Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

RandomWalk said:
I noticed that some of the fancy lights at Magoun were not working recently, and the regular light over the fare validator too. I guess they must be getting close if they are getting a head start on the neglect.
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There's a height restriction sign on the new community path bridge span that crosses washington st. beside the entrance to the E.Somerville station. It's right at the center of the new bridge and it's clearly wedged in place with some scrap timber.
I'm guessing it will stay like that for years.
 
Something I was thinking about today is if theres any plans to add a commuter rail platform for transfers at tufts, or are they waiting for the medford extension? That way commuters coming in on the CR who want to go to tufts or any other stops along the GL can transfer at tufts and then take the GL to their stop vs having to take the CR all the way to north station, transfer to green, then ride it back out the way they came to get to their stop.
 
stick n move said:
Something I was thinking about today is if theres any plans to add a commuter rail platform for transfers at tufts, or are they waiting for the medford extension? That way commuters coming in on the CR who want to go to tufts or any other stops along the GL can transfer at tufts and then take the GL to their stop vs having to take the CR all the way to north station, transfer to green, then ride it back out the way they came to get to their stop.
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Certainly no plans for it that I know of. I don't know if there's even room to squeeze CR platforms in there at all (and if there ever was, there probably isn't now given they never provisioned for anything like that in the GLX designs).
 
stick n move said:
Something I was thinking about today is if theres any plans to add a commuter rail platform for transfers at tufts, or are they waiting for the medford extension? That way commuters coming in on the CR who want to go to tufts or any other stops along the GL can transfer at tufts and then take the GL to their stop vs having to take the CR all the way to north station, transfer to green, then ride it back out the way they came to get to their stop.
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TransitMatters' recent Lowell Line Modernization Report called for adding a Tufts infill station mainly for the sake of University reverse-commutes, not Green Line transfers. But that's already been tried once at Tufts (1976-79) with disastrously low ridership, and their rationale lacks any verifiable demographic argument to back it up (Tufts is not a significant commuter school). The TM report did acknowledge that costs were likely to be a major factor against siting a Regional Rail stop there because of the lack of available space for shivving it in next to the GLX stop.

In reality the number of riders who'd need to make that transfer to one of the Somerville GLX intermediates is extremely small, so it would not get a lot of utilization for the purpose you're proposing. Not a whole lot of bus enrichment either, which most of the other CR/rapid transit transfer stops on the system have going for them. On the Green Line it's problematic coming at the end of a branch, where routing flexibility (inbound-only, Medford Branch stops only) is limited. GLX-Medford isn't going to be a slow branch, and North Station comes before the Lechmere branch split so for distribution's sake the transfer need is already covered for the widest audience. It would also slow down the Lowell Line to add another stop, which is unwise when so few riders would benefit. And the costs/benefits are going to be overall very sucky when the spatially-constrained station is more expensive than average to construct but winds up bringing bottom-division ridership for the extra expense.
 
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East Somerville Station, and the site of the proposed Route 16 stop, have the most space it seems like for an additional CR stop. East Somerville Station is where the CR branches off, but there there's no rail connection to Union Sq. (a bus connection is still available, but the 86 bus is only every 35 - 40 mins frequency)

Otherwise, Route 16 Stop seems to be the other option, since it's surrounded by parking lots on both sides of the ROW, but both the GLX would need that extension to Route 16 and the CR would be right at the bridge, so...

Other Medford Branch stops either do not have sufficent ROW space, and/or the bridges would need to be rebuilt again.

For now, To get between the GLX and the West Medford CR station, the 94 bus is currently the main way to make the connection, aside from travelling down to North Station. The 80 bus is also available, although I'm not sure if the MBTA is going to cut the 80 back to College Ave. in the winter 2023 quarterly schedule adjustment, reduce frequency, or if it's going to wait until BNRD Phase 1 in 2023. Stay tuned for the winter 2023 bus schedule changes coming soon-ish.


I don't think a CR station at College Ave. makes the most sense, since the entire walkshed is 100% dominated by Tufts, and when school is not in session, ridership would be extremely low. Even with the GLX, GLX is opening right at the start of winter break, so ridership at the College Ave. GLX stop will be entirely reliant on school being in session or not.
 
The DEIR studied the possibility of commuter rail platforms at Tufts or Gilman. Neither was recommended - the extra width of a platform and a gauntlet or passing track would require significant property takings, and the close proximity to West Medford would add time for existing Lowell Line riders.
 
I've also heard (fairly reliably) that the rapid transit map is in error and soon to be corrected - i.e, that the E Branch will indeed go to Medford/Tufts. That means that in a week's time, Heath Street will technically be the eastern terminus of E Branch service.
 
Hypothetical future utopia: the North-South Rail Link has been built, full-build Rail Vision Alternative 6 has been implemented, there are electric trains passing through Somerville every 15 minutes on each line, and ridership is astronomical.

