Area economy hinges on construction of new commuter-rail line through Cambridge?
Cambridge Day reports on that joint Cambridge/Boston city-council meeting at the city line, which included a talk by an expert on regional economic development who is really grooving on the state's plans to renovate the "Grand Junction" rail line that will let trains from Worcester sail into North Station:
We have to find a way of connecting these geographies, these populations. So I start talking about how do we improve commuter rail access from Worcester to the Allston Landing area to Cambridge and to Boston. It's very important because the high technology, life-science, educational credentials of the Worcester area need to relate directly to the Boston-Cambridge area. We want these clusters to grow and really develop, but the transportation system really needs to support that.
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Ok, but ...
So all these people come into North Station. What are they to do then? WALK to their office/research building?
Build the prettiest, sparkliest, fastest, on time-est commuter rail system connecting all the clusters you like, and all you'll have is clusterflock of people at the train stations.
FIX THE MBTA.
I challenge Mr. Dimino's comment that we have "one of the finest transit systems in the world."
We do not.
We have one of the most fairly adequate sytems* in the country. And, with Mr. Mike Ross stepping in (per the last line), I cringe to think what non-problem will examined and given a "fix," via beaurocratic intervention.
* Note: We have one of the most fairly adequate systems as long as it's not rush hour and all of the following conditions are met:
- colleges are not in session
- there are no sports
- it's not too hot/cold
- it's not too wet/dry
- it's not too early/late
- it's not cutting into a donut/coffee break/card game
Very well said
Also, very difficult to fix.
Its too bad that finding
Its too bad that finding money to buy new Red and Orange cars didn't come up as a priority for Boston or Cambridge. But I guess that wouldn't do much for Worcester.
Actually, in the ENTIRE time
Actually, in the ENTIRE time that I've lived here (coming up on seven years) the only time I have ever found the T to run absolutely on time and as smoothly as possible considering their job is during Rush Hour. Even the Red Line.
Despite the whining about the T, it's actually a pretty good system. Not that I think it couldn't be substantially improved, or that it doesn't need substantial improvement, I'm just saying that it's not as bad as the whining generally makes it out to be.
Perspective
I guess it's perspective and where you first braved public transportation (NY, for me). Also, I will credit the T with marginally improving some services in the last 10 years.
I've also stopped whining about the T in the last year; at this point, I'm simply listing things even the T itself sometimes will admit in certain situations.
- GL remains an infrastructure disaster waiting to happen
- aging cars on the RL and OL
- the SL is a dang bus
- short-sighted discontinuation of Night Owl (flawed as it was)
- leadership shortcomings resulting in reduction of service or no capital maintenance (Arborway "suspension," ripping out Watertown tracks, Blue/Red connector, North/South connector, refusal to integrate modern communication systems, tunnel/track upgrades)
- operating hours that are a joke (there are ways around single-track maintenance)
- financial obligations for building roads being shoved onto the T's balance sheet
- continued surprise at crowds on Red Sox/Celtic/Bruin game days (especially the shock they get on weekends when it's reduced service, the Central Subway is crippled, and there's an hours-long ripple effect outward)
- caving in to unreasonable salary/benefit obligations
Luring more people into metro-Boston/Cambridge will add more pressure on an organization that generally appears to only have a goal of staying somewhat operational day to day.
Blame the State Legislature.
Blame the State Legislature. They're the ones who seem to think a public transit system can be funded by clapping your hands and believing.
I don't think the T (or its management) is remotely perfect, but let's not forget that the Legislature threw it under the bus by tying its revenue to sales taxes.
As a resident of Boston
I agree with the desire expressed by the residents of Cambridge for the train from Worcester to North Station to stop in Cambridge rather than just passing through.
This train is going to go right through Kendall Square on the CSX pass-through, before it loops up under the McGrath, through the moribund North Point area, and past the cement factory. It would only be logical to put a stop in Kendall Square to make a commute from Worcester direct to Kendall Square possible. There are unused parcels that would be appropriate (Binney by Galileo Galilei?) and could be taken by the City of Cambridge for this purpose. And once there, yes, they will WALK to their office/research building. This is a good goal.
This stop would be in Boston's interest as well as Cambridge's. It is not a loss to Boston to have people live in Worcester and work in Kendall Square, but a gain. Easily accessible affordable housing is not something on which any place near the Bay Area can compete with Worcester. If you want to find the closest place to Silicon Valley with an average $107 psf you have to go a lot farther than 40 miles. That's not even the distance from San Francisco to San Jose. You'd have to go out to Merced or somewhere. That's 75 miles from San Jose, and the only train is an Amtrak that takes 3 hours to get to San Jose. Is Worcester looking good yet?
I applaud this all too unusual attempt to look at planning from a regional rather than municipal perspective. This is a good answer for our region, and full speed ahead!
Heretic!
You used that r-word again! How could you. It's all about my town verses your town, doncha know?
I don't want to give the
I don't want to give the impression I don't support regional rail. I absolutely do. I also think a CR stop near Kendall is the ONLY way to do this.
But with the exception of token gestures here and there, critical issues with the core MBTA system (which doesn't just serve the City of Boston) are utterly ignored.
The result is a potential to draw thousands more into Boston (Cambridge, etc.), with no concurrent improvement of the system that moves people around in Boston (Cambridge, etc.)
You are totally right on
You are totally right on this. Its a huge hassle to get from North Station to Kendall/Central. Right now you have to take the EZ ride shuttle or hop on two subway lines.
There is a big issue with the train crossing Mass Ave and Main Street though. Traffic is already bad enough, we need a tunnel!
Ultimate irony about Boston commutes
I always chuckle at the fact that if you commute from the south to South Station, it's best to work in Cambridge on the Red Line. If you commute from the North of the city, it's best to work on the Green or Orange lines in the south parts of the city.
