The MBTA Needs to Update Its Online Map
I was looking at the Interactive Street Map version of the MBTA subway map on its website. It’s essentially Google Maps with MBTA lines over it. You can click on each stop and it tells you bus connections, what Commuter Rail zone the station’s in if served, gives you accessibility, parking, and bike information, and allows you to view the station page. A fantastic feature, but I found a lot of things wrong with the map, which I will show through screenshots taken on my computer (you’ll probably want to click on them to make them larger).
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| The biggest issue is the fact that the Silver Line appears to have a million more stops than it actually does. If you click on most of them, they just say “Point,” and that’s it. They only go away if you reload the page. |
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| As you can see, it just says “Point.” |
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| There are way more buses than that serving Dudley. Also, the Silver Line is listed under “Subway.” Don’t make me laugh. |
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| I don’t even know what’s happening here. |
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| If you look at Aquarium, it says it’s served by the 6 bus. The 6 was eliminated in 2009. If you click on the schedule link, it just takes you to the list of MBTA bus routes. Whoops. |
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| It irritates me how a) the lines don’t correspond to the tracks shown on Google Maps, and b) the stops don’t correspond to the stops on Google Maps. This happens in a lot of places. |
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| Sorry, MBTA, but Terminal D was eliminated in 2006. Also, they forgot to mention the other buses that serve Logan Airport. |
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| Again with the tracks not corresponding. Hmm, the Red Line seems to go on a massive bridge between JFK/UMASS and North Quincy. |
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| The MBTA brought back the 48? Oh, wait, it’s a map error. Silly me. |
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| I also looked at the Commuter Rail map. The Newburyport/Rockport Line seems to be missing. |
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| This is actually Beverly Depot. It’s labeled as “Point,” for some reason. |
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| At Salem, the 468, which was eliminated in 2012, is shown, but not the 465, which still exists. |
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| South Station has a lot of problems. First of all, our good friend, the 6, is listed. And second, it lists the 441, 441W, 442, and 442W. The 441 and 442 from Marblehead never served South Station (they used to go to Haymarket before getting cut back to Wonderland in 2012), and the “W” variations from Marblehead would’ve terminated at Wonderland! |
501 (EXPRESS BUS Brighton Center – Downtown via Oak Square and Mass Turnpike)
The 501 had one of those drivers that hates when you take pictures of them. He said that I needed to have his permission to take pictures of the bus. I wasn’t really sure what to say, so I just said “Okay, sorry,” and went to the back. Neither of us mentioned it again.
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| Was it even worth getting yelled at for? This picture is terrible! Look what strange effect the rain had on it. |
The 501 is a typical I-90 express bus. It started, like all the other ones, at Federal and Franklin Streets, and then headed over to Otis and Summer Streets. We made our way to Surface Road, heading past the Chinatown Gate, then headed onto I-90. The John Hancock Building and Fenway Park were both visible, then we headed up onto the bridge over Storrow Drive (with a great view of the Charles River). We went through the special bus and truck lane at the tolls, and it got more suburban heading from there.
The traffic started just before the Newton Corner exit. Luckily we got off there and didn’t have to deal with it for very long. We did a crazy loop around Newton Corner before heading down Tremont Street, along with the 57 and the 503 (exactly the same as the 501, except it starts at Copley – that should be an interesting review).
This was a nice little residential area, and like when I rode the 57, it was hard to imagine that the Green Line once went down here. At Oak Square, Tremont Street merged into Washington Street. There were a lot of businesses around here, and everyone but me and another woman got off. There were mostly apartments on the section following Oak Square, but we soon got to Brighton Center.
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| The back of the 501. It could be a half-decent picture if it were the FRONT. |
I personally love Brighton Center, if only because the brick architecture on most of the buildings is simply amazing. There were actually a few stops announced as “Brighton Center,” and the remaining woman on the bus got off at the second. But I stayed on assuming there was more, as the driver didn’t open both doors and kneel the bus like they always do at the last stop.
And there was more. We turned off of Washington Street onto Winship Street at the Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital. There was a short stretch through a residential area, and then we reached a little patch of grass apparently called Jackson Square. We made a tight loop around Jackson Square, then headed back up Winship Street. I didn’t want to go back downtown, so I got off at one of the Brighton Center stops. The driver must’ve thought I was crazy: first I take pictures of the bus, then I go around the loop for no reason. Sorry, driver.
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| A few days later, I was back downtown and saw the 501 at Federal and Franklin. It had the exact same driver in it, and I don’t think he noticed me sneak a better picture. Ha ha! |
Route: 501 (EXPRESS BUS Brighton Center – Downtown via Oak Square and Mass Turnpike)
Ridership: There were only about 10-15 people on the bus, if I remember right. Everyone used this bus for the express service; there was no one who got on for the local portion. This is probably because a) the local portion’s pretty short, and b) the local portion is mostly just supplementing the 57 (except for the short stretch on Winship Street, which is in walking distance from the 57 anyway), and most people want to go to Kenmore.
