Former Green Line A Branch

I found this interesting article: https://www.boston.com/news/wickedpedia ... ory/?amp=1

Why doesn’t the Green Line have an ‘A’ branch?

Anyone who has ever boarded a Green Line trolley has likely taken note of the letters representing the different branches: B, C, D, and E.

But what ever happened to the “A” branch?

To better understand this history, Boston.com, at the recommendation of the MBTA, spoke with local transit historian Bradley Clarke, who is president of the Boston Street Railway Association and an author of 10 books on transit in Boston and Massachusetts.
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I was just getting to know the "T" in those days. Loved following the tracks into the 90's and hoping it would return.

We have relocated to the Far West and I just changed my location from "Waiting for an A Train"

I never rode the Watertown line when it was in passenger service (that ended before I was a teenager), but I rode it a couple of times on BSRA fan trips in the '70s and '80s.

It's a travesty that they did not restore it. Now you have the very slow Watertown-Kenmore bus, and some express buses on the traffic jammed Mass Pike. Didn't need the Newton (Corner) Commuter Rail station in 1962 with the Watertown Line in place. Now you would need a jillion dollars to replace what was given up and only needed to be maintained.

The news reports stated that Galen St shops did not want streetcars to return. Allston/Brighton wanted return of streetcars. Since not everyone wanted the A line, it did not return, but many questioned why not end the line at Oak Square then since there was a loop to go back into Boston.

Technically the 'A' still exists as the 57, as some SEPTA routes and NJT/Public Service routes in Newark retained
their numbers after converted to bus service.

BandA wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 11:22 pm Didn't need the Newton (Corner) Commuter Rail station in 1962 with the Watertown Line in place.

Should have been added when the MassPike Extension east of 128/Weston was built in 1964.

Newton also wanted the "A" train to return. But the MBTA wanted to erase all street running. Road maintenance was extremely deferred waiting for the tracks to inevitably be pulled up, and you had cars and bicycles and motorcycles slip sliding on Galen St tracks while trying to avoid the potholes. About 20 years of BS from the MBTA. Storage and whatever functions Watertown Yard had had to be moved elsewhere, which cost some money and reduced the amount of storage space available.

I say this almost every time the topic of restoring the A comes back up. There is no chance that a street-running trolley on that route could provide the quality and frequency of service of the current road-going 57 (supplemented by the 504). The traffic on the route is too hideous and planning/operating the route thru the Circle of Death rotary would be a logistical nightmare.

Add CR stops at Newton Corner and "West Station" and electrify the route, you will make a lot more passengers happy.

1962-1968 operation in Newton Corner Square must have been something with automobiles in the rotary and trolley cars just going straight, with and against the traffic. But a trolley has a certain size that you can't ignore and most cars would yield. The 57 bus was extremely sloooww, pulling over to bus stops at every other corner, essentially yielding to traffic. A trolley just stops in the middle of the road and all autos have to stop so that passengers can board. Much more civilized, probably same boarding time, but then the road in front of the trolley is clear so it can easily proceed.

Newton Corner Square cries out for a busway in the middle of the rotary, connected to a Commuter Rail Station, sort of like Kenmore is or was. And protected bicycle lanes on peripheral streets. Maybe add a bridge and run Centre St straight across.

I’d imagine the hotel would want a nice chunk of change for infringing on its air rights.

A branch loss mitigation! I assume the air rights are owned by the state and leased to the Gateway Center office company and the hotel. Unlike the supermarket which is an owned replacement for their existing property that was taken by eminent domain. Put a ramp next to, east of the westbound onramp. There is a small service parking area and the dumpster located on the south side that would be encroached apon. Centre St becomes a "normal" straight road, with $Pike and Washington St continuing to use the loop.Build a new deck for the busway between this new Centre St bridge and the existing bridge on the east side of the existing loop. Now here is the fuzzy part, where to put the Commuter Rail platforms, stairways and elevators. I think there is enough room. Want 1 set of entrances to directly connect to the lobby of the hotel or the office building so that they can justify subsidizing the train station operations and monitoring security.

Recent rebuild of the Packard's Corner curve has removed the last vestiges of the A line connection on Commonwealth Ave. Much smoother ride though.

""The 57 bus was extremely sloooww, pulling over to bus stops at every other corner, essentially yielding to traffic. A trolley just stops in the middle of the road and all autos have to stop so that passengers can board. ""

(copied from another forum) Perhaps the T should try out a non-exclusive bus lane, or more formally "defacto nub stop operation" where there are two or more lanes going each way. Simply put, the bus does not pull fully to the curb but rather riders walk out to meet the bus. To better guide waiting riders on where to stand, a rectangle denoting the bus's stopping point is painted in the right lane. This may optionally be preceded by "BUS LANE" stencilled on the pavement. The lane is not painted red or given any other treatment and no extra signs are needed or posted.

There already is a bus lane on Brighton Avenue from Union Square to Packards Corner, but that’s not even a mile. Cambridge Street is only one lane of traffic each way. I suppose a Comm Ave bus lane would also benefit BU’s on campus transit service.

Back to rail: Could they get away with a center platform stop in Newton Corner?

wicked wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 8:21 pm Back to rail: Could they get away with a center platform stop in Newton Corner?

Would require realigning the two tracks and likely using the hotel/office complex as a headhouse of sorts with
elevators and staircases.

Parking capacity would need to be improved beyond the 6-story garage.