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Why Allston/Brighton needs a commuter-rail stop
By adamg on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 7:52am
Some major new development, from the New Balance land in Brighton to BU in Allston means the area really needs a stop on the Worcester Line - especially given how it lost all three of its stops to the turnpike construction, not to mention the A Line, TC writes.
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Part of New Balance plan
Part of the New Brighton Landing plan (New Balance) is to include a commuter rail stop.
Thinking long term, a better solution would be to use the ROW for a more regular service (T schedule, not Commuter Rail). It should connect South station, Back Bay, BU (new field), Allston, Brighton Landing, Newton stations that are currently commuter rail, and end at 128.
Such a rapid transit service
Such a rapid transit service was proposed as early as 1945 --
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanshnookenraggen/346...
PS - you can get prints of
PS - you can get prints of this map at Ward Maps in Cambridge. I have a framed copy on the wall in my office (I think this is a neat map of what could have been..)
Thanks. (I am friends with
Thanks. (I am friends with Brian and Steven, the owners of the store.)
here
http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=9801
Its Map 9801
Its only 24x30" however it looks nice over my computer desk :) Reprints only!
Ward has several older T Maps. Overtime I've been trying to collect them for my office. (yeah big transit nut here)
Thanks for the Ward Maps tip
Very cool stuff - thanks!
I've been trying to figure out where all the old RR tracks around here went back in the day.
They should do this
Especially since Beacon Park is closing. In fact, they should electrify the corridor and operate modern EMUs all along it. But that would require breaking away from 90s thinking. That is, 1890s thinking.
Good luck with that proposal.
The MBTA doesn't even want to consider electric locomotives, let alone electric-multiple-unit (EMU) cars, for the current Boston to Providence service. And that line is already under wire.
Heavy vs Light Rail
FRA regulations do not allow "heavy" (commuter rail) and "light" (subway type) trains to ply the same tracks due to differences in crash standards and weight requirements. There is only room for 2 tracks along much of that area so you'd have to choose between one or the other.
It is unlikely that the MBTA or FRA would allow conversion to subway-style trains because the Boston-Springfield line provids a specific route for freight into and out of the city, even with Beacon Park closing. It is a specific route to the port of Boston for emergency purposes as well. Same is true of the Fairmount branch which is getting several bridges upgraded to 17.5 meters in height which just happens to be what is necessary nowadays for double-stack freight containers and some select military vehicles.
It is impossible due to cost to raise the roof on the main NEC so the Fairmount and Springfield branches represent the second best option into the city.
Of note... people have been pushing for the Fairmount branch to be converted as well but I don't see that happening in my lifetime for the noted reasons.
Electrification is an idea but the present NEC (Boston-Providence) catenary service (the wires) were installed, owned, and maintained by Amtrak, not the MBTA. They can be expensive to maintain after they get a few years on them. Part of the reason Amtrak's Acela cannot reach its full potential is that the catenary in CT and NY is very old (over 100 yrs in some places) and high speeds would tear it down. It needs to be fully replaced - a project that may start soon.
EMU (electric multi-units) would work as they do in Jersey or CT but the MBTA has no place to store and service such. Their fleet is dedicated to diesel push-pull trains. It would not be cost effective to have a dedicated fleet of a few EMUs just for A/B and the NEC.
The T now has 25 new locomotivs on order with delivery slated to start in 2013, as well as 75 new coaches starting about the same time. With an average life span of 25 years or more, don't look for trolley cars in A/B anytime soon.
What may work, if stations are created, is a reasonable shuttle train like the Fairmount Shuttle that can serve that area.
A set of DMU's (diesel multi-units) would be interesting (similar to the Budd cars of the 50s and 60s) but there are no USA manufacturers of those at this time, and then you still have the issue of storage and maintenance, tooling, etc.
And so it goes
Very nice explanation
This is basically what I'm referring to by "1890s thinking."
The FRA desperately needs to be reformed. It's an agency stuck in a rut, with regulations that make no sense, many of them carried along from the early 20th century without revision. And even the new regulations such as "you must paint an 'F' on the front of a locomotive" are ridiculous. As if people couldn't tell. Their crash 'safety' standards aren't safe, even their own studies find them dangerous.
It's insane to keep doing a bad thing just because we did it in the past, but that's the way things go around here.
Well, the train tracks run
Well, the train tracks run next to a highway, so in principle they could take lanes from the Pike. That could be an awfully hard thing to sell politically, though.
Funny you should mention
Funny you should mention that: the Mass Pike extension was built by taking tracks away from the B&A. So those lanes were originally tracks ;)
It could be cost-effective to
It could be cost-effective to have DMUs just for those lines.
After all, the T maintains trackless trolleys for just a few lines, and the PCCs for just the Mattapan line.