The mayor of Somerville wants a piece of the pie and asks your opinion as to where in city limits a station should be added. What do you think is the best option of the bunch? A GLX Lowell Line stop? Union? Assembly?
 
bigeman312 said:
The mayor of Somerville wants a piece of the pie and asks your opinion as to where in city limits a station should be added. What do you think is the best option of the bunch? A GLX Lowell Line stop? Union? Assembly?
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Added to what mode? Commuter/Regional Rail, Green? A CR station at Assembly wouldn't be particularly useful, especially in any scenario where the Western Route's (partially unfixable) single tracking consigns most of the Reading runs to the surface terminal rather than the NSRL. Other than maybe Brickbottom there's no readily-identifiable site on the Lowell Line suitable for a CR/RR-GLX transfer station, and any way you shake it a GLX infill would have better headway prospects than Regional Rail (though I can't see where there'd be a gigantic need for an additional GL stop south of Tufts). On a stop-spacing basis, a GLX infill between Union Square and a Porter extension might make sense, but absent some fairly significant eminent domain takings, there's nowhere readily identifiable to put it. Is "nowhere" an option?
 
Brattle Loop said:
Added to what mode? Commuter/Regional Rail, Green? A CR station at Assembly wouldn't be particularly useful, especially in any scenario where the Western Route's (partially unfixable) single tracking consigns most of the Reading runs to the surface terminal rather than the NSRL. Other than maybe Brickbottom there's no readily-identifiable site on the Lowell Line suitable for a CR/RR-GLX transfer station, and any way you shake it a GLX infill would have better headway prospects than Regional Rail (though I can't see where there'd be a gigantic need for an additional GL stop south of Tufts). On a stop-spacing basis, a GLX infill between Union Square and a Porter extension might make sense, but absent some fairly significant eminent domain takings, there's nowhere readily identifiable to put it. Is "nowhere" an option?
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I agree I don’t see the rationale for a Lowell Line in-fill station. The purpose of one would be as a node to connect to a business district and most of the GLX Medford segment land use is heavily residential. GLX itself will already provide that link from residential areas to job centers in East Cambridge, downtown, and Back Bay. The only viable location for in-fill CR would be East Somerville, given its proximity to all the underused industrial parcels that are or will be redeveloped in Brickbottom to Union Square. But any sort of tangible business district in that area is still at least a decade away from a build out worthy of an in-fill CR station.

Anyone on the Lowell Line currently can get off at NS and backtrack on GL to Lechmere for East Cambridge job access.
 
The biggest boost to Lowell Line users commuting to USq or Lechmere would be electrified CR every :15 or :20 to North Station.

Next would be GLX2 to Rt 16 as a bus mini hub.
 
I think that providing some sort of ped connection over the river between the future RT16 stop and West Medford would suffice (which should happen anyway to connect W Medford with the GL). Eliminates any potential ‘double backing’ and no need to shim an additional platform into a constricted ROW. Ideally, there could be a CR/GL superstation on the bridge itself like Blackfriars in London that would replace W. Medford without increasing the walk from the neighborhood, but you would have to heavily modify/ reconstruct the (what l recall as historically listed) bridge.
 
Arlington said:
The biggest boost to Lowell Line users commuting to USq or Lechmere would be electrified CR every :15 or :20 to North Station.

Next would be GLX2 to Rt 16 as a bus mini hub.
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What about Fitchburg Line riders commuting to Union Square? In a full-build regional rail system (Rail Vision Alternative 6), would you see utility or feasibility in a Union Square infill stop? (asking for honest opinions)
 
The School St Bridge looked like it was very close to reopening this morning. The dumpster and portable toilets have been pulled, along with most of the fencing.

The School St headhouse entrance, however, has some sort of temporary enclosure and heaters.
 
Highwayguy said:
I think that providing some sort of ped connection over the river between the future RT16 stop and West Medford would suffice (which should happen anyway to connect W Medford with the GL). Eliminates any potential ‘double backing’ and no need to shim an additional platform into a constricted ROW. Ideally, there could be a CR/GL superstation on the bridge itself like Blackfriars in London that would replace W. Medford without increasing the walk from the neighborhood, but you would have to heavily modify/ reconstruct the (what l recall as historically listed) bridge.
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This 100%. Construct GLX to Rt. 16, then build a shared use path to West Medford station (High Street) along the west side of the Lowell CR ROW. There’s even enough room to continue the shared use path north to Wedgemere Station (Bacon Street) and connect to the southern terminus of the Tri-Community Greenway.
 
Arlington said:
The biggest boost to Lowell Line users commuting to USq or Lechmere would be electrified CR every :15 or :20 to North Station.

Next would be GLX2 to Rt 16 as a bus mini hub.
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Speaking of "GLX2", obviously it would be satisfying to see the original dream of the GL terminating at Rt 16 or beyond come to fruition, but I really hope that it falls down the totem pole on the list of expansion priorities in favor of BLX to Lynn, Red-Blue, or CR electrification.

I mean, it would have been great had it not been axed from the original GLX but at this point I just don't think it's worth doing in this world we live in where the MBTA can do 1-2 things at a time. At least not for a while. Unless someone can convince me otherwise?

If the GL expands through Somerville and Cambridge ever again I'd much rather see Union<->Porter.
 
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