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For those of us who've ever asked
By roadman on Fri, 07/01/2011 - 2:11pm
Should we walk, or do we have time to take the T?
, the answer apparently is: It doesn't make a difference.
In their latest attempt to cover up how minimal the replacement shuttle bus service between North Station and Lechmere really is, the MBTA has just put up a series of new posters at North Station "suggesting" that people destined for Science Park might want to walk there instead of taking the shuttle bus. The read (in part):
Getting To Science Park
Shuttle Bus: 15 Minutes
Walking: 15 Minutes
and proceeds to extoll the benefits of walking instead of using the bus.
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Comments
It is a good walk in nice
It is a good walk in nice weather. Back when I worked at CambridgeSide, there were days in the spring and summer when I would walk from Lechmere to North Sta on my way home, just to enjoy the weather.
It helped me figure out how everything connects too.
Yeah I think T is telling out
Yeah I think T is telling out of towners just to walk.
Remember they *have* to provide service to Science Park station for ADA reasons. So I think they are just suggesting it.
I agree that it is a nice walk
in good weather.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that, even before management decided to totally shut down service east of North Station because they can't figure out how to install an elevator AND keep the streetcars running at the same time, service beyond Government Center has always been the poor stepchild of the Green Line.
And, with respect, the underlying message of the posters - mainly "hey, we're providing the shuttle buses because we have to, but we really don't want you to use them unless you absolutely need to" - only serves to underscore the continuing disdain that T management has for their riders.
I usually walk between North
I usually walk between North Station and Science Park for exercise, and I'm routinely passed by several shuttle buses. Not sure why you say the service is lacking, it seems very frequent. Sometimes during the evening rush though, I can walk almost as fast as the shuttle bus because of the traffic. Perhaps that is why they are suggesting the walking alternative.
Yes, they are very frequent
And if you aren't using them during rush hour, you'll get to Science Park in less than 15 minutes.
If I were from out of town, I'd find those signs letting me know that I'm actually not that far from the museum very helpful.
Disdain?
Come on. The roads between North Station and Lechmere aren't exactly the best nor the easiest to navigate a bus through. There's a lot of creative "melding" going on between the Cambridge and Boston sides of the river there along with the highway(s) plowing through.
Do you think it's practical for them to get shuttle buses back and forth any more frequently than every 15 minutes? If it isn't, then what's exactly your complaint? They're letting you know you could walk or wait for the bus. Walking won't ever be at the mercy of the rest of traffic. Are they lying about walking being more healthy and less stressful than waiting for the shuttle?
So what's your complaint exactly? They're suggesting a healthy and useful alternative while the tracks are down. They're running buses as frequently as makes sense. I am missing the disdain in that.
It's good to hoof it in the nice weather, but,
unfortunately, getting around by bus here in this city isn't really any more efficient than getting around by car, especially during rush-hour(s).
They're not just installing
They're not just installing an elevator. The entire station is being redone. Have you noticed that the entire roof on the thing has been ripped off?
Forgive me. I forgot about
the T's compulsion to completely gut and rebuild stations that need anything more major than changing a light bulb.
Kind of like the housewife who hires a contractor to remodel the kitchen when the dishwasher goes on the fritz.
Um. what rock have you been
Um. what rock have you been under, roadman?
Science Park station is EXACTLY the way it was when it opened in 1955. It is one of the few stations that hasn't been remodeled since the creation of the T in 1964.
And the Elevator is a ADA requirement, and the T was sued for this years ago and they are now becoming compliant (Copley, Arlington, Kenmore, etc renovations).
Next up, Hynes and Symphony.
Being ADA complient doesn't
Being ADA complient doesn't just mean adding an elevator, it also means raising the platform height 8 inches for wheelchair access to the low-floor cars. That requires replacing the platforms at Science Park, the installation of the elevator also requires the replacment of both staircases (which were in very decrepit condition anyway). And since they probably won't touch Science Park again for another 50 years, it seems like a good reason to spruce up the lighting, signage, electrical systems, etc while they are at it.
So not true.
Roadman-
I actually emailed Rich Davey about this (and got a personal response). They shut it down due to the fact that it would speed up construction.
And I agree with his answer. I can understand how sequencing construction around passengers and trains going by is just a pain. Plus I'm sure the T has to be EXTRA careful with this to avoid accidents and potential safety issues (aka Lawsuits).
I can speak personally about this as I managed a large office construction remodel project a few years ago. We had to keep our business going, and had limited space to move people too (while their area was being worked on).
Every week people were shuffled around in order to free up offices so the workers could work. We had to schedule noisy work at night (or give people "work at home" days). It took twice as long as it should have due to the logistics.
So I get why the T did this. And I also understand why the shuttle isnt being run to Kendall either. The street layout around Kendall Square just doesn't allow for this to work efficiently, and would add more time to the route than if it just went to North Station.
(remember folks you can't go left from Broadway onto Third Street.. there's that pesky park there instead)
You absolutely can go left from Broadway to 3rd St.
You can't go left from Main onto 3rd St.
OK I stand corrected. Yes you
OK I stand corrected. Yes you are correct. You can't go left from Main onto third. Sorry ;) I think folks knew what I meant there.
Construction Sequencing - Shut it down and get it done quicker.
This actually raises the larger point nicely.
I think that it is often preferable for things to be completely (or nearly completely) shutdown, when possible, to conduct major rehabs.
While it certainly wasn't possible to do that in the case of the Big Dig, it is for smaller projects, and projects definitely get done quicker.
Prediction: after the Highway Division of DOT evaluates the I-93 Medford Bridge replacement project and the Rt. 9/Cedar St. replacement (stay away from there this weekend!), it will determine that the costs of the project (from both a full economic standpoint and an accounting standpoint) were far lower than they would have been if the construction had been done the traditional way, and this method will become de rigueur for the Commonwealth. At least let's hope so.
If they work
Agree a shutdown can make things move faster by not having to work around trains. But would be nice to actually see them working. If we have to take a shuttle bus nights and weekends, they should be working nights and weekends...
Nope
No, we don't want to pay them anymore overtime than we have to.
Union workers cost a semi fortunate to work outside of their 7-3, M-F shift. This is why the Big Ditch cost so much!
I am okay with overtime, if it cuts total time.
The issue seems like a one that could be fairly easily remedied in any number of ways as well.
Also, the Big Dig would have cost 1/8 as much if the entire site were just shut down. Of course, since that would have wrecked the regional economy, it would have actually multiplied the cost by at least an order of magnitude.
Time to put up those 'Heart
Time to put up those 'Heart Healthy' signs I've been seeing recently in parks everywhere.
Better still, maybe the T could charge people for the right to walk on the sidewalk and get that heart-healthy exercise. That would certainly help the budget problem.
Personal experience
A couple of weeks ago I had to get from Quincy Market to the Science Museum on a tight schedule. I decided in advance that walking would be faster than the T. To use the T I would have had to walk across Congress St. and up the steps to Government Center, wait for a Green Line train, go upstairs, wait for a shuttle bus, get off the shuttle bus then walk up to the stoplight so I could cross O'Brien Highway, wait for the traffic light (a very long cycle), then backtrack to the museum. Given the amount of walking already involved in the "transit" alternative, walking directly there was clearly the best option.
I've similarly decided that walking between Lechmere (where I catch the 69 bus) and the Science Museum is faster even when the Green Line is running.
Can you post a link to the walking map?
couldn't find it anywhere...