Pros: As I learn more about this bus, I see less and less pros, but here’s one: although it only runs during rush hours, it’s every 12 minutes, which is a very good frequency for an I-90 express bus.
Cons: Of course, it’s rush hour only. I didn’t see much ridership, but perhaps that’s because it was 3:00 when I rode. Unfortunately, the route the bus takes isn’t very direct, as it essentially doubles back on itself at Newton Corner. The MBTA seems to have realized this, as some trips exit off of I-90 much earlier, right after the bridge over Storrow Drive, and take a more direct route down Cambridge Street. This routing is apparently 10 minutes shorter than the normal routing. It’s a bit weird, though, that ALL outbound buses in the morning use it, and some inbound buses in the evening use it. I feel they should just alternate them, pretty much like how they do it in the evening. But the worst thing about this route is that the 57 from Kenmore is actually FASTER to Brighton Center. I suppose you’d have to take the Green Line to Kenmore first if you’re heading from downtown, but I can’t believe the local bus is faster than the express. But I suppose if you want a less…crowded experience, you can take the 501, but the choice is only available during rush hour.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I said above how much I love Brighton Center. There’s the architecture, like I mentioned, but also the fact that it’s almost all small businesses. Sure, there are a few bank chains and a Dunkin’ Donuts, but for the most part you’ll only find small businesses in Brighton Center. And I LOVE that!
Final Verdict: 3/10
You can tell I don’t like this bus just by looking at the sheer length of the cons section. But really, the schedule’s bad, the route’s pretty bad (although I like the “alternating routes” idea), and the local bus is faster than the express to Brighton Center. If you’re going to Oak Square, though, keep in mind that the 501 is scheduled to be a whole minute faster than the 57. But of course, you only get the choice during rush hour…
UPDATE 9/1/19: The change is pretty minor (outbound 501s in the evening rush will serve Newton Corner), but I’m mainly here to correct this awful score! A 3??? It’s a perfectly serviceable commuter route! Give it an 8!
Latest MBTA News: You may remember how the MBTA sent out a request for naming rights proposals a few months ago. Well, only one company showed interest: Jet Blue wanted to rename the Blue Line, which is actually pretty brilliant, but their bid was less than the minimum bidding price. So don’t expect to see any new station or line names anytime soon. Also, the MBTA is increasing service on the Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail line. See the new schedule (which is effective March 10) here. Finally, check out this cool video – it’s a simulation of the Green Line extension to West Medford.
Random Photos: Keeping Watch Over the Humans
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| Very photogenic! |
Random Photos: Dystopian City
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| Perhaps the Zakim Bridge, seen on the left, is actually a massive torture device. |
Random Photos: Shrouded in Fog
I was on the Red Line heading to Charles/MGH (where it seems many of these “foggy” pictures come from), and noticed that the upper half of the John Hancock Building was completely shrouded in fog. I managed to get a picture, despite the stupid fence they’ve put up because of construction.
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| Not as tall as it normally looks. |
93 (Sullivan Square Station – Downtown via Bunker Hill Street and Haymarket Station)
Have you ever noticed that finding a bus downtown is like finding a needle in a haystack? When looking for the starting point of the 93, I went to both of the major stops downtown (Otis and Summer, and Federal and Franklin) and the 93 stopped at neither. I had a paper schedule of the route, which showed the bus going down Devonshire Street, so I headed there. I finally found a bus stop at the intersection of Devonshire and Milk. Checking the paper schedule again, I found that the next 93 came in 5 minutes, and what’s more it was one of the elusive Navy Yard trips (the bus runs every 20 minutes on weekdays, but every hour a trip goes via the Navy Yard and the Constitution).
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| There was a lot of smoke billowing out of a sewer, as you can see in the picture. Just before the bus came, some people were even taking pictures in front of it! |
When I got on, the driver told me that I should’ve been waiting around the corner at Franklin Street and Washington Street. Gee, sorry. It’s not my fault Boston has such a complicated street system. There were about 7 people on the bus, all of whom got off at Franklin and Washington. There were quite a few people waiting to get on, though, and many of the seats were filled by the time we left.
The bus does a figure-8 loop downtown involving lots of turns, so I won’t get into too much detail. After Post Office Square, we headed up Congress Street, serving State and Haymarket. Inbound, I believe the 93 directly serves the Haymarket busway, but we just stopped at a street corner close to it (where a few people got off, surprisingly). Some early morning and late night buses short-turn here, as well.
From there, we followed the 111 route up North Washington Street and over the North Washington Street Bridge. But whereas the 111 would head up onto the Tobin Bridge, we turned right onto Chelsea Street. Now most 93 buses would directly turn onto Vine Street from Chelsea Street, but as this was a Navy Yard bus we went onto 5th Street instead. Unfortunately only the sails of the Constitution were visible, not the boat itself. I did get a picture of the U.S.S. Constitution museum, but that’s not really the same thing (and the picture was terrible, anyway).