Local Trains
DMUs could run Boston to Anderson on the Lowell line, or even just to West Medford, where trains from Anderson or Lowell are sometimes are too full to even stop and pick up the hundred plus people on the platform at rush hour. You could easily fill a couple of cars with the number of people who get on and off at West Medford alone.
I'm sure other lines could use them for the innermost stations - like Melrose to Boston would also be a good choice.
I find it unbelievable that
I find it unbelievable that the Green Line Extension and the South Coast Rail project, both costing $100s of millions have priority over building a platform for what, $1 million in A/B.
We've only waited 40 years
And it is the most densely populated corridor not served by rail in the country. And ... And...
So SHUT UP ALREADY! The Green Line Extension is already LATE according to a court order. What part of "court order" do you not get? This is a done deal.
Enough with this "wahhhhhh the green line extension wahhhhh me firrrrrst wahhhhhh" crap. Keep it up and you might spend eternity on buses trying to get 2 miles through Somerville as a fit punishment.
Relax. I didn't say DON'T DO
Relax. I didn't say DON'T DO the GLX. I am saying I find it unbelievable that nobody can fund one stop on an existing commuter rail line.
Maybe you haven't heard
They can't even fund keeping all of the trains from falling apart right now.
At least $10 million
See slide 22 in https://www.commentmgr.com/Projects/1169/docs/Alls...
Well there you go. $10
Well there you go. $10 million. Yeesh, not cheap. I imagine our community can extort this from New Balance as compensation for destroying the historic warehouses and parking lots along Guest Street.
Sounds like a great idea as
Sounds like a great idea as long as New Balance foots the bill. I don't want to see public money going to a project that will most likely benefit New Balance the most.
A very large swatch of
A very large swatch of Allston and Brighton would also benefit from restored service. Remember that there used to be three stations -- Allston (the current Regina Pizzeria building), Faneuil and Brighton -- which were removed during the Mass Pike extension.
I agree but I have found that
I agree but I have found that while new stations are a plus commuter rail stations close to the city don't see as much use ie. the Fairmount Line. A rapid transit line like the green or red would be better....wishful thinking.
2,000+ daily boardings, much more than just NB
The state's 2009 study predicted more than 2,000 daily boardings at a stop in Allston or Brighton. I don't know how many people use the Fairmount line, but what does ridership there have to do with ridership in Allston & Brighton?
Not much. In my opinion the
Not much. In my opinion the Fairmount is a good example of how commuter rail doesn't work well within the city. Why would you pay a higher fare than the bus just to get downtown? Although it's a good option for Metro Boston I don't see it being the best for the city. But hey if New Balance wants to pay for it I'm down.
A better Fairmount
Fairmount could work better and should once all the construction is complete. Much of what is slowing it down now is the building of the new stations and installations of new bridges.
Even then the press for more service has been somewhat held back from the T but much is possible with a little infrastructure investment and creative scheduling.
When the NEC was under construction back in the early 80s the Fairmount branch was the main line for all trains to and from Boston. A connection was made at Readville to make this happen. When the NEC re-opened that connection was de-commissiond somewhat and some rails removed (now down to one for freight needs).
If it were fully restored, select trains now running Boston-Providence or Boston-Stoughton could be re-routed via Fairmount. They could also create a shuttle train to the Rt 128 station. There is a siding in the industrial park where trains could pull off to reverse direction easily.
Additional trains running Boston-Franklin could also be moved there as well. At present only select "express to Boston" Franklin trains run that way now.
So Fairmount has potential. The infrastructure is just not there as yet.
And no one has explored the re-connection with the NEC at Readville as a way to increase rail servive either.
Fairmount Line does not
Fairmount Line does not service Back Bay station, there would be a revolt from Franklin Line riders if the MBTA proposed to reroute more Franklin service via Fairmount. The existing runs to/from Franklin via the Fairmount Line are an early train to Boston at 5:05 AM, "reverse peak" inbound trains at 5:36 and 7:40 PM and an outbound train at 7:55 AM. Not exactly peak trains.
When I use the Franklin line
When I use the Franklin line from Readville, I always go to Back Bay to get to Copley sq. Take away Back Bay station and I don't bother.
What about the Needham line?
Five of its post-Ruggles stops are in the city, and they are well utilized. The difference is that the stops in Roslindale and West Roxbury are many, whereas the stops in Dorchester are few; and the Needham trains are much faster. I'm happy to pay more to ride the train from Roslindale over the bus-to-subway alternative. I don't think we can judge urban commuter rail based upon Fairmont alone.
I do agree with your other point, though, that rapid transit is preferable. I'd much rather see the Orange Line replace Needham line service as far as West Roxbury. But such a conversion is expensive, and at least when it comes to Allston, not even possible given the width of the ROW.
What about the Needham line?
.
