Imagine a train station in the middle of a thriving neighborhood.
State and city officials stood in a the door of a new commuter-rail coach parked in the old Allston freight yard to announce a $25-million train station.
West Station will be built near the present turnpike toll plaza and should open when the turnpike there is straightened, in 2020, state Transportation Secretary Richard Davey said.
The station will be servced by DMUs, single-car diesel units that could bring subway-like schedules.
Davey said he hopes the new trains could eventually go to North Station via the Grand Junction bridge over the Charles, but acknowledged that will take considerable work, both to fix the tracks and convince skeptical Cambridge officials.
Gov. Patrick said if the Grand Junction could be put into service, that could one day lead to service from Allston to Assembly Row in Somerville.
Davey said Harvard, which owns the freight yard, agreed to kick in a third of the station's cost. The state will pay another third, with the source of the remainder to be determined.
Patrick and Mayor Walsh said Harvard has also agreed to make the streets in the new neighborhood that will spring up over the next two decades "multi-modal" - to safely carry pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles.
Patrick, Davey and Walsh in the vestibule of the new commuter-rail car they used for the announcement:
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Comments
And now everyone in that
By cfp
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 3:59pm
And now everyone in that barren wasteland of Allston will start selling their property with the feature of "close to coming soon West Station"
It will be like the Green Line extension in Somerville. My landlord in Union Square decided to increase the rent by $500/month because the T is coming (eventually). So I bought a place and moved to Roxbury.
But in all seriousness, I hope that this really does some good for the neighborhood and is well planned. Boston could certainly use more housing and neighborhoods with public transportation access and shopping amenities, etc.
Harvard already did that
By Judy
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 11:27am
That's why they're kicking in some cash, to improve transport to the Allston campus once it comes back to life.
Yea!
By Gary C
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:06pm
Seems like the transportation advocates won this one. Glad to hear. I doubt that they'll ever be able to get trains running through Cambridge again, but this is a good start.
Train to nowhere?
By JohnAKeith
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:06pm
I think I'm missing something. Where do these trains go if not to North Station?
And, is it a guarantee it will be DMUs or just expected at some point, and if not DMUs, then regular MBTA commuter rail trains?
Next stop Fenway
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:15pm
or Yawkey as the T is calling it on some maps. After that Back Bay, and South Station.
South Station
By Kaz
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:19pm
It's the Framingham Worcester line.
It'll be between Newtonville and Yawkey on that line (or maybe a dedicated parallel rail for the DMUs?).
To get to North Station, you have to go over the Grand Junction, the piece of rail that crosses the Charles under the BU Bridge and goes smack through MIT/Kendall Square.
Y'all are forgetting
By anon!
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 10:52am
The upcoming Boston Landing stop.
Back Bay Station and South
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:18pm
Back Bay Station and South Station, possibly newly expanded Yawkey.
Simple solution to the at
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:15pm
Simple solution to the at grade crossing issue in Cambridge is to elevate the line just after the BU bridge on a modern modular concrete viaduct. Use the space under the elevated rail for a bus/bike route/linear path. The one MIT lab building built over the tracks could have that floor gutted and turned into a dedicated stop for MIT.
Air rights
By name
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 1:45pm
Not quite. The viaduct would have to be about 2 miles long and there are already some buildings in Cambridge that are built in the air-rights over the grand junction tracks, so an elevated viaduct wouldn't really work. I think it would make a lot more sense in terms of feasibility, cost, and noise to put the tracks in a ditch, and rebuild the roads and sidewalks where they cross. There's only 5-6 overpasses, of about 20-30' in length that you'd have to build, rather than a viaduct 2 miles long.
The grades to get down deep
By DTP
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 6:13pm
The grades to get down deep enough in an open cut would be so long they'd take the whole length. Rail grades have to be much gentler than road ones. The west end would be doable, but the east end not so much with the Medford and Cambridge St crossings. No room to drop down before them, and you could barely squeeze a grade in between Cambridge and Binney Sts, but you'd still be stuck with 2 grade crossings. Not to mention drainage issues.
A viaduct would face the same problems, and be rather unsightly, so good luck getting that approved.
And neither a viaduct nor a cut would be able to fit 2 tracks, meaning service could never be very frequent.
Folks, this will never happen.
That solution is not at all
By anon
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 2:23pm
That solution is not at all simple, nor cheap.
How about
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:15pm
A red line stop in Adams Village somewhere on the Quincy/Braintree line? It would be great if local resident had a T stop nearby, without having to deal with potential iphone donation solicitors while walking to Fields Corner or Shawmut.
Morrissey/Stop & Shop Rotary
By Paul Bellini
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 6:45pm
Should be a station across from the S&S on the land where Dunks sits. Tracks already cross it, some pedestrian bridges already there. This area is underserved as it's just outside walking distance from Ashmont and North Quincy.
