Silver Line to Chelsea

[datadyne007]

That's great to hear! On an unrelated note, have there ever been discussions about adding on-street stops to the 77 or any of the massport chelsea - logan routes? If they dropped at Curtis St before turning onto 1A, for example, that could enable people to walk to Wood Island.

The 77 is solely to get employees to and from the airport/employee garage. Massport has no interest or stake in connecting people to the Blue Line.

 

[CSTH]

Massport has no interest or stake in connecting people to the Blue Line.

...unless some of those people are....airport employees?

 

[djohnstonb]

...unless some of those people are....airport employees?

Right. Massport does have an interest/stake in connecting people to the Blue line - that's why many Massport lines stop at the Blue line. The fact that the 77 has an arbitrary designation doesn't mean it can't be reviewed as an exercise in improving overall regional transit. Given its what, 2 minute headway, there's a lot that it could offer if its scope changed.

 

[datadyne007]

...unless some of those people are....airport employees?

Right. Massport does have an interest/stake in connecting people to the Blue line - that's why many Massport lines stop at the Blue line. The fact that the 77 has an arbitrary designation doesn't mean it can't be reviewed as an exercise in improving overall regional transit. Given its what, 2 minute headway, there's a lot that it could offer if its scope changed.

If the airport employees were going to the BL, they wouldn't be using the 77 in the first place and rather just a regular terminal circulator bus. The 77's purpose is to get employees to and from the employee garage which is all the way in Chelsea.

And we're not even talking about connecting the 77 to the BL. We're saying it should stop at a random corner with the prospect that someone may want to walk to Wood Island.

 

[scorpio02150]

Boy people like to exaggerate this.. I ride the 112 every day, and its 18-22 minutes each and every time from up to down. Don't believe me, check out bridges twitter account and see how long.

Listen, I use to take the T into town (111,116,117, 112). When I took the 112 and the bridge went up, it did take 40 mins from the point the bus sat idle to the min we crossed the bridge...so i dont appreciate your comment towards me.

 

[datadyne007]

Listen, I use to take the T into town (111,116,117, 112). When I took the 112 and the bridge went up, it did take 40 mins from the point the bus sat idle to the min we crossed the bridge...so i dont appreciate your comment towards me.

Exactly. The traffic backs up for miles and you can often not start moving until 5 minutes after the thing comes back down, let alone actually cross it.

 

[cybah]

Exactly. The traffic backs up for miles and you can often not start moving until 5 minutes after the thing comes back down, let alone actually cross it.

Still exaggeration.. 40 minutes is exaggerating.

20 is more like it. 25 with waiting at traffic.

Twitter account does not lie. Here's the last 2 days of ups and downs

Up: 10:51a
down: 11:12am
Time: 21 minutes

Up: 10:26am
Down 10:41
Time: 15 minutes

Up: 6:46p
Down: 7:00p
Time: 14 minutes

Up: 5:45p
Down: 6:04p
Time: 19 minutes

Up: 4:13p
Down: 4:34p
Time: 22 minutes

Up: 3:43pm
Down: 3:58p
Time: 16 minutes

Up: 11:50a
Down: 12:07p
Time: 17minutes

Still want to say it's close to 40?

 

[scorpio02150]

you can argue the up/down times all you want. the overall time to cross is still around 40 mins.

 

[cybah]

you can argue the up/down times all you want. the overall time to cross is still around 40 mins.

I think i've proven its a matter of opinion... facts do not lie.

 

[datadyne007]

I follow the Twitter account. The traffic doesn't start moving the moment the bridge comes down!

If you're stuck all the way back here with traffic from the bridge, you aren't crossing the bridge until well after that "down" mark. It takes a couple minutes to drive this stretch with light traffic, now add in traffic light cycles and people trying to merge/cut into the bridge lane and you're stuck there for an extended period of time even after traffic is allowed to cross it.

 

[FitchburgLine]

Anyway! The amazon bid proposes a second silver line extension from the haul road to Suffolk downs, which would degrade frequencies on this one and duplicate the blue line.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Anyway! The amazon bid proposes a second silver line extension from the haul road to Suffolk downs, which would degrade frequencies on this one and duplicate the blue line.