The neighborhood around the Navy Yard was absolutely beautiful, though, with old fashioned buildings and even street signs. Unfortunately, after navigating a short loop, we came back onto Chelsea Street and into the shadow of the Tobin Bridge. This didn’t last for too long, and we soon turned onto Vine Street, rejoining regular service.
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| Nice, but the Constitution would’ve been better. |
Vine Street almost immediately became Bunker Hill Street. I absolutely loved the neighborhood – dense, different colored apartments, interspersed with small businesses. During this portion, the bus stopped at almost every stop to either let people on or drop them off. The road was also very hilly – so hilly, in fact, that when there’s snow or slippery road conditions, the bus takes an alternate route on Medford Street. There was a great view of the area from the front of the bus as Bunker Hill Street started going downhill, and then we went around the rotary near Sullivan Square.
At about this time, there was actually another 93 that passed our bus. We had apparently been bunching, but as Bunker Hill Street is so narrow the other bus probably couldn’t get by. It was a race in heavy traffic to get to the station, and the other bus ended up winning. But as we were pulling into the Sullivan Square busway, I noticed another 93 laying over. Would there really be three 93’s leaving Sullivan at the same time? Apparently not – the bus ahead of us went out of service, and our bus became a 101. As I got off, I noticed the countdown clock said the train was arriving (the driver’s a pirate!), and just as I rushed onto the platform it closed its doors. Darn.
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| Hello, other 93! |
Route: 93 (Sullivan Square Station – Downtown via Bunker Hill Street and Haymarket Station)
Ridership: Pretty heavy – all in all, about 40 people rode our bus. No one went from beginning to end, as you can probably expect; most people got off or on from their houses. There wasn’t anybody who got on or off on the Navy Yard loop.
Pros: It’s one of the two buses to serve Charlestown (the other being the 92), and this one cuts right through it. The schedule is also fantastic, running an amazing every 8 minutes rush hour, then every 20 minutes during the day, every half hour in the evening, and every 20 minutes on Saturdays. And there was definitely healthy ridership, which is reflected in the schedule. Finally, it’s one of the very few local buses to actually go downtown, so that’s definitely a plus despite the fact that the stop is impossible to find.
Cons: Every 40 minutes on Sundays isn’t so hot. And actually, I think it’s unnecessary to serve the Navy Yard. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the ride, but nobody got on or off there.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The typical Charlestown historical stuff: the U.S.S. Constitution, easily accessible even without the Navy Yard routing, and the Bunker Hill Monument, which is just a little closer to the 93 than it is the 92.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Direct service from downtown to Charlestown is pretty great, especially since the Orange Line used to serve it (but now obviously doesn’t). I believe the 92 more closely follows the route of the original EL, but the 93 cuts right through Charlestown. The schedule’s great for the most part, but the Sunday schedule could use a bit of work – every half hour or even every 20 minutes would be much better, especially if the Sunday ridership is anything like the ridership I saw. I personally don’t feel the Navy Yard routing is necessary, though; does anyone actually use it? Leave a comment if you know. But overall, a pretty excellent route.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates (I’ve been forgetting to include this for a while!)
Nothing much has developed in the last few days, unfortunately.
Random Photos: The Driver’s a Pirate!
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| Get it? ‘Cause the countdown clock says “ARR?” And pirates go “ARR?” Get it? Get it? |
JFK/UMASS
“Attention passengers: the next Red Line train to Alewife is now arriving on the Braintree track.” Darn! I was waiting on the Ashmont track! Now I have to run all the way back to the stairs, run all the way back to the mezzanine, run all the way to the other side of the mezzanine, run all the way back down the stairs, and probably miss my train. See, JFK/UMASS has two separate platforms, one for Ashmont trains and one for Braintree trains. If you choose the wrong one heading inbound, you could miss your train.
Now admittedly, this setup is better than how it was before, when Braintree trains just bypassed the station (making the unnecessarily long distance to North Quincy even longer). They added a new platform for Braintree trains in late 1988, creating the setup still used today.
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| The mezzanine – probably my favorite picture for this station, just because of my classmate’s strange expression, and my English teacher’s strange swagger. |
This station has two entrances, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit the first (being on a school trip and all). All I know about it is that it’s off of Columbia Road, and that it presumably leads into the mezzanine. The mezzanine, incidentally, is very nice. It’s enclosed, but there are numerous windows so it has a very airy feel to it. Aside from the typical vending machines and trash cans, the mezzanine has two things worth noting. The first is the small shop, which would normally be a standard subway station convenience store if it didn’t have its awesome name.
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| I pity the fool who doesn’t shop here. |
When I was little, I always loved going into a store like CVS and seeing myself on the security camera display. They actually have one of these in the JFK/UMASS mezzanine, and I got that same excitement out of seeing it. Like the ones in CVS, it’s fairly unnecessary, but I absolutely love it. The other good thing about the mezzanine is that it’s a pseudo-solution to the inbound platform problem. You can wait in the mezzanine and just go to the corresponding platform when they make the announcement, but there’s unfortunately only one bench.