That would be a good stop. It
By redheadedjen
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 3:18pm
That would be a good stop. It is a good distance from NQ to JFK and it could use a stop or two.
On that note, the Red Line should go all the way to Montello in Brockton. It is a straight shot through Holbrook to Montello.
They'd need a lot more rush hour trains
By Another anon
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 3:27pm
If expanded to Brockton. Braintree line trains are packed like sardine cans inbound in the morning.
The Morrisey rotary would be a great spot fot a station and would probably bring a lot of development to the area to the east.
When the Braintree extension
By DTP
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 6:15pm
When the Braintree extension was built there were plans to go to Brockton. I believe when they introduced the now-given-up-on lettering scheme they even reserved a letter for Brockton service.
It would face a number of problems though, and honestly improving the existing commuter rail service is a much better idea.
Better tie down the test
By kvn
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:27pm
Better tie down the test tubes at MIT ....
much larger/heavier trains
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:32pm
much larger/heavier trains already use those tracks, though they are either freight or empty commuter rail trains being moved between north and south station.
Infrequently and at low
By kvn
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 1:29pm
Infrequently and at low speeds, batten down the test tubes , also more sophisticated experiment that will be unmentioned.
What has the MBTA done to prove...
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:30pm
...that they deserve a new $25 million dollar station? If it takes too long to get into town from Allston, then eliminate half the stops on the B line.
There is plenty of Allston
By Seth
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:36pm
There is plenty of Allston for which the B Line is not a great option.
As for the MBTA deserving a new station, this isn't about the MBTA deserving anything - it's about the people who live in a neighborhood having better options, and something that can help spur additional growth and Harvard and BU, while tying together an area torn apart by archaic (toll booths and unused rail yard) transportation infrastructure.
Better options for the neighborhood?
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:44pm
How about a tax break for employers for not mandating that non-essential personnel come to work when they can stay home and work online?
That's the real transportation problem in our community. I still want to know how many people in Boston go to an office every day when they really don't have to with existing technology.
Okay, I'll feed you.
By Seth
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:56pm
Okay, I'll feed you.
Do you really think it should be the place of city/state government to guide the evolution of the workplace via tax breaks? There's already research on the costs/benefits of remote work vs. in person collaboration, but it's far from definitive, and certainly isn't well developed enough to indicate the best course of action.
Also, my opinion is that the real transportation problem in our community is that the car is still king, and even though there have been moves to make other modes more successful, the costs we pay by having so many people drive into the city is what really should be evaluated.
The car should be king
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:20pm
Why should I wait for a ride somewhere when I can have a thing that gets me from A to B upon immediate demand without waiting for others? It's disingenuous for most any public official to tell somebody that they shouldn't use a car.
We all use the roads. There should absolutely be some guidance in the form of tax breaks to reduce the congestion we have during peak times. Everybody needs to work. Let's all find the best way to agree on getting work done and paying people to work as efficiently as they can.
Move to Texas
By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:26pm
You can also have a 24-hour traffic utopia in California.
In the meantime, look to lovely Hartford and Detroit for what happens to real cities when the car is king. The car isn't a benevolent tyrant.
As for me, I'll continue to navigate this compact city laid out centuries before each person demanded zillions of personal square feet for transport with a much more appropriate vehicle for getting from A to B on demand without waiting for anyone.
Maybe CA has the same problem
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:53pm
Too many people driving to work at the same time.
And if you think Detroit failed because of cars, you're misguided. I'll go with "can't pay the bills because they promised lifetime paychecks to municipal employees."
Yeah, it's too bad California
By Scratchie
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 7:55pm
Yeah, it's too bad California can't get with the program and embrace high-tech solutions like your brilliant dispatch from 2003.
CA does not have the same problem
By Arborway
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 10:40pm
The freeways keep expanding, the city streets are comparable to highways, yet you can find yourself stuck in traffic on the 405 at 1 am on a Monday.
Induced demand
By perruptor
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 9:10am
Expanding roads just attracts more traffic. Witness Rte 3 to NH.
Why should I wait for a ride
By Scratchie
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:35pm
Somebody call the waaaahmbulance.
Why should you live in a house?
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:45pm
Go back to a cave.
Go back...
By Michael Kerpan
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 11:02am
... under your bridge.
You do realize the
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:00pm
You do realize the NEIGHBORHOOD HAD THESE TWO COMMUTER RAIL STOPS BEFORE THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY FOR THE SURBANITE SERVING MASS PIKE. The neighborhood got screwed out of transit for 50 years and only now is getting back service it had a half century ago!
I didn't know that
By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:37pm
I believe it, though. Ditto for all the GLX stops - there was rail service there until the 1960s.
