By adamg on Mon., 6/27/2016 - 12:37 pm
Here's how, although, yes, the author is that guy who brings his bike on the Blue Line at rush hour.
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Here's how, although, yes, the author is that guy who brings his bike on the Blue Line at rush hour.
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Comments
Ya because
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 12:40pm
biking to the airport with a luggage bag seem SOOOOOO practical.
Captain Obvious
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:20pm
There are other reasons to go to the airport, you know.
Anyway, I have a bike which fits in a bag. Many times I've ridden the bike to/from an airport and packed the bike when I got where I was going. My other bag was a large backpack.
Read the Article
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 2:07pm
This family runs a bike touring website and travel with a young child all the time.
One point they make is to leave all of the unnecessary crap at home.
I travel with a folding bike and bags all the time. You can fit a lot in a pannier.
Driving around a 2 ton motor
By Kinopio
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 7:47pm
Driving around a 2 ton motor vehicle in a city designed in the 1600s seems sooo practical.
Folding Bikes
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:00pm
If you have a folding bike and it's folded there's no problem taking it on any MBTA vehicle.
Why does the author forget about the Logan Ferry? That's the quickest way with a bike if you're already downtown. And full sized bikes are allowed at all times.
Riding through Chelsea isn't too bad even during rush hour. It's annoying to need to take the "long" way around but I've done it before without incident.
Chelsea amenities
By Elmer Fudd
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:57pm
I hear that the King Arthur Lounge in Chelsea has added bicycle parking...
Folding bikes (when folded
By Origami
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 2:47pm
Folding bikes (when folded per the MBTA rules) count as luggage. Some MBTA employees don't seem to know that!
The Boston Cyclists' Union
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:07pm
The Boston Cyclists' Union just responded to this post with a more comprehensive guide that includes the "overland" route (through Everett and Chelsea, surprisingly not as treacherous or as long as you might think) and they also have a very good guide to where you can park at the airport including places with restricted access/security cameras.
http://bostoncyclistsunion.org/commuting/biking-to...
If we were able to start over with train tracks.....
By Pete Nice
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:27pm
We should be able to put bike paths right along side of them, maybe even if they had to be underground. This would pretty much solve the entire problem of biking in the city.
I wonder how long it would take to bike from Franklin to South Station along a nice smooth path next to the train tracks?
Really?
By jackattck
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:38pm
I mean, maybe I fail to see the sarcasm in this post but is this not why we build bridges for cars? Y'know those big scary four wheel things made my toyota? Does the sales tax on your $2000 bike go to fund that? Or should we all have to foot the bill for that as well?
Huh?
By MostlyHarmless
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:29pm
Do we need more bridges somewhere? And you're aware that most cyclists own and drive cars, right?
Maybe we should use the money for education so we don't end up with "those big scary four wheel things made my toyota" or other robot horror movie scripts.
Can we stop
By baepp
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:00pm
Can we stop saying "most cyclists own and drive cars," please? I've never seen stats to back that up. And anyway, who cares if we do or don't own/drive cars? The bigger argument is that roads are majorly subsidized by the state and federal governments as taxes, licensing, and tolls do not even begin to cover the cost of roads.
Bike lanes/paths are cheaper than roads - smaller, cleaner, more efficient, less wear and tear.
The "I bike, but I drive too!" plea is pathetic. Just stop.
You want stats?
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:12pm
Here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2009/dl1c.cfm
According to the USDOT 86.7% of adults in MA have drivers licenses, and by definition, drive sometimes. So if you see an adult on a bike there is roughly a 90% chance that person also is a driver.
The reason why it's important is that people like to pretend drivers and cyclists are two entirely separate species and/or cyclists somehow aren't "paying for the road" like drivers. This argument is patently wrong.
Well
By MostlyHarmless
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:18pm
I don't drive, and lateral aggression is clearly a thing.
You could start by paying the full cost of your car
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:38pm
Then we can talk, considering cyclists pay property and income taxes that make up that 40% that you get for free.
Tens of thousands of
By Kinopio
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 7:50pm
Tens of thousands of Bostonians pay property taxes but don't hog resources like you do. Pay up, freeloader.
Yes, sales tax on any item in
By anon
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 7:25am
Yes, sales tax on any item in MA goes towards funding infrastructure. Sales tax revenue goes into the state general fund which in turn is used for a wide variety of projects. Including roads, bridges, bike lanes, etc.
#themoreyouknow
Question:
By Perhaps...
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:35pm
I heard that the Blue Line was the one line where the "no bikes at rush hour" rule was NOT in effect. Is this still true?
I believe this was due to it being less crowded than other lines, the lack of other connection options, and the need for worker access back and forth.
It's Restricted By Direction, And For Less Time Than Other Lines
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 3:28pm
During morning rush hour, bikes are not allowed on inbound Blue Line Trains — during afternoon rush hour, bikes are not allowed on outbound trains. The restricted hours are also less on the Blue Line, with the morning restriction lifting at 9:00 AM, and the evening restriction lifting at 6:00 PM.
( The Red and Orange lines prohibit bikes in both directions from 7-10 AM and from 4-7 PM. )
Thanks
By Perhaps...!
