MBTA "Transformation" (Green Line, Red Line, & Orange Line Transformation Projects)

Riverside, Woodland, etc. get a lot of inbound ridership to the games.
 
Am I wrong in remembering that the MBTA has also reopened (not shut down service may be more accurate) service on the D for game days? This may be different than not having weekend work though.
 
It would help to add some trains on the commuter rail (lansdowne) though.

This, but just in general. It is so tantalizing from anywhere near downtown or on the Red Line on a game day to essentially cut the trip time to Fenway to nothing from South Station, until you look at the schedule and its horribly going in, and requires leaving the game early at the end. Imagine 5-10 minute headways from South Station to Fenway (that take 5 minutes of travel time) and how game changing that would be, especially being fed by the Red and Silver Lines.
 
This, but just in general. It is so tantalizing from anywhere near downtown or on the Red Line on a game day to essentially cut the trip time to Fenway to nothing from South Station, until you look at the schedule and its horribly going in, and requires leaving the game early at the end. Imagine 5-10 minute headways from South Station to Fenway (that take 5 minutes of travel time) and how game changing that would be, especially being fed by the Red and Silver Lines.
The schedule question becomes one of what else has to give to allow frequent SS to Lansdowne service around Red Sox games. There is a lot of service sharing on those limited lines.
 
:p:p:p

Still a little early for that.

Nope that pitching staff and the lack of hitting is only fixable with an historic multiple of trades. They have to replace half that team to be a threat. The Green Line will be just fine in October.
 
The schedule question becomes one of what else has to give to allow frequent SS to Lansdowne service around Red Sox games. There is a lot of service sharing on those limited lines.
Would be better if you could schedule game trains to pick up passengers 20 mins after a game ends, similar to the Gillette game train. Have one set go west and one go to South Station/Back Bay.
 
4 full branch closures scheduled for the Green Line Train Protection System:
• B Branch (Boston College – Kenmore): June 20 - July 1
• C Branch (Cleveland Circle – Kenmore): July 11 - July 22
• E Branch (Heath St – Copley): August 6 - August 21
• D Branch (Riverside – Kenmore): September 24 - October 30

Public meeting on May 19: https://www.mbta.com/events/2022-05...e-train-protection-and-track-upgrades-virtual
Flyer with construction details and alternative services: https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-04/2022-04-28-gltps-meeting-flyer-revised.pdf
Does anyone know if the train protection system will improve signaling well enough to reduce headways or eliminate some stop signs on grade separated parts of the system? There are several on the GLX and I think two in the portal between Science Park and North Station. It would be so much more efficient to have automatically enforced speed limits on curves rather than just stop signs.

I’m hoping this project is a stepping stone towards some sort of automation, but I haven’t seen anything from the MBTA to indicate that.
 
Would be better if you could schedule game trains to pick up passengers 20 mins after a game ends, similar to the Gillette game train. Have one set go west and one go to South Station/Back Bay.

Yeah. Really with all the air rights and redevelopment over there it would have been cool for the Sox to give up a bit of ROW for a siding or two to keep game day trains ready to go at the end (especially if we are talking EMUs). Super off topic, I know, but one last thing: with the air rights project going up, did they include needing to connect the station directly to Brookline Ave/Ortiz Bridge? An entrance/exit there to the platforms I think would be greatly beneficial
 
Yeah. Really with all the air rights and redevelopment over there it would have been cool for the Sox to give up a bit of ROW for a siding or two to keep game day trains ready to go at the end (especially if we are talking EMUs). Super off topic, I know, but one last thing: with the air rights project going up, did they include needing to connect the station directly to Brookline Ave/Ortiz Bridge? An entrance/exit there to the platforms I think would be greatly beneficial

As part of the Fenway Center master plan, there is another building that will span over the pike/railroad from the tower to Ortiz Bridge. I'm assuming this will also include a pedestrian walkway to the station, similar to the one to Beacon St
1651594074960.png
 
Yeah, isn't that the air rights currently under construction? I'll try to dig up the thread and ask in there.
 
The latest email update from the Green Line Transformation team talks about accomplishments during the C Branch full access closure:

The original scope of work for the full access closure included a number of efforts to improve the C Branch:
  • Installed GLTPS safety components along the entire C Branch, including balises along the right-of-way, which will help prevent train speeding as a way to improve safety. The equipment installation is part of the larger improvements under the GLTPS project.
  • Renewed 1,500 feet of track between St. Mary’s Street and Beacon Junction, where the C and D Branches come together.
By coordinating with other MBTA departments and the Town of Brookline, we used the full access closure as an opportunity for additional improvements, including:
  • Removing a speed restriction by replacing ties at Coolidge Corner
  • Surveying the area for future station accessibility upgrades
  • Tree removal to address trees posing a safety hazard between Summit Ave and Washington Square
  • Making cosmetic improvements to the C Branch, such as catenary pole painting

(emphasis mine -- I figured some people here would be happy to see "catenary pole painting" :p)
 
The latest email update from the Green Line Transformation team talks about accomplishments during the C Branch full access closure:



(emphasis mine -- I figured some people here would be happy to see "catenary pole painting" :p)
The whole point about the catenary pole painting is if you are too fucking lazy as an agency to paint the catenary poles, what else are you not doing for maintenance.

What we have seen on full display is that the T was basically not doing anything important, the T was doing nothing PM. The unpainted catenary poles were the canary in the coal mine.
 
Hopefully, this shutdown will be a drastic improvement & it should help keep the new trains from being yanked off the tracks as much. Especially at the crossovers (switches) where they have to change tracks to head back north or south. I think that they might've been trying to pinch pennies & keep from trying to do the work, getting by with using the old tracks, knowing that the new cars are heavier. Painful as it might seem, this work is much needed to bring the Orange line up to date & out of the '80s when it was first built.

Another painful thought is that the Red Line may need the same kind or work, as typically, the same type of new trains will be used on that line as well. I hope that they've thought about that. :unsure:
 
The whole point about the catenary pole painting is if you are too fucking lazy as an agency to paint the catenary poles, what else are you not doing for maintenance.

What we have seen on full display is that the T was basically not doing anything important, the T was doing nothing PM. The unpainted catenary poles were the canary in the coal mine.
It's like how in Mass it seems like we never touch up the paint on our bridges, wash off the brake dust from the tunnel walls, or anything to generally keep things in fair condition like they do in Manhattan and NY state?
 

Back
Top