South Huntington Avenue Corridor Study

I went to the presentation for restoring steetcars on South Huntington Ave on Thursday evening. The showed a 25 minute PBS film about how streetcars in Portland,OR helped economic development where they were installed.

Their was only brief talk about a possible route and how it would turn around at Centre St. Nothing at all specific, just the descriptions already posted on their website: www.arborway.org. They did say that they thought the E-Line service could compliment the 39 Bus, allowing the bus to travel express down South Huntington and letting the trolley take care of the local service.

Their was a mention of how S. Huntington was changing with new developments and the possibility that the VA hospital could close, opening up even more development.

Former Mass Secretary of Transportation Fred Salvucci spoke about the Big Dig's mitigation agreements with the Conservation Law Foundation to expand mass transit - restoring E-Line service was one point on the list. Essentially, by expanding mas transit, vehicle trips on the Central Artery would be reduced and it would take longer for the tunnels and bridges to reach capacity.
 
There are way more important and practical projects out there that should be built first. I don't see street running trolleys working out on such a tight street unless you take out a lane of parking. Let's see how well that will go over.
 
I don't see any good solution. In the recent past, I've been waiting for the 39 going back into town while on Centre Street and looked at the oncoming traffic heading into JP and thought ... man, I would go ballistic if I had to sit in that for more than 10 minutes.
 
So they had to go to Portland to find out what streetcars would do for development? Are you kidding? It's not like Jamaica Plain is desperately in need of economic development. And the only possible development is on a short strip of South Huntington ave. And that stretch is already fully developed - and the locals are fighting the latest development proposal. All in all, I'd call the Portland business buffoonery of the highest order.

There's already bus service on the route - it's not like this would be some great improvement to the city's transportation system. In fact, it's the same group who lost their court battle over the Arborway line all the way to the state Superior Court. For Salvucci to talk about the Big Dig mitigation plan when he knows that's what didn't hold up in court is.... let's just say he doesn't represent himself well here. That card was played, and it was a loser.

Besides the wisdom of running streetcars on non-dedicated street-based tracks, there is NO MONEY for this sort of thing. The T can't keep the Red Line running during rush hour - are they really going to run streetcars down a bus line? If there actually was money to spend - it should go to underserved parts of the city, not a route that's getting taken care of already.
 
I live in JP and got a flyer about this topic a couple of weeks ago. I believe they're asking to extend the route down South Huntington, turn left on Perkins, take a right on Centre Street and then take a right back onto South Huntington. South Huntington is very wide between the VA and the MSPCA, extremely narrow on Perkins, and the width is about average on that small section of Centre Street in Hyde Square.
 
davem said:
Capitol versus operating expenses...
Click to expand...

They are budgeted/accounted for separately but the T's issue is fundamentally the same: they don't have the government funding and other revenues needed to cover their full operating expenses, let alone anything to put towards large capital projects. And surely taking out more loans won't lead to good things when they're already saddled with billions in debt that they shouldn't be.
 
davem said:
Capitol versus operating expenses...
Click to expand...


As if capitol expenses come out of the right hand and operating expenses come out of the left. No one should be allowed out of high school until they understand the concept of a budget. :(
 
omaja said:
Capitol vs. Capital, Capital and Capital
Click to expand...

;-) nice...


I was simply stating that things such extensions typically do not come out of the mbta's coffers, but from the state, feds (generous benefactors, anyone, anyone?!?) or other such places. Not that the state or the federal government has money to be playing with, but building the extension or not has no bearing on the maintence of rolling stock. And since the type 9 order will likely be coming on line as this nears completion, it won't be a repeat of what happened to the A or E, which would be my greater concern.

*typed from my phone, numerous spelling errors to mock I'm sure =P
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
People who whine about humorous nitpicking contribute less...
Click to expand...


Agreed - all in good fun. I just vividly recall learning the difference back in grade school and thought the images would be funny. :)

davem said:
;-) nice...


I was simply stating that things such extensions typically do not come out of the mbta's coffers, but from the state, feds (generous benefactors, anyone, anyone?!?) or other such places. Not that the state or the federal government has money to be playing with, but building the extension or not has no bearing on the maintence of rolling stock. And since the type 9 order will likely be coming on line as this nears completion, it won't be a repeat of what happened to the A or E, which would be my greater concern.

*typed from my phone, numerous spelling errors to mock I'm sure =P
Click to expand...

As we can see, though, with transferring Big Dig debt over to the MBTA's books, the state's budget woes are the MBTA's budget woes and vice versa. Any additional borrowing required to fund capital expenditure would indeed impact the MBTA's operating expenses when they're already borrowing to cover operating expenses.

So, I guess in a sense you're right that building the extension isn't coming from the same budget line or area as rolling stock maintenance, but that doesn't mean they aren't interrelated. You still have to consider the amortization of the assets, the additional maintenance/overhead, etc. which are all operating expenses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top