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:25pm
Got it, thanks for clarifying. And RE crowding -- I wondered that myself, but heard that was part of the reason for the bikes exception. Makes sense if they are only allowed for the reverse commute.
What Elmer said
By ChrisInEastie
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 3:37pm
plus, the Blue Line not being as crowded is a huge myth. It's not uncommon to have to wait for multiple trains at peak in the AM at Maverick or even Airport, and I'd argue that it may actually be more crowded than some other lines during rush hour now that we're a "hot" neighborhood and students aren't afraid to come over anymore, on top of North Shore commuters.
Really tho
By MostlyHarmless
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:30pm
You're a cheap neighborhood and they don't have much of a choice.
Not that cheap
By ChrisInEastie
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:49pm
anymore, sadly. And who doesn't have much of a choice of what?
Yes it is
By MostlyHarmless
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:21pm
Try living in Somerville or Allston, where you're lucky to find a cardboard box for less than $1500/mo.
The students do not have a choice.
try
By Steeve
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 9:01am
Try living in East Boston after the next decade's wave of owners selling. It's still cheap because there are still lots of owners with little to no debt on their properties. New owners mean higher amounts of debt and higher rents to offset it. Take a look at Redfin listings some time: lots of the housing stock in EB has well below market rents. The average rents on units are a bit misleading due to this.
And where it will really spike when you have more and more non owner-occupied buildings that are simply big chunks of passive income for the new owner with no regard whatsoever for the makeup of the community. I lived in a crappy 2BD with an extra basement room that cost $1400 not too long ago that the new owner is marketing as a 3BD (illegally) for $2700. The place hasn't been updated since the Carter administration.
It really isn't as cheap as you think
By ChrisInEastie
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 10:22am
When I moved at the end of last summer after 4 years in an unbelievable apartment at an unheard of price, I looked all over the city, and there really wasn't that much of a difference anymore–I ended up staying in Eastie because it felt like home, not because of price. A lot of the stuff getting posted to the Eastie FB groups is all $2k+ now as well.
And the students will be living in Revere soon enough, because they end up being one of the driving forces behind rent.
When I Bring A Bike On The Blue Line ...
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:50pm
[img]https://elmercatdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/06...
... I prefer to go to the end of the car, where there is a place with no seats. Slid into this area, the bike takes up as little room as possible, and is out of the way of other passengers. I'll be standing next to the bike, so the single seat behind it is still available for someone else to use.
Of course, if a passenger in a wheelchair came along and wanted to be in that space, I'd gladly get out of the way or even get off the train if necessary to accommodate them.
You could fit 4 bikes into
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 6:14pm
You could fit 4 bikes into that space vertically if the MBTA installed hoooks for them.
Hmmm... That Might Work Instead Of Strollers
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 8:00pm
[sup]âŸâŸâŸâŸâŸâŸâŸâŸâŸâŸHooks for children, so they don't have to sit on parents' laps.[/sup]
And ya know how that would look?
By D'orbs
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 8:41pm
I'll let you say it...
Something Like This Perhaps? — But With Multiple Beaks
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 10:09pm
[img]http://d3ui957tjb5bqd.cloudfront.net/images/screen...
Who said the Blue Line is less crowded?
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:00pm
Anyone who says the Blue Line is less crowded than other lines last rode it in 1975. Not only is it packed to the gills at rush hour (having to let a full train or two go by before finally boarding one is not uncommon), but after evening rush hour to closing the Blue Line outbound remains relentlessly packed.
Nor does it lack connection options. State Street connects to the Red and Orange lines, and Government Center (now that it is reopened) connects to the Green.
Crowded At Times, Yes — But Less Crowded Than Other Lines
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 7:51pm
Not only are the Red Line and the Orange Line more crowded, in comparison to the Blue Line they smell really bad.
While Government Center was closed, I became accustomed to connecting from the Blue Line to the Red Line by walking the few blocks down Cambridge Street between Bowdoin and Charles/MGH Stations. Now that Scollay Under in open again, unless it's pouring rain outside, I still find it preferable to use Cambridge street.
Not involving the Green or Orange Lines to make the transfer, eliminates their hassle, and it often saves time. There's also the advantage of starting with a completely empty train at Bowdoin for the outbound trip.
Speaking of Bowdoin Station...
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 11:39pm
...for the life of me I cannot figure out why Bowdoin is such an underutilized station. It's like the Symphony Station of the Blue Line. So underutilized that it was shut down nights and weekends for years and years before the Govt. Center renovation. The MBTA claims it will remain open nights and weekends now, but I suspect that won't last. It's right in the middle of so many things. Mass General, government buildings, Suffolk University, proximity to Charles St, proximity to Boston Garden, to Beacon Hill. It's like a mystery station.
Bowdoin is useful only if your trip starts and ends on Blue Line
By Ron Newman
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 10:35am
Otherwise, it's much too short a walk from Government Center and State to be worth a transfer to/from the Green or Orange Line..
Bowdoin is Underutilized Because...
