Gov't Center Station Rebuild

[citylover94]

2 years is way too long. The impact on the surrounding businesses has got to be severe. Overnight thousands of blue line and green line riders who used to exit and enter this station and frequent the nearby business are now gone. I am one of them.

And state street is about a block or two away and I'm sure many people who used to use Government Center now walk there and go by the same business that are near Government Center. As mentioned previously Bowdoin is also really nearby.

 

[commuter guy]

You can still get off the train at Bowden Station and walk up a short distance to Gov't Center. I've done that many times.

^ People don't seem to understand the significance of this being a transfer station. I work near the aquarium. I would take the D line and transfer to the blue. I now buck up a lot more money and take a commuter rail into S. Station and walk to work from there.

My old commute in the evening involved taking the blue line (or walking) and catching the D line at Govt Center. It's the green line so the commute was never terrific but at least I'd be able to get on the train and often get a seat at Govt Center. After they closed govt center I tried walking up after work from the Aquarium area to Park St to catch the D train but it's an absolute shit show now. There are a lot more people trying to board the trains at Park St. now and often I'm not able to board the train. So long story short, although I wish it were so, it's not as easy as walking the extra 200 feet to Bowdoin.

 

[commuter guy]

And state street is about a block or two away and I'm sure many people who used to use Government Center now walk there and go by the same business that are near Government Center. As mentioned previously Bowdoin is also really nearby.

Keep in mind there are plenty of duplicates or similar businesses for the Dunkins, Starbucks, CVS and Kinsale's, Paneras that were located right across from Govt. Center station. I bet a fair amount of people who have changed their commuting habits even if it was as close as State St. are going to a different dunkins etc. I changed my commuting pattern so I know for a fact all the above businesses have a least one less customer now. Commonsense tells me I am not alone.

 

[Jahvon09]

Keep in mind there are plenty of duplicates or similar businesses for the Dunkins, Starbucks, CVS and Kinsale's, Paneras that were located right across from Govt. Center station. I bet a fair amount of people who have changed their commuting habits even if it was as close as State St. are going to a different dunkins etc. I changed my commuting pattern so I know for a fact all the above businesses have a least one less customer now. Commonsense tells me I am not alone.

Also, there's a Burger King there as well.

 

[Jahvon09]

I believe I read when they were proposing the shutdown versus keeping the station open that the timeline was three years if the station remained open, two years if it were closed. The MBTA never explained why we're only able to save a third of the time with the closure. Two years still seems like a very long time for the renovation considering they have unfettered access 34/7/365 to the job site.

I think at one time, that they were talking about a four-year program, which would have doubled the down time of the station.

 

[Jahvon09]

Also, the Red Line service gets partially closed on some weekends between Park Street Station & Kendall, due to the rehab program at the Gov't Center Station.

Orange Line service seems to be affexted at times as well. We already knew that the Blue Line would be.

 

[jdrinboston]

Also, the Red Line service gets partially closed on some weekends between Park Street Station & Kendall, due to the rehab program at the Gov't Center Station.

Orange Line service seems to be affexted at times as well. We already knew that the Blue Line would be.

Come again? Why would the Red Line be shut down from Park Street to Kendall due to the Gov't Center project? Does that make any sense? Of course the Longfellow Bridge rebuild may have something to do with the Red Line being shut down from time to time.

And why exactly would the Orange Line by affected by the work at Gov't Center?

 

[gooseberry]

It seems like no big deal if you didn't have to transfer at Gov't Center as part of your commute before the shut. Right now it is taking me about 1 1/2 hours to get to work a distance of about 7 miles. The T should not be spending money on anything that does not improve or expand service. Seriously they're constantly proposing fare hikes and service cuts, who does a fucking pretty new station benefit? No-fucking-body. They should have done the absolute minimum to add an elevator to appease all the fat asses on their hoverounds without interupting service for everyone else.

 

[George_Apley]

The closure sucks for those affected, but can we tone it down please... Jesus. Elevators to "appease all the fat asses on their hoverounds"? Sounds like bitchy venting to me.

Your commute now takes much longer than before? How long did it take before? What's making it take longer? Shuttle busses? Further walk? Transfer time?

Your commute is now more expensive due a change of mode. Did you switch to commuter rail? Car?

Were it me, I would probably do Green-Orange-Blue or vice versa. Maybe it's easy to say since that's not my commute, but doing the Orange Line transfer from Green or Blue can't make your commute that much longer, can it? I've ridden the OL at rush hour, and while it's crowded, it's not leaving people behind on the platform.

 

[Equilibria]

Were it me, I would probably do Green-Orange-Blue or vice versa. Maybe it's easy to say since that's not my commute, but doing the Orange Line transfer from Green or Blue can't make your commute that much longer, can it? I've ridden the OL at rush hour, and while it's crowded, it's not leaving people behind on the platform.

Well, it probably does if the train takes a while to show up. Personally, having a monthly pass (which any T commuter should/does), I'd hoof it from Park Street to State and take advantage of the fact that I'm not a, well, you know.

