MBTA Construction Projects

[stefal]

I think this is the thread to put this in:

A new list of projects is going to be announced today under the guise of "accelerated maintenance" again (This was expected after the past few FMCB meetings, so it's not a surprise).

All lines will be impacted, including commuter rail and silver line. A new webtool will be available for tracking shutdowns as well.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Expect to hear big GL bustitution news this week...

Here it is: https://www.mbta.com/projects/build..._IPPbZ0NNmpaDnc8zWjEp6mzlmaOrEYIkvz-TNHOQ6L9k

In summary:

• 1 month complete shutdown of the C branch in July
• 1 month complete shutdown of the E branch in August
• Weekend shutdowns on all branches of the Green Line at various points through spring
• The continuation of various shutdowns of the ends of the red line at various points throughout spring
• More oak Grove to Sullivan shuttles on the orange line
• Weekend shutdowns at North Station on the orange line in summer
• Maverick to airport shuttles in May
• Bowdoin to airport shuttles in Summer
• Mysterious weekend work on the silver line from August to December to perform "Pavement repairs at multiple parking facilities" which is a mystery to me what the hell that means

 

[jass]

Im sure this will be great for long-term ridership. After all, nothing says "rely on transit" like "we're closed for a month".

 

[guitarguynboston]

 

[shmessy]

Im sure this will be great for long-term ridership. After all, nothing says "rely on transit" like "we're closed for a month".

To each their own, but I'd rather get it done comprehensively over one month on each line, than over years with riders having to walk around construction zones...........THAT would be more of a turn off.

.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

To each their own, but I'd rather get it done comprehensively over one month on each line, than over years with riders having to walk around construction zones...........THAT would be more of a turn off.

.

You also don't want to experience how Type 8 trucks age on worn track. Part of the hurry-up for this is that they've got a pu-pu platter of selective systems replacement bids out for the Bredas to band-aid them through the next three-quarters decade before end-of-life. The track refresh directly aids that effort by making it physically harder for them to come randomly flying off the tracks.

 

[jass]

To each their own, but I'd rather get it done comprehensively over one month on each line, than over years with riders having to walk around construction zones...........THAT would be more of a turn off.

We have a decade of data from WMATA showing that this model is a horrible mistake if you care about ridership.

 

[ErnieAdams]

We have a decade of data from WMATA showing that this model is a horrible mistake if you care about ridership.

This is a three mile light rail line in a highly transit-oriented town, not a Metro trunk passing through all manner of communities and Beltway interchanges. The T's data show that July is already a low ridership month across the system (along with August and December/January when schools are out). Plus the C is geographically unique in that many of its riders can opt to switch to the B or D, and can do so even more easily when the weather is nice. The C can absolutely deal with this for one summer month.

 

[jass]

This is a three mile light rail line in a highly transit-oriented town, not a Metro trunk passing through all manner of communities and Beltway interchanges. The T's data show that July is already a low ridership month across the system (along with August and December/January when schools are out). Plus the C is geographically unique in that many of its riders can opt to switch to the B or D, and can do so even more easily when the weather is nice. The C can absolutely deal with this for one summer month.

Did you miss the image?

It's every line.

 

[Arlington]

Do we get any stop consolidation on the Green as a part of this?

 

[ErnieAdams]

Did you miss the image?

It's every line.

I didn't miss the image and I didn't miss what you said here:

Im sure this will be great for long-term ridership. After all, nothing says "rely on transit" like "we're closed for a month".

The only things in the image that are closed for a month are 1) the C, 2) the E (which I didn't mention but which is certainly subject to the same analysis as the C for an August closure) and 3) Lechmere/NS, which is much longer but hardly new news. Everything else on every other line is a weekend closure.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Do we get any stop consolidation on the Green as a part of this?