By anon
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 10:49am
...unless you're coming from/going to another station on the Blue Line, you'll have to change trains at either State Street or Government Center. And it's so close to Government Center that chances are (unless you have limited mobility) it would be faster to walk to or from Bowdoin than to wait for a Blue Line train to travel the one stop.
It's akin to why, if you need to change between the Green (southern/western section) & Orange Lines, your best bet is to use the underground concourse between Park St. and Downtown Crossing rather than wait for a Red Line train to go the one stop.
The problem with Symphony (as well as Prudential) is that both are only served by the E branch and the service is pretty infrequent. Symphony is two blocks from Mass. Ave. on the Orange Line and those trains are more frequent at most time of the day. It's also a 5-10 minute walk from
UrinariumHynes which sees three times as many trains.And if you have limited mobility, you don't want to use Bowdoin
By Ron Newman
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 11:26am
because it has no elevator. I don't think it even has an escalator.
I wonder if Hubway could install a bike station in Logan
By anon
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:37pm
If they're going to be installing bike stations in East Boston, ( http://www.universalhub.com/2016/east-boston-getti... ) this might be a route Hubway could build stations around. Plus you don't have to worry about getting your bike to East Boston. Even if this isn't really practical for most travellers, maybe they could serve the Hyatt Regency and people who work out there.
I have absolutely seen MBTA
By datadyne007
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 1:40pm
I have absolutely seen MBTA CSAs kick people off rush hour Blue Line trains with bikes, specifically during the evening peak at State. It got quite heated one time a couple weeks ago. The CSA threatened to hold the train until the guy with the bike got off and the guy with the bike didn't understand English very well (I think he was living here temporarily or something). The CSA went as far as making the guy leave the station, telling him not to come back until after 6. Dunno if he went to a different stop and tried it.
ugh
By Steeve
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 2:04pm
"One time we boarded outbound during rush hour at 5 pm and nobody said anything."
Please do not do this. I don't take the Blue Line at rush hour anymore, but this is just incredibly rude to those who take the train each day. Perhaps they (MBTA workers) didn't say anything because they didn't think it worth wasting a few minutes of everyone's time getting you off the train. If you do get kicked off after making it into a train car, rather than just taking up the space of three or four commuters (and often blocking a door on the train), every person on the train is going to have their commute lengthened because you decided to flout the rules. Do it all you want against traffic during rush hour, but bikes and Megastrollers make it a shitty ride.
And some nitpicks: they got the cost of the water taxi wrong. The instructions claim the Greenway starts at the Lewis Mall. It does not. You still have to go around the corner via Lewis/Marginal Street and enter the Greenway there. I can imagine people who don't know the area could get lost without that detail.
I don't disagree
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 2:54pm
But what about people with huge strollers? (Which they always leave right by the door.) What about people with baggage that takes up 1/2 dozen seats?
I don't see why bike riders need to be called out. Why not say no large packages or objects apart from those medically needed such as wheelchairs? Not only would that be more fair, it would address the space issue which is why bikes are banned.
re-read
By Steeve
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 3:01pm
Re-read what I typed. ;) I actually made a point to not just point out the bicyclists.
Thanks
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 3:49pm
It's more of the MBTA I was talking about.
oh
By Steeve
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 4:27pm
Oh, fair enough. I think the stroller thing is kind of hard to sell. There will be plenty of Momzillas raising a fuss if their Sherman tank strollers were ever banned from the train during rush hour.
Until When? — Sooner Or Later, There'll Be A Tipping Point
By Elmer
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:22pm
Will it be when someone falls into the path of an oncoming train due to platform overcrowding caused by barricading strollers?
Will it be after people are killed in a stampede trying to get off a bus in an emergency, because large strollers were obstructing all the exits?
How many deaths will occur before some semblance of common sense is applied to the use of needlessly oversized strollers in crowded public spaces?
Zero
By anon
Tue, 06/28/2016 - 9:47am
Zero deaths.
Some bikers.....
By hux
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 3:06pm
Seriously we're equating strollers with bikes?
New MBTA rules:
"You are not allowed to bring your infant or toddler in a stroller on the T during rush hour, they must be carried by hand or in a papoose. If you are a single mother/father with more than one child, well good luck!"
Also, this is the Blue line we're talking about - it's sole purpose is basically to go to the airport. A no luggage rule during rush hour would not really work very well.
So?
By BostonDog
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:17pm
Why is someone taking their bike to/from work less import then someone taking their luggage to the airport or taking their kid to/from the beach?
Either ban all big items or cut the shit and let people with bikes have the same right to use the train as anyone else.
What an entitled comment
By East Boston Resident
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 5:40pm
"Also, this is the Blue line we're talking about - it's sole purpose is basically to go to the airport. "
What an entitled comment. I am an East Boston resident who has commuted to work via Blue Line for many years. And I do not work at the airport. So, if it's sole purpose is to get people to the airport I am the lone exception.
exaggeration
By hux
Mon, 06/27/2016 - 6:15pm
I also have lived on the blue line and taken it to work for years. The point is that it is the only subway line that runs to the airport. Banning luggage, no matter the size and timing, would not be logical.
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