The second entrance to this station is via the busway. It’s an ugly, rusting staircase that’s enclosed but still out in the open. Leading to the mezzanine, the one good thing about it is that it offers a fairly good view of the Boston skyline.
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| Of course, there’s that big fence in the way, but there’s not much you can do about that. |
Now the platform(s) itself isn’t much. Its architecture is very bland: ugly white roof, grey floor, and out-of-place metal pillars. It does have some convenient wastebaskets scattered around, but really, they don’t have much use. What’s more, the station’s right next to a big, ugly, loud highway, a big parking lot, and an industrial wasteland to the north. All the more reason to wait in the mezzanine.
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| A guy seems to have gotten into the picture, |
Although you sort of forget it even exists, there is also Commuter Rail service here. The Greenbush, Middleborough/Lakeville, and Kingston/Plymouth lines all stop here at a platform parallel to the Red Line tracks, though how often? On weekdays, most trains simply bypass the platform, something I witnessed firsthand. Of course, it’s pretty useless if you’re heading inbound, but if you live in the area outbound service is probably convenient.
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| Fairly generic for a Commuter Rail platform. |
In terms of bus service, this station isn’t very noteworthy. There are only four MBTA buses serving this station: the 5, which has inconsistent service here and has a terrible schedule anyway; the 8, which has a decent schedule; the 16, which only serves this station during rush hour; and the 41, which also has a decent schedule. There is also shuttle service from here to UMASS.
Being served by only four buses, you’d expect the busway to be very simple. But actually, based on what I’ve seen, it’s unnecessarily complicated. Are two lanes really necessary for only four buses? Or is one lane entirely meant for UMASS buses? Leave a comment if you’re more familiar with the setup.
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| An aerial view of the busway, from the big staircase. Seems there’s only a lone shelter if you’re catching a bus from the middle area. |
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| I don’t like running pictures together, but I wanted to include this one. Peekaboo! |
Station: JFK/UMASS
Ridership: This is definitely a student-heavy station. A lot of people use the shuttle bus from UMASS to get here. Also, being the station before the Ashmont and Braintree branches split (well, technically – I think they should do the same extra platform treatment on Savin Hill as well), there are probably a few people who do a quick transfer here.
Pros: I really liked the mezzanine. And that store had a really cool name.
Cons: First of all, the platforms are as annoying as they are ugly. Having a train coming on the wrong one must be really, really annoying. Second, Commuter Rail service here is pretty bad, with trains just bypassing the station most of the time. And finally, the bus situation is absolutely terrible. It’s got a bad busway, plus it’s only served by four buses.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The JFK Library is only a free bus ride away. I had a lot of fun visiting with my school. Even if you can’t go, their website has some amazing interactive exhibits to check out.
Final Verdict: 4/10
There are a lot of bad things about this station, but the mezzanine gives it extra points. It’s nice and airy, and it has that amazing store which I’m sure has fairly sub par food, but its name is fantastic. Everything else about the station, however, is terrible. The platforms are ugly and inefficient (though there’s not much you can do about that), most Commuter Rail trains zoom right by, and bus service is terrible. The most frequent bus serving the station is the UMASS shuttle! But then again, I suppose that’s why UMASS is in the station name.
Latest MBTA News: MBTA bus service is running on a Saturday schedule for President’s day. Yes, I know I’m late. Insanely late. Like, this news doesn’t even matter anymore late.
Service Change: UMASS Boston Shuttle (Route 1)
When I heard we taking the train to JFK/UMASS to go to the JFK Library for a school trip, I got pretty excited. When I heard we would be taking a non-MBTA shuttle bus from JFK/UMASS to get to the library, I got really excited. Keep in mind, however, that this was a school trip, and often my classmates or teachers would get into the pictures. This is more for the upcoming JFK/UMASS post, but there are a few times it happens here.
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| The bus at JFK/UMASS, with a light snow falling. |
Let me just make it clear here that this shuttle is completely FREE!!! You don’t even need a student ID like you need for the Harvard shuttle buses. The inside of our bus was absolutely beautiful. Big, poofy, seats (no reclining, unfortunately, but you can’t have everything) lined the bus, and I’m sure they were very comfortable. I wouldn’t know, as I had to stand. At least I didn’t get stuck in the bendy part like my friend did, though he said it ended up being kind of fun.
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| This was taken after most of the people had gotten off. |
Leaving JFK/UMASS with a full load, we made our way to William T. Morrissey Boulevard (making some really sharp turns for an articulated bus!), which parallels I-93. We passed the building for the Boston Globe (I received sarcastic responses when I excitedly pointed it out), and soon after turned onto Bianculli Boulevard, entering UMASS. There was a nice view along here of Dorchester and, in particular, that big rainbow gas tank.
