The state's Charlie Card is empty.
So we're stuck with what we have, with only the Route 28X project on the horizon. And that seems to be stalling in the community review phase. Then again, the projects were far from perfect.
The Blue Line extension has been toyed with for ages, but like the Red / Blue connector it remained a project the state spent money on, but never actually had anything to show for. Decades of delays have led to encroachment on the right of way that would be used, making it progressively more difficult to win community approval with each passing year.
The Silver Line project could never overcome questions of bus capacity and lifespan, and remained overshadowed by the design and construction failures of the initial phases. Including a rapidly-crumbling tunnel, and tunnel speeds that fall below those achieved on surface streets. Plans to rip up the Common, Boylston St. and parts of Chinatown to snake tunnels alongside the foundations to landmark buildings further eroded public support. The T's insistence on destroying abandoned rail tunnels that could have saved hundreds of millions in construction costs gave the community even less confidence in the T's ability to put together the best possible project.
Basic questions about the Urban Ring's viability were never answered. The MBTA cannot currently operate its fleet of 60' buses in slippery conditions (read: winter + precipitation = 40' bus for you). This meant the T would need to spend millions on a special reserve fleet just for snowy and icy days. Running the buses on electric power would cut emissions to nothing, reduce noise, increase traction and extend the lifespan of the buses; saving two purchasing cycles. But that was dismissed.
The Urban Ring also depended on a tunnel through Longwood. A project that was fraught with issues, including the poor example set by the Silver Line Phase 2 bus tunnel project which while completed, ultimately failed to live up to its promise. Different proposals were banded about. Some would allow for it to remain bus only, leave the door open for conversion to light rail ala the Green Line, or a heavy rail Orange Line extension. All cost a great deal of money, making up the bulk of the project's cost. Forgoing the tunnel and running the Urban Ring through Longwood on the surface was simply not workable. As it is, the plan was to operate the line through the Kenmore area on surface streets - effectively dooming commuters during Sox season.
Now all those plans are on the shelf. To be resurrected occasionally, but completed sometime in the future by another generation with more vision and ability than our own.
So we're stuck with what we have, with only the Route 28X project on the horizon. And that seems to be stalling in the community review phase. Then again, the projects were far from perfect.
The Blue Line extension has been toyed with for ages, but like the Red / Blue connector it remained a project the state spent money on, but never actually had anything to show for. Decades of delays have led to encroachment on the right of way that would be used, making it progressively more difficult to win community approval with each passing year.
The Silver Line project could never overcome questions of bus capacity and lifespan, and remained overshadowed by the design and construction failures of the initial phases. Including a rapidly-crumbling tunnel, and tunnel speeds that fall below those achieved on surface streets. Plans to rip up the Common, Boylston St. and parts of Chinatown to snake tunnels alongside the foundations to landmark buildings further eroded public support. The T's insistence on destroying abandoned rail tunnels that could have saved hundreds of millions in construction costs gave the community even less confidence in the T's ability to put together the best possible project.
Basic questions about the Urban Ring's viability were never answered. The MBTA cannot currently operate its fleet of 60' buses in slippery conditions (read: winter + precipitation = 40' bus for you). This meant the T would need to spend millions on a special reserve fleet just for snowy and icy days. Running the buses on electric power would cut emissions to nothing, reduce noise, increase traction and extend the lifespan of the buses; saving two purchasing cycles. But that was dismissed.
The Urban Ring also depended on a tunnel through Longwood. A project that was fraught with issues, including the poor example set by the Silver Line Phase 2 bus tunnel project which while completed, ultimately failed to live up to its promise. Different proposals were banded about. Some would allow for it to remain bus only, leave the door open for conversion to light rail ala the Green Line, or a heavy rail Orange Line extension. All cost a great deal of money, making up the bulk of the project's cost. Forgoing the tunnel and running the Urban Ring through Longwood on the surface was simply not workable. As it is, the plan was to operate the line through the Kenmore area on surface streets - effectively dooming commuters during Sox season.
Now all those plans are on the shelf. To be resurrected occasionally, but completed sometime in the future by another generation with more vision and ability than our own.
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