Fairmount Line Upgrade

[F-Line to Dudley]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Its fishy that the station itself wasn't built a few years ago. Wait, by fishy I meant a joke.

It got lost in a NIMBY wormhole and was spat back out 4 years later costing twice as much.


String theory holds mysterious secrets of the quantum universe.

 

[bakgwailo]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

It got lost in a NIMBY wormhole and was spat back out 4 years later costing twice as much.


String theory holds mysterious secrets of the quantum universe.

I still can't wrap my head around the "controversy"/opposition to this infill station - oh, sorry, the MBTA is trying to give you another transit option (besides the bus and high speed line), oh no, the terror.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

I still can't wrap my head around the "controversy"/opposition to this infill station - oh, sorry, the MBTA is trying to give you another transit option (besides the bus and high speed line), oh no, the terror.

This is the same small slice of a corridor that thought the world was coming to an end with the ill-fated 28X route proposal. Emphasis: small slice. For whatever reason those last few blocks en route to Mattapan Sq.--but not the Square itself--are an all-world pain in the ass to deal with for any reason whatsoever. This is hardly their first "NO!" rodeo...it surely won't be the last.


No...there was never an easily discernible explanation for why this pocket is always so goddamn difficult and stubborn to engage.

 

[Charlie_mta]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Could it be their paranoia about creating an entryway for "undesirables" into their neighborhood?

 

[whighlander]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

It got lost in a NIMBY wormhole and was spat back out 4 years later costing twice as much.


String theory holds mysterious secrets of the quantum universe.

F-Line -- if you really want to know the secrets of the universe -- Google E-8 -- its all about Lie groups or Gosset polytope 421

the pictures are nice and suitable for framing even if the utility is questionable
http://www.aimath.org/E8/mcmullen.html

 

[stick n move]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Could it be their paranoia about creating an entryway for "undesirables" into their neighborhood?

That seems to be the case with quite a few past and current transit options.

 

[Arlington]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Change scares most people in mostly the same way:

1) "I do not ride the train today and we don't have a stop"
2) "None of my friends rides the train"
3) Therefore, I cannot picture myself or anyone I know riding the train"
4) So if anyone rides the train, it must be people who are not my friends
5) People who are not my friends do not like me; so I will not like them and they will make my life worse
6) "Trains will be used by people who don't like me"
7) "Trains and stations will make my life worse"
Q.E.D.

In this, it seems to me it is step 3 that is the killer, and engineers are kind of not prepared to deal with it.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Yesterday's press release announcing the next step in building the Blue Hill Ave station on the Fairmount Line.

FMCB approves Blue Hill Avenue Station on the Fairmount Line

BOSTON -- The MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) today approved a recommendation of MBTA managers to execute a contract for construction of the brand new Blue Hill Avenue Commuter Rail Station between Blue Hill Avenue (Route 28) and Cummins Highway on the Fairmount Line. The contract will be executed with McCourt Construction Company for $16.97 million.

Placed in a primarily residential community, Blue Hill Avenue Station will be constructed as the ninth station for the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line and provide a direct ride to downtown Boston in 20 minutes with no transfers needed. The station will be located approximately six-and-a-half miles from South Station and a quarter mile from Mattapan Square, connecting the community to other neighborhoods along the corridor.

The station design includes one center-island platform between Blue Hill Avenue and Cummins Highway located below the street level measuring approximately 768 feet as well as two covered, fully accessible pedestrian ramps from both Cummins Highway and Blue Hill Avenue. The station will also include canopies, warning strips, benches/windscreens, closed circuit television (CCTV) security cameras, new lighting, new messaging signs, train approach warning systems, and historical graphic panels.

The MassDOT Board of Directors and FMCB previously authorized funding for the project on September 2, 2015, in the amount of $26.55 million. The project was advertised in December 2016 with seven bids received. After completion of a bid analysis, the lowest bid of $16.97 million from McCourt Construction Company was chosen.

Blue Hill Avenue Station is expected to be open along the Fairmount Line for boarding and disembarking in 2019 after a two-year construction period. On a daily basis, approximately 1,300 customers use the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line. Wachusett Station on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line was the last station to open in September 2016 with Boston Landing Station on the Framingham/Worcester Line scheduled to be open to passengers in April 2017.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Because I'm too lazy to look them up, does anyone know the train headways on Fairmont? Are they even semi-rapid transit?

 

[JumboBuc]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Because I'm too lazy to look them up, does anyone know the train headways on Fairmont? Are they even semi-rapid transit?

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=FAIRMNT

I feel like a sucker for googling that for you...

Adding DMU service to this line (maybe with clock-facing 10 minute headways) always strikes me at the lowest-hanging-fruit for improving transit access anywhere in Greater Boston. A little rebranding here would go a long way: drop "Fairmount Line" in favor of "Indigo Line", add it to the standard T map, switch it over to CharlieCards, and allow free transfers to/from Red and Silver at South Station.

They're already pulling trains off of Fairmount and putting them on longer-distance lines. With DMUs, the other lines could keep the rolling stock.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Holy shit those headways are a joke. The MBTA still doesn't know what to do with this. It reminds me of a community meeting back in the day when a resident asked why the Fairmont Line wasn't on the subway map and the MBTA rep said it was. Total dissonance.

 

[bakgwailo]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Carvalho bill asks ‘pilot evaluation’ of Fairmount as a rapid transit line

Not holding my breath. Also, funny that equal to the Orange, Red, and Blue Lines means 15 minute headways on peak, and 30 minute off peak. Is it even feasible to do 15 minute headways with traditional push-pulls vs DMUs/EMUs?

