AdamBC
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MBTA Construction Projects
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Re: T construction news
For those not stocking up on eggs, bread, and milk on Monday night, there is a T public meeting that includes a presentation on the Gov't Center project which is supposed to go out to bid soon.
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/public_meetings/?id=23361
For those not stocking up on eggs, bread, and milk on Monday night, there is a T public meeting that includes a presentation on the Gov't Center project which is supposed to go out to bid soon.
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/public_meetings/?id=23361
BostonUrbEx
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Re: T construction news
Hmm. I may go to this. Although, I can't imagine what input could possibly be necessary at this phase other than "Don't close the damn station for 3 years!"
Hmm. I may go to this. Although, I can't imagine what input could possibly be necessary at this phase other than "Don't close the damn station for 3 years!"
F-Line to Dudley
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Re: T construction news
I would like to see them get hammered at backing away from the second Blue-only entrance. It's the same pointless mentality that's had the Berkeley St. entrance to Arlington and the Boylston St. entrance to Hynes shuttered for years with them digging in ever more over time.
If they built that entrance FIRST, you could seal the Blue-Green stairs to rip up the upper level but keep the Blue station fully operating for the entire duration of the construction. There is no reason why the station has to be closed for both lines other than "we don't wanna". Bowdoin is no effective substitute. All 6 cars can't open doors for boarding on the return trip because the platform's too short. That's going to suck at rush hour with Blue and Bowdoin having to carry that much heavier a load for 3 years.
I would like to see them get hammered at backing away from the second Blue-only entrance. It's the same pointless mentality that's had the Berkeley St. entrance to Arlington and the Boylston St. entrance to Hynes shuttered for years with them digging in ever more over time.
If they built that entrance FIRST, you could seal the Blue-Green stairs to rip up the upper level but keep the Blue station fully operating for the entire duration of the construction. There is no reason why the station has to be closed for both lines other than "we don't wanna". Bowdoin is no effective substitute. All 6 cars can't open doors for boarding on the return trip because the platform's too short. That's going to suck at rush hour with Blue and Bowdoin having to carry that much heavier a load for 3 years.
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Re: T construction news
^Why is the Berkeley entrance closed/emergency exit only now? Are they renovating the concourse? Didn't that actually get renovated first before they closed the real Arlington St concourse for reno/ADA? I seem to remember it that way for some reason.
Btw, where on the surface is the blue only entrance? I've only seen the stairs underground and pix of the spaces above online, but can't seem to place it.
^Why is the Berkeley entrance closed/emergency exit only now? Are they renovating the concourse? Didn't that actually get renovated first before they closed the real Arlington St concourse for reno/ADA? I seem to remember it that way for some reason.
Btw, where on the surface is the blue only entrance? I've only seen the stairs underground and pix of the spaces above online, but can't seem to place it.
Re: T construction news
The seemingly-endless nightmare of Kenmore suggests that a 3 year closure (Blue exempted) would be the better option.
It still seems like a ridiculously long amount of time. How many months did we peer behind the barricades at partially-renovated stations, only to discover not a single person was working?
Why is it closed? Because the T doesn't want to open it.
Are they renovating the concourse? No.
It went through a lengthy clean-up period before the Public Garden side was closed for a few years. Lights were replaced, fare collection equipment was installed, they put in a fire alarm... but the concourse itself wasn't really modified in any way.
It looked and felt very temporary. Of course, it took quite a while to get it to even that state, and afterwards they just closed it.
At the time, there was no sense that the Berkeley entrance would be shut for good. Some people thought the T would then renovate it (for real, this time) and clean it up.
One day the Berkeley entrances had nice, permeant signs saying "Emergency Exit" and everyone who used the station regularly realized they had been fooled again.
The seemingly-endless nightmare of Kenmore suggests that a 3 year closure (Blue exempted) would be the better option.
It still seems like a ridiculously long amount of time. How many months did we peer behind the barricades at partially-renovated stations, only to discover not a single person was working?
Why is it closed? Because the T doesn't want to open it.
Are they renovating the concourse? No.
