I debated whether or not I should try to quote the book Alice in Wonderland. However, since I’m not the best when it comes to literature, I decided against it. Anyways, here’s Wonderland. Winter wonderland, though? Probably not.
A Blue Line train
So, the platforms are definitely bright with natural lighting. There’s also not a lot to ring home about here. However, there’s a parking garage attached with another parking lot nearby. There’s also a pedestrian bridge attached that’ll bring one to Revere Beach, which is arguably why most people would be here (especially during the summer!). There’s also plenty of bus connections, with the busway being found in the garage. The mezzanine area with fare control is also well-lit during the daytime (and I’d presume the night too). Needless to say, they went crazy with natural light, which is a nice thing.
Helvetica bold! No smoking please!The tracks heading westboundThe doorway on the bridge towards the Bowdoin platform and the lobbyVleugh, dirty window!The busway and another dirty window!
The good: It’s a big park & ride lot! There’s also pedestrian access directly to Revere Beach as well. Furthermore, there’s several bus routes, many of which go on up towards Lynn and Salem.
The bad: Well….yeah, I don’t know. I guess the lack of free crossovers, but at a terminal station, I don’t think many people will be wanting to do such a thing.
Nearby points of interest: Revere Beach is the big one! (not to be confused with the Blue Line station of the same name). There’s also an Amazon warehouse if you’re a union organizer.
Transit connections: Blue Line MBTA bus (110, 116, 117, 411, 424, 426, 439, 441, 441/442, 442, 450, 455)
Overall, it’s not a bad station for a terminal. I really couldn’t think of anything bad, save for the lack of free crossovers. But, to be fare, not a lot of people will be looking to do that at a terminal station. With that in mind, I guess it’s downhill from here for the Blue Line, unless I come across a diamond in the rough.
Ah, the Green Line. Not a personal favorite of mine, but it’s better than nothing. And hey, this one’s right in the heart of Back Bay, so there’s that!
A pair of headhouses
The headhouses are nice enough, being glass with elevators for accessibility. Two of them are on Dartmouth St., with the third being near the bus shelter on Boylston Street. On the inside, while the platforms are staggered, there’s nothing to ring home about. However, being in Back Bay, this station is among the busier Green Line stations. Of course, you have elevators going to fare control. The platforms are just white walls, but it’s not to the same degree of dinginess as Bowdoin. Now, the station would be a 7, if it weren’t for one major flaw. There’s no free crossovers! What does that mean, you might ask? Well, imagine this. You aren’t paying attention and you need to change sides. Most stations would let you do this within fare control (e.g. Quincy Center with its island platform, and Revere Beach with the footbridge being within fare control, for example). And apparently, it’s gotten bad enough to where they posted instructions on how to do free crossovers at the platform!!!!! Yikes!
Helvetica bold, maybe?Fare controlThe platform and- wait, are those crossover instructions?!
The good: It’s got plenty of bus connections, and the headhouses look nice! Copley Square also looks like a nice place in general. Kinda upscale, even.
The bad: No free crossovers. Yeah, that’s a major one. Also, the platforms are “eh”, doesn’t exactly fit the nice-ness of the area. But, whatever. Also, it can be a bit tricky to find where some of the buses stop (e.g. outbound 39s), as I didn’t see any bus stops or shelters that would reasonably correspond to them.
Nearby points of interest: Copley Square, Copley Place, and the Prudential Center are nearby! There’s also the John Hancock Building, and the Boston Public Library!
Transit connections: Green Line (B, C, D, E) MBTA bus (9, 10, 39, 55, 57, 502, 503) Back Bay Station (via a short walk)
Overall, this station at least has a leg up vs. Bowdoin and (I presume) Boylston due to being accessible. However, the major killer is the lack of free crossovers. But, it does its job well for a major Green Line station in the heart of the city.
Alrighty, new line time! Since the Needham branch is essentially free until the Orange Line is open, let’s look at the line and some of its stations. First stop: Roslindale Village!
See ya, Needham train!
