Silver Line - Phase III / BRT in Boston

[JohnAKeith]

"A new street-level terminal at South Station will allow a direct connection to the Silver Line Waterfront serving the Seaport District and Logan Airport." This is "direct" like an airline, I guess ... not "non-stop". You'll have to get off the bus at South Station and go downstairs to the next phase.

Lovely.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Okay, also, it appears that the new route will be in addition to the existing Silver Bus Line service, right, because there will still be a route that goes on into DTX and loops around, if I read this right. If so, does this mean there will be additional buses? Because if not, you've just added more routes with the same number of buses, meaning fewer buses on each route, no?

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Okay, also, it appears that the new route will be in addition to the existing Silver Bus Line service, right, because there will still be a route that goes on into DTX and loops around, if I read this right. If so, does this mean there will be additional buses? Because if not, you've just added more routes with the same number of buses, meaning fewer buses on each route, no?

Yes, some of the money will be for new buses.

 

[jass]

Okay, also, it appears that the new route will be in addition to the existing Silver Bus Line service, right, because there will still be a route that goes on into DTX and loops around, if I read this right. If so, does this mean there will be additional buses? Because if not, you've just added more routes with the same number of buses, meaning fewer buses on each route, no?

The number of routes is pretty unclear...

The map also shows a route to Ruggles.

Will it be...
Mattapan to Ruggles via Dudley
Dudley to Boylston
Dudley to South Station
?

 

[cden4]

I think they haven't worked out all those details yet. From what I understand, they've just started a community/stakeholder process to figure all of this out.

 

[PaulC]

I find the bus/bike only lane in the south end is used by a lot of cars, frequently as a high speed passing lane. I think part of the problem is how it's marked(I know, just a small part of the problem). How do other cities with bus olnly lanes keep them car free and how are they marked?

 

[jass]

How do other cities with bus only lanes keep them car free and how are they marked?

Either by physically separating the lane or cameras + tickets in the mail.

 

[Arborway]

The first two minutes or so of this is hilarious.

I kept waiting for the punch line?but there wasn't one.

 

[JohnAKeith]

WHATTTTT??? Did the person who did the audio visit the actual Silver Line?? IT'S A BUSSSSSSSSSSS THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE QUIET!

Sorry, only into it 20 seconds.

"Meet me at the statue of horses with riders ..." Which, for some inexplicable reason, is not described. (It's "The Partisans", which used to have a much more respectable home on the Boston Common, of course.)

Toward the end, one man interviewed says, "If things had gone wrong, Gillette would have pulled 5,000 employees out of Massachusetts."

Um, yeah, P&G ended up doing it, anyway.

From the Patriot Ledger: "P&G has steadily shaved jobs from its payroll in Massachusetts since the Cincinnati-based conglomerate bought Gillette in the fall of 2005. At the time of the acquisition, nearly 4,000 people worked for Gillette in the state. By early 2007, that number had dropped to about 3,000.

Vanasse said P&G currently employs about 2,400 people in the state. (as of August, 2008)"

 

[blade_bltz]

But guys...it even has it's own logo!!!

 

[Shepard]

Mike Bertoulin, narration
Was the milestone manager on this section of the Big Dig and responsible for finding innovative ways to keep the project on its timeline.

Oh.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I had to turn it off when he said "Silver Line train".

 

[Arborway]

I had to turn it off when he said "Silver Line train".

Then I guess you missed the part where you ride the escalator up so that you're standing above the tracks.

 

[Arborway]

The Silver Line Waterfront tunnel is turning back to gravel.

I guess it's really good that the Phase III and Urban Ring tunnel projects went nowhere. Though I'm surprised the T hasn't demanded warranty service on this thing since problems with the pavement quality emerged pretty much immediately.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Hahaha the T sucks. Seriously, all their new stations are poorly built but this is just criminal. Wait until a giant chunk falls and kills someone. Then the entire Silver Line will be run above ground.

The Feds are wise not to give the T any money.

 

[jass]

Service is to start sometime this month, and the lanes are almost ready.

But no sign of the bus terminal at south station.

Promised:
Shelter
With heat
With charlie machines
With countdown clock (the res of the silver line washington branch has it)

Problem is, in the slideshow they gave out....one slide has the shelter on the side of the street south station is on (which makes sense), and another slide showed it being across the street. I saw no sign of any construction....unless theyve moved the station to essex (direct connection?)

Nothing here!

But this is here.

The only vehicle I saw using it....cars are being shockingly respectful of the lane

I dont know what this is, but it would be hilarious if it ended up being the station

Anyway, walking towards chinatown along essex

Theres a gap....which will be a huge bottleneck.

Over here the bus lane is actually on the left! Probably because in the picture above the right lane is for highway traffic.

And then it ends again.

 

[Shepard]

Good tour! The impact of the gap in the bus lanes could be blunted if buses were given priority signals within the cycle to get them into that intersection first and faster. Is that going to happen? I'm guessing not.

Does anyone have a map or description which accurately spells out the route?

 

[Lurker]

That horribly undersized concrete pad looks like it is for the new station. The construction barrels are probably covering the stubs for utilities. The gaps in the markings with spray painted notation are likely for the installation of grooved asphalt and thermoplastic BUS LANE markings with inset Botts Dots.

 

[mass88]

My only worry is how often are they going to be painting these areas? I can see this time next year everything be worn down and looking like junk.

Also, looking at the slides where they show the bus lane patterns. When the bus comes down to make the left onto Atlantic, right by the BSC, is there going to be a single bus only light for them? They will have to make the turn and cut across 3 lanes of traffic to get to the far side once they turn.

 

[Marley]

Are the NB buses going to enter the transitway at south station for a 1 seat ride from Dudley to Logan? Or would one have to connect to the silver line again?