17 Farnsworth | Seaport

As parking lots go, I actually really like the classic brick. As much as I hate above ground parking lots, I can't imagine that the lab that replaces this will look better in its immediate environment.
Yeah, this garage doesn't really look like a garage, and is kind of cool architecturally speaking. I'd definitely rather see a repurposing rather than a tear down and replace. But it brings a lot of extra cars in to a congested area, so this is a win from that perspective. Let the Children's Museum experience include learning about public transit.
 
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"Let the Children's Museum experience include learning about public transit"

Yes, the next generation needs to know how bad the T is particularly for people in the inner city where it barely exists
 
"Let the Children's Museum experience include learning about public transit"

Yes, the next generation needs to know how bad the T is particularly for people in the inner city where it barely exists

once more, for those in the cheap seats: this, and this, and this, and this (could go on pretty much forever, but im not gonna LMGTFY on this topic). while nowhere near as comphrehensive, up to date, or efficient as european or asian counterparts, the T is consistently considered amongst the top-3 (or the #1, even) metro public transportation systems in the U.S.

yes, in fact: kids could and should absolutely learn about public transit via experiencing travel on the MBTA -- say, on a trip to/from the children's museum.

an informed ridership/general population has better insight into what changes and improvements need to happen and would represent greater political capital to make those changes actually take place. the more people -- consequently more voters -- who are greatly familiar with the T are likely to drive actual improvements to an already pretty damn good system.
 
How is NYC #5 on "Accessibility and Convenience"?
 
How is NYC #5 on "Accessibility and Convenience"?
Ever tried to ride a NY subway in a wheelchair? To be clear, I haven't either - but the number of ancient stations with limited-to-no accessibility is huge. Wikipedia says the MTA's own 2020 analysis found only 29% of the city's 472 subway stations were accessible. Granted, 135 accessible subway stations is still probably more than the rest of the country's combined, but as a percentage of a single system, it's low. I can't as easily find an overall percentage for the MBTA, but a quick search says the Red and Orange Lines are 100%, and all but one Blue Line station are accessible. No idea about the Green Line, but 77% of all Commuter Rail stations are accessible.
 
The T is a hands-down Top 3 system by American standards. It has better station density than Chicago's, a better commuter rail setup than DC's, and yes - better accessibility than NY's. The T could use better outer neighborhood heavy rail access like in Chicago; it could benefit from some nicer stations like in DC; it could run later like in NYC. But on average, it's #2 or #3 in my opinion. Which frankly is more an indictment of American public transit than praise of the MBTA.

The biggest thing missing from American transit is crosstown options. Even NYC barely has these. I live next to a minor subway station in Tokyo, one many natives haven't heard of or read incorrectly, but I'm 1 stop / 2 minutes away from a mid-sized station serviced by 5 different lines, all heading in 5 different directions.
 
175,000 people in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Roxbury have no subway access in a city of less than 50 sq miles. Clearly you can't see that problem from Winter Hill.
 
175,000 people in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Roxbury have no subway access in a city of less than 50 sq miles. Clearly you can't see that problem from Winter Hill.

And it shows. Trying to get across Dorchester and Roxbury during the day by car is a nightmare... of course the rest of the city is too but I can't help but think it'd be considerably better with a couple subway lines.
 
175,000 people in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Roxbury have no subway access in a city of less than 50 sq miles. Clearly you can't see that problem from Winter Hill.

yeah, tons of subway access around here... :rolleyes:

my comments were about the MBTA in general -- including all forms of transit -- not subway-only/specific. of COURSE it'd be great to expand subway service. i never suggested the T was perfect; i was pointing out that, unless you plan on moving to europe or asia, Boston's got it pretty good in terms of public transit.
 
Perhaps, but I was not comparing subway systems, I was pointing out how unreasonable it is to expect young kids to take the T to the Children's Museum
 
Perhaps, but I was not comparing subway systems, I was pointing out how unreasonable it is to expect young kids to take the T to the Children's Museum
Fair enough. Is it of any worth to point out that I grew up (part of the time, anyway) in Dorchester -- NOT near a stop -- and nonetheless took the T to the Children's Museum (and Aquarium, MFA, Science Museum, Harvard Sq, and plenty other places)?
 
I used to take my daughter when she would get out of school at a place downtown to the Children's Museum on $1 Fridays. We would usually take the #7 bus and it was a fairly easy trip. When she started going to a different school and we would typically be coming from Charlestown to go to the Children's Museum we stopped taking the T because it mean taking the 93 to the orange line to the red line to the silver line. Which was not a peasant trip. Charlestown is less than 2 miles from Seaport, but we almost never go there because of how much of a pain public transit is for getting over there. When we do go to the Children's Museum we always park at this garage.
 
With tickets @ $18 apiece for adults and kids alike, I doubt many families will be riding the T. At those prices, this is a minimum $110-120 excursion for a family of four. There are three family membership packages: $170, $350, and $1,000. And currently there are nearly 13,0000 family memberships. How many city-of-Boston-residence families have the discretionary income to be forking over $350 or $1,000 a year for a membership, and do they live within easy walking distance of the T?

[Boston public schools] educates more than 54,000 students in 125 schools - 74 percent of the school-age children who live in Boston.

We are proud to be one of the most diverse school districts in the nation. Nearly one in every two students speaks a language other than English at home, and our students come from 139 different countries. One in five BPS students has a disability, and half are economically disadvantaged.
[bolding mine]
 
Perhaps, but I was not comparing subway systems, I was pointing out how unreasonable it is to expect young kids to take the T to the Children's Museum
But it isn't. I took my kids there on the T, I took them to the Science Museum and Aquarium, I took them to sporting events and lots of other places. As teenagers, they were independently mobile, because they knew about the T, understood how it worked, and felt comfortable with the idea of using it. Also worth noting, I don't live in a neighborhood with direct subway access, nevertheless, we take the T plenty.
 
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With tickets @ $18 apiece for adults and kids alike
This is a much bigger issue at Boston museums than transit accessibility. The admission prices do push it beyond affordability for many families. But there is also a solution to this, and it actually already exists. You can borrow passes from the Boston Public Library. And library cards are free.
 
Yes^ I said that. Read before you type
 
Speaking of cars. How many people who were not born here came here via bicycle or train? From reading this forum I would assume they all did
 

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