Where will the new Green Line stops be in Somerville?

The Somerville Transportain Equity Partnership has been working to improve T service in Somerville. Since it appears the Green Line will be expanded to run into Somerville and possibly Medford they are concerned on where the new stops should be. This group has done their homework.

Where should the new Green Line stops be? Explore the possibilities using our interactive map, including aerial photos of each potential stop.
View interactive map

The MTA of 50 years ago

Thanks to http://www.universalhub.com for the tip

Mike posts a pre-1955 map of Boston's rapid-transit system.

I've seen this map before at the Trolley Museum in Maine and it shows the then MTA as it was after the Blue Line was extended to Revere in the early 1950's.

The map shows in detail the old elevated Orange Line which is far different than the modern version. This was the MTA the Kingston Trio sang about back in 1959.

UPDATE 12/23 "adding value to Charlie Cards if you only ride a bus"

Was on the #66 bus this morning and started talking to the driver about the CharlieCards. I told him I was happy to find out you can add value to the card and his reply was "on the radio they are telling us not to allow people to do that, otherwise we will have long lines"

He also told me that out of garage (The Cabot) while some of the boxes are programmed to allow adding value, others have been disabled.

So I would suggest that we all email the superintendent at Cabot to find out what the policy is going to be.

Carrie Dubose

Superintendent Cabot Bus Garage

275 Dorchester Ave.South Boston, MA 02127

By email: CabotSuperintendent@mbta.com

One thing is clear. If riders all decide to fill their cards on the buses instead of retail locations the boarding times are going to be long. It took me about 30 seconds to load $5 on a card to test the system.

Also everyone should keepin mind that whatever you deposit into the farebox will go on the card, there is no way to get change on a bus.

previous posts
UPDATE 12/21 "adding value to Charlie Cards if you only ride a bus"

12/20 adding value to Charlie Cards if you only ride a bus

Nice work if you can get it

The T is hiring customer service agents. They are accepting applications until January 8th. The starting salary is $45,998.00

Click here for the full posting

MBTA converts final station (Fields Corner) to Charlie

MBTA tokens are given a jolly old farewell

It was the Friday before Christmas and all through the subway system not a token was needed, not even for Santa Claus.

from Universal Hub

What? You missed the free CharlieCards?

MBTA: Driver, three passengers assaulted on bus

so much for holiday spirit


MBTA: Driver, three passengers assaulted on bus

The T's love affair with SIEMENS AG

For reasons only the Board of Directors of the MBTA can tell us the T has been using Siemens AG of Germany as a major vendor on the Silver Line, Blue Line and the GPS system on the entire bus fleet. To say the least Siemens record on T projects has been spotty.

The new Blue Line cars were supposed to be in service 2 years ago but the project has been delayed over and over again. A month ago the Globe wrote of the latest problems with the cars that include leaking doors and smoking air-conditioning systems. The T board approved purchase of the new cars in November 2001, with delivery of the first ones scheduled for January 2004. Siemens was hoping the Blue Line contract would give them a foothold in the United States subway market so one can assume they lowballed the bid to the T to get the contract. Once again the T is learning that you get what you pay for. For whatever reason you never see experienced subway manufacturers like ALSTOM in the Boston market. Coming on top of the BREDA fiasco on the Green Line you just have to scratch your head at how this continues to happen to the T. The Siemens website proudly tells us about the new Blue Line trains and their specs but doesn't mention when they plan to deliver them.

For the Silver Line Siemens touts these improvements (PDF) On paper it seems wonderful and I'm sure their salesman did a fine job selling them to the T but the problem is they have never worked as designed. The T's public response last April was "most of the technology developed for reliable and efficient service on the Silver Line is operational today -- sort of." But when it comes to letting riders know when the next bus is due, ''the MBTA has not been satisfied with the accuracy of the 'real-time arrival' messages," he said.
The contractor is working on fixing flaws in the software, said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo. If they can be fixed, the ''next bus arrival" information will soon be displayed.

The contractor is the Siemens division in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

But not only did Siemens get the contract for the Silver Line they also got the contract for the GPS system for the entire bus fleet. The system is called TRANSITMASTER and as you can see from the company website it is supposed to do everything but drive the bus. Next time you are on a T bus you can see the Transitmaster display to the drivers left. It tells him at a glance how early or late he is and if he is early he is supposed to adjust. It also runs the automatic announcements (Loud & Clear - ADA Announcements ) It would be nice if the computer could be taught to pronounce Lechmere correctly.

I have spoken to several drivers who said the original test vendor for GPS did a much better job but was shutout by Siemens when the entire system went out to bid. That vendor was a company known as Clever Devices who did have the test contract with the MBTA a few years ago. They currently have contracts with Chicago, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Long Island, Pittsburgh, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Sacramento and elsewhere. In Chicago the computer announcements sound human with a pleasant male voice. The SF Muni now ever offers real time status on their website for select transit routes. Will Siemens get it to work in Boston? We can only hope but the Silver Line is 4 years old and it hasn't been fixed.

Sadly as long as the MBTA keeps awarding contracts to the low bidder we the riders are going to suffer. In any event the T should make sure they never allow Siemens to bid ever again. They promise well but they simply do not deliver. Three strikes and out.

thoughts while riding the T today - 12/21

While on the Red Line leaving Charles I saw a banner on the old Charles Street Jail touting the new name of the hotel being built in the renovated jail. THE LIBERTY HOTEL LOL

RANT OF THE DAY Is it just me or are the destination signs on the Green Line trolleys just too small to read? The Breda cars have them as do the Type 6 cars ( the 7's were never converted) It really is in issue these days as you have no idea what train is going to be on which track at Park. Today I saw a Heath St car loading where the Riverside usually does.

I use San Francisco has an example, you can read their signs from a distance and it is much easier with a black background and yellow letters compared to the yellow background and black letters the Green Line uses.

now can you transfer funds from a CharlieTicket to a CharlieCard (but)

As of today December 21st you can now transfer any remaining funds on a CharlieTicket to a CharlieCard but to do so you have to go to the new CharlieCard service center at Downtown Crossing and it will be open Monday-Friday from 8AM to 6 PM.

In Chicago Santa rides the L

The Chicago Transit Authority once again in 2006 operated their Holiday Train starting before Thanksgiving and ending today. I had the chance to ride it 2 years ago and it was amazing to see people standing on the platform smiling as the train came into the station. It operates as a regular revenue train complete with Santa and elves.

from the CTA website
The spectacular train is an amazing sight - during the daytime and at night. The outside of the six-car train is adorned with oversized garland and seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars.
Interiors of the cars are decked out with thousands of multi-colored lights, red bows, garland, and red and green overhead lighting. The hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes.
As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves to the boarding passengers from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar that carries his reindeer and decorated holiday trees.

I would love to see the T do something like this.

YouTube has a few clips of the train in action and if you have the time this clip in particular captures the goodwill the train provides

Chicago Transit Authority's "Twas The Night Before...09:42
The popular Christmas story is told with the HOLIDAY TRAIN of Chicago's CTA in the background. The train, decorated with festive lights, makes the rounds of all of the CTA routes. Share in the surprise when it pulls into stations and pass The popular Christmas story is told with the HOLIDAY TRAIN of Chicago's CTA in the background. The train, decorated with festive lights, makes the rounds of all of the CTA routes. Share in the surprise when it pulls into stations and passengers board and are treated to a not-so-usual "L" train ride.

and I have embedded a shorter clip HO HO HO