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| This picture was harder to take than it looks… |
There was a lot of construction on University Drive East. The bus went around a small loop, and a few people got off; this was the main campus stop. As we were going to the JFK library, we went to the next stop, which is actually right in front.
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| You can see the back portion in this picture at the library. |
After visiting the library, we went over to the university cafeteria and had lunch. The bus that came to pick us up from there actually wasn’t articulated, so our large group had to split up. It was a cool hybrid bus, though, and was again nice and quiet on the inside.
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| They have these nice signs telling you where each route goes. |
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| There’s some construction going on behind the bus. |
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| The interior of the hybrid bus was much like the articulated bus, only not articulated. |
For some reason, this bus omitted the JFK Library stop, instead going through the UMASS sports complex on University Drive North. It then went back onto William T. Morrissey Boulevard and back to the station.
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| No automatic stop announcements here. Just this sign, represented here by an awful, blurry picture. |
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| Another view from Bianculli Boulevard. |
A few notes about the UMASS shuttle buses: there are three routes in total, but only one operates on weekends. This is the 2, which to my understanding follows the same route as the 1 but makes more stops. It runs a consistent schedule of every 20 minutes every day. The 1 runs weekdays only, but every five minutes during the day and every 10 minutes at night – so basically, there’s much more frequent service to the Red Line on weekdays than on weekends. There’s also the 3, which takes a much different route than its counterparts. This one goes to the UMASS Bayside Lot, which is located north of the main campus. It runs every five minutes weekdays only during fall and spring (which may be a lie, as I saw a few 3s on our trip), and although the Bayside Lot is fairly close to the train station, this route doesn’t stop there. But hey, it’s free, and that’s what counts, right?
Here are some of the miscellaneous pictures I took:
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| A hybrid bus running on the 3. |
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| A normal diesel bus running on the 3 (what happened to fall and spring, UMASS?). |
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| A wild MBTA bus, seen in its natural habitat. |
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| Actually, I would assume that’s its natural habitat in the background there. |
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| I kept seeing these buses everywhere and I wasn’t sure what they were. They didn’t seem to be official UMASS buses. |
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| A 1 that we didn’t actually ride. |
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| The view from the JFK Library, shown here just because it’s so beautiful. |
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| Like I said, absolutely beautiful. |
21 (Ashmont Station – Forest Hills Station via Morton Street)
You may remember the 31. It was the only bus on this blog (as of yet) to score a perfect 10. Running from Mattapan to Forest Hills, its amazing speed combined with an amazing schedule (every five minutes and it’s not even a Key Bus Route!) made it the near-perfect bus. The 21 is the 31’s Ashmont cousin, and unfortunately it’s not nearly as good.
One thing that is good about it is the ridership. The bus was packed leaving Ashmont, and I was lucky to get a seat. We started out heading down Dorchester Ave with most of the other Ashmont buses. We soon turned onto Gallivan Boulevard, running with a short stretch before getting joined by the 26 route (which operates as a loop via Gallivan).
Unfortunately, the traffic previously seen when riding the 215 was back in full force. We were moving very slowly and all I could do was look at a bunch of houses that looked the same. Soon Gallivan Boulevard merged into Morton Street and the traffic got a little better. There were some businesses as we went over the elusive Morton Street station, where of course no one was waiting.
Right after that, the 26 went away but we were joined by the 31 a few blocks later at Blue Hill Ave. Traffic started up again here, unfortunately. Houses became apartments, but soon we were crawling through Franklin Park. Someone got off at the Shattuck Hospital, then we turned off to avoid the overpass, and pulled into the Forest Hills busway. What was scheduled to take 15 minutes ended up being double that.
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| Another bus is peeking in, but I can’t tell what number it is. |
Route: 21 (Ashmont Station – Forest Hills Station via Morton Street)
Ridership: As I said before, this bus was absolutely packed. I counted about 50 people who rode in total. However, I was surprised at the number of people who got off along the route. I was expecting almost the entire crowd at Ashmont to go to Forest Hills like what happened on the 31, but that wasn’t the case (although that said, some people did go from beginning to end). I suppose it’s because whereas the 21 serves a large residential area along its route, the majority of the 31 is in Franklin Park (and its section on Blue Hill Ave is shared by two other buses, one of which is a Key Bus Route).
Pros: It’s nice to have a Forest Hills link from Ashmont, too. Although it runs with the 26 for most of the residential portion, it serves as a nice supplement. Plus, the ridership was fantastic.
Cons: Let’s talk about the 31’s schedule for a minute: it runs insanely frequently, something many MBTA buses don’t. Although it runs about every 10 minutes rush hour and every 20 minutes during the day (which isn’t too bad), it runs every 70 minutes nights, every 45 minutes Saturdays, and every hour Sundays. Have you see the Saturday ridership, MBTA? 50 people rode on my bus. The fact that it runs every 45 minutes with this many passengers is unacceptable, and I’m sure there’s similar ridership on Sundays.
Nearby and Noteworthy: Again, mostly residential and then Franklin Park. The few businesses around Morton Street Station didn’t seem too enticing.