It's purely rebuilding track in place is what I've heard, at least for the E branch, and doesn't include the street running section which is a separate problem/project

 

[Andrew]

The level of detail they're providing here is really commendable, and it's all well organized so you can look at the lines you care about and skip by the ones you don't. Whoever's handling their website and copywriting is doing a great job.

The only part I question is the times they estimate rides will improve by. Months of disruption for improving ride time "1-2 minutes per trip" doesn't come across very well, even though logically I get that's exactly how infrastructure improvement projects work.

 

[jass]

Wasnt there a proposal to relocate the B line to a center median between Packards Corner and BC?

Is that proejct dead or are they coming back in 3 years and starting that?

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Wasnt there a proposal to relocate the B line to a center median between Packards Corner and BC?

Is that proejct dead or are they coming back in 3 years and starting that?

These capital acceleration projects aren't touching the B line. Moving the B line to the median is a city coordinated project, it's outside the scope of what the MBTA can physically do, it's not their land. And that project is stalled in business complaints about parking loss along Commonwealth Ave. Don't know the latest status beyond that.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

These capital acceleration projects aren't touching the B line. Moving the B line to the median is a city coordinated project, it's outside the scope of what the MBTA can physically do, it's not their land. And that project is stalled in business complaints about parking loss along Commonwealth Ave. Don't know the latest status beyond that.

It's "Comm Ave. Reconstruction Phase III"...and, yeah, years late and hopelessly deadlocked at City Hall. The T can't do anything to push it along except remind them that the 4-1/2 stops affected by the indecision on whether the trolley reservation is relocating can't be touched for GLT platform lengthening until they know one way or the other. Probably means they'll be working on the platforms further up the hill before Packards, Harvard, Griggs, Allston, Warren get any touches.


No rail will be wasted if the reservation relocation project comes to fruition sooner rather than later. They'll pull the new stuff up and lay it somewhere else. In the meantime, though...still gotta keep those Type 8's from flying off into oncoming traffic.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

It's purely rebuilding track in place is what I've heard, at least for the E branch, and doesn't include the street running section which is a separate problem/project

Street-running replacement would have to be a separate project anyway because it's different rail type (flanged), different construction method under the road requiring different contractor equipment, and different aging rates for that type of surfacing leading to different renewal schedules vs. the rest of the system.

 

[stefal]

I'm afraid the noted tunnel leak repairs in the Harbor Tunnel will be opening a very large can of worms. They have left that all untouched for years, and its showing. Aquarium still hasn't been fully repaired since the major floods a few years ago, and further down the tunnel, the leaks are unrelenting and really breaking down anything in its path, be it steel, concrete, etc. Weekend shutdowns from May to November may really not be much, unless this is phased on a critical-replacement-first basis there are more shutdowns planned for 2021+.

Also of note, 32,000 feet of Red Line Rail will be 'repaired' under this 'accelerated work.' It does not say clarify much will be full depth renewal and how much will be extended maintenance. However, in December, it was stated ~150k feet of rail on the RL will need to be replaced or repaired (62k full depth, 82k ext. maint.) by 2025. 32,000 feet in 2020 is 21%, so expect to see the same amount of service disruptions and closures through 2025 (reaching 100% at the same rate per year).

 

[#bancars]

Do we get any stop consolidation on the Green as a part of this?

Stop consolidation on the B line is going forward between Kenmore and Packards. BU West + St. Paul are combining, as well as Pleasant + Babcock. So new stops, and two fewer stops along that stretch hopefully will help with speeds a bit.

 

[ErnieAdams]

Stop consolidation on the B line is going forward between Kenmore and Packards. BU West + St. Paul are combining, as well as Pleasant + Babcock. So new stops, and two fewer stops along that stretch hopefully will help with speeds a bit.

Some work is getting done on the two new stations. Concrete barriers were placed last year in between the road and the future platform areas, and as of this week those barriers are now being fitted with black fencing (in the style of the fences installed at Central/East/Blandford). Platform work has yet to begin.