It went through a lengthy clean-up period before the Public Garden side was closed for a few years. Lights were replaced, fare collection equipment was installed, they put in a fire alarm... but the concourse itself wasn't really modified in any way.
It looked and felt very temporary. Of course, it took quite a while to get it to even that state, and afterwards they just closed it.
At the time, there was no sense that the Berkeley entrance would be shut for good. Some people thought the T would then renovate it (for real, this time) and clean it up.
One day the Berkeley entrances had nice, permeant signs saying "Emergency Exit" and everyone who used the station regularly realized they had been fooled again.
Re: T construction news
Given the track record of previous station rehabs/rebuilds, I have very little confidence this project will be completed on time. If they give 2 years as the estimate, I will say it will be done in 3-3.5 years and that may be too generous.
Given the track record of previous station rehabs/rebuilds, I have very little confidence this project will be completed on time. If they give 2 years as the estimate, I will say it will be done in 3-3.5 years and that may be too generous.
F-Line to Dudley
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Re: T construction news
It's sealed now, but there used to be a very small second headhouse feeding Blue back in the Scollay Sq. days. Corner of Hanover St. and Cambridge St. when it ran thru to Cambridge St...close to the present-day JFK building. Since it's at about the halfway point to Bowdoin opening it ADA'd was supposed to be impetus for closing un-ADA'able Bowdoin. The old stairs are now visible around a corner at the 6-car platform extension, fully intact except for dead-ending into a ceiling where the headhouse was sealed. Reopening it was part of every single plan for the GC renovation until the last one where it mysteriously disappeared. Not a grand production or anything...just a few Charlie gates, elevator...and option to leave it unstaffed. It would've made a big difference unclogging the main concourse at crush load.
The renovation is supposed to unseal this as an emergency exit, but I have no idea if they're still building a full headhouse that'll be shuttered except for special events. At any rate there will be something poking up to the surface now. Totally non-invasive construction since it's so far off to the side. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why they can't do this and keep the Blue level open for the duration.
It's sealed now, but there used to be a very small second headhouse feeding Blue back in the Scollay Sq. days. Corner of Hanover St. and Cambridge St. when it ran thru to Cambridge St...close to the present-day JFK building. Since it's at about the halfway point to Bowdoin opening it ADA'd was supposed to be impetus for closing un-ADA'able Bowdoin. The old stairs are now visible around a corner at the 6-car platform extension, fully intact except for dead-ending into a ceiling where the headhouse was sealed. Reopening it was part of every single plan for the GC renovation until the last one where it mysteriously disappeared. Not a grand production or anything...just a few Charlie gates, elevator...and option to leave it unstaffed. It would've made a big difference unclogging the main concourse at crush load.
The renovation is supposed to unseal this as an emergency exit, but I have no idea if they're still building a full headhouse that'll be shuttered except for special events. At any rate there will be something poking up to the surface now. Totally non-invasive construction since it's so far off to the side. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why they can't do this and keep the Blue level open for the duration.
Re: T construction news
More on Government Center Construction:
MBTA Government Center Station Public Meeting
MBTA Govt Center StationMassDOT has scheduled a Public Information Meeting on the MBTA Government Center Station Project as follows:
Wednesday, December 12, 5:30 – 7:00 PM, 100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Conference Rooms B,C,D, Boston
The MBTA project team will discuss the rehabilitation work and accessibility improvements for Government Center Station and the surrounding plaza area, as well as details of the planned station closure during construction.
Project improvements will include renovations to both the Green Line and Blue Line platforms, new elevators from the surface to the Green Line level and from the Green Line level to the Blue Line level, a new headhouse structure, above left, as a primary entrance to the Station, and reconstruction of Cambridge Street and City Hall Plaza in the vicinity of the Station, along with new escalators, LED signs, new expanded fare collection area and other improvements.
The public meeting space is accessible to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation (such as American Sign Language Interpreters, assistive listening devices, handouts in alternate formats, etc.) and/or language assistance to fully participate, please contact John Romano, 857-368-8905 or john.romano@dot.state.ma.us before December 5th.
