{"id":678,"date":"2024-04-14T15:50:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T19:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=678"},"modified":"2024-04-21T00:09:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T04:09:24","slug":"thoughts-from-everyone-allston-brighton-and-brookline","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/?page_id=678","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts from Everyone: Allston, Brighton and Brookline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The&nbsp;<strong>\u201cThoughts from Everyone\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;series is a collection of discussions and analyses of the current system contributed by other transit fans that I personally find interesting. For a full index with ideas on all topics, see&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=225\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This post includes discussions&nbsp;and analyses of transit in several neighborhoods to the <strong>west of Boston<\/strong>: Allston, Brighton, (North) Brookline and nearby regions. Many such discussions involve the&nbsp;<strong>Green Line B\/C\/D branches<\/strong> and the&nbsp;<strong>Framingham\/Worcester Line<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Last updated:&nbsp;<\/strong>April 20, 2024 (updated West Station and Union Sq Allston)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-aioseo-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#aioseo-revere\">Allston<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#aioseo-possible-wonderland-commuter-rail-infill-station-newburyport-rockport-line\">West Station and I-90 Allston Multimodal Project<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#aioseo-commuter-rail-and-west-station-design\">Commuter Rail and West Station Design<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#aioseo-bus-hub\">Bus Hub and Bus Infrastructure<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#aioseo-grand-junction\">Grand Junction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#aioseo-union-square-allston-harvard-ave-and-packards-corner\">Union Square Allston, Harvard Ave and Packard&#8217;s Corner<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#aioseo-boston-landing\">Boston Landing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-revere\">Allston<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-possible-wonderland-commuter-rail-infill-station-newburyport-rockport-line\">West Station and I-90 Allston Multimodal Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>I-90 Allston Multimodal Project<\/strong> is a mega project that involves substantial redevelopments and infrastructural revamps in the vicinity of I-90 Allston Viaduct and former Beacon Park Yard, with a commuter rail infill station on the Framingham\/Worcester Line called <strong>West Station<\/strong>. I have described and documented the project&#8217;s plans in detail <a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=637\" title=\"\">here<\/a>. This section describes other people\u2019s opinions on any aspects of the project that are related to transit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-commuter-rail-and-west-station-design\">Commuter Rail and West Station Design<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"apr24-west-station-layover\"><strong>Explanation of former West Station layover yard&#8217;s functionalities and its replacement: <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-477107\" title=\"\">Comment 1<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-477206\" title=\"\">Comment 2<\/a><\/strong> <em>(F-Line to Dudley, Apr 2024)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This comment was in the context of <a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=637#likely-upcoming-changes-since-the-latest-designs\" title=\"\">MassDOT Secretary rejecting the layover tracks<\/a> in West Station&#8217;s design. It offers historical context for why the layover yard was proposed <span class=\"note\">(second choice behind Widett Circle, whose fate was uncertain back then, for commuter rail operations)<\/span>, why it is now no longer needed <span class=\"note\">(Widett Circle has been purchased)<\/span>, operational issues the yard would have brought to the Framingham\/Worcester Line, and considerations behind her announcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aside:<\/strong> F-Line subsequently <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-477169\" title=\"\">claimed<\/a> that the space for layover tracks could not have been used for a rapid transit provision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-bus-hub\">Bus Hub and Bus Infrastructure<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"apr24-busway-design\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476366\" title=\"\">Discussion of busway design and utility<\/a><\/strong> <em>(archBoston, Apr 2024; earlier comments started <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-474764\" title=\"here\">here<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This discussion primarily concerns whether the proposed bus infrastructure is overly excessive for the expected amounts of service, and whether the location of West Station limits its potential as a bus hub.