Alrighty, so the station is pretty much the same thing you’d expect from a Providence Line station, and I’d presume all the other Needham branch stations: a mostly low level platform with a mini-high. Not only is there a ramp from the mini-high to the low-level platform, there’s also a ramp coming from the Conway St. parking lot. However, that’s the only way to get to the station by an accessible mean, is via that parking lot. There’s an underpass under the tracks, should it be needed as well. The neighborhood itself doesn’t seem bad at a glance, and a number of bus routes pass by the station (with the 14 ending here). Oh yeah, as a fun tidbit, apparently mayor Michelle Wu is from around here.
Helvetica bold!That’s a lot of parking!The single-tracked Needham BranchOoh, an underpass!Nothing special, though. 🙁
The good: If you want a straight shot into downtown Boston, especially should the Orange Line be shut down, this is your best bet! Sure, it’s slightly more than taking the bus to Forest Hills and a zone 1A or subway fare into downtown, but the option’s always there. Plus, a lot of bus routes pass through (or end) in the area, so there’s that as well.
The bad: Why are there no benches????? I mean, it’s nice there’s a sheltered area, but it’d also be nice if there was a place to sit while waiting for the train to pull in. Also, the bus is more frequent than the Commuter Rail, unfortunately. Now, I’d propose an Orange Line extension to remedy this, but as of me writing this, that’s probably not a good idea.
Nearby points of interest: Roslindale seems like a pretty nice neighborhood. I’m probably gonna be here much more doing the bus routes, but at a first glance, it seems like a decent area like Hyde Park, and I like Hyde Park.
Overall, the neighborhood deserves better. It really does. For one, it’d be nice if the Needham branch was double-tracked (though that’s a rant for another entry). Furthermore, no seating????? Lastly, if I could change anything, I’d make the whole station high-level with a ramp leading up, rather than the mini-high setup. And, unfortunately, due to a lack of seating, I’d have to deduct more than I did from Hyde Park.
Ah, a terminal station. Well, let’s look at the Blue Line’s downtown terminal. And, oh boy.
That looks OLD!
Not only is the headhouse ugly as hell, it’s also clearly very dated. Almost as if this place is a time capsule! I’m not even making it up. You’ve got yellow tiling and white walls/ceilings everywhere as the whole place feels dingy, complete with what I think is a brutalist headhouse. The platform setup, here, however is a bit unusual. Technically speaking, it’s an island. However, it’s a wedge shape because the station is in the middle of a balloon loop (like Heath St.). However, unlike Heath, the departure platform is considerably shorter, rendering a situation where doors have to be user-operated instead of driver-operated. So, if you ever wondered what the buttons on the Siemens #5 cars next to the doors do, there ya go. Oh yeah, this station is also inaccessible. Yup. THIS STATION, IS THE ONLY SUBWAY STATION IN ALL OF BOSTON TO NOT HAVE ANY FORM OF ACCESSIBILITY! Bah, who am I kidding? Who needs the ADA?! The least they could’ve done was extend the Blue Line further up.
A subway car on the arrival platformThe rest of the platformHelvetica bold, I think?This platform is too small. Yikes.This is dated.No elevator?! Meh, who needs the ADA?
The good: Well, I guess the fact it exists at all and is near a Target and a bunch of government offices is good???
The bad: …why????? Why does this place exist? Would it have killed the MBTA to just demolish this place, and perform a cut & cover to Charles/MGH for a Red-Blue transfer? Government Center is already close as-is, at about a quarter-mile, and a 4ish minute walk. Charles is about 10 minutes on foot. Just, why? Oh yeah, screw you if you need accessibility. Hell, even Haymarket is a 6ish minute walk away. All three stations are accessible, on top of that. The escalator doesn’t work, either. Did I mention this is the only inaccessible subway station on the system?
Nearby points of interest: You have Bowdoin Square! There’s also a Target, some government offices, and a Whole Foods, along with Charles/MGH, Government Center, and Haymarket.
Transit connections: Blue Line
Overall, why? Just, why? There’s literally no reason I can conceive that this station should exist. Hell, most people got off at Government Center when I arrived here via the Blue Line, probably because connections can be made more easily from there. I’d just demolish this place and extend the Blue Line to Charles, like what they should’ve done all those years ago.
Alrighty. So, I’m not in a position to ride this any time soon due to the seasonal nature of the route and the fact getting into Connecticut is relatively cost-prohibitive for me, however I’ll try to write about it like it’s an On the Rails post. (by the way, do give Eliot’s On the Rails entries a read if you get the chance!)