 

[The EGE]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

Right now, Fairmount is scheduled for 30 minutes end to end. Including terminal time and schedule recovery time, you can reasonably assume one round trip every 90 minutes. So the current 45-minute rush hour headways use two trainsets, typically 5 cars; the 1-hour off-peak headways use those 2 trainsets but less efficiently.

30-minute headways all day could be done with three trainsets - that would involve +1 locomotives and +1 cab cars. Five trainsets (+3 locos, +3 cab cars, +2 coaches) could do 20 minutes; six (+4 locos, +4 cab cars, +4 coaches) would be required for 15-minute headways.

So that's 4 additional locomotives and 8 additional cars needed. That's a blip on the number of cars once they get up to date on inspections and more 1700s start coming back from Alstom, but that's a 7% increase in locomotives, which may be a real stretch.

At overall costs of $90 per train-mile (a figure that includes maintenance, crews, etc), and about 30 additional daily round trips of 19 miles each, that's about $20 million in additional annual costs. Actual marginal costs might be lower by up to a factor of 3 (the CapeFLYER costs about $30 per train mile), but given the extent of this service I doubt the costs would be that low.

Including possible locomotive acquisition, Charliecard capability, scheduling costs (this will just about max out South Station), etc, you're probably looking at 10-30 million in startup costs as well.

If the legislature is actually willing to devote the startup costs and the annual costs, I can't think of a better place to spend the money. But it's not something that can happen for free.

 

[tocoto]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

why not 1 extra loco with 3 car trains to get 30-minute headways with three trainsets as a cheap way to test the results of short headways. If more hardware is warranted, add another 3 car train for 4 total.

 

[bakgwailo]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

I think the problem with ramping it up to 30 minute head-ways might not really be the best test of of if we should have greater frequency - I am not sure if really anything would be "successful" in that corridor short of rapid transit-esque headways. Wait half an hour for the commuter rail train, or hop on a bus/high speed line to the Orange/Red is hard to beat. It just seems like a line that screams rapid transit and a no brainer for cheap(ish) expansion.

EGE - thanks, I don't know why I was under the impression to hit sub ~20 minute head ways we would need DMUs (or EMUs). It would be sweet if it passes, but, again, not really sure how viable it is to pass.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

I think the problem with ramping it up to 30 minute head-ways might not really be the best test of of if we should have greater frequency - I am not sure if really anything would be "successful" in that corridor short of rapid transit-esque headways. Wait half an hour for the commuter rail train, or hop on a bus/high speed line to the Orange/Red is hard to beat. It just seems like a line that screams rapid transit and a no brainer for cheap(ish) expansion.

EGE - thanks, I don't know why I was under the impression to hit sub ~20 minute head ways we would need DMUs (or EMUs). It would be sweet if it passes, but, again, not really sure how viable it is to pass.

Somewhere in all this discussion you are going to hit a brick wall at South Station without SSX. Not sure where the kill point is in headway, but I doubt rapid transit frequency can be accommodated at South Station without expansion and crossover yard sorting.

 

[The EGE]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

A 2008 study looked at Fairmount frequency increases and South Station operations. It concluded that at projected 2025 service levels without SSX or NSRL, 10 and 12 minutes were impossible, 15 minutes was possible but tricky, and 20 minutes would be most practical.

Most of the service frequency increases on other lines have not occurred, as SCR is nowhere near service and the Old Colony mainline is at capacity. Especially since the Old Colony side of South Station isn't getting any more crowded, I would be willing to bet that 15 minutes would actually be possible even without SSX.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

A 2008 study looked at Fairmount frequency increases and South Station operations. It concluded that at projected 2025 service levels without SSX or NSRL, 10 and 12 minutes were impossible, 15 minutes was possible but tricky, and 20 minutes would be most practical.

Most of the service frequency increases on other lines have not occurred, as SCR is nowhere near service and the Old Colony mainline is at capacity. Especially since the Old Colony side of South Station isn't getting any more crowded, I would be willing to bet that 15 minutes would actually be possible even without SSX.

Then the T really should push for funding for 15 or 20 minute headways. This corridor is a no brainer in terms of service needs.

Also need to sort out the fare system. This needs to be a RT fare on Charlie Card or Ticket, not commuter rail, with free transfer to the Red or Silver Line at South Station. That would complete the RT transformation.

 

[stick n move]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

I wonder if the fairmount upgrade will be the final nail in the coffin of affordability in Boston. This is pretty much the last corridor in the city where the middle class can afford to live. Im not saying to not do it, but we all know what comes along with increased transit access.

 

[JumboBuc]

Re: Fairmont Line Upgrade

I wonder if the fairmount upgrade will be the final nail in the coffin of affordability in Boston. This is pretty much the last corridor in the city where the middle class can afford to live. Im not saying to not do it, but we all know what comes along with increased transit access.

An upgraded Fairmount line will not generate new willingness to pay for housing on the aggregate. Thus, it will not increase prices on the aggregate. It will increase transit accessibility on the aggregate, however, bringing down the average price of transit-accessible housing.

Nearby properties would become more desirable with rapid Fairmount access, increasing consumers' willingness to pay for them. This is what drives pricing up around stops. But this also means that the total supply of transit-accessible housing will increase. Now a consumer looking for rapid-transit-accessible housing has more options to choose from, relieving pricing pressure on existing transit-accessible properties.

Basically, everyone buying into properties around Fairmount stops are leaving somewhere else, so the same forces that drive prices up around new stops (e.g. Fairmount) drive prices down around existing ones (e.g. Quincy or Malden or wherever).

Rapid Fairmount service could increase costs on the aggregate if the service, in and of itself and not simply as a result of its contribution to aggregate supply, caused people to move to Boston. But that's an argument you'd have a hard time making...