was midday. There were only about 10 people that got on at Haymarket for the express portion, and the rest used the 450 for local service. I was the only one that went all the way to Salem Depot, with everyone else getting off in the center.

Pros: This route gives Salem a direct link to Boston, and saves lots of time by bypassing downtown Lynn (unlike the 459, though that goes from Salem to the Seaport and Financial Districts). There’s still a bit of traffic heading down Western Ave, but the bus travels very quickly for most of the route. I also like that this route has weekend service as the 450W to Wonderland, but…

Cons: The schedule’s pretty bad overall. It’s every half hour during rush hour, every 80 minutes during the day, every 60 minutes at night, every 70 minutes Saturdays, and every 60 minutes Sundays. Not only is it an unconventional schedule, (why does it run more often at night than during the day, why does it run more often on Sundays than Saturdays, etc.) but there are also some trips that start/end at the West Lynn Garage. One other thing: this bus goes so close to the airport, why not serve it? It would make a faster ride from there to Salem than the 459.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Downtown Salem for sure. Because as the holidays rapidly approach, witches are on everyone’s minds, right? Right?

Final Verdict: 5/10
As a North Shore express bus, this is pretty good. But I saw some fairly decent ridership that makes me think that the schedule could stand to get a boost. I mean, every 80 minutes on weekdays is kind of ridiculous. And make sure your bus isn’t terminating at the West Lynn garage! Because that place is pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
October 2014 had the MBTA’s highest ridership ever. It was the first time it surpassed 37 million passengers in a month. Also, the federal government will be paying for half of the Green Line extension! This is happening, people!

Random Photos: There’s a Bathroom at Wonderland?

Nov 30, 2014 | | 4 Comments

You may know that I loved Wonderland as a station. Well, I just found another reason why it’s awesome. I was waiting on the platform for an inbound train, and I saw these two women go through a door that said “Ladies room.” “Wow,” I thought, “Is there a men’s room, too?” Turns out there was! And both bathrooms were right on the platform! It was kind of stinky in there, but overall it was clean (not that I checked any of the stalls). This was a genuine surprise for me.

They really need to make this more obvious. It just looks like a random door until you look up close.
Yes, I took a panorama. I couldn’t fit the whole bathroom in one shot!

Random Photos: View From the Salem Parking Garage

Nov 30, 2014 | | 0 Comments

As you may know, I love going on parking lots. So, I had to check out the roof of the new one in Salem. It was really awkward because there was a guy working up there, who didn’t respond to my “Hi!” or “I’m just checking out the view.” But the view was pretty fantastic, even if there weren’t any skylines.

They didn’t even bother to clear the snow out!
Looking into downtown Salem.
And then to the west.
And a panorama looking north.

Random Photos: Pigeon at Alewife

Nov 29, 2014 | | 0 Comments

You see pigeons fairly frequently near Alewife (so much, in fact, that there’s a “Do not feed the pigeons” sign outside), but they never come down to the platform. Well, that all changed yesterday…

The pigeon started to run away when I took the picture.
And then he started hopping up the stairs.
Bye!

Random Photos: Just Hangin’ Around Boston

Nov 29, 2014 | | 0 Comments

I had a half hour to kill until the 450 arrived at Haymarket, so I decided to walk to Long Wharf. These pictures don’t have anything to do with public transportation, but skylines and seagulls are good, right?

A snowy view from the Greenway.
A panorama from Long Wharf.
This seagull walked right up to me.
I don’t have food, get away!
Another panorama.
Going back inland.

Haymarket

Nov 28, 2014 | | 3 Comments

Let’s talk about North Station for a second. This modern hub has a cross-platform transfer between the inbound Green and Orange Lines, and a very straightforward transfer between outbound lines. Yes, this is probably the easiest and most convenient transfer station on the MBTA. Now what about Haymarket? What about Haymarket with its numerous staircases, misleading signage, and overall ugly aesthetics? Simply put, Haymarket is the lesser of the two Green-to-Orange transfers.

The main entrance of Haymarket, along with the busway.