Technically...
By Matthew
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 12:44am
The old stations were at around Brooks Street ("Faneuil"), Market Street, and the Allston Depot (a.k.a. Regina Pizza now). Also Newton Corner.
The new stations will be at around Everett Street and Babcock Street. So, shifted east a bit.
I think this is a mistake.
By anon
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 2:33pm
I think this is a mistake.
Stations should be built within walking distance of where people want to go. Babcock Street is a quiet industrial area. It's on the extreme fringe of BU, a good mile walk from the campus core. It's also three quarters of a mile from Allston Village, which is and will continue to be the commercial and residential center for Allston.
Instead, I think they should reactivate the Pizzeria Regina station at Harvard Ave, and build a new station just east of the BU Bridge.
There's a reason it was removed
By merlinmurph
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 8:01am
There's a reason all the old trains were removed - nobody used them anymore. Hey, when I was a kid, I lived in Marshfield near where the old Greenbush line went thru and saw all the remnants of the old line. Bottom line is, there came a time when nobody used it. Nobody got screwed.
I'm not saying this to be a dick, I'm saying it because it's true. And yes, the demand for these trains has returned, and that's a good thing.
Not used?
By Anonyme
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 10:37am
I'm skeptical of that claim. The three stations were removed to extend the Mass. Pike. I doubt that the number of passengers had already declined so much that all three stations were not needed.
I live near the site of the old Faneuil Station. A former neighbor used to be the stationmaster there, and when it closed he took one of the signs and put it on his garage. I remember it growing up.
The good news is that the station at the New Balance development is scheduled to open in 2016.
What has the Turnpike
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:41pm
What has the Turnpike Authority done to prove they deserve a 250 million dollar project here? Its not about the authorities (MTA or MBTA), its about the people who live or work there who will benefit from the new station and straightening project.
It's also about the fact that
By roadman
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 11:15am
the existing Pike viaducts are badly need of replacement. Straightening the Turnpike instead of just replacing the existing bridges in kind is a logical solution.
Sour grapes!
By JohnAKeith
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:41pm
Oh, I think it's great. Yes, the B Line goes up through the neighborhood but this new line is far enough away from the B Line that it will appeal to additional commuters.
So, wait, is this the same line that will connect to the new New Balance station?
Oh, and you're all missing the obvious that you haven't been told. This new station will no doubt be used to ferry passengers going to and from the new Olympic Village.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
Yup
By jeffkinson
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:46pm
It's the same line as New Balance
What has MassDOT done to prove ...
By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:42pm
That they deserve any federal funding for anything?
Not being almost $5.5 billion in debt?
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:53pm
Does the MBTA get to run this new station? I think for $17 million in public money, the public deserves to have another agency get a chance at running a piece of public rail infrastructure.
And you know why the MBTA has so much debt, right?
By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:13pm
Ahem (massive car project) ahem (overruns ate transit money) ahem (state got ass busted by feds for not fulfilling contracts) ahem (idiot asswipe from Western MA granstanding about "not subsidizing Boston") ahem.
No, nothing like dumping massive cost overrun debt from a massive highway project onto the transit system because the Feds dared to demand that MA complete their agreed to contract, oh no siree.
By "massive highway project",
By anon
Thu, 10/02/2014 - 3:54pm
By "massive highway project", you mean "overpriced useless transit projects which were environmental mitigation for the highway project". I.e. the Silver Line and Greenbush commuter rail -- that's the T's debt.
Well Baker did help dump a
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 6:00pm
Well Baker did help dump a lot of the Big Dig debt into the MBTA (and future generations), but I dont know why you blame the MBTA for getting Bakered. Blame Big Dig Baker.
The legislature went along
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 8:19pm
The legislature went along with it. One man made a bad suggestion and hundreds under the golden dome agreed to screw over the citizenry.
Come on, Will
By Kaz
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:54pm
Go to the corner of Lincoln and Portsmouth.
Now, I'll meet you at the Pru. When do you think you'll get there?
One of the serious options that Google offers in the 50-60 minute time frame? Take the 86 to Harvard, switch to the Red Line inbound, Switch to the Green Line at Park, then go out to Copley. It's fastest to cross the river twice and use 3 different lines/buses!
Another option of similar speed, walk over a mile for 30 minutes to Allston St and get on the B line the rest of the way. Wow! Sign me up!
By the way, it's 8 minutes to drive there by jumping on the Pike and jumping right back off again. That also only costs $1.25 in tolls and 5 miles in gas compared to a $2.10 MBTA ticket.
The train would pick you up about 3 blocks away and drop you off on the Pru's doorstep once this is done. In fact, if you came from twice as far away and got on the train at the Newtonville Commuter Rail stop, it takes you 15 minutes to get to Back Bay.