 

[George_Apley]

Well, it probably does if the train takes a while to show up. Personally, having a monthly pass (which any T commuter should/does), I'd hoof it from Park Street to State and take advantage of the fact that I'm not a, well, you know.

I was thinking that as well. And even if I'm not a monthly pass holder, if it's pay for the Commuter Rail, or pay double for the T, I'd probably rather pay double for the T (Unless I'm Zone 1A/1).

 

[jdrinboston]

Well, it probably does if the train takes a while to show up. Personally, having a monthly pass (which any T commuter should/does), I'd hoof it from Park Street to State and take advantage of the fact that I'm not a, well, you know.

I live in Winthrop and have worked in Quincy for the last 3 years. Rather than transfer from the Red to Orange at Downtown Crossing, I have always gotten out and walked to State Street where I use my monthly pass to gain entry. It's often times the most enjoyable 5 to 10 minutes of my day, especially with the Filene's building/tower construction.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Come again? Why would the Red Line be shut down from Park Street to Kendall due to the Gov't Center project? Does that make any sense? Of course the Longfellow Bridge rebuild may have something to do with the Red Line being shut down from time to time.

And why exactly would the Orange Line by affected by the work at Gov't Center?

Orange Line is not affected by the Government Center work. Weekend closures, timing issues are due to the new Assembly Square Station work -- totally unrelated.

 

[gooseberry]

The closure sucks for those affected, but can we tone it down please... Jesus. Elevators to "appease all the fat asses on their hoverounds"? Sounds like bitchy venting to me.

Your commute now takes much longer than before? How long did it take before? What's making it take longer? Shuttle busses? Further walk? Transfer time?

Your commute is now more expensive due a change of mode. Did you switch to commuter rail? Car?

Were it me, I would probably do Green-Orange-Blue or vice versa. Maybe it's easy to say since that's not my commute, but doing the Orange Line transfer from Green or Blue can't make your commute that much longer, can it? I've ridden the OL at rush hour, and while it's crowded, it's not leaving people behind on the platform.

My point was more that if taking the T is slower than jogging at a leisurely pace, they shouldn't be dumping money into vanity projects.

 

[datadyne007]

My point was more that if taking the T is slower than jogging at a leisurely pace, they shouldn't be dumping money into vanity projects.

You just don't get it do you? Accessibility is the LAW. It is astounding that it took them this long to do GC, considering it is one of the big transfer hubs. Accessibility is not about "accommodating fat asses on Hoverounds," nor are these projects "vanity projects." Accessibility is about accommodating all people with disabilities. It's about having high-level platforms to enable elderly and disabled people to get on trains without excess strain. It's about having tactile strips for visually disabled passengers. It's about having elevators for those who don't have the strength or are unable to climb stairs or use an escalator, whether it be a 24 year old with an ACL injury or a 60 year old with arthritis. It's about improving overall lighting schemes for those with visual disabilities.

 

[Matthew]

The T is miserable at accessibility and actively chooses to make accessibility worse in some cases.

They really need to get their shit straight or deserve another lawsuit.

No questions that GC needed to happen. The question is why it's still two years even with a near-total shutdown.

 

[datadyne007]

The T is miserable at accessibility and actively chooses to make accessibility worse in some cases.

They really need to get their shit straight or deserve another lawsuit.

No questions that GC needed to happen. The question is why it's still two years even with a near-total shutdown.

Ever try to hire an elevator contractor and then get the elevator contractor to finish on time? They are impossible to deal and coordinate with.

Also, the T is studying total accessibility improvements for Hynes, Symphony, and Wollaston as well as elevator replacements (replacing old elevators with new ones that meet the new MBTA Elevator Design Criteria such as pass-thru cabs and dual COPs) at Andrew & Tufts Medical Center.

 

[omaja]

^ People don't seem to understand the significance of this being a transfer station. I work near the aquarium. I would take the D line and transfer to the blue. I now buck up a lot more money and take a commuter rail into S. Station and walk to work from there.

Maybe I am missing something, but Park Street-Aquarium is basically the same distance as South Station-Aquarium... why wouldn't you continue taking the D to Park and walk (or D to Park and C/E to Haymarket for a shorter walk), and save yourself at least $103 a month?

 

[Semass]

No questions that GC needed to happen. The question is why it's still two years even with a near-total shutdown.

There are still trains going through there every 2 to 7 minutes some 18 hours per day. The wires are still live. This is not anywhere close to a full shut down. It is just a shutdown to people.

BTW, I use this station a lot so I agree that it is a hassle but after the never-ending project that was State, I would rather it just get done.

 

[Tombstoner]

The T is miserable at accessibility and actively chooses to make accessibility worse in some cases.

I don't know if that's entirely fair. My wheelchair-bound mom was visiting a while ago and we got everywhere on the T. Of course, things can be better and you may have a couple key gaps in mind, but accessibility was way better than any other city I've ever lived in (and lightyears ahead of what I've experienced in Europe and most of Asia). It's one of the few bright spots for which I think we need to pat ourselves on a back.