Final Verdict: 3/10
Okay, so it’s a supposedly fast link between the Red Line and the Orange Line (but not when there’s traffic), but frankly, I really hate this schedule. You rarely see this much ridership on any MBTA bus, let alone one that runs every 45 minutes. If you’re going to Forest Hills from Ashmont during the weekend and you miss a 21, just take the trolley to Mattapan and use the much more reliable 31. It’s quicker, and it runs so much more often.
Latest MBTA News: Something I forgot to mention in the last post is that the MBTA is installing sophisticated security cameras in its buses (the link has a good video about it). I think this is probably a good thing, and hopefully there will be less…occurrences, shall we say, on buses. The part that interests me is the fact that they will actually have flat screens in the buses for passengers to see what’s going on.
215 (Quincy Center Station – Ashmont Station via West Quincy and East Milton Square)
“There was a massive crash on 93 – the traffic’s horrible,” said my father over the phone. “Just wanted to let you know if you end up over there.” I didn’t think I’d end up over there, as there are no buses that go on 93 from Quincy Center. But little did I know as I boarded the 215 that the bus would end up paralleling the highway. Yeah – there was a lot of traffic on my ride.
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| The 215 at Quincy Center. |
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| I wouldn’t have gotten this picture had it not been for the traffic. |
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| This is at Ashmont, but the destination board says “Ashmont.” |
Latest MBTA News: Government Center’s closure is rapidly approaching: March 22. Its renovation is much-needed, but it will be closed for two years! Click here for more information.
Longwood
When you have to go to the Longwood Medical Area, you have two options: take the E to Longwood Medical Area Station, or take the D to Longwood Station. You can either wait for a train that never comes, or you can grab a train that runs pretty frequently. You can either ride on a really slow train that runs on the street, or you can ride a really fast train on its own dedicated right-of-way. And, for the ride back, you can either wait at essentially a pimped up bus shelter, or you can wait at a charming shelter with actual CharlieCard machines. Yup, when going to the Longwood Medical Area, I would definitely choose the D as my mode of transportation.
Of course, if an E happens to arrive first, that works, too. Both stations are about the same distance away from the intersection of Brookline Ave and Longwood Ave – about a seven minute walk. Heading to the D Line station requires a short jaunt over the Muddy River and into Brookline. Situated right next to part of the Emerald Necklace park system, Longwood Station is in a nice, tranquil area, unlike the more urban E Line station.
Although the MBTA website says there’s no parking at the station, there is actually a small lot (and I do mean small) right next to the station. I don’t believe it’s an official MBTA lot, as payment is with parking meters, but it’s still a convenient thing to have (especially for a station more or less in the city). Of course, no one was using it when we went there, but…it’s still useful. Something else that’s useful (and that people actually use) are the CharlieCard machines. It’s a standard for D Line stations, but a luxury compared to the stations on the other branches of the Green Line. They are also housed inside a cute little shelter. Yeah, they have the same kind of shelter at almost every other D Line station, but it’s still nice to have.
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| Incidentally, I went to this station a while ago, a few days after a snow storm, it seems (based on the picture) |
The actual waiting area is pretty nice, at least if you’re going inbound. On the inbound side, there’s a charming wooden shelter that seems to do an adequate job of keeping people…sheltered. Unfortunately, the outbound side has no shelter whatsoever, unless you want to wait in the CharlieCard area. People have to go outbound, too! There are also the wheelchair ramps that are completely unnecessary thanks to the newer trains, and there are also clocks. I’ve always felt that the clocks at suburban (in the case of this station, it at least feels suburban) D Line stations feel out of place, but once the MBTA installs countdown clocks they should be more useful.
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| Nice! |
Coming back from the LMA, my mother and I found out that Longwood is what I call a “screw you station.” It’s one of those D Line stations where you have to go on a bridge to get to it (if you’re coming back from the LMA), and you see that the train’s there as you’re going over it and you know you won’t make it but you run for it anyway and you miss it and you have to wait for a really long time. We found this out the hard way.
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| It was much darker when we came back; the train had already left by this point, so I took this fantastic picture. |
While we were waiting, I noticed how deserted the station seemed to be. There were people waiting, but like many other Green Line stations, it didn’t seem to be very well kept-up. It seemed that someone had shoveled the snow, but the excess was an ugly brown/yellow color. In general, too, it was very slushy and wet, and my shoes got really muddy. I suppose this is bound to happen after a snow storm, but still…
After waiting for a very very long time, our train came. It was insanely crowded. As usual. Ugh, why is Park Street so far away?
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| This has to be one of my favorite pictures to ever appear on this blog. There’s something about it… |
Station: Longwood
Ridership: It was fairly light when we went there. I would assume that most people who come here are going to the LMA, although there are some houses and apartments nearby. But according to the MBTA Blue Book, way more people use the E Line stop over this one. Really, people? Really?
