Poll of the Week 4/11
Aquarium
Whenever I ask one of my friends if they’ve ever taken the Blue Line, 99% of the time they say, “Oh, yeah, I think I took that to the aquarium once.” But although I’ve taken the Blue Line many times, the lack of bus connections at Aquarium means I use the station very rarely. But when we went to the aquarium with friends from out of town, I got the chance to go home via the train (my mother was driving, but who wants to drive?).
I’ve always thought the station entrance is fairly far from the Aquarium, and it kind of is. That’s not to say that a three minute walk is very long, but there’s no direct entrance into the aquarium. Consider Prudential Station, which although everything else about it is horrible, does boast a direct connection to the Prudential Center. But Aquarium is so much better than Prudential, and not just because it doesn’t have a bunch of random pipes on the ceiling.
 |
| The entrance closest to the actual aquarium. |
The first entrance, right near the aquarium itself, is a simple staircase heading underground. There’s also an elevator here (there’s one at every entrance, actually) that’s glass so you can see…dirt, mostly. There are two other entrances further inland: one of them is like the first one, but a bit larger, and the other one is hiding in the entrance of a building (it has signage, but it took me a little while to notice it).
 |
| It’s a bit more decked out than the other one, for sure. |
The two inland entrances feed into a nice mezzanine area. It’s not full of glass like the entrances, but it’s mostly white, with a neat floor pattern. There is a random customer service desk that seems to serve no purpose, but the mezzanine was pretty great. And once you get past the fare gates there’s a fantastic symmetry. There’s a large window overlooking the platform, then stairs, escalators (one-way, unfortunately), and elevators leading to either side. But they’re perfectly symmetrical, and I love that!
 |
| The very quiet mezzanine. |
The platform itself is also great. The ceiling is designed so that it looks like a wave, and there are interesting designs lining the walls. The entrance towards the actual aquarium is on the other side, but I didn’t look at it. Also cool is the fact that the walkway to get in stretches a little further than the platform itself, so you can get a view of trains coming through the tunnel. When I visited, the floor was really wet (as well as the tracks, apparently), but that’s just because it was really wet outside. Overall, as the last station before crossing the harbor, it’s really nice!
 |
| You gotta love that ceiling. Sorry there weren’t any train pictures in this one – all of my attempts were really blurry. |
Station: Aquarium
Ridership: Although all of my friends seem to have used it at some point or another, the overall ridership for the station isn’t too great. Only about 4500 people use the station on a typical weekday, according to the MBTA Blue Book. Perhaps it’s because of its proximity to the next station, State? It’s only a fifth of a mile away, after all. Nonetheless, I’m sure most of the people who use this station – yes, you guessed it – head for the aquarium.
Pros: Aesthetically, this station is top-notch. Everything from the simple but effective entrances to the perfect symmetry of the platform entrances (and the platform itself) to that amazing ceiling look amazing.
Cons: It’s too bad that the station remains somewhat far from the aquarium, at least for tourists who don’t know where to go. Also, the one-way escalators are irksome, but it’s not too bad. Finally, the only bus connection is the 4, which runs weekdays-only.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Take a guess.
Final Verdict: 8/10
I love the look and feel of this station so much. But think of how much more convenient it would be if there was an underground walkway leading right to the aquarium. It wouldn’t be that long of a tunnel, and it could just deposit people outside in front. (although think about how cool it would be if it went right in!) And the escalator thing is a bit annoying, too. And bus connections are slim. But overall, fantastic station!
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
The MBTA will be closing a few stations and rerouting some bus routes for the Boston Marathon. Click here for more information.
Random Photos: The Most Crowded Green Line Train Ever
I’m not a baseball fan by any means, so I’ve never taken the train on game day. But our paths coincided, and I ended up having to get squashed on a really crowded Green Line train with a bunch of rowdy, possibly drunk sports fans and a larger-than-average man whose belly was sticking into me the entire ride…fun.
 |
| Someone shouted “Photobomb!” when I took this picture. |
Random Photos: The Green Line to Forest Hills
I noticed a sign at Forest Hills that, although it probably confuses some people, is a nice reference to the MBTA’s past.
