Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Why does the GL viaduct from Lechmere to Gilmore Bridge have to be replaced? Why not just rehabbed with only intermittent closures?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

That's great... But the budget is pretty much DOA. Hard to say what will ultimately be included.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

TheBostonian said:
I think the new color is a decent idea. DC has more than one "line" running on the same tracks. Look, for example, at their proposed Silver Line.

WMATA_Silver_Line_system_map.png
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I absolutely LOVE the DC Metro lines!!

The trains there go much faster - up to 25 mph faster than the slow trains here in Boston! So fast that in the tunnels, all you see, at times, is a eye-popping blur!! :cool:
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Jahvon09 said:
I absolutely LOVE the DC Metro lines!!

The trains there go much faster - up to 25 mph faster than the slow trains here in Boston! So fast that in the tunnels, all you see, at times, is a eye-popping blur!! :cool:
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I wonder why that is. Are their signals more advanced than ours? Are the stops farther apart, allowing them to crank up the speed?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

WMATA is 1970s construction with long interstation gaps, full computerization (that they are not taking complete advantage of), and track geometry that allows top speeds of 60 mph or so.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

BussesAin'tTrains said:
I wonder why that is. Are their signals more advanced than ours? Are the stops farther apart, allowing them to crank up the speed?
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Also, it could be that the tracks are WELDED together, allowing for a continuously long smoother ride, as opposed to lines that have their tracks BOLTED together.

Bolted tracks are supposed to be non-existent, but some transit agencies still use them. The MBTA still uses them on some lines, such as the underground portion of the Blue Line.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Jahvon09 said:
Also, it could be that the tracks are WELDED together, allowing for a continuously long smoother ride, as opposed to lines that have their tracks BOLTED together.

Bolted tracks are supposed to be non-existent, but some transit agencies still use them. The MBTA still uses them on some lines, such as the underground portion of the Blue Line.
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Not to mention these trains see less twists and turns underground as they tend to follow the streets which are gridded. A person in Philly can see 5 or 6 stations down from their stop. Boston unfortunately doesn't have that.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Pretty sure the MBTA uses continuously welded rail for much of the system. The Green Line is a notable exception.

WMATA doesn't follow the street grid downtown. It's very deep underground. You'll notice it twist and turn while riding. The schematic map is deceptive, the tracks are not that neat. I think the Google Maps website with the Transit overlay shows it a bit better.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

The twists and turns though still tend to be much larger in radius allowing higher speeds. The transit overlay for google maps at least for WMATA seems to simply trace a straight line between stations regardless of actual track patterns this can easily be seen with the red line when it goes above ground in the suburbs. It does give a good general idea though and still shows that the system overall has fewer tight corners.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Matthew said:
Pretty sure the MBTA uses continuously welded rail for much of the system. The Green Line is a notable exception.

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Majority of MBTA Green Line is welded rail, originally installed in multiple rebuild programs in the 1970s and 1980s. There are still some sections on Beacon St. with several blocks of bolted rail. As noted above, most significant stretch of bolted rail on the MBTA rapid transit system is the Blue Line between Bowdoin and Airport. Most of this Blue Line track was replaced in the 1990s and upgraded with heavier weight rail and pandrol fastnenings, but it was replaced in sections as bolted rail.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Yeah, the ride is very smooth on the Riverside (D) Line at ground level going to Newton.
My only shortcoming was that every time that I used that line was that the trolleys are very problematic, causing many delays.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I just noticed this simulation of the GLX from Lechmere to Union and back, I had only seen the one to College Ave. before. Does anyone know what the track split off to the right at 0:38 and to the left (when going south back to Lechmere) at 3:01 is? Is that for bring trains to the carhouse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYQsB3wQF84&list=UUxp_mWe1uTbaDgw3MqSLb2g
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Yeah pretty sure that's for the car-house.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I know that the commonwealth ave line has jointed rail, because I see it all the time. I can believe that they welded it underground.

If you want to see a rail system that takes really sharp curves to follow a street grid, go to Pittsburgh. The newer part, the subway, was built in the 80s and it zig zags across downtown. Or as they say, dahntahn.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Green Line Extension Friends -

MassDOT and the MBTA invite you to join Governor Patrick, Secretary Davey, Mayor Curtatone, and other state and local elected officials to announce an important milestone of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project.

On Wednesday April 30, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. join us on the Somerville Community Path where the path meets Cedar Street in Somerville, MA (Cedar Street between Alpine Street and Warwick Street) to hear more about this next exciting development for GLX.

We hope to see you there!
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Hmmm...sounds like either the start of work on the Community Path from Cedar St to Lowell, or an "End of Phase 1" announcement (they've finished demolishing the bus/tire warehouse, re-doing the Medford St Bridge, and have much of the road-underpass, 4-track-ROW work done at Harvard St)
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

The work from Cedar to Lowell is already going on. They just removed part of a parking lot on Cedar that was encroaching on the right-of-way.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

It ain't over till the fat lady sings, but it finally looks like they're progressing.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

They're probably announcing they selected a bidder to do the work for Phase II (Union Sq and Brickbottom extensions only).
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

BostonUrbEx said:
They're probably announcing they selected a bidder to do the work for Phase II (Union Sq and Brickbottom extensions only).
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That would be good, but it seems like you would go to Union Sq or Washington St for that--not Cedar @ Community Path, which is a very "bike" or Phase 3/4 or "whole thing" kind of vibe
 
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