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"apr24-route-64\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476859\" title=\"\">Discussion of MBTA Route 64&#8217;s possible alignments through West Station<\/a><\/strong>, and later comments <em>(archBoston, Apr 2024)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As a follow-up to the <a href=\"#apr24-busway-design\" title=\"\">busway discussion<\/a> earlier that month, this revival has a narrower focus on the route of the 64 bus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Topics include: Possibility of the 64 using <a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=637#cambridge-st-bypass-an-overlooked-way-out\" title=\"\">Cambridge St Bypass Rd<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476863\" title=\"\">Rationale<\/a> for the route to be excluded from the final BNRD draft; <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476866\" title=\"\">Reliability<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476868\" title=\"\">demand<\/a> of the Brighton Ave alignment as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mbta.com\/projects\/bus-network-redesign\/update\/bus-network-redesign-proposal\" title=\"\">original BNRD proposal<\/a>. <span class=\"note\">(<a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476897\" title=\"\">This particular comment<\/a> from millerm277 discusses reliability and demand from a local&#8217;s perspective.)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"note\"><strong>[Aside\/Background]<\/strong> See <a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=637#mbta-64-background\" title=\"\">my documentation<\/a> of the background of route 64 and West Station.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-grand-junction\">Grand Junction<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-3-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-948c6e47b53c34f81af1621899b11487\"><em><strong>Note:<\/strong> This section is primarily about discussions of Grand Junction rail services within the scope of, or immediately related to, the Allston project. Notably, they have to be officially proposed within a reasonable time frame. Other discussions of fan-made services are typically better suited for the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/migrate\/?page_id=174\" title=\"Ideas from Everyone: Overview\">Ideas for Everyone<\/a>&#8221; series.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476366\" title=\"\">F-Line&#8217;s opinions of official short-term plans for Grand Junction rail service<\/a><\/strong> <em>(F-Line to Dudley, Apr 2024)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This short opinion mostly expresses frustration with the lack of concrete plans for implementing rail service on Grand Junction, and possible feasibility issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-union-square-allston-harvard-ave-and-packards-corner\">Union Square Allston, Harvard Ave and Packard&#8217;s Corner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/jdfrKeMVT7RdahFs5\" title=\"\">Union Square Allston<\/a> <span class=\"note\">(not to be confused with <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/D5K6wBaSSz7itr4C6\" title=\"\">Union Square Somerville<\/a>)<\/span>, at the intersection of Brighton Ave, N Beacon St and Cambridge St, is a major neighborhood center and cultural hub in Boston. This section includes discussion of it and locations further east, including <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/miBLRf3jYpwLdpwX8\" title=\"\">sections of Harvard Ave<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/ZZf1JSAEzdJCrJXj9\" title=\"\">Packard&#8217;s Corner<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476897\" title=\"\">Discussions of density, attractions, and history of the area<\/a><\/strong>, and later comments <em>(archBoston, Apr 2024)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The conversation ranged from local points of interest near Union Sq Allston, to the <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476926\" title=\"\">high residential density<\/a>, and then the <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476929\" title=\"\">historical factors<\/a> (most notably streetcars) that contributed to the density.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-boston-landing\">Boston Landing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476388\" title=\"\">Discussions of Boston Landing&#8217;s developments, bus connections, the 64 bus, and more<\/a><\/strong> <em>(archBoston, Apr 2024)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The conversation started with a debate of whether Boston Landing&#8217;s location is problematic for bus connections, and whether it makes sense for the 64 bus to make a detour there. Starting from <a href=\"http:\/\/archboston.com\/community\/threads\/i-90-interchange-improvement-project-west-station-allston.4807\/post-476475\" title=\"\">here<\/a>, it pivoted into a discussion of developments around the area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The&nbsp;\u201cThoughts from Everyone\u201d&nbsp;series is a collection of discussions and analyses of the current system contributed by other transit fans that I personally find interesting. For a full index with ideas on all topics, see&nbsp;here. This post includes discussions&nbsp;and analyses of transit in several neighborhoods to the west of Boston: Allston, Brighton, (North) Brookline and nearby [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":225,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-678","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=678"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":780,"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/678\/revisions\/780"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teban54transit.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}