MBTA Buses & Infrastructure

[RandomWalk]

The Big Dig originally proposed a full tunnel inside the slurry walls, but that was VE’d into using the slurry walls directly as part of the tunnel box.

 

[BeeLine]

I don't see a lot of leakage in the tunnels. The Courthouse Station seems to have the major issue. I have never seen it dry.
I hope they also get the signs and anouncements working for the outbound side. You never know when/what the next SL will arrive. Rant over

 

[roy_mustang76]

People are pretty good about the painted bus/bike lane on Broadway in Somerville, even though there sure was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth when it first went in.

Lynn has some bus lanes already on N Common Street, S Common Street, and Market Street. They're not particularly well respected, and there's little chance that painted bus lanes on the Lynnway would be much better respected. As someone who drives that stretch of 1A frequently... The bus lanes are gonna need physical separation if you want to do it right imo.

 

[Stlin]

Apparently the MBTA and City of Boston will be launching a fare free pilot on the 28, to be announced tomorrow morning. NGL, I think that the 28 and the demographic it tends to serve is a pretty good choice; if fare free buses are going to be proven, I think it'd be proven here.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1419442727691882504

 

[Wash]

Around and around we go. The upper busway has re-opened at Harvard, and the lower one has re-closed.

 

[The EGE]

Info page for August 29 service changes is up. Not a lot exciting - minimal changes to subway, and nothing to CR and ferry. On the bus side, the highlights are that routes 351, 428, 451, 456, and 505 resume, and route 67 gets midday and evening service back.

 

[bigeman312]

Info page for August 29 service changes is up. Not a lot exciting - minimal changes to subway, and nothing to CR and ferry. On the bus side, the highlights are that routes 351, 428, 451, 456, and 505 resume, and route 67 gets midday and evening service back.

Missed opportunity to tighten up mid-day frequencies on the 23, which has higher ridership than some more frequent routes, even cracking the top three in ridership on some weeks.

 

[737900er]

Route 75: Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule changes. Weekday peak-service (formerly 72) via Aberdeen Ave is added. With Harvard Busway Renovation complete, inbound service resumes via busway.

Is 72 is officially dead?

 

[bigeman312]

Route 75: Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule changes. Weekday peak-service (formerly 72) via Aberdeen Ave is added. With Harvard Busway Renovation complete, inbound service resumes via busway.

Is 72 is officially dead?

It resumed service when fall schedules took effect in August of 2020. As just a weekday rush-only bus route (as part of the Better Bus Project changes that took effect in December 2019), ridership was abysmal:

Week of	Average Weekday 72 Bus Ridership
8/31/20	22
9/7/20	22
9/14/20	24
9/21/20	25
9/28/20	23
10/5/20	28
10/12/20	27
10/19/20	28
10/26/20	24
11/2/20	26
11/9/20	36
11/16/20	30
11/23/20	28
11/30/20	22
12/7/20	23
12/14/20	16

In December 2020, the 72 was temporarily suspended due to extremely low ridership. At that point, the 72 and 195 joined 15 other routes that were "temporarily suspended."

The MBTA suspended nine more routes in March and consolidated four to two.

Four routes were restored in June, but the 72 was not one of them.

Six more routes are being restored this month, but the 72 will not be one of them.

By my count, the 72 is one of 14 bus routes that remain "temporarily suspended," and not "officially consolidated," (even though many of these are unofficially consolidated/absorbed by other route changes) through the fall. These are the 72, 79, 84, 170, 212, 221, 325, 326, 352, 434, 465, 502, 503, 710.

In my opinion, restoration of the 79, 212, 325, 326, or 465 is questionable.

Restoration of the 72, 84, 170, 221, 352, 434, 502, 503, or 710 is doubtful.

I'd bet on the 72 having taken its last trip.

 

[saulblum]

Info page for August 29 service changes is up. Not a lot exciting - minimal changes to subway, and nothing to CR and ferry. On the bus side, the highlights are that routes 351, 428, 451, 456, and 505 resume, and route 67 gets midday and evening service back.

No indication if the other Waltham/Newton express buses (553, 554, 556, 558) will start going downtown again, or will still start/end at Newton Corner.

 

[The EGE]

An interesting artifact I saw during the Columbus Avenue busway construction: a section of old streetcar rail, last used in 1956. It was used by route 43 (North Station–Egleston), which was cut back to a new loop at Lenox Street.

 

[The EGE]

And some photos of the bus platforms themselves (taken July 8). They're definitely a step up from the Silver Line stops on Washington Street - the shelters are shaped to provide decent weather protection, and the lollipop signs are a nice touch.

Dimmock Street southbound:

Dimmock Street northbound:

Bray Street, southbound at right:

The platforms at Egleston Square were actually in use while construction was underway on the curb lane. Westbound:

Egleston Square eastbound:

Walnut Street, westbound at right:

 

[Hubman]

How high are the curb "platforms" on these stops? They appear to be a little higher than usual, and if they provide for level boarding with the busses, that would be amazing- and another step towards true BRT.

 

[KCasiglio]

How high are the curb "platforms" on these stops? They appear to be a little higher than usual, and if they provide for level boarding with the busses, that would be amazing- and another step towards true BRT.

Per the MBTA - they're "Near-level boarding" which seems odd to me. Why not fully level? Will they still have to deploy a ramp if someone in a wheelchair is trying to get on?

 

[JumboBuc]

Per the MBTA - they're "Near-level boarding" which seems odd to me. Why not fully level? Will they still have to deploy a ramp if someone in a wheelchair is trying to get on?

My guess is that the various models of T bus don't all have the same height, so fully level for one bus may not be fully level for another.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Per the MBTA - they're "Near-level boarding" which seems odd to me. Why not fully level? Will they still have to deploy a ramp if someone in a wheelchair is trying to get on?

I had two theories about this but no real answers. One, MBTA buses are all kneeling buses so it's better for the platform to be a little low rather than a little high and two, if the platform even slightly higher than the bus then the wheelchair ramp isn't going to deploy properly and I believe that even with near level access they still are required by the BCIL settlement to deploy ramps on request, even on the green line and silver line it's a requirement. Also expecting bus operators to pull perfectly up to the curb within a centimeter or two is pretty optimistic unfortunately.

 

[curcuas]

Anyone know if the MBTA is planning to advertise the busway as the best way to get to the Franklin Park zoo? Kind of a game changer there.

 

[The EGE]

Last week's update on the Columbus Avenue lanes from the MBTA. Not much substance - the canopies have already been up for over a month - but it does include the tidbit that the lanes are expected to open in September.

 

[Arlington]

I do not like the looks of those super-sharp granite curbs. I get that they stand up to Boston Winter, but they're going to tear bus tires' sidewalls open. Most BRT installations with raised curbs have either a low rub rail or smooth Kassel kerb/curb.

Rub Rail

Kassel Kerb (where the driver feels it riding up and can gracefully "drop away")

 

[Wash]

Talked with a construction worker at Harvard Square today who suggested that the lower busway could re-open as early as next week. Looking at the progress they've made over this most recent lower busway closure, it certainly seems possible.