MBTA Construction Projects

Brattle Loop said:
You could probably design a drain into a pipe that empties away from any of the important components under the cab, but you'd either need a really long, flexible (complicated) sewer hose (which would likely be prone to freezing in places that got cold enough) or just dump into the shaft like old railroad toilets used to do...but that'd be atrociously disgusting and likely a public health no-no. :sick:
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If the premise is that liquids are just randomly seeping into the elevator car machinery under the floor because this is somehow not thought about, presumably they're already dripping into the shaft after taking a trip through the gears/whatever else - the mechanical underside of the car is certainly not better sealed off than the interior cabin is.

If I'm in the elevator with some groceries and drop 2 gallons of milk, what happens? The answer can't (or shouldn't) be that a whole bunch of electronics/wiring/machinery gets coated in milk under the car and potentially causes major damage.

I can't imagine that I'm the first one to think of this question, so clearly something's being missed here.
 
Justbuildit said:
Cool thanks. Presumably that means Kendall will have only one exit on the outbound side while they rework the new head house since it’s on the same footprint. The old one is such an eyesore, it’ll be great to see it replaced.

There’s additional work on the Main St side of 325 that looked like a new opening/entry, so we’ll see what ends up there. Don’t think a commercial tenant has been named for that space yet.
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Finally - BXP has an update on the long-stagnant outbound MBTA head house at Kendall/MIT.

First: @Justbuildit, I owe you a solid "you were almost right." It does look like a temporary head house/entry will be installed in 325 Main (Google Bldg), but it is further to the left of the food hall entry I referred to up thread.

See the Q1 2023 construction update here:

325 Main – Kendall Center

www.kendallcenter.com www.kendallcenter.com
Work remaining includes:
  • An addition of a temporary vestibule for pedestrian access to the Kendall Northbound MBTA platform through the basement level.
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This now makes sense. You can see a small stretch of storefront on 325 Main that appears to have a down staircase and single elevator. That must be the temporary MBTA entrance. I am guessing there will be a corridor in the basement that connects back over to the location where the present head house (in front of the Marriott) meets the subway platform underground.

Yet, and sorry to be a downer, this update also states:
  • MBTA Headhouse is still on hold pending legal agreements.
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I wonder what on earth could be legal agreements BXP/MBTA are working through all these years after the 325 Main project began.
 
Ah, OK that makes sense. I recall seeing them framing in some walls a few weeks ago so that must be what's going on. That whole section of Kendall is soooo close to being completed with several huge buildings and transit improvements. To have one miserable headhouse with no clear path forward is just going to be a blight. Hoping they resolve the legal issues soon. At least there will be a second entrance/exit during construction.
 
Kendall/MIT temporary inbounded headhouse is being demolished today (3/8):

mtks-hh-dm-4.jpg
 
There have been other temporary entrances during (re)construction (Charles/MGH, Union Square, etc, plus the Berkeley entrance to Arlington), as well as several temporary stations (Harvard/Holyoke, Harvard/Brattle, BU East/Central).

Two 1901-built island-platform stations were rebuilt with side platforms - City Square in 1909 and Dover in 1912 - which would have moved the entrances. One of the 1897-built headhouses at Park Street was relocated with the station expansion in 1915.

Some of the shorter permanent ones I can think of were:
  • Pleasant Street (station open 1901-1908)
  • Quincy Adams east entrance (opened 1981, closed late 80s, reopened 2018)
  • Court Street (station open 1904-1914)
 
#bancars said:
Checked the new inbound Kendall/MIT headhouse/entrance today--underground is clean but spartan, all the extravagance is aboveground. Hopefully it is maintained. Not sure why two elevators are necessary.
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The interior of this station is really crying out for some good public art. It's an area the MBTA has been really conservative in, but it could benefit both new stations and old dark and dreary ones like Davis and Porter.

image.jpg

DSCF8720blog.JPG
 
Finally some movement on the Kendall Sq. outbound head house replacement (5/31)...

They just started hanging signs and system maps inside the new 325 Main (Google) office building for a temporary entry to the station. As was discussed elsewhere, plans are to use a vestibule and stairs/elevator within 325 main to descend into the basement of that building and over into T station while the old head house is demolished and replaced.

Pardon the lousy photo through glass. No idea when this temp entrance will actually open:
kst-hh-1.jpg
 
bigpicture7 said:
Finally some movement on the Kendall Sq. outbound head house replacement (5/31)...

They just started hanging signs and system maps inside the new 325 Main (Google) office building for a temporary entry to the station. As was discussed elsewhere, plans are to use a vestibule and stairs/elevator within 325 main to descend into the basement of that building and over into T station while the old head house is demolished and replaced.

Pardon the lousy photo through glass. No idea when this temp entrance will actually open:
View attachment 38571
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Is that connection intended to remain as an alternative even when the new headhouse is complete? More elevators/entrances are never bad...
 
Equilibria said:
Is that connection intended to remain as an alternative even when the new headhouse is complete? More elevators/entrances are never bad...
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Great question, and no idea. Cambridge Redev. Authority has been reviewing the project (per their meeting minutes) as part of the Kendall MXD program. Recent minutes indicated that Boston Properties and the MBTA were mired in negotiations about the details, and that MBTA was the hold-up on greenlighting this. The previously posted 325 Main and Head House designs do not appear to designate an entrance within 325 Main itself for the MBTA, but I do not believe final designs as an outcome of these negotiations have been posted publicly anywhere. I would guess that this will be discussed at the next CRA meeting (June 21, I believe), for which minutes will eventually be posted. Will keep an eye out for this.
 
There definitely appears to be work going on now on the demo/replacement of the old Kendall Sq. outbound head house. The head house is still in use, but they've installed protective plywood against the side of the new 325 Main building/staircase and have begun excavating around the old head house (7/13):

ksob-hh-2.jpg

ksob-hh-1.jpg
 
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