Route 16 BRT (Yellow Line)
First off, I have to say this more of an 'off the cuff' crazy transit pitch idea, and a "let's sip some beer and play with scribblemaps on a Saturday night". I say this because I did much of this freehand, and designed this with the idea that everything would be 100% OK, no real roadblocks. (OK we can just call it a pipe dream)
This whole concept stems from a comment I made in another thread about why Route 16 (mainly Revere Beach Parkway) does not have BRT on it. So I expanded on that concept some and mapped it out.
I originally was just going to run it from Wonderland to Alewife because the road could handle BRT nicely with some minor upgrades and station additions. But once I go to Alewife, I decided to run it further to Watertown Square via a busway.
Main points of new BRT line
1. Crosstown connector for the immediate northeast, north, and northwest suburbs where little crosstown service exists
2. Provide service where almost no existing service exists
3. Provide connecting service to many existing bus lines
4. Use current infrastructure (major roadways) with minor changes (with little money)
5. Show possible connection with future MassDOT projects (SLG, UR, GLX, etc)
6. Spur ToD around new BRT line
7. A fresh idea that uses sections from other projects, bus routes, and conceptual ideas.
Considerations (assumptions)
1. Connecting city centers along the BRT line
2. Road can accommodate bus lanes, and/or where they cannot, road can be widened to provide a bus lane (mixed or segregated)
3. Signal Prioritization
4. Station locations + grade + crossings are feasible
5. No community issues (especially beyond Alewife where a shared use path is converted to a busway + shared use!)
6. Headways and ridership would support such a route (a big one!)
Things NOT considered
1. Headway's (especially if route is TOO long for one long bus route)
2. Projected ridership numbers
3. Loop & Turn-out locations (except possible Medford & Watertown Squares)
4. Anything else nitty gritty about transit planning.. again this an off the cuff idea!
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To see the full, zoom-able map
click here
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Station & Connection List -
Starting in Revere
Wonderland Station - This would use the current (new) busway at Wonderland Station. A extension to Lynn could be possible from this point via 1A and the Lynnway. Major bus transfer point. Connections: 110, 116, 117, 426, 441, 442, 450, 455
Connection Point - Possible connection point to MA 107 and US 1 Express buses.
Bell Circle Station - A split station, where one platform lives on the east side of Bell Circle near the CR tracks, and another on the western side of Bell Circle. I know.. horrible design, but without taking land or redesigning Bell Circle entirely, this was the best design! Connections: 117, 110, 426, 450, 455
Winthrop Ave Station - A center island platform in the median of RBP at Winthrop Ave. Connections: 119
Mill Creek Station - This would be a center island platform station in the median of RBP, similar to the future Washington Ave station on the GLX. This would require the entire interchange to be rebuilt however (and be one of the pricier stations in the project). Major Bus connection point. Connections: 116, 117 (key routes)
Connection Point - Possible connection point to US 1 express buses (and future Route 1 bus lane)
Washington Ave Station - This station would be a center island platform in the media of RBP near Washington Ave. This station would require a slight reconfiguration of RBP over US 1 to accommodate the new station. Major bus connection point. Connections: 111 (key route), 112
Everett Ave Station - This station would be center island platform in the median of RBP @ Everett Ave. Connections: 112
Connection Point - Possible connection point from SLG busway via Vine Street
Memorial Stadium Station - Side island platform station on the sides of RBP @ 2nd Street. Just before station dedicated median-based bus lane would end, and buses would crossover to new lane along the sides of RBP. This is done to accommodate on/off ramps from Sweetser Circle. Connections: none
Bus ramp - New bus-only ramp to Sweetser Circle from RBP westbound.
Possible Sweetser Circle Station? - Possible station here. Major bus connection point. Would require expensive major reconfiguration of rotary however!
Connection Point - Possible spur to new casino and Sullivan Sq station via Alford Street? (Urban Ring?)
Revere Beach Parkway Access Road (Bizzaro Lane) - This section would be widened to accommodate a new bus lane in each direction.
Santilli Station - This essentially would be beef up the current bus stops outside of BestBuy to be BRT grade (better amenities). This new station could also serve local bus routes. Ideally new walkway and pedestrian connections would be built on eastern side of rotary to shopping center also! Connections: 97, 99, 106, 110, 112
Wellington Station - This would use the current busway at Wellington Station. Ideally, when the new bus garage gets built (if it ever happens) a new BRT-only busway would be built along with this project. Major connection point. Connections: Orange Line, 90, 97, 99, 100, 106, 108, 110, 112, 134
Connection Point? - Possible spur down to Assembly & Sullivan Square stations (a la Urban Ring) via 28.
