Silver Line - Phase III / BRT in Boston

vanshnookenraggen said:
So is there any sign that makes it obvious that you need to enter South Station to change buses? That map is totally deceiving.
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Look at the picture with the validation machine. Theres another one of those behind the shelter, see the picture above the maps.


Thanks Ron. I thought the MBTA was against naming stops for buildings?
 
'Brandon Hall' stop on the C Line is named after a building that no longer exists. 'Symphony' is named for either a building or its owner. 'Aquarium' is named after a building, as are 'Courthouse' and 'World Trade Center'.

The 'JFK' part of 'JFK/UMass' is a building, as is the 'MGH' part of 'Charles/MGH'.
 
Ron Newman said:
'Brandon Hall' stop on the C Line is named after a building that no longer exists. 'Symphony' is named for either a building or its owner. 'Aquarium' is named after a building, as are 'Courthouse' and 'World Trade Center'.

The 'JFK' part of 'JFK/UMass' is a building, as is the 'MGH' part of 'Charles/MGH'.
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I know that there are many stops named after buildings, but I remember the BPL wanted their name added to a station and the MBTA said that after the ICA moved they would no longer do that.
 
jass said:
Look at the picture with the validation machine. Theres another one of those behind the shelter, see the picture above the maps.
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Yeah but it doesn't say you have to go INTO South Station, it just says cross the street. Boston: Fuck you if you ain't from here.
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
So is there any sign that makes it obvious that you need to enter South Station to change buses? That map is totally deceiving.
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What are you talking about? It's a "line", why would one need to change? Also, buses? This is one of Boston's rapid-transit lines, so I imagine it is a train, if anything. I think you need to study the map a little more
 
Tourist: "Spent four hours waiting for the trolley to the Design Center...it never came. So I just took a taxi there...and it doesn't exist! Will someone please tell me why there aren't trolleys to the airport in front of South Station as the sign directs?"
 
czsz said:
Tourist: "Spent four hours waiting for the trolley to the Design Center...it never came. So I just took a taxi there...and it doesn't exist! Will someone please tell me why there aren't trolleys to the airport in front of South Station as the sign directs?"
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In their defense, the Boston Design Center is quite real and has been for decades.... http://www2.bostondesign.com/index.php
portfolio_301.jpg
 
Pierce said:
In their defense, the Boston Design Center is quite real and has been for decades.... http://www2.bostondesign.com/index.php
portfolio_301.jpg
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I actually thought you were joking with that picture, but I looked at google streetview and that building does indeed exist.

Ive been to dry dock ave and never noticed such a thing

I still think the old name was better, and even black falcon cruise terminal would have been preferable to design center.
 
jass said:
I actually thought you were joking with that picture, but I looked at google streetview and that building does indeed exist.

Ive been to dry dock ave and never noticed such a thing

I still think the old name was better, and even black falcon cruise terminal would have been preferable to design center.
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It is not necessarily the name of the building, per se... it is a finite element within the building, a permanent trade show of sorts for high end home furnishings.... it is a mecca for interior designers and has a strong presence within that community and others. The pomo facade is kind of kitschy now, but bear in mind it was probably quite fashionable when it was built in the 1980s.
 
I go to the BSC right next door and quite often I have noticed buses sitting there w/ pax for more than a few minutes.
 
I have a general question about the Silver Line: how come Boston didn't build an actual grade-separated BRT?

While on the subject: is there a reason that North American cities don't have double-articulated buses or six-axle non-articulated buses?
 
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Both are great questions.

Washington St varies in width so having a full dedicated ROW just isn't possible. A big sticking point to having dedicated ROWs are businesses along the street since they see it only in terms of lost parking spaces. This being Boston, the one who yells the loudest gets the attention. Also, having a dedicated ROW on city streets hasn't really been tested before and I'm sure there were major concerns from emergency services.

Your second question I have no idea about.
 
manrush said:
I have a general question about the Silver Line: how come Boston didn't build an actual grade-separated BRT?

While on the subject: is there a reason that North American cities don't have double-articulated buses or six-axle non-articulated buses?
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1) Im guessing NIMBys and such? I didnt really follow the process back then. The 28x brt has plans for grade separated brt

2) Its a mixture of legal ambiguity and american bus companies not wanting to build them. Sort of why double decker buses didnt start showing up in the US until 2005 or so. Im not sure what the law is here, but I remember reading how LA Metro had to get a state waiver to run 65" articulated buses, because there was a law limiting all vehicles to 60 feet.
 
honestly, i think the real puzzler is why didn't they make the washington st. line trackless trolley. maybe once phase three comes in to existence... Also, would there be a possibility to introduce an Adelaide O-Bahn-type guidance system on the tunnel once there is a complete tunnel? By that time, it'd be time to intro new stock, which could have this system.
 
jass, there were few NIMBYs to complain at the time it was all planned so everyone will need to do a bit more research.

A comparison to the plans for Washington St might be what is going on with the Arborway. Half the neighbors want the Green Line to come back yet the other half are happy it's gone.
 
Normally I'd hate on the NIMBYs for that, but I live near the trackless trolleys in Cambridge and, despite the fact that I want them to stay for pure nostalgia/curiosity reasons, I hate being constantly blinded by the sparks they throw off, and the fact that they often get stuck at intersections when they get unhooked from the wires. The T has maintenance people just sitting at some intersections practically all day, waiting for this to happen. Your tax dollars.
 
I don't understand why people like trackless trolleys, it's just a bus.
 
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armpitsOFmight said:
I don't understand why people like trackless trolleys, it's just a bus.
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Yeah, a much better idea is a tram-train with an APS third rail. IMO, these are the future of urban mass transit, simply because of the reduced construction cost of digging tunnels for LRT, they have a less intrusive aesthetic presence than an EL or overhead wires, and a much more effective than buses or BRT.

For the lazy folk, here's the information that link leads to:

APS, power from the ground up

The principle:

APS is a system to power trams without overhead catenaries, allowing the tram to operate ? wire-free ? over journeys of any distance and hence to blend into the urban environment.

APS is an ALSTOM exclusivity. The Communaut? Urbaine de Bordeaux (Bordeaux Metropolitan Area) is the first city in the world to have opted for this completely new technology on 14 km of its 44 km long tram network. It has been operating since the end of 2003.

How does it work?

Power is supplied to the tram through a third rail embedded in the tracks. This third rail is made up of 8 metre-long conducting segments, which can be powered, and which are separated by 3 metre insulating joints. Power is supplied to the conducting segments by underground boxes every 22 metres. The electricity transmitted through this third rail is picked up by two friction contactors located in the mid-section of the tram. The delivery of power to the conducting segments is triggered by coded radio dialogue between the tram and the ground, and only occurs once the conducting segment has been covered by the tram, ensuring total safety for pedestrians.

The advantages:

* Preservation of the urban environment and historique heritage
* Performance levels equal to those of a conventional tram in terms of comfort and speed
* Total safety for pedestrians and road users
* Compatibility with all types of road surface
* Easy extension of the system if the line is prolonged
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