MBTA Buses & Infrastructure

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Does this seriously mean that off-peak, buses will loop through Harvard Square twice? Something I haven't heard suggested a lot is boarding in upper busway, doing the standard common loop, and then expressing through the lower busway, which, y'know, avoids all that traffic in the square that's led to increased running times in the spring schedule.
 
TrolleybusFoaming said:
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Does this seriously mean that off-peak, buses will loop through Harvard Square twice? Something I haven't heard suggested a lot is boarding in upper busway, doing the standard common loop, and then expressing through the lower busway, which, y'know, avoids all that traffic in the square that's led to increased running times in the spring schedule.
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Isn't that the current Sunday operation pattern?
 
jass said:
If they projected say 80 a barrel for the next ten years, their analysis needs to be thrown out
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Historically very high oil prices have not lasted very long. This isn't normal times though...
 
jklo said:
Historically very high oil prices have not lasted very long. This isn't normal times though...
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If the involvement of the US and western Europe in this war becomes more direct (which it very well may), then our economy gets a lot more volatile, I would think.
 
For buses in need of replacement, the trackless trolleys looked just fine on my final ride before they are put out to pasture next week.
 
RandomWalk said:
For buses in need of replacement, the trackless trolleys looked just fine on my final ride before they are put out to pasture next week.
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They aren't anywhere close to replacement-age. Tracklesses last considerably longer than regular buses due to their simplified engines and much lighter weight-on-frame reducing wear. The TT generation before this one lasted 32 years in-service; these are only 17. And they're not ridden hard at all as a fleet within those 17 years because of the 73's and 72's long construction diesel-stitutions in recent years, and the 77A's downgrade to part-time on schedules.
 
I was wondering if anyone went out on the 71 or 73 today? I took my daughter and rode the 71 round trip from Harvard to Watertown Sq. It was insane the number of people on the sidewalks taking photos and video of the trolleybus. I did see the 73 in front of us have an issue with the overheads and blocked us as it was just before the switch for the 73 Belmont line. The driver went ahead and pulled the poles down and we were finally able to pass it. There were quite a few people just hopping on and off to have one last ride. I'm definitely glad I did it and I'm going to miss those buses for sure.
 
jarvismj said:
I was wondering if anyone went out on the 71 or 73 today? I took my daughter and rode the 71 round trip from Harvard to Watertown Sq. It was insane the number of people on the sidewalks taking photos and video of the trolleybus. I did see the 73 in front of us have an issue with the overheads and blocked us as it was just before the switch for the 73 Belmont line. The driver went ahead and pulled the poles down and we were finally able to pass it. There were quite a few people just hopping on and off to have one last ride. I'm definitely glad I did it and I'm going to miss those buses for sure.
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I grew up with the Mass Ave trackless trollies, and remember prior to them when the trolley cars (with tracks) ran to North Cambridge, and before that when they ran to Arlington Heights. We seem to be devolving instead of evolving. Let's spend $6 or $7/gallon to run the new diesel buses. Hooray!
 
I remain optimistic that trolleybuses will rise again in Boston, even if not on routes 71 and 73.
 
I was onboard the last trackless trolley trips on 71 and 73 last night, with another 20 or so transit nerds. Here are some photos from that trip and also some on Friday:

Last outbound 71 at Harvard.
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Last outbound 73 at Harvard.
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Last inbound 71 at Watertown Terminal.
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The final trip - last inbound 73 at Star Market.
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Out of service for a final time, at North Cambridge.
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71 at Mt Auburn St.
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73 at Waverly, at sunset.
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Pulling out of lower busway.
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77A at upper busway. (Not the same trip)
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The wires...
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I have uploaded some additional photos on imgur. Reddit user u/Stevaavo has also written about the experience in this post.
 
Teban54 said:
I was onboard the last trackless trolley trips on 71 and 73 last night, with another 20 or so transit nerds. Here are some photos from that trip and also some on Friday:

Last outbound 71 at Harvard.
View attachment 22241

Last outbound 73 at Harvard.
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Last inbound 71 at Watertown Terminal.
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The final trip - last inbound 73 at Star Market.
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Out of service for a final time, at North Cambridge.
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71 at Mt Auburn St.
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73 at Waverly, at sunset.
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Pulling out of lower busway.
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77A at upper busway. (Not the same trip)
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The wires...
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I have uploaded some additional photos on imgur. Reddit user u/Stevaavo has also written about the experience in this post.
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Man, I used to take the 73 to Cushing Sq fairly regularly for a good long time. Miss those days (in general, but also it was fun to catch the 73 from Harvard)
 
This may have been posted back in January when the meeting happened, but Boston's proposal for Western Ave. is pretty radical. Full busway:


This is a good idea with parallel SFR - I might suggest working with National Development to punch a vehicular connection through to "T" Western into SFR just after the Smith Playground.

This is the best current way to resolve the Transit needs for this corridor and Arsenal. Then get bidirectional bus lanes on Western all the way to the river. Not much you can do on the Cambridge side, though.
 
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