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Commuter rail stops in Brighton again
By adamg on Mon, 05/22/2017 - 11:43am
Roving UHub photographer Michael Halle was on hand to watch a train pull out of the new Boston Landing station on the Worcester Line this morning. New Balance paid for the station, which services both its large development along Guest Street and the rest of Brighton, which hadn't seen commuter-rail service in decades.
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Comments
Oh well
More gentrification. Hello Brockton.
please
Allston/Brighton used to have 2 train stations that were taken away, as was the A line on the green line. They replaced that with the 57 line, which chronically underserves the area, even when they aren't robbing it to better serve the commuter rail clients. This is why Allston was so cheap when you (probably) lived here and have romanticized it. The people who live here now as adults are ecstatic at this station opening.
There were three stations
There were three. One was Allston Station, named after artist Washington Allston, at the intersection of Brighton Avenue and Cambridge Street. Today is the home of a Pizzeria Regina. Another was Brighton Station, on Market Street not far from Lincoln Street, on land that is now part of the Mass Pike. The third was Faneuil Station, on Brook Street close to the Charles River. That too was removed to make way for the Pike.
Brockton Has Three Commuter Stations
Proof positive that commuter rail stations do not cause gentrification.
Agreed
Not in Brockton and not surprised.
Why not 'hello Worcester'?
Why not 'hello Worcester'? I left Boston about 4 years ago after getting priced out of JP, Roslindale, Lower Allston, and Oak Square Brighton and haven't looked back! We've got a good restaurant scene, art scene, lots of cool parks nearby, and decent access to Boston area.
When I first started hanging around with people in Worcester, it's not an understatement to say that I was astonished by how little one had to pay for really large apartments with amenities like heat included or with washer/dryer in the unit. My wife and I bought a really great house out here not far from downtown for less than what one would pay for a single floor of a triple-decker in Brighton.
Obviously, Worcester's not Boston in terms of access to culture, walkability, or job opportunities, but it's worth looking at if you want to spend a reasonable amount on housing and still get some of the better parts of urban living.
Do you still work in Boston?
Because if you factor in the cost of a commuter rail pass, plus the value of your time for a 3 hour round trip train ride, on top of however much time it takes you to get to and from union station from where ever you live, then to and from south station to where ever you work, you're not really saving much or any vs living in the Boston area.
So true ......
Just like some of my coworkers in the trades living in New Hampshire. " It only takes me 45mins to get to work by truck ." Bullshit . Even if coworker leaves at 5am for a 7am start it still takes him more than 45mins . They shit on Dorchester, where I make my home but there is no wear and tear on my vehicle and yes crime in " Southern " Dorchester is really low . So enjoy that savings on your rent / mortgage. You are putting it to gas , brake pads / rotors and oil changes. Love in the city , love seeing neighborhoods , which once looked like bombed out Beruit are on the way back .
You guys act like I haven't
You guys act like I haven't thought about the trade-offs before at all! I've gone over it a thousand times and I still think it was the right decision for me. Even when I was living in Boston, I was commuting a half-hour or more to my job, so the marginal increase really wasn't that bad.
I could say something to you like "enjoy spending half your pay to live in a third of a house on the outer edges of a 2nd-rate city" or something like that, but I won't ;-)
I guess that logic would make Worcester a 4th or 5th rate city, or a 'didn't place'. Haha.
I work in Lexington now., and
I work in Lexington now., and have about a 1-hour commute. My previous job was in the 'Innovation District', but was flexible enough that I only had to take the train in a few times a week. That was a pain, but I'm pretty sure a comparable house to mine, even in a less expensive area would have cost, perhaps, 2-3 times as much. I wonder how long and how much a commute from Oak Square, Brighton or Hyde Park to the 'Innovation District' would be?
There are a lot of companies in Framingham & Natick and some more life science companies are starting to open up in Worcester. I am hoping that more companies start moving west as Boston real estate prices continue to blow up. I enjoyed living in Boston, but it just wasn't worth spending half of my income on rent, and I wanted to buy into a situation where it felt like I could get a good deal in a house and buy something that gained value over time, rather than buy something that might be near the top of its possible value.
Well ,
Then why not Springfield or Albany for that matter .
Brockton?
I'd try Quincy first; reasonable rents, excellent transportation (including MBTA), close to Boston.
