Chelsea Infill and Small Developments

BeeLine said:
IMG_1234 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_1272 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_1274 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
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While you might think a station with platforms in place and ready would be preparing to open in say the next 6-8 months, the MBTA this week said their aiming for end of 2022, aka two more years. Somehow. Two years to install ramps, sidewalks, lighting and signage. I've seen buildings go up 60 stories in two years.

Update: Construction is underway. The new platform panels have been installed and work
continues on the approach structures that will support the accessible rampways to the platforms.
Other work for the station electrical and communications systems is ongoing. New railroad grade crossings have been installed, and railroad crossing infrastructure is being fabricated and
installed. The station is expected to open in fall 2022.
 
HelloBostonHi said:
While you might think a station with platforms in place and ready would be preparing to open in say the next 6-8 months, the MBTA this week said their aiming for end of 2022, aka two more years. Somehow. Two years to install ramps, sidewalks, lighting and signage. I've seen buildings go up 60 stories in two years.

Update: Construction is underway. The new platform panels have been installed and work
continues on the approach structures that will support the accessible rampways to the platforms.
Other work for the station electrical and communications systems is ongoing. New railroad grade crossings have been installed, and railroad crossing infrastructure is being fabricated and
installed. The station is expected to open in fall 2022.
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It's like the construction crews are taking 2 weeks off to quarrantine between every day spent on-shift.

Even the layers of construction dust around site have barely shifted since BeeLine's last pics months ago. Commuter Rail station project mgt. oversight is historically dysfunctional right now. This one and Winchester just boggle the mind on inexplicable unbounded delay creep.:censored:
 
HelloBostonHi said:
While you might think a station with platforms in place and ready would be preparing to open in say the next 6-8 months, the MBTA this week said their aiming for end of 2022, aka two more years. Somehow. Two years to install ramps, sidewalks, lighting and signage. I've seen buildings go up 60 stories in two years.
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More like 2 years to fully upgrade and test the signal system to accommodate trains stopping in the middle of a cluster of highly trafficked crossings. They need to update all the crossing circuitry to Predictors/Motion Sensing, make sure it works with the PTC and ATC installations, integrate the Silver Line stoplights, and tie everything in to stoplight preemption for adjacent intersections.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
More like 2 years to fully upgrade and test the signal system to accommodate trains stopping in the middle of a cluster of highly trafficked crossings. They need to update all the crossing circuitry to Predictors/Motion Sensing, make sure it works with the PTC and ATC installations, integrate the Silver Line stoplights, and tie everything in to stoplight preemption for adjacent intersections.
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I've seen electricians wire a skyscraper in under 4 months, for everything from security, internet, lights, elevators, sensors, locks, etc. And you're telling me they need two years to replace some signals? Let's get real, if you've ever sat and watched these projects (and I have), the reason they take so long is there's no one on site doing anything 90% of the time. It's poor construction management and poor scheduling and a for profit company building a development would never stand for it.
 
HelloBostonHi said:
I've seen electricians wire a skyscraper in under 4 months, for everything from security, internet, lights, elevators, sensors, locks, etc. And you're telling me they need two years to replace some signals? Let's get real, if you've ever sat and watched these projects (and I have), the reason they take so long is there's no one on site doing anything 90% of the time. It's poor construction management and poor scheduling and a for profit company building a development would never stand for it.
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Eastern Route is subject to a 2-year FRA deadline extension for installing cab signals/ATC as part of the PTC mandate...after decreeing extremely late in the game that PTC sans cabs was not, in fact, adequate enough for the mandate's fine print. Grace period is courtesy because it was the feds who dawdled and changed course midstream. PTC has been active here since Spring and until the new deadline is considered 'kosher' for safety.

Clearly the construction schedule now bakes in copious dead air by framing completion around that new signal deadline in lump fashion. It really isn't credible for every practical reason you state. But also because nothing whatsoever is considered statutorially "substandard" about no ATC until 12/31/2022 raises the bar. Yes, they'd have to do some re-mods. No, it's not a massive production. The excuse that they must wait to open the station until it's "safe" or the signals are ready is just that: the lamest of excuses. There's no way programmed signal retouches in 2 years will be more invasive than letting station contractors continue to submit billable invoices on a forced slow-walk.

"Ripe for abuse" doesn't even begin to describe all that's wrong with that strategy. This is very much more concerning evidence that Project Mgt. Oversight in the agency for station projects is severely dysfunctional right now. It's leaving the barn door wide open for chintzy cost overruns by giving them copious empty schedule space to bleed into. Nobody claims this as 'best practice' with a straight face...but looks like somebody has sent out the Signal Dept. as proxy to try to half-assedly provide exactly that incredulous cover.
 
This is all expected to be done enough for station opening August 2021, finishing touches wrapped up October 2021. Don't know where this end of 2022 stuff is evening coming from, but carry on.
 
Ah, hmm. I do not think that is right. Unless something very drastic or boneheaded happened, especially with this Forging Ahead stuff. Which is entirely possible. But I'm fairly certain that must be a typo.
 
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The city just started this process...
 

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shmessy said:
Show of hands, who likes the blank no window blank wall on the side of that thing?
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Agreed, however, I think this building is going to kick off with what the City believes/hopes will bring more of the same developments in the downtown area.
 
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