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    Evolution of the Prudential Center: 1954-1989

    Oh, I remember that banality well. I worked at 101 Huntington in the 1980s. It really wasn't that bad -- in some corridors the ceiling panels were painted orange. Another memory: Scenes from Spenser: For Hire were filmed at 101. One afternoon I and others looked out the 6th floor windows to...
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    South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

    I understand the American Institute of Architects' 2025 conference is underway in the Seaport district. As part of the press leading up to the conference, Architectural Record magazine ran this June 3rd article, highlighting South Station's new concourse. The article is paywalled, but the...
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    New Bedford Developments

    The New Bedford Light published a May 12th opinion piece on the proposed hotel and its uninspired design. Fair use quotes: "Opinion: A new hotel, great! But, looking like this? "A proposed hotel near the new train station should underscore New Bedford’s rich, architectural history – not look...
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    Water Transportation in and around Boston

    Direct link to the MBTA's ferry names contest. And the full text (since it's an MBTA press release and not a newspaper article, fair use rules do not apply): MBTA Opens Contest for Students K-8 to Help Name Three Ferries Posted on April 10, 2025 The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is...
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    Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail (South Coast Rail)

    Fair use quotes from the Fall River Herald News article: "Key Points -- Staffing shortages caused multiple MBTA trains to and from the SouthCoast to be canceled. -- Riders in Boston trying to head home faced delays of about 4 hours. -- Service alerts show many trains on the newly opened South...
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    A year ago, Ratmeister posted an image of the MBTA commuter rail map with South Coast Rail posted at Ruggles. Several commented on the Ruggles map. I noted a couple of days later -- The CapeFlyer service east of Middleborough should be labeled by it's name "CapeFlyer" and not just "Hyannis...
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    It was never quad track through Quincy into Braintree. The quad track ended just south of Atlantic station in the very northern portion of Quincy, where the Granite branch split off. Below that the Quincy - Braintree main was double track. Now whether the New Haven ever owned a right-of-way...
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    The CapeFLYER website has been updated with the 2025 schedule. A few screenshots: Service starts Friday, May 23rd. The current Middleborough/Lakeville station will be renamed Lakeville after South Coast Rail "Phase 1" opens March 24th. It looks like fares are the same as last year.
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    A top priority should be to fix the Old Colony bottleneck through Quincy and Dorchester. The sad need to operate a shuttle train meet at East Taunton to provide a barely reasonable level of service to both New Bedford and Fall River, the lack of track capacity to run direct commuter trains to...
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    Boston Easter Eggs

    My wife, who grew up in Dedham, says this area is known as Cow Island.
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    https://www.wcvb.com/article/anger-frustration-aboard-commuter-rail-passengers-stuck-trains-delayed-hours/63535196 Fair use quotes: "Frustration aboard Commuter Rail as passengers stuck on trains were delayed for hours due to switch track issue "BOSTON — Anger and frustration erupted among...
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    Police Details, Cameras, & Enforcement Methods

    WCVB has a similar news report this morning, but the chit chat was mostly about allowing traffic light cameras. https://www.wcvb.com/article/two-proposals-new-massachusetts-state-budget-could-affect-candy-traffic/63517528
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    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    How would a VMT work for residents who frequently drive out of state?
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    Crazy Highway Pitches

    So widen as far south as the active breakdown lane runs, which I understand ends at Route 139 in Pembroke? Got it -- that makes sense. Thanks.
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    Crazy Highway Pitches

    Umm, where would the traffic go after crossing the canal? U.S. Route 6 (the Mid-Cape Highway) east of Sagamore is a two-lane parkway, with no breakdown lanes and poorly designed (by interstate standards) interchanges down to Route 132. I can think of many much better transportation projects to...
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    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    Checking NHRHTA Shoreliner Vol. 27 Issue 3, published about the time the Old Colony Middleborough/Lakeville and Kingston/Plymouth lines were opened, the stated cost was $537 million for the two branches and the Braintree - South Boston trunk. What did that buy? Among other things, a new...
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    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    Eng was brought in to fix a broken transit system. He has proven to be the rare MBTA GM who has taken the public experience seriously. Just looking at a couple of accomplishments under his watch: -- Removal of 22 years of slow zones on the subway lines. I just find that stat dismally...
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    Regional Rail (RUR) & North-South Rail Link (NSRL)

    I'd definitely add double-tracking the Old Colony main between South Bay and Braintree (a big ticket item) and a Buzzards Bay commuter rail extension from Middleborough (a relatively light lift). The capital cost per new passenger for Buzzards Bay was projected as a fraction of SCR phase 1...
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    Boston Harbor Flood Protection Projects

    Communities along Buzzards Bay (further east away from the Long Island/CT landfall) also experienced a devastating storm surge during the 1938 hurricane, causing much damage in towns like Wareham and Bourne. As noted by others, the hurricane traveling over open water pushed water up into the...
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    Westwood developments

    Shades of what portions of University Station could have looked like, if the original Westwood Station concept had been built. Instead a large, ugly strip mall was built with a sea of asphalt.

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