Pros: As a D Line station, it’s pretty great. I like how it feels like you’re in the woods here, when actually you’re just a short jaunt from the LMA. And I really like that wooden shelter on the inbound side, as well as the fact that there are CharlieCard machines here (yes, I know they’re at all the other D Line stations, too).
Cons: Of course, it’s a “screw you” station, but they can’t really help that. However, I feel they should install a shelter on the outbound side of the station, seeing as people were actually heading outbound when we got there. The snow was pretty gross, too, although I’m sure that same situation exists at the other stations along the D.
Nearby and Noteworthy: When I think of the LMA, fun places to visit don’t really come to mind. Is there anything noteworthy in the LMA aside from hospitals? Leave a comment!
Final Verdict: 7/10
For a D Line station, not bad. It’s a much more comfortable place to wait than the E Line station, with its lovely wooden shelter. On the inbound side. The fact that there’s none on the outbound side is pretty annoying. Also, that snow was disgusting. But overall, I would definitely come here over the E.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Some people’s CharlieCards have expired, something that not many people knew could happen. Make sure you get a new one… Also, the MBTA plans to install bus countdown clocks to major stations. Although I think this is fantastic news, what about the Green Line?
214 (Quincy Center Station – Germantown via Sea Street and O’Brien Towers) and 216 (Quincy Center Station – Houghs Neck via Sea Street)
Why do I always make these beach trips when it’s cloudy out? It happened again with the 214/216 (which run as one route on weekends), but at least it wasn’t insanely foggy this time. The 214 and 216 both serve a peninsula to the east of Quincy Center, with the 214 ending at Germantown (a gated community) and the 216 ending at Houghs Neck (the tip of the peninsula).
When the bus came, the destination board was labeled just as 216, and I had no idea I would be getting a two-in-one trip. There weren’t too many people on the bus as it left Quincy Center, only about 10 people or so. Heading through the center, it was pretty urban as we went down Washington Street. It became less so, though, once we turned onto McGrath Highway. There was a “small stores with massive parking lots” area, turning onto the Southern Artery. Right after, there was another turn onto Sea Street, and we went by a cemetery with a stop simply announced as “Cemetery.”
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| That is awfully small text for an MBTA destination board. |
There were some small apartment buildings on the right side of the road and houses on the left following the cemetery. At the intersection of Palmer Street and Sea Street, we turned onto Palmer to follow the 214 route. It was a charming little residential neighborhood, with tiny houses lining the street. Soon, though, the houses cleared and the sea was right there (or the “Town River,” as it’s actually called). It was a decent view, but it was short and there wasn’t much to see.
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| I took three pictures, anyway. |
After the view, we went by a school and then entered “Germantown.” Germantown is a development where all of the houses are exactly the same. We made a loop around here, via the old folk’s home, O’Brien Towers, where someone actually got on the bus. I was one of very few at this point, but heading back the bus started to fill up more.
We went back the way we came, until the intersection of Palmer and Sea, where we took a right on Sea to do the 216 route. Although there was much more swampland along here, it was a similar neighborhood to the one along Palmer Street. Soon, though, the houses stopped on one side and there was a beautiful view across the sea (or “Quincy Bay,” as it’s actually called). It was only about a five second view, as the driver was going fast and it was a short stretch of road in general, but the view of the city was fantastic.
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| As usual, the picture doesn’t capture it, and I wonder what those strange spots are. |
Sea Street soon curved away from the sea (unfortunately), and it was back to the standard (but nice) type of residential area seen earlier. Soon, there was some activity with a baseball field, a church, a school, and a cute firehouse like the one in Marblehead. After that one intersection with all the activity, it got residential again. The street soon widened into a small parking lot, right by the “Quincy Yacht Club.” As the bus did a big u-turn, I noticed the numerous boats within the club. But we were soon heading back to Quincy Center, back through previously charted territory.
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| Not the nicest neighborhood… |
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| I’m not really sure why the destination board was changed… also, an old man got into the picture. |
Routes: 214 (Quincy Center Station – Germantown via Sea Street and O’Brien Towers) and 216 (Quincy Center Station – Houghs Neck via Sea Street)
Ridership: This bus is practically all residential, so its passengers are practically all locals. There weren’t too many people going to Houghs Neck, but there were more on the way back.
Pros: Having two buses to cover this peninsula is great, as they end up serving most of it. And for Quincy Center buses, the schedules are phenomenal: every 20 minutes rush hour, every half hour during the day, and every 20 minutes on Saturdays for both (meaning coordinated service on the portion from Quincy Center to where the two routes split). The night and Sunday schedules aren’t as great, running every 60 minutes and 40 minutes, respectively. But hey, it’s a Quincy Center bus.
Cons: As I said before, the night and Sunday schedules aren’t that good, but that can be forgiven as this is a suburban Quincy Center bus. However, I’m not really sure how the combined route thing works. I mean, I think it’s a good way to reduce the number of buses on the route while still serving the same area, but there’s not a word about this in the online schedule. I looked at both the 214 and 216 schedules on the MBTA website, and it just says they go along their respective routes on Saturdays. What’s the deal with the 214/216, then?