 |
| The Green Line platform is still there, though, and it’s where the 39 bus boards. |
Random Photos: Traffic on Route 1
How was I to know there was a ball game? I thought taking the 1 from Mass Ave Station would be faster than taking the train, but I was certainly wrong. I had to wait about 15 minutes for a bus, and it was packed when it got to the stop. Then it was stuck in a massive traffic jam that just wasn’t moving at all. I got off at the very next stop, along with a lot of other people. Horrible.
 |
| A close-up of the 1. |
 |
| So many cars! Not to mention one of them was blasting heavy-metal music. |
 |
| Poor bus… |
Random Photos: Secret Exit at Forest Hills?
 |
| The turnstyle wouldn’t move… |
Random Photos: Bus Countdown Clock
 |
| It’s so shiny… but shiny apparently doesn’t mean functional. |
A Commuter Rail Ride From South Station to Ruggles
I had gotten a Zone 1A Commuter Rail ticket a while back, but I never actually used it. I decided to just keep it in case I ever needed to ride the Commuter Rail within Zone 1A. But the ticket was expiring on April 19, so I figured I would have to use it soon. So, I decided to go to South Station and grab the first train that comes (that’s how I roll).
 |
| The train at South Station. |
 |
| A bad picture of the inside of the train – it wasn’t too crowded yet. |
 |
| The train leaving Ruggles. |
 |
| A train going back towards South Station. |
Random Photos: The View From the Ruggles Parking Garage
I don’t believe Ruggles has an “official” parking garage, but there was one very close to it that apparently belongs to Northeastern University. I decided to head up to the roof to see what the view was like. I took a bunch of pictures, so I’m just going to run them all together. Which one’s your favorite?
Service Change: UMASS Boston Shuttle Route 1 (Again)
When I took the UMASS shuttle bus back in February, I really liked it, especially because of the amazing articulated buses used on the route. But Crystal Transport, the operator of the buses, recently failed a safety inspection as many of its drivers tested positive for drugs and alcohol. Now there are two companies running the buses: Paul Revere runs the 1 and 2, which connect to JFK/UMASS Station, and Academy Bus runs the 3, which goes to “Bayside,” wherever that is.
My father and I would be taking the Paul Revere buses, as we were going from JFK/UMASS to the JFK Library. I was pretty excited at first, as Paul Revere runs the fantastic 712/713 bus. But…we had some issues. We were already kind of late for the event, and so we planned to get the first bus that came. First, a Paul Revere bus entered the station, let a bunch of people out, then just left before anyone could get on. Way to make a first impression…
 |
| Stupid bus. |
Next an 8 came along. This one is actually the MBTA’s fault: we were about to get on the 8, as that goes to UMASS, too, and the driver asked us where we were going. “The JFK Library,” we responded. She told us to wait for a UMASS shuttle and drove off. Turns out the 8 actually stops at the library, but okay, fine. Then a weird coach bus came, and it was apparently going to UMASS. “Are you going to the JFK Library?” asked my father to that driver. “No,” he replied. “There should be a bus behind me going there.” Then he closed his doors and drove off. Well, there wasn’t a bus behind him, but another coach bus came a little later. This wasn’t going to the library either, but we figured we could walk from where it dropped us off.
 |
| This is a “special” bus, apparently. |
It was fairly nice inside, with big comfy seats. It was also really dark, though. I tried to turn on one of the lights at a seat (it’s like what you would find on an airplane), but it didn’t work. This seemed like a pretty ancient bus in general. There were really fat TV’s every few seats, but they weren’t showing anything. There was also a bathroom at the back, but I think people can probably hold it for a 5 minute ride.
 |
| The interior, from the back of the bus. |
 |
| I can’t resist disgusting bathrooms. |
 |
| Real cutting-edge technology here. |
The walk ended up being about five minutes, so…not that long. I was really disappointed with my experience with Paul Revere. I know Crystal’s drivers were drug addicts and drunkards, but they ran the buses much better than this. I know Paul Revere just started the service, but I really hope it gets better. And we saw an Academy bus running on Route 3 – it looked so much nicer, with electronic destination boards and everything. And the 3 is the one with the lowest ridership, to my understanding. Hey, maybe Paul Revere and Academy should just switch…
 |
| I don’t know why it says “Charter,” but the point still stands that this bus is nicer. |
Random Photos: Thanks, MBTA!