Please forgive the geriatric Street View
So, the scheduling of the route is simple enough. It runs hourly, and the schedule page gives the times past the hour that the trolley stops at the various destinations along the loop. No layover time at Hammonasset Beach or the East End. However, pretty much every timepoint is served both ways. What’s the routing like? Let’s see.
Credits: Clinton (CT) Chamber of Commerce
So, the trolley begins at Hammonasset Park, goes up the access road, takes a right down U.S. Rte. 1, and then deviates. Fortunately, this deviation (on paper) seems useful since it serves a bunch of marinas and the town dock, where people would want to go. It deviates again to Clinton Station for a connection with the Shore Line East. From here, it goes down U.S. Route 1 towards Old Saybrook, serving a Stop & Shop and a ShopRite (with deviations for each?!), ending at “East End”. Yeah, idk what’s here but I think it bangs a u-ey and turns around.
End of the loop?????Apparently a tourist trolley deviates here.And into here, too.This is a bit more sensible.
The good: Well, on paper, it looks like a good tourist loop for a small coastal town like Clinton. I’m not familiar with the area myself (stay tuned for the SLE station review!), however I’m gonna inevitably end up here a few times. The schedule is consistent with the bus running in a loop. And hey, unlike the rest of 9 Town Transit, the Clinton Trolley actually runs 7 days a week during the tourism season.
The bad: Well, the bus can easily fall behind in scheduling. Again, I’m not familiar with the area so I don’t know how bad road traffic can get on Route 1. Also, some of the deviations are headscratchers. Why does a tourist trolley need to deviate into two supermarkets? I’m sure some locals use it for that, but like, just have normal 40ft buses deviate in there instead. And, why is the website advertising it stuck in 2021?!
Nearby points of interest: Well, there’s Clinton’s town center and the park! I’m not familiar with the area but most people would likely want to go to those places. Plus, there’s the train station for railfans.
Overall, it’s a decent concept on paper. And I’ll have to go out of my way to ride it myself some time next season. That is, however, if it’s running next season. And, if I do get the chance to ride it, stay tuned for an entry on that.
Ooh, another Amtrak station! These are always a treat. So, we have a park & ride station (among the earliest in the country, built in the ’50s!) out in seemingly the middle of nowhere. Well, let’s look.
*seethes*
The station, getting off the platform, is very much modern. And, wouldn’t you believe it, it’s all high-level boarding! Nice! Immediately, we’re met by stairs and an escalator, behind which is the elevator to the bridge and MBTA waiting area. Yes, I’ve said it. There’s segregated areas for the MBTA and Amtrak. But, there’s also a good reason for this. Most people taking Amtrak from here are taking it southbound (you can’t even book a northbound ticket!), while most people using the Commuter Rail are heading northbound. Thoughtful design there, I shall say.
A car with its door stuck open. Yikes.The tracks southboundTo track 2!The tracks northbound and I-95Pay for parking here
There’s also a giant parking garage attached. On the 2nd floor, one can find the MBTA waiting area along with a small shop. Meanwhile the 1st floor has the Quik-Trak machine, the Amtrak information desk, and a Dunkin’?! Bathrooms were also here. There are also destination boards with both Amtrak and MBTA trains. Meanwhile, the platform had both the modern MBTA-style countdown signs and the modern Amtrak signs, along with benches.
The bathrooms and information areaThe Amtrak lobbyOh crap, a delayed Regional!Slightly less cursedA tale of two signsOh, right. The Acela stops here.Dunkin’?!There should be a third track here.
The good: It’s a decent park & ride station! For what it is, it’s got pretty much everything one would reasonably ask for, between an indoor waiting area, a Dunkin’, bathrooms, high-level platforms, and a self-service kiosk for tickets.
The bad: Why, exactly, does the Acela stop HERE of all places?! Furthermore, why isn’t there a third track so that one track can be used as a passing track (e.g. for MBTA express trains) if necessary?
Nearby points of interest: Not much, save for the recently-built shops around University Park.
