MBTA Commuter Rail Service to Cape Cod Discussion

New Article by the Boston Globe: "The Argument: Should regular commuter ail service be restored to Hyannis"
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/04/29/ ... d-hyannis/
It has a paywall so I can't read it, but apparently it has a poll for the readers to decide for themselves, I encourage all those who see this and are subscribed to the Globe to go take the poll. Also, some quotations from the article would be appreciated.
- Thanks

FYI, the poll is currently 89% in favor of the service, 11% against.

The article is just an opinion piece with Tom Cahir Administrator, Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority speaking for the service , while William Burke Director of research at the Beacon Hill Institute, headquartered in Medway opposes the service. Both cite this report - https://archive.org/details/file_20220115

Burke's argument - "Demand for commuter rail service may never return to its pre-pandemic levels. The necessity of public transit has clearly lessened as more jobs transition to hybrid and full-time remote models. Faltering demand and long-term employment trends make the restoration of regular commuter rail service to Hyannis unnecessary."

It's always with the remote work with these guys, do they think that everyone who uses the train is using it only for work, and while he is saying this, the demand for Commuter Rail service IS already returning, this argument is going to be irrelevant in a few years.

Zero information was provided in the article. It was simply “I like trains” vs “I don’t like trains,” insert biased nonsense as to why. IMO commuter service to Hyannis does not make sense, though I’m not opposed to it. Buzzards Bay does.

Re: Post pandemic remote yadda yadda… rubbish! Working remotely was not invented in 2020, and construction of offices in the city has not slowed down. Investors and developers would have pulled their money like they were doing during the recession of the mid 2000s. The people are coming back. I expect September will see about 80-85% of 2019 ridership levels.

It's behind a paywall. I have no love for the Boston Glob, but I'm beginning to feel the internetzz is taking advantage using the quotation exception. Anyway, it is interesting that a Beacon Hill Institute located in Medway where real estate is relatively cheaper.

Nothing new in the article as others pointed out. And polls are lame.

In my opinion, just start with the pilot of Commuter Rail to Buzzards, with seasonal service across the canal to Bourne Station. Forget about going any further to Falmouth or Yarmouth until that proves out or they upgrade the tracks east of the canal. And get the Coast Guard to return preference to MassDOT. I think Cape Cod service will be as or more successful than South Coast (and will conflict for track space).

Is there enough equipment to move the short turns up to Braintree and not Middleborough? At least you're getting people up to the Red Line, and you get a bit more service to the Brockton stations and Bridgewater State.

Ah, the Cape Cod and Hyannis model from the 80s! They ran from Braintree. It's not actually a bad idea to keep in mind, especially if there might be significant travel Cape to Brockton and Bridgewater. Would be easy enough to try it based on demand.

People don't like having to transfer between trains, especially when a one seat ride is possible, such as in this case. If you're going up to Braintree, you might as well finish the 10 miles up to Boston and run the line as an extended Middleborough/Lakeville Line, if extra service is needed/desired, simply add more trains to the timetable.

Middleboro trains are already to be extended to the South Coast. Even turning trains at Braintree would be tight, though probably fathomable. Sending them into Boston is out of the question. Should SCR2.0 come to fruition (not counting on it) or SCR1.0 is deemed ineffective and abandoned (more likely than the former), a Buzzards Bay etc. extension of Middleboro service would be the answer.

mbrproductions wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 8:27 pm People don't like having to transfer between trains, especially when a one seat ride is possible, such as in this case. If you're going up to Braintree, you might as well finish the 10 miles up to Boston and run the line as an extended Middleborough/Lakeville Line, if extra service is needed/desired, simply add more trains to the timetable.

Easier said than done, the Old Colony Main doesn't have a all that much capacity to spare.

Should SCR2.0 come to fruition (not counting on it) or SCR1.0 is deemed ineffective and abandoned (more likely than the former), a Buzzards Bay etc. extension of Middleboro service would be the answer.

This is what my previous statement is based on, once the Fall River/NewBedford Line is rerouted via the Stoughton Route, the Middleborough trains that would have run as Fall River/New Bedford trains under SCR Phase I could be rerouted to provide full service to Buzzards Bay or Bourne, this is why the MBTA needs to make SCR Full Build a priority, it would be a win for commuters on the South Coast, who would have a faster ride into Boston and a win for commuters in Cape Cod, who wouldn't need to transfer between trains to get to Boston.

Easier said than done, the Old Colony Main doesn't have a all that much capacity to spare.

Any extension on the Middleborough Main, whether SCR Phase I or Cape Rail would just be an extension of current Middleborough timetables, the amount of traffic the line sees today would be the amount it sees with an extension to Cape Cod happening after SCR Full Build is complete.

The MBTA is more likely to implement hydrogen powered hovercraft service than to build the SCR Phase II as laid out in the environmental agreements.

I agree, that's why I believe the MBTA should try to get out of those environmental agreements, whether by challenging them in court or by making further negotiations. As of now, those environmental mitigation requirements are working with Phase I to completely kill any positive impact this project (South Coast Rail) could have.

By rehabbing that Middleborough Secondary thingy, they could be almost ready for Providence to Cape Cod service.