More on Government Center Construction:
MBTA Government Center Station Public Meeting
MBTA Govt Center StationMassDOT has scheduled a Public Information Meeting on the MBTA Government Center Station Project as follows:
Wednesday, December 12, 5:30 – 7:00 PM, 100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Conference Rooms B,C,D, Boston
The MBTA project team will discuss the rehabilitation work and accessibility improvements for Government Center Station and the surrounding plaza area, as well as details of the planned station closure during construction.
Project improvements will include renovations to both the Green Line and Blue Line platforms, new elevators from the surface to the Green Line level and from the Green Line level to the Blue Line level, a new headhouse structure, above left, as a primary entrance to the Station, and reconstruction of Cambridge Street and City Hall Plaza in the vicinity of the Station, along with new escalators, LED signs, new expanded fare collection area and other improvements.
The public meeting space is accessible to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation (such as American Sign Language Interpreters, assistive listening devices, handouts in alternate formats, etc.) and/or language assistance to fully participate, please contact John Romano, 857-368-8905 or john.romano@dot.state.ma.us before December 5th.
dshoost88
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Re: T construction news
As long as we're posting about Transportation Meetings, I'm going to this one tonight:
http://www.livablestreets.info/event/future-transportation-ma-public-meeting-boston
Hopefully I'll bump into some of you there.
As long as we're posting about Transportation Meetings, I'm going to this one tonight:
http://www.livablestreets.info/event/future-transportation-ma-public-meeting-boston
Hopefully I'll bump into some of you there.
Re: T construction news
Surprised this hasn't hit here yet:
MBTA: Government Center Station to close for 2 years starting in Sept. 2013 for $90 million overhaul
Taking one of the four transfer stations completely out of commission? What a nightmare.
Hope I'll be all moved somewhere off the Orange Line before then.
Surprised this hasn't hit here yet:
MBTA: Government Center Station to close for 2 years starting in Sept. 2013 for $90 million overhaul
Taking one of the four transfer stations completely out of commission? What a nightmare.
Hope I'll be all moved somewhere off the Orange Line before then.
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Re: T construction news
I use GC daily to commute and I'm all for the closing of GC completely. The T has proven that they can get projects done on time and even early when they close stations instead of keeping them semi-open ala the Copley debacle.
I use GC daily to commute and I'm all for the closing of GC completely. The T has proven that they can get projects done on time and even early when they close stations instead of keeping them semi-open ala the Copley debacle.
Downburst
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Re: T construction news
Considering Park/DTX/State are all relatively close so if GC is your origin or destination, it's not such an issue in terms of getting to where you need to be as you can easily walk between any of those and the surrounding areas. What is at least a bit concerning is how they plan to make Park work. I find it hard to believe that cramming all of the GC Green Line O/D traffic and Blue Line transfers on top of Park's own O/D and Red Line transfers will work out very well.
I am glad they are looking for ways to speed things up, but cutting costs at the expense of system connectivity is ludicrous. How about the old fashioned way: do the due diligence, pony up where needed, and make sure work actually gets done instead of endless construction zones with no workers in sight. It's going to be a shitshow no matter what.
No wonder they've been marketing the Silver Line to the airport since anything east-west movements on the Green and Blue will require two transfers via either Park-DTX/State or Park/South Station.
Considering Park/DTX/State are all relatively close so if GC is your origin or destination, it's not such an issue in terms of getting to where you need to be as you can easily walk between any of those and the surrounding areas. What is at least a bit concerning is how they plan to make Park work. I find it hard to believe that cramming all of the GC Green Line O/D traffic and Blue Line transfers on top of Park's own O/D and Red Line transfers will work out very well.
I am glad they are looking for ways to speed things up, but cutting costs at the expense of system connectivity is ludicrous. How about the old fashioned way: do the due diligence, pony up where needed, and make sure work actually gets done instead of endless construction zones with no workers in sight. It's going to be a shitshow no matter what.
No wonder they've been marketing the Silver Line to the airport since anything east-west movements on the Green and Blue will require two transfers via either Park-DTX/State or Park/South Station.
found5dollar
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Re: T construction news
Science Park renovation was completed 6 months ahead of schedule becasue they completely closed it down.
Science Park renovation was completed 6 months ahead of schedule becasue they completely closed it down.