Transit in this city is so screwed up.
Or work in Back Bay
and commute from the South to a station right by your office. I'll agree that North side trains have a challenge for Cambridge commuters, but South side works just fine for Boston jobs.
But since the Worcester line
But since the Worcester line already goes to South Station, people from that line just have a single transfer to/from the Red Line to get to Cambridge. Is it worth spending money on this if people on the Worcester Line already have better access to Cambridge than people on the Lowell, Haverhill, or Newburyport/Rockport lines?
And besides needing money to buy new Red Line and Orange Line cars, has the state found the money to pay their share of the Green Line extension to Somerville? Even if federal money is tapped, the state must still come up with a local match. These both seem like they should be higher priorities for the state and The T before they think about spending money on new projects.
Public Bicycle and Segway fleet!
That's how they will get to work - ride bikes and Segways through a sharing program!
Can't get any more hip than that, right?
(ducks)
so hip.....
so hip.....
and continue to ignore 90k people just north of Boston
I need to put in a plug for the largest city on the North Shore, home to 90,000 people more or less, just 7.5-11 miles to Boston (depending on who you talk to, rail or driving perhaps).
Since the old narrow gauge rail went away, in the 40's I think it was, it's the most bypassed, overlooked and ignored "gateway" or satellite city I can think of.
Lynn has transportation needs that are not being met. The commuter rail is great, but has limited hours. Either increase the commuter rail service or bring the Blue Line in.
It's a crime that the state has ignored Lynn for so long, but there's a new attitude in Lynn, and there are new Lynners, who don't expect it to be bypassed, ignored or beat up on any longer.
Agreed, and I believe it
Agreed, and I believe it would also be one of the cheapest extensions in the system right now (i think around $600m--compared to the $2B south coast rail requires).
also connect red and blue lines and shore up the core of the system. Enough commuter rail expansion!
NO SOUTH COAST RAIL!
red to blue
Agree about connecting RL to BL. I read somewhere that there is a tunnel past Bowdoin that goes just about to Charles St already. That would be great for airport travelers and just getting around in general. Seems like such an obvious step.
Blue Line tunnel ends around Russell Street
so it would need to be extended another 1500 feet or so westward.
Don't count on it
Sure, the state has a formal planning process going on, but the state also says it has no plans whatsoever to actually build the tunnel.
I went to a Red/Blue
I went to a Red/Blue Connector public meeting last year. There were maybe 30-50 people present. The design engineers are very serious about this project and seem to be doing a thorough job of it. However, the meeting opened with the speaker saying that there are absolutely no plans for this project to be funded. :(
I wonder if they've
I wonder if they've considered building a pedestrian tunnel with moving sidewalks between Government Center and Park Street. That could be as useful as extending the Blue Line to Charles.
And sadly.... Even if you
And sadly.... Even if you guys get immediately approved, it will take 5-10 years to build despite the Right of way is already there and everything. I wish things can be decided faster and built faster. At one time, that used to be true.
Since this line runs right
Since this line runs right through the MIT campus, I don't see why they couldn't add a MIT stop, either at Mass Ave (good connections to the #1 bus and a walk to Central Sq) or at Main street.(at Tech square- a short walk to Kendall) Most commuter rail stations require minimal space for the station itself (aside from parking) and there's underutilized land (a parking lot, a vegetated buffer) at each location that could easily serve as a station.
There is a semi-public shuttle that I know runs from Lechemere (and maybe N. Station) to Kendall, Tech Square and the Galleria. I don't know how convenient it is for commuters,
EZ ride is not that
EZ ride is not that convenient
Station location in Cambridge
The main issue I can see with locating a station in Cambridge is putting it where the train won't have to block one or more major street crossings while it is stopped. I'm not sure if there is enough room between Mass. Ave. and Main, or between Main and Broadway.
MIT Building Lobby
There is a place where this line goes right under the Brain/Cogsci building at MIT, if I'm not mistaken. It's at that intersection on Broadway where any car that tries to stop at the stop line gets honked at, despite the obvious rails in the road.
Is there any way that could be retooled with a platform? I ride in that area regularly and I think the distance between Broadway and Main is longer than the West Medford platform. It wouldn't have to be on the building side, because there is a space between the rail line and the wide sidewalk/roadway already.
That's MIT Building 46
but it is at the Main Street crossing, not Broadway.
Main St - Mass Ave should be sufficient
There should be ample room for a single six-carriage consist between Mass Ave and Main St. That block is at least 1000' long, maybe a bit more like 1200'.
For comparison, the platform island at Porter Sq. is about 750', and a single consist doesn't come anywhere near using the entire length.
It's a good thing this is all
It's a good thing this is all being done with Monopoly money. Thank God the taxpayers won't be expected to pay for it.
By its self, I don’t think
By its self, I don’t think this is a horrible idea. I do think that in the context of other possible increases in the line’s use, it seems a poor choice to run those heavy, stinky old diesels through neighborhoods and six at grade road crossings.
There’s the multi-use (bike and pedestrian) path that the City of Cambridge has been planning for years which would offer good recreational benefits to residents and allow easy bike commuting between East Cambridge, Kendall and Central Squares, and Cambridgeport.
Perhaps the best idea I’ve heard came from Wig Zamore of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP). That would be to run electric light rail along the line from Allston where Worcester Commuters could change trains and and travel to C’port, Kendall/E.C. and connect with the rest of the system at Lechmere.
As I understand it all options would still have to accommodate the transfer of freight and commuter cars between the south and north networks and the commuter rail repair facility at North Point.
Another point is I've been told that without a stop in Cambridge, no environmental impact study is necessary as to the effect on us.