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Might be a blessing in disguise -- gives the FRA time to get its shit together so that non-insanely-heavy DMUs can be ordered (like those used here). We also need some time to drag the operations into the 21st century so that they don't try to staff every DMU with 4 crew-people. That would make...

Re: North-South Rail Link My friend in Munich has told me that the transit authorities have been regretting the decision to only build 2 tracks for the S-bahn tunnel. Seems like S-bahnification of the MBTA commuter rail could put 4 tracks to use. Plus, a second Red Line subway tube implies...

Removing the concrete island at Mountfort and Carlton is the long term solution... we pushed for it, but DOT has resisted. I hear that they might reconsider now with the delays... we'll see.

That reminds me of a story here: a "Barclays branded" London bike share bike showed up one day at a corral. This would be uninteresting except for the fact that it's been 18 months since all "Barclays branded" cycles were replaced with "Santander branded" ones. So this bike must have been...

Never understood why people would say that DTX is a 'failure'... I always see tons and tons of foot traffic there during the day and evening whenever I visit. It's the easiest place to reach by T in Boston. Allowing cars into DTX would contribute nearly nothing, as the capacity for motor traffic...

From what I hear, the MBTA GM came to Brighton last month and made the case that they don't have enough maintenance capacity to comfortably deal with the existing Green Line system, much less the extension. If anything, the maintenance facility should not be shrunk (at least, not that much)...

Mitch never rode WMATA.

Yeah this seems to match the slides that were shown a year ago. I'm happy that the bid document talks about integrating with Phase 2B and the shutdowns over the Pike starting Summer 2017. That's important.

You probably read an article that said that they would consolidate 4 stations into 2, and perhaps that was the source of the confusion.

How so? There's not much detail, but what is stated is consistent with previous plans.

Most people don't drive in Boston, even if they don't ride the T. That's because they don't live or work in Boston. There are many junctions where far greater numbers of voters ride MBTA buses or trams through those junctions than drive their own cars. And honestly drivers won't even notice...

I think they're just looking for the freedom to set 20 mph speed limits where called for. Here in the UK the rural roads are typically 40 to 50 mph (too extreme, I think: they're narrow country lanes, not Rt 2). Most villages set a 30 mph limit where the rural road passes through, and many use...

Nice read -- shame that they have only ruled out "front door only at peak". That would be such a bad idea that it was never really part of the 2012-2014 scheme. It needs to be ruled out at all times, because the Green Line can get loaded at any time, and because front-door-only is horrible for...

Yup. Worked at the Charles River Campus for many, many years. Irony is that I somehow ended up Cambridge University, which manages to be even worse at fostering street life than Boston University, if you are unlucky enough to be stationed at one of the satellite campuses outside the centre.

(a) Retail space is a major benefit for their students and (b) if they want an urban campus then they have certain responsibilities to keep: such as playing nicely with the city they're occupying. The city has a vested interest in not being cut up into a dozen different turfs that wall each...

I like this guy. He's on the money. Maybe things will turn around. I hope he's working on GLX as well.

Bike box, and the free turn on red for bike riders that the protected intersection will enable. When Babcock Street has a red light, there's no conflicting movement for a bicycle rider coming north and turning right -- just has to yield to people walking. When Babcock Street has a green light...

Yeah those fire codes are completely out of control. There's simply no need for 20-foot wide minimum streets. Bet most American fire chiefs would have a conniption fit if they ever saw the streets British fire departments serve every day.

More writings on the discussion: Why Do We Care if Millennials Move to the Suburbs? http://www.frontiergroup.org/blogs/blog/fg/why-do-we-care-if-millennials-move-suburbs

What, like the planned 18 month shutdown of the Lechmere branch? Or NYCTA's similar length plan for the L?