Nearby and Noteworthy: Aside from Quincy Center, this is an almost entirely residential route. Nothing much to see, except for the fantastic views, particularly on the 216.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Obviously, for me at least, the views were the best part of this bus. I thought the 712/713 was a better ride overall, but that’s just because it was interesting riding a non-MBTA bus in Boston. I would say the views are equally good for the two, although keep in mind that there are more on the 712/713. For practical usage, the 214/216 is also very good, providing frequent service to east Quincy (I’m not sure what the peninsula is actually called). The only real problem is the weird combined scheduling. I think it’s a good idea that works, but I’m not sure about the fact that it’s not mentioned at all in the schedule.
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates
Like all storms, the Mattapan High Speed Line is running shuttle buses and many buses have snow routes in effect. More information here.
Random Photos: Some High Speed Amtrak Trains
I was waiting at Ruggles for a Commuter Rail train to South Station (long story, maybe I’ll tell it at some point). I saw one going the other way, and it was coming in pretty fast. The driver honked the horn, and didn’t seem to be slowing down. As the high-speed Amtrak train sped past at a million miles an hour, I got a picture despite being practically knocked off my feet. Soon after, another high speed train came the other way, and I got another picture. Looking back on it now, I kind of wish I had taken videos. Fun fact: the Acela is the only proper high-speed train in the country. Pretty sad, actually.
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| Blurry, but you get that feeling of speed when you look at it. |
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| Pretty much the opposite of the other one. I don’t know how I managed to get a picture this clear, as the train was going about a million miles an hour. |
Prudential
Prudential has a pretty grand entrance. Right in the Prudential Center, there’s a nice big “T” sticking out of the wall, telling you there’s a train station. The entrance itself is glass with another “T” on it. When I first saw it, I thought this station would get a pretty good review. Then I went in. It was a much different story inside, with the walls made of white concrete bricks. It was very drab, and it only got worse as I went further.
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| Looks like a world-class subway station, doesn’t it? |
There was an escalator leading down to the main lobby. At the bottom were two random vending machines and a small corridor leading to a set of doors and some fare gates. The area with the fare gates was rather tight, with two entrances feeding into it (the second of which I wasn’t able to visit). I went through the fare gates and of course decided to take the elevator down. It was a dingy, metal box that traveled really really slowly and smelled terrible. I’d hate to get stuck in there…
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| The bottom of the escalators. |
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| Love the floor! |
The station proper was pretty crowded, and I assumed the train was late seeing as this is an E Line station. The platform was ugly as well, with pipes spanning the ceiling and an overall dingy look. The elevator is up on a ramp, for some reason – I don’t see why they couldn’t have just brought it down the extra few feet. I also noticed that for some reason, the only escalator is on the outbound side of the station, and it only goes up. Yeah, I have no idea why, either.
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| Yup, really pretty. |
I decided to go to the other platform to try out the escalator (the train wasn’t coming anytime soon), and noticed some art at the end of the platform. It was hung up pretty high, and it wasn’t that noticeable, but it was actually quite charming. They were fairly simple drawings of children and animals in the forest, but I really liked them. They were pretty big, but hung up above the station name sign – I wonder if anyone ever notices them. Soon I figured I’d go back to the other side to catch my train. It ended up being very crowded, and I was forced to “train-surf” all the way back to Park Street.
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| It’s nice (this was the one on the inbound side), but how is anyone supposed to notice it? |
Station: Prudential
Ridership: As I said, it was pretty heavy when I went there on Martin Luther King Jr. day, which is technically a Saturday. I would assume this is a popular station for tourists, considering the station’s name.
Pros: Having an entrance that goes right into the Prudential Center is nice, and good for tourists who don’t know their way around. And the art is fantastic, it’s just that it’s hard to see, being both on the end of the platform and hung up near the ceiling.
Cons: Aesthetically, this station is terrible. Aside from the fairly grand entrance inside the Center, it gets worse and worse as you go further in. First there’s the bland concrete, then you get to where the floor paint is chipping, and finally the ugly platform, with its numerous pipes and random ramps and escalators. Plus, it’s an E Line station. Ugh.
Nearby and Noteworthy: I think it should be pretty obvious…
Final Verdict: 4/10
This is probably one of the ugliest MBTA stations I’ve ever been in. It lacks the strange charm that its sister station, Symphony, has (I don’t know why I like that station, but I do), and it’s just really ugly. I do like the art, although a) it’s almost at the very end of the platform, and b) it’s very high up. I do have to give the station credit, though, for having a convenient entrance right into the Prudential. Admittedly, that entrance is far too grand for a station like this, but it’s still fantastic to have.
Latest MBTA News: Due to the storm, the Mattapan High Speed Line is operating shuttle buses, and subway lines and the Commuter Rail may experience delays. Some buses may operate with snow routes. Check storm information here.