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

TheRatmeister said:
I think they would have immediately been proven wrong and the New Deal funds would have gone towards the construction of such a subway.
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It's interesting, though, because "higher capacity rail that can still interact with the streetscape" is really a description of Los Angeles-style light rail. It does make me wonder if there's a world where some of the Comm Ave (or Beacon St, for that matter) crossings are closed, and others replaced with quad gates.
 
Riverside said:
I'll stop spamming the thread now, but I see that BostonInTransit.com now has full scans of the Plates of the above report, which either they didn't have before, or which I didn't notice. Either way, they are very cool: https://www.bostonintransit.com/col...-facilities-in-the-metropolitan-district-1926
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It's striking how much the ideas they had 100 years ago still would make sense today - it's just that we can't build most of them anymore. There are some good ideas that came later, like the Red Line to Porter and Davis, but on the whole Boston would have much better transit if they'd just followed through.
 
And Plate 015 just makes me want to cry.
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I've posted it elsewhere, but the document that really makes me want to cry is the original 1940's transportation planning documents. They contain all of the ambitious highway plans, but also very strongly state that the highways are only half of the solution, as an equal investment in rapid transit was required to meet the region's transportation needs. The document outlines many of those investments. Instead, we got part of the highways implemented and none of the transit.

EDIT: Here's the link: https://archive.org/details/reportofmetropol00mass_1/page/14/mode/2up
 
cubbe8 said:

Public Meeting | Green Line C Branch Accessibility Improvements (Hybrid) | Events | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
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I was reviewing the video for this event and there was a mention of making improvements to the Green Line central tunnel with the implication it would result in lower headways (roughly between timestamps 1:08:20 and 1:08:50). I understand GLTPS should help some on this front, but are there other projects going on? Or is this just more SGR work, particularly for power?
 
During the MBTA board meeting (1/23), they talked about increasing speeds to 50mph on some of the Red Line (timestamp around 39:30) -- I believe they were talking about below JFK based on responses later.

They mentioned: "we are within days of that being done...37-38 items were on that list and we're at the bottom of that list now" (paraphrasing, im too distracted to properly quote it)
 
eber said:
During the MBTA board meeting (1/23), they talked about increasing speeds to 50mph on some of the Red Line (timestamp around 39:30) -- I believe they were talking about below JFK based on responses later.

They mentioned: "we are within days of that being done...37-38 items were on that list and we're at the bottom of that list now" (paraphrasing, im too distracted to properly quote it)
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I usually just look at the presentation slides, but since you provided the video, I listened to that too. However, I still couldn't understand what they meant by "Install new Red and Orange Line vehicles" and "Create new designs for Blue Line vehicles". Very bizarre wording and neither were said aloud or explained.
Slide 7: https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2025-01/GM's Report to the Board 01.23.2025 v10.pdf
 
sm89 said:
I usually just look at the presentation slides, but since you provided the video, I listened to that too. However, I still couldn't understand what they meant by "Install new Red and Orange Line vehicles" and "Create new designs for Blue Line vehicles". Very bizarre wording and neither were said aloud or explained.
Slide 7: https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2025-01/GM's Report to the Board 01.23.2025 v10.pdf
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The headways can't improve measurably on Red/Orange until all of the CRRC vehicles are delivered and deployed. The updated signal system is predicated on the better starting acceleration of the new cars vs. the old cars being able to clear the station-adjacent signal blocks faster. Therefore, things (on Red in particular, since that's still running mixed fleets) are not really going to improve until the old slower-accelerating cars are all gone from revenue service.

As for Blue, they plan to do much the same to improve headways and likewise significantly increase the size of the fleet to make it happen. And that means the Siemens cars will be replaced rather than rebuilt.
 
cubbe8 said:

2025 Planned Closures | Projects | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com

How can trains turn around at South street?
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By either going up to Lake Street or not switching tracks until Washington St.
 
cubbe8 said:

2025 Planned Closures | Projects | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
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I love the planning, organization, and transparency. This level of communication and foreward planning is in stark contrast to previous administrations. Never forget.

Maura Healey has been the best governor for the MBTA since at least Dukakis due in large part to appointing Eng as GM, the best GM I can remember.
 
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