Silver Line to Chelsea

This is something LA standardized on long ago, and it's probably saved them a ton of money on street repairs. Bus acceleration / deceleration absolutely ravages asphalt. Concrete, not so much. (Unless you're using the garbage-tier quality concrete in the Silver Line Transitway.

The T learned that lesson the hard way on the Silver Line Washington Street, and had to go back and install concrete pavement at the bus stops, after they ruined the original asphalt.
 
Why was buses tearing up asphalt an issue on the SL Washington St but not an issue on other routes?
 
Why was buses tearing up asphalt an issue on the SL Washington St but not an issue on other routes?

The articulating Silver Line buses also completely destroyed the very pretty granite paver sidewalks that they installed on Washington Street in the South End and around South Station. I think that the City won a court case against the MBTA for the damage.


edited because I can't tell one from won....
 
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The 28 and 39 have similar headways. Why isn't asphalt an issue on those routes?

Not sure. Do they run the 60 ft articulated buses on those routes? Is the underlying pavement/road bed better quality than Washington Street?

I just know that the start of SL4/5 service on Washington Street tore the shit out of the street at each stop.
 
Not sure. Do they run the 60 ft articulated buses on those routes? Is the underlying pavement/road bed better quality than Washington Street?

I just know that the start of SL4/5 service on Washington Street tore the shit out of the street at each stop.

Yes, they operate using the exact same buses as the SL4/5, but the 39 switches to Arborway's 40-foot buses during evenings. This is why I'm confused as to why asphalt wouldn't be an issue on those 2 "yellow" routes.
 
Yes, they operate using the exact same buses as the SL4/5, but the 39 switches to Arborway's 40-foot buses during evenings. This is why I'm confused as to why asphalt wouldn't be an issue on those 2 "yellow" routes.

The only explanation would be better roadbed under Huntington/South Huntington versus Washington Street. A stronger roadbed would allow the asphalt to survive the abuse. It may have something to do with the history as a streetcar corridor (and the nature of the roadbed for embedded tracks).
 
Hey All-

Well it is time for a regular update of construction photos. And a regular update is my normal me-walking-and-taking-photos-via-public-ways update.

Like the entire project.. it's moving along. There's curbing at Eastern Ave Station now, so it realy defines the loop and station. Chelsea Station near Market Basket is also getting a final grading treatment, so I'm sure we see curbing shortly. And remember, all stations and crossings will be concrete, not asphalt, so I think we will see concrete being poured soon (as you'll see at Box District Station). Plus there's topsoil being places all along the project now, so I think the city may come in shortly after and start planting (probably late summer).

So it's really coming along. I anticipate by late summer, we'll see some dramatic changes because it'll just be moving onto finishes!

I also had a chance to talk to the project manager from the MBTA about this project and ask a bunch of questions, but I will do a seperate post about that later. (I just want to get the pictures to you now, plus I need to compile my 4 doubleside pages of notes into something readable for you!)

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

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

Now for the highlights..

Here's looking at Eastern Ave Station. Notice the new curbing being installed. It really does define the loop and where the actual station is now. I anticipate concrete next.

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Another look at Eastern Ave Station and its new curbing

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And another look at Eastern Ave's new curbing

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Here's looking toward Box District Station from the Bellingham Street bridge. See the new top soil on the right

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Here's looking toward the Bellingham Street bridge from near Library Street. Notice the now packed grade where the new shared use path will be.

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Here's where Library Street will connect to the new shared use path

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At Box District Station curbing is going in also. It really does define the station.

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Another look at the new curbing at Box District Station

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And another look at the new curbing at Box District Station

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Here's looking at the shared use path from the Broadway Bridge. The Eversource power box is done and the caps are going on.

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I am going to assume this is a pull off for an inspector. Its too small for the bus. And notice the finished curbing and topsoil in the background. All that is needed is need is grass seed!

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A look back at Box District Station from the Broadway Bridge

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Finished retaining wall on the shared use path looking toward Washington Ave from the Broadway Bridge

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Here's looking toward the Broadway Bridge from the Washington Ave Bridge

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The new footings for the inbound canopy at Bellingham Sq Station, as seen from the Washington Ave bridge

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The finished outbound canopy at Bellingham Sq Station, as seen from the Arlington @ Sixth intersection

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The new grading at Chelsea Station. It really does define the station now.

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The inbound side of Chelsea Station with its new grading

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That's all for now. Next set probably won't be until nearly late July (early July tends to be a busy time for me), But by then we should see tons of progress! But I will post my conversation I had with the MBTA project manager for this project in a few days.

And as always, let me know what you think!
 
Very exciting! Are they going to get a ped/bike sidepath along this (particularly the eastern and western ends (which seem less impinged).
 
Very exciting! Are they going to get a ped/bike sidepath along this (particularly the eastern and western ends (which seem less impinged).

Yes. A Shared use path will run fron Chestnut street to Eastern Ave Station.

The eventually goal is to connect it to the East Boston Greenway.
 
Great stuff as always cybah.

I am really disappointing in that electrical box in the shared use path. Hopefully it won't be as bad as it looks like it's going to be.
 
Great stuff as always cybah.

I am really disappointing in that electrical box in the shared use path. Hopefully it won't be as bad as it looks like it's going to be.

It looks like the power box will end up flush with the shared use path final grading (if I am reading the picture correctly).

There are power boxes under sidewalks all over the city, and no one seems to have a problem.
 
It looks like the power box will end up flush with the shared use path final grading (if I am reading the picture correctly).

There are power boxes under sidewalks all over the city, and no one seems to have a problem.

Ah I see, I guess that wood box on top of the concrete slab threw me off. I thought there was going to be an above ground electrical box right in the middle o the shared use path.
 
Ah I see, I guess that wood box on top of the concrete slab threw me off. I thought there was going to be an above ground electrical box right in the middle o the shared use path.

That would be really bad! (And crazy things like that do happen.) I think, though, that the box is a remnant of the concrete work below.
 
It looks like the power box will end up flush with the shared use path final grading (if I am reading the picture correctly).

There are power boxes under sidewalks all over the city, and no one seems to have a problem.

You know I wish I could figure out how to make it so I get notified when anyone comments on this thread because I can answer this! (I can answer alot of questions now, actually)

Jeff, you're right. It will be flush with a hatch door. The MassDOT engineer said that it was something Eversource requested. It wasn't there before (I checked old photos), so I am going to assume it may power some parts of the project. But I will ask so I'll add this the list of questions I have for the MassDOT Guy for the next time.

Here's what it looked like before they put the fill in (from 4/20's photo set):

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what a difference the fill makes. Actually all throughout the shared use path, it's been filled in and the grade has rose along the path.
 
So as I was looking at the first photo set to prove my post above, I did a compare on a few key spots along the project.

I don't wanna do too many of these. Because at the end of the project, I want to make a 'movie' of all the stills showing the progress since I take pictures on the same spot each time. But wow... look at the difference!

But here's two..

Here's looking toward Box District Station from the Bellingham Street bridge:

April 25, 2015:

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June 3rd, 2017:

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And here's looking toward Box District Station from the Broadway Bridge:

April 25, 2015:

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June 3, 2017:

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What a difference two years makes!
 

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