Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

The spot where its at is a few feet down from street level due to the bridge ramp passing in front of it, so its kind of in a dead spot. Because of this I dont think its that bad. Theres supposed to be an apartment building built next to it, which should dwarf this little box. If they add a dummy facade or mural to it its going to be barely noticeable.
 
[Bother. This reply sat nearly finished in an overlooked tab for over a day.]

Some new updates from the MBTA ig:

The cynic in me always gets a pleasant little surprise when I see the flying junction north of Lechmere. Given how it seems like all transit projects go through a ruthless cost-cutting process these days, I would've figured that someone would say, "Hmm, it's only supposed to be two branches, they can make do with a flat junction." But the better decision ultimately won out.

Our grandchildren will be applauding that decision a century from now.

"The specific branch assignments are a reversal from earlier plans, which called for extending the D branch to Medford and the E branch to Union Square. Asked about the switch, Pesaturo said Friday that the D branch — which is by far the longest arm of the four Green Line branches — was assigned to the shorter extension to Union Square to make it a more reasonable length for trains."

“A shorter trip than the D branch, E branch trains have been assigned to the longer leg of the extension (Medford),” Pesaturo said in an email."

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/04/09/mbta-green-line-extension-union-square-october/

You know, I somehow always thought that D-Union/E-Medford was the plan all along. And for exactly this reason, too. (Back in January I walked through some of my thinking about branch assignment. Though I didn't spell out explicitly that the D should go to Union and E to Medford, I think it's the logical conclusion from the points I laid out.) In any case, I'm glad this is what we're landing on. It's not without its drawbacks, but it's the least bad alternative. And I think we are likely to see more than a few underadvertised run-as-directed's that come in from Lechmere and loop at Government Center.

Why do the squares on GLX get a "Sq" tagged on the end and all the other stops at squares don't? Nitpicky but they should be consistent.

This isn't a problem limited to GLX. Sometimes the inconsistency even crops up between maps and station signs -- consider Green Street, which nevertheless is signed simply as "Green". Or "Park St" on maps but "Park Street" spelled out on station signs, which obviously is a bit more understandable as a space-saving measure on maps, but still inconsistent. And then the station announcements on the train itself are often another layer of inconsistency altogether.

In general, I believe stations should be named consistently with local nomenclature; a station name should not feel "unnatural" to neighborhood residents.

I will admit that I personally prefer shorter, punchier station names, lacking suffixes like "Street" or "Square" -- it should be "Harvard station", not "Harvard Square station". Frankly this is in part because the "Square" ≠ the station. Beyond the occasional physical distance (Magoun, I'm looking at you), there's also the matter that the station is underground usually -- even if the lat/long is identical to the square above, it's still a distinct place.
 
You know, I somehow always thought that D-Union/E-Medford was the plan all along. And for exactly this reason, too. (Back in January I walked through some of my thinking about branch assignment. Though I didn't spell out explicitly that the D should go to Union and E to Medford, I think it's the logical conclusion from the points I laid out.) In any case, I'm glad this is what we're landing on. It's not without its drawbacks, but it's the least bad alternative. And I think we are likely to see more than a few underadvertised run-as-directed's that come in from Lechmere and loop at Government Center.

I recall reading somewhere (I don't think it was here, but I don't remember where it was) that the Brattle Loop can't quite platform two cars, so either we won't be seeing those run-as-directeds we should be seeing or they'll be instantly-identifiable Breda or Type 9 singles if that is the case. (I'm not sure if that information's accurate since I can't quite recall the source, though I do know that they did something wrong when they raised the platform, because they subsequently cut it back near the cinderblock wall.)
 
They’re installing a modular retaining wall behind the track level one between Central and Sycamore. It’s there to make the bike path less of a roller coaster for that block. Why they couldn’t use a taller track level wall and preserve a wider right of way for the bike path is a question worth asking.
 
Updated MBTA map at ruggles, with glx D to union, E to Medford, new chelsea CR transfer stop, new gl bu stop spacing.
Did they change the naming for the new B-Line stations? I thought they were to be Babcock and Amory St., but the map shows them as Babcock and St. Paul.
 
Amory Street was only announced as the name in February 2021; that map dates from December 2020.
 
They’re installing a modular retaining wall behind the track level one between Central and Sycamore. It’s there to make the bike path less of a roller coaster for that block. Why they couldn’t use a taller track level wall and preserve a wider right of way for the bike path is a question worth asking.

I believe the modular wall was originally planned for the other side of the path next to the ROW, but there were some issues that required they move it and prop up the path instead. By that time the track retaining wall was already in place.
 
Re the TPSS station, the local neighborhood association is partnering with the Somerville Arts Council on an RFP for arting it up. The SAC has a good track record for quality mural commissions, mostly in East and Union from the past few years: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/
 
I thought the intent was that the TPSSes were going to be integrated into whatever TOD goes in on those sites.
 
Amory Street was only announced as the name in February 2021; that map dates from December 2020.

So… the map is out of date by referencing stations which no longer exist/will no longer exist, but is also out of date by referencing stations that don’t yet exist.

I mean, honestly that’s just impressive.
 
That's an inherent problem with any system that is growing and changing. Either you have hard-surface maps (expensive to replace, stickers tend to peel), paper maps (need to be in a box, still have to print them), or digital maps (expensive screens, vulnerable to breakage/theft).
 
[Bother. This reply sat nearly finished in an overlooked tab for over a day.]