Yeah that'll surely get Amazon's attention. :/

 

[scorpio02150]

apologies for going slightly off topic here, just wanted to post this from Curbed Boston

"Boston’s official bid for Amazon’s second headquarters includes this nugget: “Boston has an extensive web of rail transit for regional and local access and a robust international airport. From global to regional connections, getting to and around Boston is easier than ever.”

Sure, why not? In reality, of course, driving, training, and busing (and biking and walking) around Boston can be a titanic hassle replete with delays, would-famous congestion, and unexpected detours and closures.

To put the best face on things for the e-commerce giant, though, Boston talked up its transit infrastructure, including the long-planned connection of the Blue and Red lines.

The state officially shelved that approximately 1,500-foot project in 2015, as the Globe’s Adam Vaccaro notes, with no plans as of yet to jumpstart it. Still, Boston included it in its Amazon bid.

The city assumed other transportation improvements as well, including:

A $25 million commuter rail station in Revere, near the Wonderland Blue Line stop (which is, of course, near the Suffolk Downs site that would likely host any Boston Amazon HQ).

The Silver Line extending to said Suffolk Downs site from its current terminus at Logan Airport (hey, it’s already going north to Chelsea).
$40 million of roadwork on Route 1A to relieve congestion.

Let’s go ahead and throw in the Blue Line to Lynn. Deal?"

 

[JeffDowntown]

Anyway! The amazon bid proposes a second silver line extension from the haul road to Suffolk downs, which would degrade frequencies on this one and duplicate the blue line.

Sorry, but you assertions are unfounded.

1) Silver Line service proposed is not duplicative of the Blue Line. Silver Line would provide extra connectivity to the Seaport and South Station. The Blue Line is very poorly connected to both destinations.

2) The extra service only detracts from SLX if it is underfunded and does not add additional rolling stock. Fund it right (for an Amazon bid with a big corporate player watching) and it is purely additive service.

 

[FitchburgLine]

Sorry, but you assertions are unfounded.

1) Silver Line service proposed is not duplicative of the Blue Line. Silver Line would provide extra connectivity to the Seaport and South Station. The Blue Line is very poorly connected to both destinations.

2) The extra service only detracts from SLX if it is underfunded and does not add additional rolling stock. Fund it right (for an Amazon bid with a big corporate player watching) and it is purely additive service.

1: Connectivity to the seaport comes from transferring from the Blue Line to the SL3 service at Airport. Spending millions on a lower-capacty, slower extension along the Blue Line RoW does nothing to speed trips, because the fastest way from amazon to the Seaport is still Blue-Airport->SL3.

2: No, it detracts either way. The Silver Line Waterfront can't have an arbitrary number of branches hung off of it, because the trunk only has 30bph capacity (this could be raised with T-Under-D but still likely caps at ~45bph. Dividing that between SL1,2,3 and new 6 service caps each at one bus per 8 minutes, which is already inadequate for SL1 and 2, and will likely be less than peak demand for SL3.

The proposed branch makes existing service worse, while providing a slower route to South Station and the Seaport than will exit in a few months with SL3. If Suffolk Downs needs more connectivity, the state should construct Red/Blue.

 

[JeffDowntown]

The proposed branch makes existing service worse, while providing a slower route to South Station and the Seaport than will exit in a few months with SL3. If Suffolk Downs needs more connectivity, the state should construct Red/Blue.

OK, you convinced me. And the last statement is clearly true and very much needed (even without Amazon).

 

[cybah]

Hey All-

It's time for another update.

Since my weekday schedule (and TransitMatter's) just have not synced to do our thing together with MassDOT and get a official tour AND since almost the entire project is illuminated at night now, I decided to take photos of it at sunrise (or just before). This should satisfy everyone's thirst for Silver Line Gateway Photos.

As always "it's really coming along". I feel like a broken record but it really is. Now that the crossings are nearly done (see below), it's almost complete. The only station that is really lagging now is Bellingham Square station. The rest are nearly complete. It just looks like signage, some camera work, finishing plantings and curbing/sidewalk work.

But it's really happening, in most of the pics, it looks like we're just waiting for buses to pull up now. So exciting!!