Overall, I like the station for how modern it is. However, the fact there isn’t a 3rd track where there could be one is probably hindering service during the morning and evening commutes. It’d also be nice if there was a bus shuttle from, say, the rest of Westwood or northern Canton to here. Though, that might cannibalize ridership to Islington or Canton Junction, if that happened.
Alrighty, now for a middle of nowhere MBTA station!
Helvetica bold in a small stereotypical New England town?!
Going to the station is easy and accessible. Your options for getting to the platforms are either the stairs on the overpass from Depot St., or ramps winding down from the nearby side streets. Mini-highs are found on the southern end of the platforms. Parking here is plenty, however there’s more ridership than spaces, which would suggest over half the people using this station (mostly in the morning and evening commutes) are coming in either by bike, being dropped off, or simply walking. The mini-high (yet again!) is pretty much the same as Mansfield’s, as both stations were rebuilt at similar times (2014 for Sharon due to an ADA complaint, 2017-2019 for Mansfield). Hell, had I written this before 2014, I’d be slamming the crap out of Sharon over being a very busy and very inaccessible station (only one on the line that wasn’t ADA compliant!) This was also the same time that the station building (which was closed, as I was here on a Saturday) was retrofitted to be ADA compliant as well.
Not much of a sign that there’s an MBTA station here!The ADA parking on one side, along with the station buildingMore parking!Southbound to WickfordOh, hi there, Amtrak!And a northbound MBTA train!The mini-high
The good: This station gets a lot of ridership. Enough so to where I’d make the argument that all trains (including morning expresses, which seem to skip here) should stop, unless the two tracks makes it prohibitive. Where the ridership comes from, I don’t know, as there’s no transit and there’s not much in the way that the equivalent of 10% of Sharon’s entire population is coming from Sharon alone, plus the fact that there’s twice as many riders as there is parking.
The bad: Maybe there isn’t enough parking! Weekends, sure, it isn’t an issue. But, I’m sure if you add transit or more parking (if it’s even possible), then it wouldn’t be as big an issue. Also, the mini-high.
Nearby points of interest: Sharon’s town center is due east of here. Apparently they have a statue of a female Revolutionary War soldier as well, at the local library.
Overall, I like this station for the charm it has being in the middle of nowhere. It’s in the middle of the woods, which I think makes for a decent backdrop for railfanning. Plus, the town center isn’t too far away. However, the ridership is probably too high for its own good given the lack of a full high platform. Plus, I’d argue ridership for this station is enough to merit some actual transit, even if by way of a GATRA mini-bus shuttle utilizing a Dial a Ride van.
Alrighty! So, this one ended up being a bit more interesting than I expected. Is there anything particularly special about Attleboro? Well….
The parking
The platforms are staggered, as a start. Furthermore, the mini-highs (oh my, so surprising!) are on the faaaaaar end of each platform. There’s also a station building on either side, however the one on the southbound side is owned by a private business, and the northbound building is only open between 5 and 11 AM, per Google. A small amount of parking can also be found over here.
See ya!Oh god…A bit out of date, but technically right.GATRA Dial a Ride!
Then there’s the GATRA waiting area. Oh god. I am not even mentally prepared to tell y’all of the trouble I experienced with trying to document this particular part of Attleboro. However, since duty calls, here we go. The station building is small, and sometimes houses bus schedules in brochure form for GATRA. Today, it only had the 15. There’s also a GATRA ticket machine which wasn’t working when I went in. But, it gets worse. There were also a bunch of teenagers inside. Normally this wouldn’t be of note, however it gets even worse. They were smoking. Not just smoking tobacco. No. They were full-on HOTBOXING THE WHOLE FREAKIN’ ROOM WITH SMOKE FROM A BLUNT! I REPEAT, THEY WERE HOTBOXING THE BUILDING BY SMOKING WAY TOO MUCH FREAKIN’ WEED! AND I INHALED SOME OF THE SMOKE WHEN I NOTICED THEM SMOKING, WHICH WAS TOO LATE! I genuinely never thought getting high would be a byproduct of my escapades. I’m honest to God here. But, no. I get around to reviewing Attleboro and I invariably check the GATRA waiting area, ONLY TO DISCOVER FAR TOO LATE THEY WERE SMOKING THE FUCKING DEVIL’S LETTUCE, GIVING ME A MARIJUANA HIGH! IT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN SNOOP DOGG DOING HIS THING WITH THE MJ, AND I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE! And for those wondering, yes, that meant I did my first GATRA post while higher than the Johnston landfill last night.