The main entrance is certainly striking. Housed in a massive non-MBTA parking garage, the busway features a massive glass slab cutting through concrete at an angle. I’m not really sure if I like it or not, but it’s definitely interesting. The fact that Haymarket has a proper busway gives it an edge, being right in Boston. However, there are actually two busways here, and the other one is much less exciting. It hasn’t even got benches, so passengers are forced to just lean against the wall.

What’s more, it’s right on the street!

There are quite a few bus connections here, but as many of them are weekdays only, the station’s quiet on weekends. The three weekend buses are the 92, 93, and 111, the last of which is a Key Bus Route and gets very heavy ridership. The other (weekday-only) buses here are the 4, the 325 and 326, and a whole bunch of 400-series routes that go up north. Oh, and I suppose there’s also the 608. Blech. But the fact that the new hybrid buses run from here makes the station worth a look.

The main entrance just has steps going down from the busway. The mezzanine they lead into is pretty nice and modern, with a fair amount of fare gates and machines. It’s very clean and well-lit as well. The only problem with it is that the ceiling’s kinda meh, but at least it doesn’t have random pipes like other parts of the station. Spoiler alert.

The mezzanine.

I didn’t visit the other entrance on my recent trip, but I have a picture from when I took the 326. The mezzanine seems well-lit, and it seems to have a good amount of fare gates. Honestly, though, I don’t remember anything from that trip. I’m basing everything on the picture.

Looks pretty nice…

The Orange Line platforms are pretty disgusting. Although they’re right next to each other this time (unlike State), the divider between the two sides is really grimy and dirty. The walls are made of these old red bricks and there are a whole bunch of massive metal pillars along the platform. The latter may look good in a more modern station, but they just look bad and out of place here. And this station also has a case of the random pipes, as there are quite a few of them running down the length of the ceiling.

There’s also that random traffic cone in the middle…
That destination board is…interesting.

I then wanted to see the Green Line platforms, so I followed the signs to them. One of them pointed up some stairs – once up there, another sign said to continue down the platform. This ended up being a dead end, so I went back up the stairs and this lead to the Green Line. It’s always annoying when signage contradicts itself.

This mezzanine is kind of nice, though.

Unfortunately, the Green Line platforms were just as bad as the Orange Line ones. It’s technically just one island platform, but they’re split most of the way down by a wall. I wish that wasn’t the case, since it makes the platform feel smaller than if they were to just get rid of the wall. And alas, the walls are again very grimy and the ceiling again has random pipes all over it. At least it’s clean, I suppose.

Looking down both platforms, with the wall in the way.
A train at the station.

Station: Haymarket

Ridership: North Station is definitely the more-used station for Green Line to Orange Line transfers. Haymarket is a much bigger bus hub, though, and a whole bunch of people use the 111 alone. Also, this is the closest station to the North End, so that spurs a whole other source of ridership. The station as a whole gets about 11,500 riders per day, making it the 15th busiest station on the system.

Pros: On weekdays, this is a pretty good bus hub, with a whole bunch of express routes to the North Shore. And the non-platform parts of the station are actually pretty nice.

Cons: But the platform-platform parts of the station are disgusting. Also, the fact that there are two busways, both of which serve different routes, can be confusing. Not to mention the one on Congress Street can hardly be considered a “busway” when it has no shelters or even benches. The signage within the station seems to be really misleading, and according to Wikipedia, the Green and Orange Line platforms are on the same level – shouldn’t going between them be so much easier, then?

Nearby and Noteworthy: The North End is simply exploding with history, and has a whole bunch of awesome restaurants. I know none of these, but this website seems pretty informative.

Final Verdict: 5/10
This station is pretty confusing, with both the misleading signage and the two busways (the second of which is pretty much just a stop). Also, both platforms are really dingy, and the transfer between them seems like it could be so much simpler. However, I will say that the non-platform parts of the station are nice, and there are a lot of bus connections (on weekdays, anyway). This is also the closest station to the North End, so that’s something.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
I’m late on this, but two Mattapan High Speed Line trolleys collided in Dorchester. Driver error is apparently the culprit.