None of the above
By Will LaTulippe
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:24pm
Left on Lincoln, left on Cambridge, right on Soldiers Field, exit at Fenway, down Boylston, boom. No toll.
That ain't five miles either.
"By the way, it's 8 minutes
By lbb
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 9:46pm
"By the way, it's 8 minutes to drive there by jumping on the Pike and jumping right back off again. That also only costs $1.25 in tolls and 5 miles in gas compared to a $2.10 MBTA ticket."
And then, of course, it's free to park. Oh wait...
Welcome to
By davem
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 12:21pm
my daily commute.
Although most days I choose option C) Risk life biking on Cambridge Street to the Charles River Path. 20 minutes.
Hey Will
By Scratchie
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:58pm
Want some cheese with that whine?
Spreading out the crowd
By AllstonHipster
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:41pm
Both the B line and the 66 are terribly overburdened at peak times (and many nights "peak time" is 5pm-11pm). This new line to Central Square and North Station will take some pressure off of both of those options, which should help them run closer to schedule.
I would also note that a lot of the folks coming to and from Allston that are not students, work jobs that are not eligible for telecommuting (food service, janitorial, adjunct faculty etc.).
I worked out of 2 or 3 joints
By kvn
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 7:27am
I worked out of 2 or 3 joints in the immediate area, starting time well before any public transportation was running , and I don't think telecommuting would have been an option , maybe teleporting .
oh cool
By jeffkinson
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 4:45pm
This is great news! In addition to linking Allston to South Station, West Station is envisioned to become a major transfer station, playing a role similar to North and South Station.
Boston Magazine shows a map of some of the possible service patterns, focusing on DMU services: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/09/30... The New Balance stop is also on there, labeled as "Allston/Brighton"
There's no natural reason to
By anon
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 2:37pm
There's no natural reason to transfer there.
The only transferring shown on that map would be from a through train to an Allston-North Station shuttle. Instead, they should run some Worcester Line trains directly to North Station.
Grand Junction
By pj
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 5:27pm
Trains coming from the south and west do not need a direct link to Cambridge, they already have that with the Redline. Trains ending at North Station need a link to Cambridge. Otherwise it is the orange to the red or the green to the red....too many connections.
The MBTA is playing hardball
By fenway
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 6:20pm
The MBTA is playing hardball with State Rep Tim Toomey (D-Cambridge) who is also a Cambridge City Councilor.
At stake is how long Lechmere will be closed when they build the new station for the Somerville extension.
Problem is the Grand Junction crosses Mass Ave near MIT, Broadway, Cambridge St and Medford St in Somerville. The line has been dormant for a while as repairs are needed for the bridge over the Charles.
The Grand Junction is used
By DTP
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 6:32pm
The Grand Junction is used daily by the MBTA, and multiple times a week by Amtrak and CSX.
It is in no sense "dormant".
And despite how many times politicians suggest it, the Grand Junction will NEVER host frequent passenger service, ever.
Elevate the line to eliminate
By anon
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 8:22pm
Elevate the line to eliminate the grade crossing and all the problems go away.
Elevating the line would be very difficult
By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 9:32pm
Especially since it goes through buildings.
Burying The Line Would Be Much More Acceptable
By Elmer
Tue, 09/30/2014 - 10:31pm
Except, of course, to the Red
By Matthew
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 12:36am
Except, of course, to the Red Line.
That sounds practical. It's
By Scratchie
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 9:01am
That sounds practical. It's not like there would be any potential flooding issues, right? Probably wouldn't cost any more than burying the Central Artery.
Just trench it like the
By bgl
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 10:22am
Just trench it like the Orange Line from Forest Hills -> Back Bay. In the future, people can throw a roof on it and build, kind of like on the Pike's trench.
The red line is in the way
By davem
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 12:23pm
The red line is in the way. The red line is in the way.
See also: maximum railroad grades. It's not as simple as "building an underpass". Trains need a LOT of running room to avoid stalling out.
The Stata Garage Extends Three Stories Underground
By Elmer
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 2:02pm
The parking garage underneath the Stata Center (Main and Vassar Streets) extends three stories underground, and it's always bone dry inside.
[img]https://elmercatdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/10...
So, there's no reason why a new rapid transit line can't be built crossing under the Red Line, with a new underground station connecting the two lines at that location.
( Except, of course, people with little imagination and whose first reaction is to say "No" to everything. )
I would chock that up to the
By kvn
Wed, 10/01/2014 - 1:35pm
I would chock that up to the private sector,
"innovative storm water retention and management system that employs biofiltration and which services several of the surrounding buildings as well as the Stata Center."
That sounds very sexy and MITi-ish. Wouldn't expect that from the public sector, so sorry.
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