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Brighton to get commuter-rail stop again as part of New Balance project
By adamg on Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:17am
New Balance will pay to build and maintain a Worcester Line stop off Everett Street as part of a deal with the state Department of Transportation.
New Balance is planning a $500-million development off Guest Street that will include offices, a hotel, a sports complex and stores.
The stop will be called New Brighton Landing. A construction date has yet to be set. Brighton and Allston both once had train stops, both lost service decades ago.
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Comments
I love what happens when we pass the buck...
I love what happens when we make random corporations responsible for the maintenance of random public facilities.
Ten bucks says the new CR stop is crumbling and unlit five years after it's built. When we complain, the State will say, "we have a pieces of paper that says New Balance is responsible."
Isn't this the same recipe that led to the faulty light fixtures and falling concrete under the Prudential Center?
Pass-the-buck-a-chusetts.
I think it's a pretty cool
I think it's a pretty cool public private partnership, but that's just me.
I agree, I think there is a
I agree, I think there is a significant difference between a T stop in the Pru and a commuter rail stop. Upkeep of a commuter rail stop is lower, no need for kiosks and most of what a T stop has. Additionally since this is part of New Balance's new HQ development it will be used for their employees and it's more unlikely to fall into disrepair if the company paying for it actually uses it for a significant number of employees.
Peterborough
http://www.bostontipster.com
Agreed
New Balance has done a pretty good job fulfilling partnerships in the past - the paths along the Charles that they cared for a couple of winters ago (maybe this winter, too; I wasn't there to see), and their commitments to charities. Plus, their facilities are always well cared for. I used to live across Market Street from that site and they were a good neighbor.
This does not necessarily
This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing.
NB should make an endowment and use that to pay for maintenance on the station. If NB plasters their name all over it then they would take a PR hit if the station goes into disrepair. There could also be tax penalties if they neglect that station.
Having private money infuse the public sector is not a bad thing as long as there are provisions in place for the sustainability of the project and repercussions if the private entity does not live up to its responsibilities.
I like to see more private companies invest (money and non-tangibles) in the community.
So cut a check and pay for it
So cut a check and pay for it yourself.
I already do.
Taxes anyone?
Don't you understand?
Taxes are only allowed to be spent on things that NotWhitey likes.
"Passing the buck" might be a good idea here.
I think the opposite is more likely, unless the state does something stupid (such as extends the T's liability cap to NB or otherwise immunizes it from suits).
If NB is legally on the hook to build and maintain the station, a deep pocketed corporation like that has an incentive to keep the place up, or it will get nailed for negligent upkeep. (On the other hand, this is precisely why I expect NB to push for and get some degree of immunization).
Will there be a corresponding
Will there be a corresponding increase in service?
Weekend headways are every two hours or longer. Not too practical.
Legitimate concerns, but I'm not complaining.
It would be great to see increased headways, and alterations of the 86 and 64 schedule to reflect them
How about a crossover to turn back trains and run a more frequent "city service," if you will?
DMUs would be wonderful for the above reason and also on the Fairmount Line.
A stop at Allston Village would lighten the 57/64/66/B-Line tremendously.
Bear in mind, this stop will serve mostly MF/9-5ers and not weekend riders.
There is just no way I can justifiably complain about more service in Brighton, my hometown, except for this - New Brighton Landing is a goofy name. How about Brighton? Or, we could honor our history and call it "The Brighton Abbatoir."
The Abbatoir
http://www.bahistory.org/Abattoir.html
Holy Crap - an RER for Boston? Pinch me, please.
In this "city service" you mean we could have something resembling the RER? Now there's an idea!!!
Incidentally, said RER-like service (with appropriate frequencies) should run not just to South Station, but also to Cambridge and North Station, by way of the railroad trestle under the BU Bridge. Also, by having a "lighter" rail RER-like electric train using that rail line instead of outfitting it for "heavy" diesel commuter rail, I think it would go a long way toward speeding up the revitalization of that line, controlling cost (electrification might eat those savings, however), and would smooth the permitting process, particularly in Cambridge.
People arriving from the west could either stay on the commuter rail (or, in my dreams, the Amtrak HSR Inland Route from points south and west, including Springfield, Pittsfield and Albany) and proceed to South Station, or could get off at this station and connect to the RER-like service for Cambridge/North Station.
Could you imagine Brighton to Kendall Square in 5 minutes on (comfortable, regular) public transit!? Oh my God - we could be on the way to a...wait for it...World Class City yet!
Not RER
That would require a North/South link.
But, they could electrify and run FRA-compliant M8s. Or comply with the PTC mandate and run lightweight UIC trains, electric or even non-FRA-compliant DMUs, all of which have acceleration that would be a big improvement over the dinosaur diesels.
Wow. A little commuter rail
Wow. A little commuter rail goodness will go a long way to mitigating the huge parking garage and freakish driving conditions in the neighborhood.
Check out the massive intersections in the BRA filing. I'm a seasoned Boston driver and these things look horrific in the plan views. I'm sure they're better than the existing conditions but they still look heinous to navigate. At least there are bike lanes for the brave souls on two wheels.
Figures 3.4-8 shows a little red car lost in the middle of the intersection -- where is that poor guy going?
Concept for Proposed Traffic Mitigation: Birmingham Parkway/Western Avenue/Arsenal Street
http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/Develo...
That intersection is already
That intersection is already a clusterfusk, so any improvements should be taken as a positive. Short of ripping up entire stretches of Soldier's Field Road and B'ham Parkway, I don't know what we would ask of them other than what they've provided...
Intersection plans
The rationale for Birmingham Parkway/Western Ave was to provide some, any, kind of way for people to cross the street and get to the river. Right now there's no legal path and it's incredibly unsafe.
They also restricted a couple of movement patterns to make the intersection safer and less backed up. For example, there will be a barrier down the middle of Arsenal to prevent left turns onto Solder's Field Road there.
That area is a car wasteland, nothing is going to change that anytime soon. They are doing some nice things elsewhere, fixing up intersections from the vicinity of Union Square to Faneuil Street.
The main one I am worried about is the plan to widen Cambridge Street between Union Sq and Harvard Ave from 2 lanes of traffic with 2 street parking lanes, to 4 lanes of traffic with no street parking. I don't particularly care about the street parking, but it's already an unsafe road to cross, and having 4 lanes of traffic just turns it into a highway. Even the bicycling folks aren't happy about the plan, although it will give them bike lanes there, because it is so unsafe.
"A little commuter rail
"A little commuter rail goodness will go a long way to mitigating the huge parking garage and freakish driving conditions in the neighborhood. "
It will?
Yawkey Station is convenient for the people who use it. But the Longwood/Fenway area is still certainly full of huge parking garages and freakish traffic.
Empty building on Lincoln St.
since we are in the neighborhood, what is happening with that dot.com bubble bust of a building on Lincoln Street. I believe Harvard owns it and they were trying to work out some deal..
Ha. Harvard "working out a
Ha. Harvard "working out a deal" == sitting on the building until they feel like developing.
harvard bubble building
slowly rotting away. nothing but a shell.
There is a deal
There is a deal. Harvard has agreed to a land swap with the Skating Club of Boston, currently on Western Ave in Allston. The club wants to build three skating rinks on the Lincoln Street site. Harvard wants the Western Ave property.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-06-09/yourtown/296...