Mass Ave Elevated

[Lurker]

Because the almighty #1 could use some help.

Branching from the Red near JFK/UMass, run over the start of Mass Ave @ Columbia Road, Station @ South Bay Center, Boston Medical Center, Huntington Ave, Boylston Street, somewhere around MIT, dive under and connect nearby or just past Central Square.

 

[Pierce]

Because the almighty #1 could use some help.

Branching from the Red near JFK/UMass, run over the start of Mass Ave @ Columbia Road, Station @ South Bay Center, Boston Medical Center, Huntington Ave, Boylston Street, somewhere around MIT, dive under and connect nearby or just past Central Square.

Makes sense in terms of the existing subway map and how people move through the city, but i'm wondering if an elevated isn't more money/hassle than a subway tunnel given the weight of red line cars and the amount of foundation work that would need to be done. Not too mention an elevated line would be kind of nasty in places along there: the relationship of symphony hall to jordan hall and christian science plaza, while by no means a great urban space currently, would be destroyed; and the long, low profile of the harvard bridge that so nicely settles into the basin would be gone

 

[Shepard]

The red line extension mentioned, plus an array of important fixed-infrastructure tram/trolleybus lines that I think should be implemented (or which already exist in the case of those west of Harvard)... The one extra tunnel I'd propose for these lines would be between Brigham Circle and Brookline VIllage. Plus, of course: blue-red connector, green line extension, and a DMU-based Indigo line on Fairmount and Framingham lines for good measure (similar in concept to Paris RER).

I agree with Pierce that the red line branch would be better off as a subway.

 

[ablarc]

^ Pretty Good Shepard.

I especially like the closely-spaced stations; Red Line could use a few more.

 

[Beton Brut]

I like how you think, Lurker. This idea, value engineered.

No EL past Symphony Hall, please...