Station
Looks good! I hope there's a shelter for commuters to stand when it's 10 degrees outside and there's switch issues.
it's called stop & shop
At least they have coffee
I was wondering about that as well
Without some kind of shelter, it is going to be brutal there. The roof things won't help much. It is a very exposed location, overlooking the Mass Pike. Not much shade, either, from was I can see.
But I do want to say, I am very happy they added the station. It will serve a need.
Shelters
Very few of the Commuter Rail stations have shelters. Sadly, it's not something the MBTA does.
brighton landing?
its in brighton right? brighton landing, yeah thats the ticket.
I saw what you did there
But as far as the name goes, it could have been "New Balance". Would that have been better?
Yes, since the New Balance
Yes, since the New Balance headquarters is a geographic place people have heard of.
Boston Landing, besides being made up, is not in Boston Proper, and it's not a boat landing.
Brighton is Boston Proper
Brighton is Boston Proper
I saw what you did there
But as far as the name goes, it could have been "New Balance". Would that have been better?
Two worst things about BL
1. The name. For now it's confusing (because it's not near downtown Boston and it's not really a landing, is it?) but also because it sets the precedent that the T will name a station after whatever dumbfuck name you come up with (really, New Brighton Landing, the original name of the development, would have been better since it at least mentions "Brighton" which is where it is located; even New Balance would have been okay) if you give them enough money.
While we're on the topic, there are only a fewCommuter Rail station named after private developments. Windsor Gardens was named after the nearby housing development from which much of its ridership originates (and which may have been named after something there anyway, who knows). But they didn't do something dumb and call it "Boston Gardens" to confuse people. I'm pretty much okay with something like Dedham Corporate Center (since it's a corporate center in Dedham; they didn't call it "Boston Southwest"). Anderson-Woburn is somewhat confusingly named (even though Anderson is a fitting memorial for the location), people might assume it serves the towns of Woburn and Anderson.
I think a name like BRIGHTON-NEW BALANCE, or just BRIGHTON would have been much more fitting.
2. The schedule. Not stopping off-peak trains there because not enough people from the community asked for it is just dumb. I totally get not stopping the express trains there (factor of ridership on those trains, already-long travel times and a relatively easy transfer in Framingham) but there's plenty of capacity off-peak. Again, why should the community have to advocate for service at a station being built? They probably assumed trains would stop there, because otherwise, why build it in the first place?
it's a good start though
1. Brighton is part of Boston, as is Allston. Norwood isn't so it makes sense they didn't name that stop Boston Gardens - Norwood Gardens would have been accurate though. Since this was paid 100% by New Balance, they can call it what they want in my opinion.
2. Right now, there isn't data regarding what the ridership will be. This will change once they see how popular the station will be for the current residents, let alone the residents in all the new apt buildings that are going up in the area (including one's proposed literally over the Stop & Shop). Baby steps.
3. Anyone "confused" by the name of this station (3 before South Station, 2 before Back Bay, and 1 before Kenmore Square/Fenway) is from out of town and can look at a map before trekking out to Brighton. Either that or they can't be reached due to levels of intelligence or commitment to fits of pique regardless of the facts.
It's still a stupid name
Boston Landing means very little. God forbid they call it Brighton.
And Yawkey is a terrible name.
harvard business school is in allston
but they would never admit it! thaey got there own special little zip code and they are in BOSTON!!!!!!!
Norwood Gardens would be
Norwood Gardens would be inaccurate because Norwood Gardens is a different apartment complex in Norwood, across from Route 1.
Boston Landing is evocative of being one of the first Boston stops, rather than downtown. Like landing at shore before walking into town. Or something.
I'm glad the new stop can help reduce traffic.
I'm annoyed that it's located
I'm annoyed that it's located on Everett Street instead of Market Street. The name and schedule can easily be changed, but we're stuck with the physical construction.
Dave has a good explanation of this
See the end of this post.
Wow, so much great info!
Everyone should follow Ari's link above. Great info and graphics!
Thanks
Thanks
for the shoutout...Ari posted the link to my blog before I remembered to lurk over here and post it...
Anderson Woburn isn't officially called that
The signs say "Anderson RTC". There's no mention of Woburn at all.
Should they have named it
Should they have named it Boston Calling?