Rapid transit quiz

[Ron Newman]

I believe a very short section of electrified but non-revenue (storage) track extends beyond Alewife Station into the Town of Arlington.

[efin98]

I believe a very short section of electrified but non-revenue (storage) track extends beyond Alewife Station into the Town of Arlington.

I don't think the rail actually go into the town limits, I think it only points that way. But if it does then technically you can add Arlington to the list too.

And if you really want to stretch it to including towns only meer blocks from the lines, Winthrop can be included too and if you include abandoned lines possibly Watertown as well?

[BC Eagle]

I stated before(which you guys conveniently overlooked) it was my OPINION. Some can accept their foul up in missing the bus and can wait, sorry if you can't.

I don't know many people who would wait in Boston 3-4 hours during the middle of the night for regular service to begin.

My situation a few years ago was that I got out of a movie around 1:00am and hoped to catch the last D-line at the Fenway stop. After about 15 minutes of waiting it was clear this wasn't going to happen, so I attempted to find out where the D's night owl bus stopped, but there was no signage whatsoever indicating night owl service anywhere at the stop. At this point we walked down to Beacon St. hoping it would be easier to catch a night owl bus there. At the first two C-Line stops, there was also no night owl signage. So we decided to start walking down Beacon St. hoping to catch one. The first time we saw a bus was around Summit Ave. We were able to run and catch up with it, only to have the driver close the doors in my face, looking right at us as he drove off. This was at about 1:45am, and no further service followed as we made our way back. Since then, I've avoided the night owl like the plague, so I don't really know if it has improved at all in the two years since this happened. From my experience though, the T's extended night service was attrocious.

[octr202]

Since then, I've avoided the night owl like the plague, so I don't really know if it has improved at all in the two years since this happened. From my experience though, the T's extended night service was attrocious.

The night owl on the D Line can be a real crap shot. I've only used it twice, both going from Kenmore to Newton Highlands (actually, aiming for the Eliot stop, as I lived right at the end of the Rt. 9 footbridge at the time). The first time we used it, there was a supervisor at the Kenmore night owl stop, helping everyone find their buses. He asked us where we were going, and when the D bus pulled up, he told the driver how many people he had boarding for different stops.

When we got to Newton Highlands (nowl, keep in mind, we didn't know at this time that the Night Owl didn't go to Eliot), there were only a handful of people on the bus. The driver asked if he had anyone for Eliot, to which we said yes, and he went down to Eliot and dropped us at the corner of the street that leads to the station lot. We were very pleased with the service.

The second time, we again got on at Kenmore (supervisor there who asked us where we were going, and just told us "Take the D bus"), and after Newton Highlands, the driver sped up Walnut St., avoiding Eliot altogether. At this point I jumped up and asked "What about Eliot?," and she slammed on the brakes, opened the door, and said, "that was Eliot." (i.e., back at Newton Highlands).

So, we at least avoided going all the way to Waban. It wasn't till after this incident that I realized that there is no Eliot stop on the Night Owl -- but the first trip we took sure made it seem that way.

Since then I moved away from the Green Line, and have tried to use the Red Line Night Owl a couple times, but each time we gave up waiting for it and took a cab.

I've always wondered if it is really that much cheaper to operate buses for about two hours two nights a week, versus just keeping maybe half the number of trains running instead. Or, was the night owl just set up to fall on its face, thus proving that there's no demand for late night transit service in Boston, and get the T off the hook for a few more years...

Okay -- appologies for this not having much to do with the quiz any more

[CSX Conductor]

as far as the non-revenue track for car deliveries at Riverside that connects to the CSX main-line...........the green line is electrified to about 100 yards from the switch on the mainline.

[Ron Newman]

I took the Night Owl for the first time ever last night (Friday), because I hung around Causeway Street too late watching some pretty spectacular Central Artery demolition.

Walked to Government Center, and got on the Red Line to Alewife bus which left right on schedule at 1:30 am. There were only 7 people on the bus. One of them alighted at Harvard; the rest got off at Davis with me. I don't think anyone got on the bus anywhere after it left Government Center.

Do they usually get more riders than this?

[Ron Newman]

The Night Owl leaflet shows Eliot as a stop -- it even has a parking symbol next to it. So if your bus driver claims that Eliot is not a stop, she's wrong. Beaconsfield and Reservoir are the only D Line stops that the Night Owl is supposed to skip.

I assume that the Fenway stop would be on Brookline Avenue rather than Beacon Street, but I don't know that for sure. The first C and D buses both leave Government Center at 1:30, so you would have had a long wait in any event.

[BC Eagle]

The Night Owl leaflet shows Eliot as a stop -- it even has a parking symbol next to it. So if your bus driver claims that Eliot is not a stop, she's wrong. Beaconsfield and Reservoir are the only D Line stops that the Night Owl is supposed to skip.

I assume that the Fenway stop would be on Brookline Avenue rather than Beacon Street, but I don't know that for sure. The first C and D buses both leave Government Center at 1:30, so you would have had a long wait in any event.

I assumed the fenway stop would be on park drive, as I believe there is a regular bus stop there. With lack of direction, it was the only thing that made sense to me at the time. However, I did not want to chance it, because there was no night owl signage at that bus stop either. We headed to Beacon St. because I figured the C Line night owl would be easier to catch. From the time I arrived at Beacon St., at around 1:15am, to when I got to Cleveland Circle, I only spotted one night owl bus. The T website claims that there should have been 3 buses during this time period.

[Ron Newman]

Did it take you until 3 am to walk to Cleveland Circle?

The Night Owl leaflet says there are only three C Line Night Owl buses, and they arrive at Cleveland Circle at 1:57 (probably the one that "missed" you), 2:27, and 2:57 am.

[BC Eagle]

Yeah it was just about 3am by the time we got to Cleveland Circle. I think its about 7 miles from Fenway.