Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
^^^ Thanks for the info. And great map! Boston area rail has so much potential. I don't know what it's going to take to dramatically transform the system. If that article that just came out about the agencies culture of foot-dragging about electrification is any indication, I would say a generational change-of-guard is probably what is necessary to push through significant progress. Same can be said of other major city transit agencies... NY...Chicago... here's looking at you...
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aside from Los Angeles - Boston has the most growth potential via rapid transit then anywhere in North America. There are SO many projects that are long overdue. You would think Massachusetts being such a blue state - investment in this area (transit) would be a forgone conclusion
Bostons northern suburbs are some of the densest suburbs in the nation that aren’t served by rapid transit
(Southern Beverly, DT Peabody, all of Salem are SWARMED with traffic sometimes 6 days a week) - yet some of the southern suburbs that are far less dense are served. Then you have the Seaport district which is practically in the city’s core that isn’t served AT ALL
(please don’t give me the Silver Bus). There’s just so many areas that would transform Boston in a way that I think would see rapid growth similar to some of the much younger/newer Southern cities (IE Austin)
With a major rapid transit investment program - something like $3-$4B a year for a decade that would pay for many of these projects or something similar - I think Boston would have a greater percentage of its population take the rapid transit rail than any city in North America.
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Blue/
Red connector
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Blue Line North Extension
(Lynn minimally but Salem should be the goal)
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Seaport Rail (via Silver becoming LRT? ; via new GL branch? via RL spur?)
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Orange Line Southern Extension
(Needham; West Roxbury)
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Green Line modernization
(grade seperate West of Kenmore, faster stock)
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Red Line Northern Extension
(Arlington minimally)
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Orange Line Northern Extension (to Reading)
• Eliminate
Ashmont/Mattapan line into
Red Line extension
Low hanging fruit…
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Green Line to Porter Sq
• Convert
Fairmount Line CR into Rapid transit & connect it to a subway line
Pipe Dreams but that are necessary
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North South Rail Link
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Circular Line to ease congestion in the city’s core
(Mass Ave, Seaport, Logan, Chelsea, Everett, Cambridge, Brighton)