You probably remember my post about the MBTA’s online map, and how they said they would fix it. They did, and it’s so much better now. But a few days ago, the person on the MBTA who I was corresponding with said they wanted to send me a “mailed thank you.” I was expecting some sort of CVS greeting card, but two days later a package arrived for me marked “urgent.” Inside was a letter written by the CEO of MassDOT, as well as a bunch of MBTA goodies! Thanks so much for the gifts, MBTA!
 |
| “Miles – Thanks for being such a great customer & fan of the MBTA!” |
 |
| All of the gifts spread out. I’m so happy there was a system map in the package, as I need a new one. |
 |
| I love this “T”-shirt. |
Random Photos: The Event at the JFK Library
On Friday there was an event at the JFK Library about Doug Most’s book, The Race Underground, concerning the race between Boston and New York’s subway construction in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Former Governor Michael Dukakis was also there and spoke with Doug Most. My father and I got an autographed copy, and were very close to getting an autograph from the Governor too (but he left just before we got the chance). I did get pictures with both of them, though, which is pretty darn cool in my book.
 |
| Getting the autograph. |
 |
| Doug Most and me. |
 |
| Yes, I know the picture’s really blurry. This is the Governor and me. |
CT2 (Sullivan Station – Ruggles Station via Kendall/MIT)
You may remember my Transit Tales post about the time my mother and I had to take a CT2 bus from the MFA to Kendall because a 47 passed us by. I wasn’t a fan of the CT2 then, but I had only taken part of the route. Now I can say that I’ve taken the whole thing, and I don’t feel too much better about it. The CT2 is an “Express-esque” bus (pretty catchy, especially since I just made it up), which basically means that it has a local route, but makes limited stops. It’s a long one, too, stretching from Sullivan all the way down to Ruggles (so you can bet people won’t take this from beginning to end).
 |
| The back of the bus at Sullivan. |
Leaving Sullivan after a short interrogation about photos, we headed down Cambridge Street, which soon became Washington Street. We were running with the 86 and 91, but again, it was making limited stops. I’m not really a fan of the neighborhood along here (too many auto shops), but it gets nicer…eventually. After passing under Commuter Rail (and soon to be Green Line) tracks, as well as the McGrath Highway (with a hilarious-looking bus shelter right under the elevated structure), we entered Union Square.
Union Square was much nicer, with a lot of businesses. We turned onto Somerville Ave, then Webster Ave, now running alongside the weekday-only 85. The CT2’s limited stops are fairly far apart on this section. Webster Ave was a strange mix of apartments, auto shops, and industrial wasteland (though perhaps the latter two categories can be combined).
We turned onto Cambridge Street for a block, then turned again onto the much nicer Windsor Street. The CT2 doesn’t actually make any stops on Windsor Street, but it was a charming residential neighborhood. We then turned onto Hampshire Street, a mix of apartments and businesses, and then we were among the tall buildings of Kendall Square. Crossing over the single track that will apparently become part of the Indigo Line, we pulled onto the little side street that MBTA buses use to get onto Main Street and stopped at Kendall/MIT Station.
After that we turned onto Vassar Street (pretty much the only unique portion of the route aside from a very short section later), going by the amazing Stata Center, then a more industrial area. We crossed over Mass Ave, then went by a massive sporting complex. Then we turned onto Amesbury Street, then (surprisingly) Memorial Drive. We had a bit of a speedy section here, then we went around a rotary and went over the B.U. Bridge, now running with the 47.
 |
| A low fog hangs over the Charles River. I love this picture. |
Over the bridge, we crossed Commonwealth Ave, then Beacon Street just before the C surfaces. There was a lovely neighborhood with little three-story apartments along Park Drive, but after going over Fenway Station we turned onto Brookline Ave and entered the Longwood Medical Area. We turned onto Longwood Ave and had a very short unique portion before turning onto Huntington Ave. We then turned onto Ruggles Street and made our way into the Ruggles Busway.
 |
| Someone appears to be getting off…photobomber! |
Route: CT2 (Sullivan Station – Ruggles Station via Kendall/MIT)
Ridership: There were a fair amount of people who rode this: about 30 people in total, and many of them seemed to be hospital workers (which, I believe – correct me if I’m wrong – the Crosstown buses are primarily meant for).