Oh dear God
Of course, I snitched on them behind their back to the Dial a Ride driver who was complaining, to which he suggested I flagged down an officer. Bus schedules are also posted on one of the poles outside, however it’s only for the Attleboro GATRA routes. And yes, the station is accessible by virtue of accessible buses and ramps up to the platforms and mini-high. As another fun tidbit, this also used to be an Amtrak stop a long time ago.
To the other side!Northbound with the station buildingsA T.F. Green/Wickford-style countdown clock – but in red?! And yes, there’s only one.GATRA schedules!The MBTA sign
The good: It’s centrally located in downtown Attleboro! It’s also got electrified sidings?! Okay, okay, rant time. WHY THE HOLY NAME OF MICHAEL DUKAKIS CAN’T THE T RUN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES DOWN TO PROVIDENCE?!
Anyways, before I dig further. It’s also one of the two GATRA hubs (the other will be covered in due time), and the fact there’s TOD nearby is good.
The bad: My main gripe? The mini-highs and the sole countdown sign. Also, the non-working ticket machine in the GATRA waiting area. Yikes.
Nearby points of interest: Well, you got most of GATRA at your fingertips, along with downtown Attleboro. There’s also the Capron Zoo nearby. I’m not very familiar with Attleboro though, beyond South Attl and the zoo, however.
Overall, it’s an interesting little place. And, given the nature of this blog, this place is gonna end up becoming a recurring theme due to it being the GATRA hub of the area. And apparently, if you want to get high without buying weed, just go into the GATRA waiting area while there’s a bunch of teenagers being idiots hotboxing the place.
So, I’ve never really stepped foot here until today, though I’ve always wanted to check it out as the big mess of metal footbridges always stood out to me. Plus, I thought it’d be a half-decent railfanning spot. Does it live up to the hype though? Let’s find out.
Helvetica bold!
So, getting off a northbound train, I make my way to check out the station building which, wouldn’t ya know it, is actually open! A rarity on the MBTA on weekends! And, it’s actually quite nice. It reminds me of Mystic’s and Kingston’s station buildings in the historical factor. Tickets can be brought here, and it can be used as an indoor waiting area on rainy days. Furthermore, there’s a bathroom here, and a restaurant called Copper City Espresso.
Inside!
Moving outside, the platform is the usual Providence Line affair of a mini-high at the far end, with a very, very long low-level platform (where NOBODY boards on weekends/off-peak hours!!!). The tracks are also lettered to help people find their way. Platforms A and B are the Northeast Corridor mainline (to/from Wickford and Providence), while platforms C and D are for the Stoughton branch. The tracks are also numbered (from left to right) 1, 2, 4, and 6.
The MBTA signThat’s a lot of metal.Looking up the track towards BostonSomething something Orange Line closureOh, hi Amtrak.
The ramps and stairs, however, can easily add about 5 minutes to reaching the train, making this a textbook definition of a “screw you” station. If you can’t run to save your life, you’re gonna miss your train if you parked next to the station building, and your train is heading south to Providence. Likewise, if your train is heading north from Stoughton and you’re next to the Providence track. Parking is plenty though, and ridership is generally concentrated in morning and evening commutes (although today was an exception, due to a convention in Boston).
That’s a lot of parkingThree mini-highs from hereThe Providence platformsI do believe that’s Canton Center off in the distance!I feel like this would be a good backdrop for a zombie-themed film.Looking to SharonI really am not big on these metal ramps and stairs
The good: It’s got a nice building and plenty of parking! Furthermore, service on weekdays is relatively frequent due to the Stoughton branch being in service.
The bad: The footbridges. It’s deteriorating, hopefully won’t end up in the same state as South Attleboro’s when they get around to repairing it. Plus, it can take forever to get to the inbound platforms from where one parked, and I can’t help but think that some of the parking could be replaced with TOD. Plus, service can be infrequent on weekends (every 2 hours, without Stoughton service!)