Fellsway Station - Possible station here, however would require major reconfiguration to current rotary and/or taking of properties (State Police or Shopping Center, depending on side). Connections: 100, 108 (nearby)
Meadow Glen Station - Side island station in median of MVP in front of the Meadow Glen Mall. Connections: 134 (at mall)
Connection point - Possible new station and connection point to I-93 express buses from Woburn & beyond? (Would require huge reconfiguraton of MVP interchange.) Alternatively, express buses could be routed via Medford Square (see below) via Salem Street Rotary and that intersection as a cost saving measure
Medford Square Loop - I couldn't decide if I wanted to do this or not, so I included it as a loop option (and possible turn-out). the BRT buses would bypass the next station (Medford Square Station), and loop on local surface streets around Medford Square (as many of the buses do today). This would provide direct connection to Medford Square (as a two stop ride from Wellington) and direct connections to local bus service. Connections: 94, 95, 96, 101, 134
Medford Square Station - Another more expensive center island platform. This would require recofiguration of the Medford Square overpass to build a station (i.e. Wash Ave GLX). This would give Medford Sq (if no loop) a station and connections to local bus service. Connections: 95, 96, 101
Winthrop Street Station - Center island platform station in MVP's median. Neighborhood stop, no bus connections
Route 16/Mystic Valley Parkway Station - This would be center island station below the future end of the GLX Route 16 station. This station would share the same name and provide connections to the Green Line. Connections: Possible Green Line, 80, 94
Clarendon Hill Station - This would be a center island platform station at the intersection of ABP @ Broadway in Clarendon Hill in the median. Connections: 87,88, 89
North Cambridge Station - This station would be built in the green space on the northside of the intersection of ABP and Mass Ave. Connections: 77, 350
Route 2 Interchange - Here's the big pipe dream. Re-work this intersection to include a bus-only connection to the Alewife Station Access Road from the intersection. If rebuilt as an 'at grade' intersection, signal priortization and dedicated busway would be needed here. (or ideally, flyover ramps). Also, a possible connection to Route 2 express buses (and future busway) could be made here.
Alewife Station - This would use the current busway at Alewife Station. Better station amenties would be added. This also would be the functional end of the 'fesiable' BRT plan.
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Now onto the more crazy side. As I said before, After Alewife station is more of a pipe dream because it requires a few busways that are currently shared-use paths (they would be made into combo path + busway). I'm sure this would be an uphill battle to do but I decided to include it anyways.
From Alewife station there's two routes, a cheap route, which uses a bus lane on Alewife Brook Parkway to the Concord Rotary. OR build a busway starting at the end of Cambridge Park Drive Place, with a tunnel UNDER (diagonal) the Lowell CR line (and AND ABP overpass) to the Fresh Pond Mall's parking lot on the otherside. Then utilizing much of the parking lot to the left of the Mall for a new station ("Fresh Pond Station"), and a busway to the abandoned rail ROW behind the mall. This busway would then run in the ROW to the Concord Ave rotary.
Concord Ave Station - A station would be built in the green space on the southwest side of the rotary, and depending on if eitherside's connecting busways are built would determine what platforms style it is. Connections: 78
Busway - From the Concord Ave Station to about the Cambridge Water Department, again you could have two options, a busway along the current shared use path, or a bus lane on Fresh Pond Parkway.
Water Department Station - A station would be built on the southwestern side of the CWD's property. Depending on busways would determine it's exact location and platform layout. Connections: none
Connection Point - A possible spur could continue down Fresh Pond Parkway to Greenbrough Blvd and beyond from here.
Busway - From the CWD to Arsenal Street buses would use a busway along an ROW and shared use path. This would be converted to bus + shared use. No on street alternative exists.
Huron Ave Station - A center island station would be built at the northern end of the busway near the intersection of Huron Ave and Aberdeen Ave. Connections: 72, 75
Mt Auburn Street - A center island station would be built in the busway near the intersection of Mt Auburn Street & Trapelo Road behind Star Market. Trackless Trolley connections, 71, 73
Nichols Ave Station - A center island station would be built at the crossing of the busway with Nichols Ave. Connections: none, neighborhood station
Arsenal Street Station - A center island station built at the end of the busway near the intersection of School and Aresenal. From this point, buses would enter Arsenal Street in a bus lane (or mixed traffic) to Watertown Square. Connections: 70
Irving Street Station - A side platform station on either side of Arsenal Street. Essentially a beefy bus stop. Could also be used for local buses. Connections: 70
Watertown Square Station - Current terminus. Like all current bus stops, this would be upgraded with better amenties. Buses would loop around the square and return inbound. Connections: 59, 70, 71, 57 (nearby)
This is the logical ending of the BRT line, however two possible service extensions could be done from Watertown Square:
Extension to Newton Corner (and ideally Newton Center). This would run via Galen to Newton Corner, then Center to Newton Center (and the GL)
And an Extension to Waltham and 128 via the current 70 bus route.
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That's it. Yes I know, a pipe dream, but I feel it would add some crosstown connections where there is none currently. Much like the Urban Ring, it could change the flow of passengers by giving a crosstown route to switch lines, rather than always going to downtown Boston.