Pros: “CT” of course stands for Crosstown, and this bus definitely is a good crosstown bus. It’s faster than the local alternatives when going between lines, but much more so in the northern half. More on that in just a sec…
Cons: First of all, it’s weekdays only, which is never good. Every 20 minutes rush hour and every 25 minutes during the day would be a pretty good schedule if it were complemented by weekend service, but…it’s not. And the whole “express” thing really only applies in the northern half of the route. It genuinely travels quickly from Sullivan to Commonwealth Ave, despite the fact that people request every stop – they’re so far away that the bus still makes good time. But once it gets over the B.U. Bridge, it stops at every other stop, sometimes every stop that the local buses take. I know this is because there are so many connections down here, but the bus just slows to a crawl and it ends up feeling like just another local bus.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The section from Sullivan to Union Square isn’t great, but from there it gets better. I would obviously recommend the Museum of Fine Arts.
Final Verdict: 5/10
As a crosstown bus, this is pretty good. And from Sullivan to Commonwealth Ave, the bus actually travels more quickly than a local bus would. But in Boston, it basically makes every stop that the buses it runs along make. Also, the schedule is pretty bad – weekdays only is never good. This bus has potential, but it really needs a better schedule.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Hello, BostInno readers! Yes, I’m very late, I know. Check out the article here. Also, the results of the poll are in! 93% of voters said the Red Line is the best, while one person chimed in for the Green Line. I’m not sure yet if I’m going to put the polls on the sidebar or find something online that lets me put polls into a post. Let me know what you think in the comments!
MBTA Unveils New Teleportation Proposal
In a statement made yesterday, the MBTA announced their plans to replace the entire subway, bus, and Commuter Rail network with teleporters by 2018. This is apparently starting with Government Center.
“Some people are wondering why it’s taking two whole years to renovate the station,” says MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott. “The truth is, this will be the first station on the system with the new teleporters. We will subsequently renovate every station and bus stop on the whole of the network.”
“This was a proposal made way back in the 1890s,” says MBTA Deputy General Manager Jonathan Davis. “They had wanted to build teleporters so that streetcars wouldn’t crowd up Tremont Street, but the technology just didn’t exist yet. They ended up building the subway instead.”
But the MBTA hasn’t forgotten about the original proposal. Since its inception in 1964, it’s had a group of researchers buried deep under Park Street Station, toiling away to try to find a solution. Finally, last year, Fred McFleffington figured it out.
“It’s not really that hard,” said McFleffington, who graduated from numerous Ivy League schools, “It’s just teleportation. Simple.”
The MBTA has gotten funding for this from the U.S. Government itself. President Obama says that this is a “new era in public transportation. And why not start it in Boston, where America’s first subway was?”
Michael Bloomberg, who was mayor of New York at the time, said he “is not amused” at the government’s decision to fund teleportation for Boston rather than New York.
The teleportation promises to “really speed up people’s commutes.” Here are some FAQ’s, soon to be published in a brochure that will be mailed to all MBTA customers:
 |
| An “artist’s impression” of the entrances. This is an approximation – there will be many more teleporters at each station. |
How does it work?
Fred McFleffington is the only one that knows, so we have no idea.
Is it safe?
Absolutely. 100% of our 0 testers survived the teleportation process.
What lines will this affect?
Every subway, bus, and Commuter Rail stop will be replaced with a teleporter.
How will the subway stations work?
At subway stations, passengers will prepay at fare gates, then go to the teleporter they desire. There will be one teleporter per stop on the line, two for major stops. So the Green Line will have quite a few teleporters at its stops.
What about buses?
Existing bus stops will be converted to roadside teleporters. There will be one teleporter per stop on the bus network at each stop, for maximum convenience. The real reason we eliminated stops along Key Bus Routes is so teleporters don’t just line the road!
And Commuter Rail?
Pretty much the same as buses, one teleporter per station on the whole network.
That’s a lot of teleporters.
Yup. 137 at every Commuter Rail stop, and an incalculable amount at every bus stop.
How much will it cost to use a teleporter?
We want to make rides as cheap as possible for the benefit of our passengers. But it will be expensive to install all these teleporters, so a single ride will cost you $50.
When can I expect these teleporters to enter service?
We expect to get this done by 2018. Regular subway, bus, and Commuter Rail service will run until then.
2018? Really?
Yes.
Is this an April Fool’s joke or something?
Yes, it is.
Random Photos: The View From the Aquarium
Not really transit-related, but there was a fantastic view of the Boston Skyline from the Aquarium that I just had to take a picture of.
 |
| The Custom House Tower simply dominates the picture. |