20th Anniversary of the Arborway shutdown

There are two bike shops along the 39 bus route (E line) in JP. Jeff's shop is the one closer to Forest Hills, the one in JP center is owned by a guy who likes to talk negatively about trolley service. I saw an anti-trolley poster in the window of the shop in JP center, you may be confusing the two shops.

I ride my bike every day through JP, and I know that the tracks are not a major hassle at all as long as cars are not double parked. I think the tracks might have become a bigger issue if they were pushed toward the curb at every stop.

Matt

Dont know if it was already posted, but I loved it

Today, was @ North Station (gettin on a trolley to GC)

Anywho, looked @ the signage for the green line, I loved it, the arborway route was dashed out (new too)

Someone w/ black permanent marker crossed out the 'tempoarily suspended' and wrote in big letters 'ILLEGALLY STOPPED' (or something to that affect)

It made my day, just to think that people actually care about it, though that isnt what the MBTA would want you to think!

ArborwayFan, I believe the last track configuration was across Washington and the along a right of way perpendicular to the NEC, which is what is now New Washington Street.

Thanks, CSX Conductor. I remember that configuration -- it went over the new NEC on the inbound side of New Washington St. It was built sometime in the 80s. Do you (or anyone) know if they actually used it? I never saw a trolley on it and I always assumed they never used it, but it might just be that I wasn't paying attention. I was certainly an improvement over the collection of tracks they'd used before, when they started out going down Washington and then turned. I know I saw them do that, but I can't remember for sure that it was on the wrong side. Does anyone remember?

On Jeff Ferris and his shop: Ferris Wheels is between Forest Hills and the Monument. Jeff is the one who opposes trolleys. I've talked to him and I've seen it in newspaper articles.
On removing postings: Even though I said -- and think -- that Jeff's not an idiot, I'd just assume not delete postings. The historian in me wants a complete record.

Just to show what a nut I am: my 3.5 year old daughter and I built the old Forest Hills/Arborway complex out of blocks and brio trains. It looked pretty good. I'll put up a couple digital pictures sometime. It'll be a kind of comment on our railfanism.

Arborwayfan wrote:Do you (or anyone) know if they actually used it?

I honestly can't remember, but I am 90% positive that this route was used.

Ferris has always been anti-rail.

Robert Paniagua wrote:

aline1969 wrote:I see my comment was removed about mr. ferris, we will see about this.

That's because it was a bit insensitive so that's why it was killed.

Let's be more nicer about people like the bike shop owner. If he wants to stay on So. Huntington Ave, then that's his choice. No-one can force him out of there.

There are no bike shops on South Huntington.

I've spent years actively engaging in hundreds of conversations on this issue, trying to keep the dialogue going from top officials down to strangers on the street, and the comments here are pretty tame in the grand scheme of things.

There are no bike shops on South Huntington.

I thought aline1969 said there was one, but I guess not. Mr. Ferris must have moved somewhere else, but other business have argued against the reopening of the E to Arborway.

I personally would like to see the Arborway Station to reopen for theb Green Line, I've already ridden that road by 39 bus, but I sure would like to document my trolley ride someday down that road.

Robert Paniagua wrote:There are no bike shops on South Huntington.

I thought aline1969 said there was one, but I guess not. Mr. Ferris must have moved somewhere else, but other business have argued against the reopening of the E to Arborway.

I personally would like to see the Arborway Station to reopen for theb Green Line, I've already ridden that road by 39 bus, but I sure would like to document my trolley ride someday down that road.

There seems to be a problem with the site. My comment above seems to be not what I said. If you want to delete posts, fine, but please don't edit people's comments disingenuously, particularly when it takes them out of their original context.

Ferris Wheels is on South Street, has been for many years. The only other bike shop I can think of off the top of my head is the one near JP Licks, on Centre St.

Ferris Wheels is on South Street, has been for many years. The only other bike shop I can think of off the top of my head is the one near JP Licks, on Centre St.

Ok, I see now. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I was just saying that ferris should move if he wants to continue to mess with peoples lives and their ways of getting around. That is freedom of speech...

Can someone explain to me why one bikeshop owner has so much political pull?

aline1969 wrote:I was just saying that ferris should move if he wants to continue to mess with peoples lives and their ways of getting around. That is freedom of speech...

The thing is, Jeff could just as easily say you should move if you want to continue messing with what he thinks is a threat to his safety and livelihood. It may very well be that he represents half of JP. If you want that half of JP to move to get your way, well, you don't understand politics very well.

I can't emphasize enough that of all the business owners that you could have chosen to single out, you sure did pick an odd one. Yes, he's the most vocal, but you need to consider that Jeff isn't ultimately looking to make Centre Street attractive to more motorists. He's a bike shop owner, for god's sake. Now, you and I may think he's very misguided in his assumptions about how to achieve a better situation for non-motorists, but that's his goal, and mine too.

I'm not going to get into pointing fingers at individuals, but there are other people who oppose this project for much less noble reasons, namely to fit more cars in there, so that they, their employees, and their customers (from the affluent suburbs to the south and west, perhaps?) can drive much more comfortably to the Centre/South business district. But Jeff is not one of them.

The most important lesson to take away from this, though, is that if you support restoration, you need to be able to convince people that don't see it your way rather than ostracize them, or the project doesn't have a chance. Not everybody who sees things differently than you is an idiot. Reasonable people can and do disagree.

danib62 wrote:Can someone explain to me why one bikeshop owner has so much political pull?

What makes you think he does?

Pete wrote:

danib62 wrote:Can someone explain to me why one bikeshop owner has so much political pull?

What makes you think he does?

This forum does!

danib62 wrote:

Pete wrote:

danib62 wrote:Can someone explain to me why one bikeshop owner has so much political pull?

What makes you think he does?

This forum does!

I'm not sure what "the forum" does or doesn't know or think. He's active and vocal, but so are a lot of people. Political pull is another story.