The cynic in me always gets a pleasant little surprise when I see the flying junction north of Lechmere. Given how it seems like all transit projects go through a ruthless cost-cutting process these days, I would've figured that someone would say, "Hmm, it's only supposed to be two branches, they can make do with a flat junction." But the better decision ultimately won out.

Our grandchildren will be applauding that decision a century from now.



You know, I somehow always thought that D-Union/E-Medford was the plan all along. And for exactly this reason, too. (Back in January I walked through some of my thinking about branch assignment. Though I didn't spell out explicitly that the D should go to Union and E to Medford, I think it's the logical conclusion from the points I laid out.) In any case, I'm glad this is what we're landing on. It's not without its drawbacks, but it's the least bad alternative. And I think we are likely to see more than a few underadvertised run-as-directed's that come in from Lechmere and loop at Government Center.



This isn't a problem limited to GLX. Sometimes the inconsistency even crops up between maps and station signs -- consider Green Street, which nevertheless is signed simply as "Green". Or "Park St" on maps but "Park Street" spelled out on station signs, which obviously is a bit more understandable as a space-saving measure on maps, but still inconsistent. And then the station announcements on the train itself are often another layer of inconsistency altogether.

In general, I believe stations should be named consistently with local nomenclature; a station name should not feel "unnatural" to neighborhood residents.

I will admit that I personally prefer shorter, punchier station names, lacking suffixes like "Street" or "Square" -- it should be "Harvard station", not "Harvard Square station". Frankly this is in part because the "Square" ≠ the station. Beyond the occasional physical distance (Magoun, I'm looking at you), there's also the matter that the station is underground usually -- even if the lat/long is identical to the square above, it's still a distinct place.

I was under the impression that those unbuilt sections were going to be used for sending trains directly into the maintenance yard, but they cut those viaducts out to save money, so now the trains just have to take a longer route to get to the yard. Then those little branch extensions stayed so they didnt have to redo the blueprints, but they could delete the viaducts after the branch. I didnt even think about it but I guess it could be used to somehow snake something across the yard to put an extension across the mystic? Is that what youre saying its for?

I personally always thought it makes more sense to branch the OL there and send it across the mystic and up to lynn because you can serve everett, chelsea, revere, and lynn vs extending the blue line you only serve that little strip of revere and then lynn. I guess you could do the same with green but I cant see how you can snake it under the highway and above the tracks to get to the other side. Is that possible?
 
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I hope theyre going to dress up that grey mechanical box to make it blend in to the street wall. Little easter eggs like that are cool to spot around the city, especially the ones that are dressed up really well. This one reminds me of the one directly across from the landsdowne station for the green line tunnels. Its a big grey box too, but they added a brick facade, corniche, window frames, fake doorway arch…etc. They prob should have painted the windows black or something, but either way this one is pretty cool. I love stuff like this.

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I used to live around the corner from this beauty in Brooklyn, "the world's only Greek Revival subway ventilator."

800px-58_Joralemon_St._Facade.jpg
 
I was under the impression that those unbuilt sections were going to be used for sending trains directly into the maintenance yard, but they cut those viaducts out to save money, so now the trains just have to take a longer route to get to the yard. Then those little branch extensions stayed so they didnt have to redo the blueprints, but they could delete the viaducts after the branch. I didnt even think about it but I guess it could be used to somehow snake something across the yard to put an extension across the mystic? Is that what youre saying its for?

I personally always thought it makes more sense to branch the OL there and send it across the mystic and up to lynn because you can serve everett, chelsea, revere, and lynn vs extending the blue line you only serve that little strip of revere and then lynn. I guess you could do the same with green but I cant see how you can snake it under the highway and above the tracks to get to the other side. Is that possible?
The extensions were in the design to provide for a connection to the maintenance facility back when it was unclear where it was going to be. They were kept in the design as a result of advocacy from (I think) the Sierra Club and others in order to preserve them for a future light rail Urban Ring connection. This line would go through Sullivan where the freight storage tracks are now and then cross the Mystic to join the Newburyport/Rockport ROW. It could also go the other way down the Grand Junction through East Cambridge and across the Charles.
 
Updated MBTA map at ruggles, with glx D to union, E to Medford, new chelsea CR transfer stop, new gl bu stop spacing.

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"The specific branch assignments are a reversal from earlier plans, which called for extending the D branch to Medford and the E branch to Union Square. Asked about the switch, Pesaturo said Friday that the D branch — which is by far the longest arm of the four Green Line branches — was assigned to the shorter extension to Union Square to make it a more reasonable length for trains."

“A shorter trip than the D branch, E branch trains have been assigned to the longer leg of the extension (Medford),” Pesaturo said in an email."

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/04/09/mbta-green-line-extension-union-square-october/
Glad they flattened out the weird bend between North Station and Haymarket.
 
The extensions were in the design to provide for a connection to the maintenance facility back when it was unclear where it was going to be. They were kept in the design as a result of advocacy from (I think) the Sierra Club and others in order to preserve them for a future light rail Urban Ring connection. This line would go through Sullivan where the freight storage tracks are now and then cross the Mystic to join the Newburyport/Rockport ROW. It could also go the other way down the Grand Junction through East Cambridge and across the Charles.

Wouldn't a Grand Junction branch spur off the Union Square branch rather than the carhouse leads, or do I have the location of the junction mixed up in my head?
 
Wouldn't a Grand Junction branch spur off the Union Square branch rather than the carhouse leads, or do I have the location of the junction mixed up in my head?

Thats what F line said would be done for a green to grand junction extension. He even drew up a rough sketch of how it would work with the tracks that would head westbound going underneath the union tracks to get to the grand junction row.
 

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