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Mattapan trolleys return Monday morning
By adamg on Mon, 02/05/2018 - 12:09am
The MBTA reports it's solved those mysterious "propulsion" problems on the Mattapan Line and that trolley service resumes first thing in the morning.
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( for a description of why PCC Streetcars are so good. see above video at time: 0:47 )
I went for a run along the
I went for a run along the Neponset River bike path yesterday. All the signs were up for the bus shuttle, but a lot of empty PCCs were running, too. It seemed confusing.
Probably testing without passengers?
Correct, it seemed voltage
Correct, it seemed voltage spikes were blowing out the motors on the PCCs and they wanted to test and make sure the problem was resolved before carrying passengers.
This is unexpected....
..... good news! People are fond of those old trolleys.
Panic for what
I thought I read recently that weeks would be in order to get the parts for these gems. Hand it to the T mechanics to solve the problem. The same people Mgt. wants to replace.
Red Line Extension to Mattapan
Issue Solved. Enough of this PCC insanity
As he shakes his head, he says
That'll just create a whole host of other problems. Best to just leave well enough alone.
You're gung ho about every other T expansion
Why not this one? What are the problems?
Wait
If you are seriously obsessed with the things I write here, you'd know that what you write is quite opposite from the truth.
In fact, I got into a nasty fight with someone here a few months ago because I came out against extending the Orange Line to Roslindale Square, which is an expansion that would slice 10 minutes off my commute and thereby be an huge personal boon to me. I have a logical reason for my opposition (as opposed to expanding the Orange Line to VFW Parkway or better yet Route 128, 2 ideas no one ever brings up) that counteract any possible personal benefit.
The problems with this are many. First, how do you deal with the two level crossings? Second, are you going to go with all the stations on the current line or combine them? If you are not going to keep them all, which ones will you be shutting? Third, and most importantly, how are you going to get the buy-in from the residents of Milton when they were willing to go to the mattresses to keep a bike lane from being extended from Central Ave to Mattapan Square through their town? There are a ton of head aches with this idea, and considering there is a rail line that, when the trolleys are working, works just fine, why take on the headaches?
I also think that the South Coast Rail should be rethought, even though I have worked with people who are working on the project and like the idea in theory. I mean, it will cost at least $3 billion with the ridership projections being sketchy. For that money a project like, oh, I don't know, the GLX looks like a bargain, in addition to being money well spent. You know, it amazes me how some cowardly anons here trash the GLX while never saying boo about South Coast Rail.
Easy. Two bridges. Two stations. Walk the greenway someday
Easy. Two bridges and two stations. The main one in Milton (named Milton) and the main one in Mattapan (the only one). You should walk the greenway someday. Its a mesh of Mattapan and Milton residents. The chaos predicted by the detractors never transpired.
I've run the Neponset River Greenway many times
So you are thinking an elevated structure then, affecting the views of the river of the abutters in Milton? Oh, yeah, they'll go for that.
That's also a long walk between Mattapan and Ashmont. It's a few miles from Valley Road to Butler. Seeing as there are people who visit this website who think the distance from Roslindale Square and Forest Hills (1 mile) is so long that they should extend the Orange Line, I'm certain your plan to get rid of most of the stops would cause alarm, to the extent that the locals would question why this proposal is even being made. As far as the reaction of the residents of Milton to the Greenway goes, please note that there is no access between the Greenway and the town after Central Ave. Or, as you put it, you should take a walk on the Greenway some day. It's beautiful in the fall, but even in the warm summer months the trees offer shade.
That isn't true
I have friends who live in Milton on Eliot St and walk across the Blue Hills Parkway bridge to the greenway and trolley in Mattapan. They also visit Mattapan Ctr for their CVS and Dunkin runs.
Sure
I live close to Roslindale Square and often walk to and from Forest Hills Station. That don't make it close, and most of my neighbors wouldn't want to be made to walk that every day. I also from time to time run from my house to Pope John Paul II Park via the Neponset River Greenway. Ditto.
Still, are you really thinking that the people who live by Capen Street, Valley Road, Central Ave, Butler, and Cedar Grove stations would support having their stations closed so the T can spend a pantload of money to do this?
Central Ave instead of Milton
Central and Mattapan are the two busiest stops with key bus connections. Also from Central, you have more-or-less flat walks to Lower Mills, the old Health campus, and Milton Academy.
So
It’s a giant elevated train station over by Central Ave.
Dependent on Mattapan River Block Density
Any extension would be dependent on the Mattapan River St block, or "Mattapan Station Development" block density. Right now, its current layout doesn't merit a Mattapan RLX. However, the block and surrounding yard area can densify to Quincy Ctr and Columbia levels of proposed density. Bump up the density, throw in a few million for the RLX, then it might happen.