Nearby points of interest: If you’re a railfan, this station in of itself is a place of interest. There’s also the Canton Viaduct just south, if you want to walk a little, and Canton Center due east.
Overall, this station could definitely use some repairs. The bridges are deteriorating and rusting, the stairs made me feel uncomfortable, and overall can we get full high platforms when this gets rebuilt? And, also, maybe some TOD?
Oh god. No, no, anything but GATRA. But, duty calls I guess. So, why not start with an easy route? At the Attleboro ITC, I’m waiting for the bus, either the 12 or the 16 (whichever first), and it happens the 12 came first. Let’s dig into it.
A change card
I fed the farebox my $2, begetting a $0.50 change card. From here, it was off to the races as we started traversing through downtown Attleboro, leaving the MBTA station. We took a left down Rte. 123, flying past peoples’ houses and the Capron Zoo. We would then take a right to remain on Rte. 123, passing by much of the same, with a lot of woodlands mixed in. Oh, we also passed under the interstate. A common theme, with everyone who got on/off at a stop other than the ITC, was that there are no bus stop signs indicating it’s a bus stop. Allow me to explain.
See ya, Attleboro!Cumby’s!A side streetCapron Park & the zoo!An apartment complexNo express today!Apparently this was a bus stop.
So, how does GATRA work? Well, most transit agencies generally operate on a policy where they’ll only stop at designated locations (usually denoted by the existence of a sign or shelter). Some agencies that follow this policy are RIPTA, the MBTA, and CTtransit. However, some agencies (like GATRA, and a few others I’m going to be covering on this site) operate on a “flag” policy. This essentially means that unless you’re in an explicit “no stop zone” or it’s otherwise unsafe to stop (for instance, in the middle of a freeway interchange), the bus driver will pull over to pick you up if you flag the bus down. Getting off differs just a little, where fixed-stop agencies will stop at the next designated stop, flag stop agencies will pull over at the nearest safe location. This is, in general, how one can end up in a situation where there’s unofficially a bus stop outside their house’s front door, or outside their business where they might not want one.
HousesThe American Legion hall
Eventually, we kept going down Newport Ave., until we took two turns onto Rte. 1, and made a deviation. What’s the deviation, you might ask? Well, would you believe it if I said there’s a HOSPITAL in South Attleboro?! Yeah, I didn’t even know such a place existed. Nevertheless, we deviated, and then did another half-deviation into the Stop & Shop plaza (barely), got a few people, and then kept going down Washington Street. Eventually, though, we crossed under I-95 again, crossed over the Northeast Corridor, and we’re in Rhode Island on a GATRA bus?! Wait, we’re on a non-RIPTA bus in RIPTA territory. That’s cursed. Nevertheless, the bus took a right down Roosevelt Avenue and a left down George Bennett, where I pulled the cord. Finally, we were at one of two RIPTA-GATRA transfer points, and at the end of the 12.
Hearth & Kettle used to be here, and to be real, it sucked.Woah woah, WHAT is that plaza name?!Another side streetOh my, more shopshaha, cars…Cumby’s!what a nice little lakeCan’t go express here!SALVATION!Yes, these tracks are in fact active.I’ve genuinely never seen a GATRA bus in Rhode Island until today (save for that one rogue Dial a Ride van)
The good: It serves a lot, and is a pretty good replacement to the 24! Yes, this route largely used to be the 24, but it’s better with weekend service and whatnot. It serves places where people would want to go, and in general I haven’t had any bad luck here.
The bad: This one’s gonna be a recurring theme with GATRA (and most other Massachusetts RTAs). Why, in the holy name of Hell, is there no Sunday service?! And why does Saturday service end so early?!
Nearby points of interest: Pawtucket is your entry gate to RIPTA here. You also have the businesses lining Route 1 in South Attleboro, but I don’t think it’s a very walkable area. On the flip side, however, you DO have the Capron Zoo, along with Attleboro Station.
Overall, it’s not a bad start to what’ll potentially be a very dicey can of worms. As a first impression to GATRA, it really isn’t a painful route. My biggest issue here, is that service ends so early (4pm for the last outbound on Saturday?!) and nothing at all on Sundays. Nevertheless, relatively, it’s good.
