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Seasonal art display at Bowdoin T stop
By adamg on Sun, 12/04/2022 - 10:52am
Dr. Jessica Dello Russo considers the escalator at the Bowdoin Blue Line station:
Seasonal public art currently on display in MBTA's Bowdoin Station, best viewed from below to really appreciate how dead leaves strewn across escalator steps brings out warm tones of caramel-hued tile walls. Couldn't find name of artist or label - maybe "Fallen"?
The T responded it's forwarding her critique to its maintenance team.
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Comments
Bowdoin Escalator
That escalator at Bowdoin hasn't worked for over a year and is blocked off at the bottom so nobody can access it.
And that...
..is why you see these untouched piles of leaves.
posted a similar photo to my socials as well
so grateful that MBTA's (non)maintenance department has allowed us to witness this incredibly long-term installation of an escalator reclaimed by nature.
how long has this one been non-functional? 3 years?
#worldclasscity
Who are we gonna to blame
Who are we gonna to blame this on once Baker is two years gone?
Easy
The GM who replaces the GM that Healey names to replace her first GM.
We can still blame Baker
He has worked very hard for decades to realize this outcome.
He isn't off the hook for the T failing and never ever will be.
Blame the trees
After all, there would be no leaves on the escalator if it didn't have any trees in the vicinity.
I don't know
But right now it's pretty clear who we should blame, right? I'd say Baker, the guy who's been in charge of the MBTA for the last 8 years and appointed all the governing board and management AND who repeatedly claimed he didn't need any additional funding until people started dying and the FTA had to come in and hold his feet to the (orange line train) fire.
If Healy doesn't attempt to fix it, then she will definitely also be to blame for continuing this incredibly incompetent "management".
Bowdoin is ignored by the T
I don't know if there are any other examples of the T just blatantly not fixing an escalator that has been out of service for as long as this one has. As far as the T is concerned, Bowdoin Station does not exist.
Used to be closed nights and weekends
Until Government Center was temporarily closed for reconstruction in 2014-16, Bowdoin closed around 6:30 pm on weeknights and was closed entirely on weekends.
Bowdoin is the bastard child of the T
but 10 years from now after MGH completes the new building, and the Blue Line extension to Charles is done, it will be a major crossroads.
Nope
Almost all the options eliminate Bowdoin completely by adding mgh
While I would imagine it's some sort of supply-chain issue,
there are numerous escalators and elevators out of service across the system, including the one at Broadway Station between the fare lobby and street level. That one has been down since before St. Patrick's Day. The T even built a wooden, padlocked structure around the escalator so people would not use it as stairs to supplement the narrow existing staircase that gets overcrowded on bustitution days.
still looks better than fallout-4:
https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/ima...
edit:
i made this joke before:
https://www.universalhub.com/comment/900688#commen...
While the station
may be rendered obsolete when/if the BL is extended to MGH… that is no excuse to just ignore it now.
Bowdoin could be made handicap accessible by adding an elevator from street level down to the top of the existing ramp to the platform (reconfigure fare gates). The T could also eliminate the outdated “sunken plaza” by updating the head house so that the stairs… and a new escalator… ran to street level.
This is a worthwhile project, as the station is actually well used, including by many people who have mobility impairments, luggage, strollers, or are headed to the hospital.
If the T invests in Bowdoin now, when/if the MGH extension is built, the outbound platform could be lengthened to fit a full train.