General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Yeah - I'd point to Tokyo's system which has had 3 Star Michelin restaurants inside it, but really, just need to point to NYC and how there are a ton of magazine stands/coffee/etc which are super convenient even on platforms to grab something quick and not worry about missing a train. I've always thought there could be a really cool restaurant row in the Winter Street concourse. Things like that would also drive ridership and if good enough, even get people to pay a fare to get in just to get something to eat.
I had exactly the same thought about the Winter Street Concourse and the Downtown Crossing concourse as well.
 
Wow, this is potentially huge. If they could add a CR station, even better—imagine the reduction in travel times if you had regional rail frequencies from North Station to Everett, with connections to a SL to Chelsea almost entirely on a busway.
 
Last edited:
Wow, this is potentially huge. If they could add a CR station, even better—imagine the reduction in travel times if you had regional rail frequencies from North Station to Everett, with connections to a SL almost entirely on a busway.
And one look at the map in the article explains why this is critical. There is going to be so much density in the area between the Commercial Triangle and the Exxon Tank Farm development areas. Without transit improvements all those people will be have to be in cars!
 
The 3 week shutdown of the Green Line from Copley to Babcock St., Cleveland Circle, and Brookline Hills, lifted 2 slow zones in the eastbound direction from Kenmore to Copley Station inbound.

Yet the Green Line is now running slower post 3 week shutdown than before the 3 week shutdown (at least in the inbound direction).

It's also worth noting that the T's slow zone dashboard goes back to January 1st, 2023, which means 2 months of offical slow zone data pre-systemwide slowdowns in March 2023. The Green Line trunk had a dozen slow zones in the trunk in January and February 2023. Yet the Green Line today in March 2024, despite having fewer slow zones than January and February 2023, is slower than it was in January and February 2023.

Note that due to the upcoming 4 day diversion of the Orange Line downtown in March 2024, it will skew the numbers with Orange Line ridership dumped onto the Green Line trunk.

Kenmore to Haymarket (Eastbound/Inbound) (Source: https://dashboard.transitmatters.org/)
1710600912826.png


North Station to Kenmore (Westbound)
1710601327562.png


To add insult to injury, some of the MBTA's buses are getting slower. The 57 bus in January 2024 ran signifcantly slower than it did in January 2023. The slowest 25% of trips by the end of January 2023 took 26 minutes to cross the entire length of Allston-Brighton to Kenmore eastbound/inbound.

By January 2024, 25% of route 57 buses exceeded 30 minutes of travel time for the same corridor, 15% slower year over year, and erasing any commuting time savings from slow zone liftings on the Green Line. These Route 57 buses crept along at a measly 7.5 MPH (12 KMH) in the city of Boston, only slightly faster than walking and slower than cycling.

Oak Square to Kenmore (Eastbound/Inbound) (travel times)
1710601398447.png

Oak Square to Kenmore (Eastbound/Inbound), speed in MPH
1710601528482.png
 
Any updates on the spring schedules? The T typically releases them by mid-March I think..

Spring schedules start April 7th, 2024. The T typically releases new schedules 5 - 9 calendar days before the schedule changes (I've tracked initital releases/start dates for the GTFS schedule). This means we will get new spring schedules either March 29th or April 1st/2nd/3rd.
 

Back
Top