Hopefully NEXT update will be an official tour, I'm shooting for 2-3 weeks really, so the next update won't be long.

One thing I will note is I had to take these with my iPhone. I rarely use it, but in this case.. without mucking with the settings too too much, the iPhone takes far better lower light photos that my Samsung. Since I rarely take SLG photos with my iPhone, half way thru the walk I realized my camera app (Camera+) has wide screen mode, so all my photos are cropped *fume*. Sorry about that, I will remember next time!

If you'd like to see the previous photo sets they can be found here by clicking on the links below:

Pics from 4/25/15
Pics from 6/20/15
Pics from 8/1/15
Pics from 9/19/15
Pics from 10/31/15
Pics from 1/9/16
Pics from 3/12/16
Pics from 4/16/16
Pics from 5/15/16
Pics from 6/26/16
Pics from 8/13/16
Pics from 10/5/16
Pics from 11/10/16
Pics from 12/14/16
Pics from 2/2/17
Pics from 3/23/17
Pics from 4/20/17
Pics from 6/3/17
Pics from 7/22/17
Pics from 9/9/17

And if you'd like to see the ALL of NEW photos, you can click here

Now for the highlights..

New sidewalks going in at Eastern Ave, also notice the new lane markings.

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Another look at the Eastern Ave intersection with its new signals

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Nearly finished Eastern Ave Station as seen from Eastern Ave

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Finished Fencing at Eastern Ave Station as seen from Eastern Ave

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Future Bike rack at Eastern Ave Station

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A view looking toward Bellingham Street Bridge from the the Cottage Street Crossing. (Yes, the glare!)

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The busway looking toward Eastern Ave Station as seen from the Bellingham Street Bridge

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The busway as seen from the Bellingham Street Bridge looking toward Box District Station

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Finished shared and busway use path near Library Street

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The connecting sidewalk to Griffin Way, as seen from Library Street

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The shared use path looking toward Box District Station as seen from near Library Street

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Box District Station

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A closer look at Box District Station

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Another close look at Box District Station

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The shared use path now snaking up the retaining wall to Broadway near Box District Station

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Another look at Box District Station

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A final look at Box District Station

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The shared use path as seen from the Broadway Bridge

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A look back at Box District Station from the Broadway Bridge

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The shared use path as seen from the Broadway bridge (looking toward Chestnut Street/Washington Ave)

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A look at the Broadway Bridge and the busway as seen from the Washington Ave Bridge

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The final curb and sidewalk work at Sixth @ Arlington for the new station

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The outbound side of Bellingham Sq Station

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The inbound side of Bellingham Sq Station as seen from the current CR station

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Final curbing and sidewalks being done at Spruce street crossing

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A look toward Bellingham Sq Station, as seen from the Spruce street crossing

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Finished retaining wall at Spruce Street near MGH Chelsea

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Final Curbing done at Everett Ave near Chelsea Station

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I think all we need is some buses here at Chelsea Station. It's nearly complete.

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Including the fencing..

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And curbing at crossings..

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And the vegitation...

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Even a bathroom is ready (or as the T calls it.. a "comfort station")

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All we need is some riders and some buses now...

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That's all for now. Next set will probably in a few weeks as an official tour.

And as always, let me know what you think!

 

[djohnstonb]

Thanks for posting. What do the new road markings / changes to eastern/marginal entail? Also, are they doing Anthony with the road it has to cross immediately after eastern ave?

 

[cybah]

Thanks for posting. What do the new road markings / changes to eastern/marginal entail? Also, are they doing Anthony with the road it has to cross immediately after eastern ave?

I think the line there is to make it so there's a wide turning lane to Central Ave.

The entire Eastern Ave/Marginal/Central Ave intersection is being redone. It's not quite done yet.

I know the city eventually will re-do both Eastern Ave to Broadway, and Marginal to Williams (and beyond) to make it more pedestrian friendly.

 

[datadyne007]

I know the city eventually will re-do both Eastern Ave to Broadway, and Marginal to Williams (and beyond) to make it more pedestrian friendly.

Holy shit, really?! This is huge. Is it in design or just talk at the moment?