I will forever be baffled by the thought that it was a good idea to have stations named "Center" and "Central" next to each other.Columbia to JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT to Cambridge Center/MIT were changed on December 2, 1982, according to the NETransit history.
Winstonoboogie, thanks for that ERJ link! Some very cool images in there.
I will forever be baffled by the thought that it was a good idea to have stations named "Center" and "Central" next to each other.
Newbury Street would be even more confusing than Boylston... At least the station is at the intersection of Tremont and Boylston. Newbury Street is all the way across the park from there.
^ The battery scheme with a lane inbound and outbound reserved for rail is the only way you're getting LRV through the TWT, unless you build a tandem tunnel for absurd costs... The busses are doing airport service fine for now. I don't see a reason to build out the SL-->Logan Terminals as LRV unless the Seaport is getting so clogged in the coming decades that the busses get overwhelmed.
Join us in the Seaport Transportation thread. The SL1's issue is as much a lack of vehicles as anything. My personal hangup is that SL doesn't use the downramp into the tunnel (its saved for "emergencies") and that they don't have a Silver Line Way Under (to receive buses coming from the Airport), and don't have signal priority over D St (or even a 1-way "inbound" tunnel under it).You clearly have not ridden SL1 or SL2 near rush hour. They are already clogged and maxed out. Continued construction in the Seaport is going to totally overwhelm them.
Also the South Station SL => to Logan time is horrible. 3 miles take about 30 minutes. (Claim is 16 minutes per the T, but that is a lie!). That is a total joke.
Join us in the Seaport Transportation thread. The SL1's issue is as much a lack of vehicles as anything. My personal hangup is that SL doesn't use the downramp into the tunnel (its saved for "emergencies") and that they don't have a Silver Line Way Under (to receive buses coming from the Airport), and don't have signal priority over D St (or even a 1-way "inbound" tunnel under it).
I think the tunnel is capable of doing dual mode. (right, f-line?)
I think they could have a light rail and even just have 1 or two sets that just loop from south station to silver line way. Adds a huge amount of capacity. Then they bus could run partial route and get in the TWT through the 'homeland security' entrance.
How possible would it be to re do the silver line with railway, at least a light rail? I know people talk a lot about it for the dudley branch but the south boston branch seems like it would be a much easier change over. Tunnels are already built and it seems like the stations could easily be changed over by just adding a platform and if it was a light rail you wouldn't even need that. What is more complicated about it? are the tunnels not big enough or something? the market would definitely be there.
Is the suggestion to keep the SL1 (South Sta-Logan) and SL2 (South Sta-Design Ctr) as buses, but run rail South Sta-Silver Line Way in addition?
(First time poster/long time lurker, just want to make sure I understand what is being suggested here.)
as a first step yes with the final goal being replacing all of the fake BRT with real rapid transit or light rail
Isolated SS-SLW rail seems wasteful and inefficient (where is the maintenance facility, for one?), particularly considering the tunnel is not yet maxed out on bus capacity. Procure more buses and run them more frequently (whether over the entire SL1/SL2 routes, or just SS-SLW) to add capacity in the short term.
Once a plan is figured out/agreed upon to connect the Transitway to Green Line or SL4/SL5, that is when rail would seem warranted in the Transitway.
Instead of running busses to the Design Center, why not continue a light rail route over there as well? Exit onto Trilling Road where it can be street running or you can diet the road, go down to the curve where Track 61 crosses a lot and have the Silver Line turn onto that right of way, and then just run rail down Drydock Avenue.
Consolidating the Silver Line in the entire Seaport DIstrict to one line would make things a whole lot simpler and easier to navigate as well as providing better transit to the Marine Industrial Park.