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    Acela & Amtrak NEC (HSR BOS-NYP-WAS and branches only)

    FWIW, at the May 22 board meeting, a "Spring 2025" launch for was indicated. From what I've read elsewhere, the plan is to start with 5 trainsets, so it will be a phase-in. I'm eagerly anticipating the new trainsets but also preparing myself for the inevitable kinks (i.e. random issues &...
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    DCR Allston-Brighton Riverfront Parks and Parkways

    Intersection with different numbers of lanes on each side of the intersection were MDCs signature design feature. I think it's nice that DCR is paying homage to that. Realistically, it's probably to maximize the amount of cars that can queue at the traffic signal without backing up to the...
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    Laconia, NH

    https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/latest-development-plans-for-state-school-include-grocery-store/article_ba964de4-8258-4144-8cdf-bb303c91c8a0.html
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    Acela & Amtrak NEC (HSR BOS-NYP-WAS and branches only)

    I'm actually curious about just how much that misalignment will impact things. Once we eliminate all areas with curves where coaches will be tilting and/or speed restricted, bridges with speed restrictions, station areas, pretty much all of Metro North territory, etc, how much tangent track...
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    Acela & Amtrak NEC (HSR BOS-NYP-WAS and branches only)

    My anecdotal observation is that this is still true. It still seems to be a frequent occurrence that my Acela is held in favor of a Metro North train, regardless of whether we're on time or not. The magnitude of the impact doesn't seem to be too large though. My additional anecdotal evidence...
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    Regional New England Rail (Amtrak & State DOT & NEC)

    FWIW, they are replacing the 4 over-road bridges to the east of the lift bridge as part of a related project, but an in-place replacement is obviously very different than raising the ROW and bridges.
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    I-90 Interchange Improvement Project & West Station | Allston

    FWIW, it's in the "rumor" category, but there's talk in some more rail-oriented forums of CSX eliminating road freights on the Boston & Albany east of Worcester in favor of a routing north to Clinton, and then to Framingham on the Agricultural Branch. I'm not sure how that would impact yard...
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    Other People's Rail: Amtrak, commuter rail, rapid transit news & views outside New England

    In the interest of "efficiency" maybe it's time to combine the two and bring back the mobile post office, mail trains, and attaching mail freight to passenger trains.
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    General Infrastructure

    When we lived in Back Bay, my kid definitely preferred walking and/or transit to driving. We'd make it an adventure and get off at random places and check out what's around, which is much more difficult with a car. As a bonus, we were virtually guaranteed to run into a friend from school or...
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    Water Transportation in and around Boston

    They've been on Google Maps for a while now. If you get directions from a north side CR route to the Seaport, it'll suggest the ferry as an option. The catch is that GMaps tries to minimize walking transfers, and North Station to Lovejoy is such a transfer, so it'll prefer the "same station"...
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    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    Just adding a data point. Had to get a 10:30pm bus at Alewife and hopped on the Red Line at 10:03 with a little concern. I shouldn't have worried. Arrived at Alewife in exactly 20 minutes. I can't remember the last time I got from Harvard to Alewife in that time.
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    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    Totally separately, I rode the Orange Line for the first time in about 3 years this weekend, and was completely blown away. I tapped to pay with my phone and the only time the train slowed down was to make station stops. It was like 2002 all over again, but with more convenient payment options.
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    MBTA "Transformation" (Green Line, Red Line, & Orange Line Transformation Projects)

    I've posted it elsewhere, but the document that really makes me want to cry is the original 1940's transportation planning documents. They contain all of the ambitious highway plans, but also very strongly state that the highways are only half of the solution, as an equal investment in rapid...
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    Freight and General New England RR News

    Are you saying that it's better to have real world experience than Real World experience? Jokes aside, I'm cautiously optimistic for the reasons you mentioned. A big concern I have is lack of investment in infrastructure, and while I'm not holding out for significant investment in transporting...
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    Bowker Overpass replacement?

    I couldn't find any definitive, except for a reference to a 1998 design charrette ("Under the Overpass: A Day of Visions for a Sad Landscape") where a participant noted that the curved walls adding nothing to the space, which seems to imply some decorative intent.
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    Proposed watertown ferry

    Having previously lived car-free in the area for a number of years, I consider myself to be a bit of a connoisseur of the 5XX express buses, including the 504. I'm not sure how things are post-COVID, but in the before times, timekeeping heavily depended on the current state of Newton Corner...
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    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    I'm all for this as long as we actually get improved transit out of it. Speaking as someone who literally enjoys riding the T in all of its forms and who has lived car-free in Boston before, there are times where the T just doesn't cut it due to completely terrible schedules, overcrowding, or...
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    Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

    It's crazy transit pitch material, but I always felt Woburn Center or even continuing further to Route 128 would be the best terminus. It has similar density to Winchester and worse access to downtown. While it has some express buses and the 134 (and I've taken them all) they're not convenient...
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    Acela & Amtrak NEC (HSR BOS-NYP-WAS and branches only)

    This whole thing is insane. Looking at a May 2024 timetable, Acela 2151 is scheduled to run the 156 miles between BOS and NHV in 119 minutes, for an average speed of 78mph. The remaining 75 miles takes 104 minutes, for an average speed of 44 mph, which is insanely slow for a trip with one...
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    Waltham Transit & Connectivity

    Many moons ago, I had a car-free commutes from Arlington and downtown Boston to the Rt 128 corridor in Waltham. Both of those commutes worked surprisingly well due to one key element that's missing now, which is the connection from Waltham Center to the Rt 128 area. Getting to the Center...

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