Recent content by bigeman312

Great news about the "Edgewater Greenway." Definitely a positive development. I agree that it is really only useful for recreational purposes right now. Still, having walked that section of river in prior years (on the City Walking Trail), I'm very happy to see this development. Once the...

Thanks! I'll use your numbers. Current status: Fastest Boston-bound express is 70 minutes. Fastest Worcester-bound express is 67 minutes. In the name of conservative estimates ("common-sense padding"), let's go with 70 minutes as our base status. EMU electrification savings: "Less-aggressive...

I somewhat agree with this assessment. Babson Street is useful and my personal go-to for connecting to the Neponset River Greenway, which is great and what I've used for: recreational riding along the Neponset River. transportation to Neponset-adjacent areas (Milton Village, Lower Mills, Cedar...

Thank you for the perspective. What's a reasonable estimate for best-case travel time for express CR trips from Worcester with the completion of all of the aforementioned and proposed reasonable improvements (South Station Tower 1 Interlocking, all three Newton Commuter Rail stations rebuilt...

I know, right? It should so feasible, too. Worcester Union is only 44 track miles from South Station. 50 minute travel time would require an average speed of 53 mph. There are quite a few examples of commuter lines abroad that far exceed that average speed. Under transitmatters’ plan “the trip...

Fully modernize the Boston - Springfield corridor as the eastern end of modern, layered corridor: Boston - Framingham: 2 tph Boston - Worcester: 2 tph Inland Route: 4 RT/day Boston - Toronto: 2 RT / day Boston - Chicago: 2 RT / day, decoupled from the NYC - Chicago LSL Major Infrastructure...

I can see a case for an Arlington Center or an Arlington Heights terminus. It's a very long gap from Arlington Heights to a theoretically viable next stop. It would serve a comparable role to Wonderland, Forest Hills, or Oak Grove.

That's essentially the SEPTA Regional Rail model and it works well there, in my experience. Although, I personally like matching pairs for Boston for no well thought out reason.

I agree that "if the extension ends at Lexington Center, there'll be a huge problem with people driving in and parking on residential streets." Many of those would drive to Route 128 if that was the terminus, though. A simple example (of which there are many) would demonstrate this concept. If...

Opaque methodology, indeed. I don’t disagree with the premise of there being a density cutoff. 30,000 is demonstrably too high of a cutoff though. You’ve also shifted from “has the density to support” to “is cost effective to build” which are quite different concepts. Your new (and improved)...

Do you have a source for that assertion that 30k-40k/square mile population density is needed to support heavy rail? Reality shows otherwise. Population density in Massachusetts by municipality: Somerville — 19,656.8 people/sq mi Cambridge — 18,520.7 people/sq mi Chelsea — 18,380.8 people/sq...

I’m having a hard time envisioning West Station being more important than North Station, which serves the Newburyport, Rockport, Haverhill, Lowell, Fitchburg, and Downeaster Amtrak lines, with connections to the Green and Orange Lines, is downstairs from TD Garden, and is the closest Commuter...

Strong disagree. Let’s break down your claim that rail will not be relevant on this corridor unless “we can get Pittsburgh-NYC under, idk, ~3 hours” Obviously, the Philly - NYC stretch of the Pennsylvanian is a very high ridership corridor, with trips provided by the Northeast Regional, Acela...

It looks like what was built at Arborway & South St in Jamaica Plain, something I've navigated in all modes of transportation many times, most often on bicycle, and is deeply flawed.

I bet Blue to Charles happens before Commuter Rail to Nashua. I also bet year-round Commuter Rail service is piloted to Buzzards Bay before either. I have no idea what other LRT/HRT extensions we'll see. GLX is the only one completed in the past 40(!) years. The last time we had an HRT...