Public transit, not private
The whole point of public transit is that the public is putting in together to get places it needs to go. The people that work at New Balance (and WGBH...and everywhere else over there) need to get to work just the same as the guy who lives in Brighton who would board there to get downtown in the morning.
Do you know what that guy's best option is right now? A 47-minute bus/subway connection where he takes a bus all the way to Central Square in Cambridge so he can pick up the Red Line downtown. How dumb is that when he has to cross the train tracks that are going into South Station already?
Plus, there's a ton of growth slowly creeping along in Allston as Harvard starts to put more money into redevelopment again.
Finally, even if every single person getting on and off at that stop would only be New Balance employees, it's less cars AND more revenue for the MBTA regardless of why they started using the train to get to that stop (it's not like they have to run a special train there...it just has to stop one that's already going by anyways!). That sounds like a lot of public benefit if you ask me.
Reliable? Enough Space?
I know that, due to the underserved area it goes through, the Lowell Line trains are packed to the aisles at rush hour with people who get off at West Medford.
Worcester trains don't run as often as Lowell trains. Would that service alone be enough? Would there be room on the trains? Would this contribute to the already poor reliability of that line?
Other than that, this is a really good idea. I carpool with a guy whose sister works for NB and lives out that direction, and it would tremendously simplify her commute.
Or the Express Bus. AT
Or the Express Bus. AT $90/month, it's more expensive than the link pas, but cheaper than the commuter rail. There are two that pick up in Brighton Center (501 & 503) and another near Oak Square, I believe. Just a short 86 bus-ride away from Allston/Brighton on the OTHER side of the Pike.
Yikes...
If you predicate your ability to catch the 501/503 on the performance of the 86 (which comes all the way from Charlestown by way of Harvard Square!), you will learn to live with a lot of disappointment in life.
Also, from further out at Newtonville to South Station is 20 minutes on the commuter rail. A stop at Allston/Brighton would probably take about 10 minutes from there.
Not even counting the 86, twenty minutes on the 501 will just barely get you off of the Pike downtown...it's another 10 or more minutes before it lets you out up the street from South Station.
Starts and Stops
Stopping a train is not as easy as that. All of the schedules would be shifted a great deal.
When a train moves on a section of track, they have exclusive rights to that section or "block" of trackage. While on that block no other trains can be in that block without special permissions and a lot of paperwork.
As such if a train stops in Alston-Brighton, the next train behind it may be stuck at South Station until it has moved well into the next block.
You can see these "blocks" in the subway. There may be several blocks with red lights between each train set.
In the subway, trains move slower, but commuter trains move faster and take longer to stop due to inertia, so the track sections or blocks are each a mile, or often several miles long sometimes. So if a train is at Alston-Brighton, a train might not be allowed to move passed Wellesley.
This is why commuter trains are so far spaced apart.
Yes and no
You are right about it requiring careful scheduling in order to work smoothly with block signals. But this is not rocket science. It's a field of study with over a century of experience. There were Allston/Brighton stations in the past, and there can easily be again.
Once the MBTA is allowed to use two tracks through Beacon Park, most schedule conflict issues will go away. Even with our old fashioned block system, limited by single tracking, there are already 20 minute headways during peak on this line. Lines with updated signal systems and no single tracking, can do better. You don't even have to look to other countries to see it happening: LIRR, NJT, MN, Metra, and even the lowly Caltrain manage to run headways under 5 minutes despite similar operational and regulatory regimes.
Look at the headways on the
Look at the headways on the Highland Branch heavy rail (today's Riverside branch), where the stations are very close together, in 1931 --
http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=66856&p...
If such headways could be had on heavy rail 80 years ago, I find it depressing if adding back an Allston station would pose insurmountable operational challenges.
South Station has to be
South Station has to be expanded first to handle more peak trains before much more could be added in the peak to any South Side line.
South Station is not at capacity
South Station still has plenty of capacity, it just needs to be used correctly. This is a good example of where the MBTA's incompetence is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money laying concrete; when instead the problem lies in the management.
http://pedestrianobservations.wordpress.com/2011/0...
Another consideration
Taking the train from A/B to Back Bay instead of going all the way to South Station would give A/B a much faster path to the Orange Line too.
Right now, their best option is Bus->Green Line all the way to Park St and walking to Downtown Crossing (or even worse is to go to Gov't Center, switch to a Lechmere and get off at Haymarket).
I guess they could go the wrong way up to the Red Line again (by bus) and then take it down to Downtown Crossing...
Or something like slogging on the 66 all the way to Roxbury Crossing. (Ugh...)
Chinatown too
Google Maps typically recommends walking from Boylston to Chinatown for Green/Orange transfers, but on a day like this... Park St would be fine by me.
Or maybe they should just send all Green Line trains to Lechmere. That would be sensible, though. Not allowed.