NoBoston South to Boston North?

I guess a dedicated bus/trolley/trolleybus/streetcar line is out of the question?

25Hz wrote:I guess a dedicated bus/trolley/trolleybus/streetcar line is out of the question?

In many ways, it is like connecting Grand Central to Penn Station or DC Union Station to National Airport/Pentagon...as HUGE as those nodes are, nobody's quite cobbled together enough demand to justify connecting them directly.

So far in Boston specifically, no new mode quite makes sense. The Green and Orange lines from North Station serve "well-enough" the North Shore commuters' need to get to offices *near* South Station, (kind of the way that everybody in NYC can get to Times Square). And there arent' quite enough offices at North Station to elicit an outcry from South Station commuters for onward connection. For Boston Garden events, people do either the two-seat subway ride (Red to Green) or they walk from South Station to Orange or Green.

Personally I think that until they "do" the NS Rail Link (gabillion dollar tunnel requiring electric propulsion for the grades) the only mode with the right combination of low cost, dedicated ROW, and daily commuter demand alongside intercity demand would be an aerial/cable gondola from North Station to Aquarium (Financial District & Ferries) to South Station.

Stmtrolleyguy wrote: A north-south connector wouldn't help you if you got on a train at Lowell to work by JFK/Umass. You need to end up on the subway anyways, so its almost a moot point if you get on right at North Station, or got on somewhere else. The greenway bus would only help if you needed to get from North to South Stations (or anywhere along the greenway. (We agree that it sucks to walk in winter.) I'm usually NOT a fan of busses, but it would be the cheapest/easiest way to directly connect the two stations. It just seems like the easiest way to connect the two stations - without spending billions on a tunnel.

Perhaps you're unfamiliar with the plan (or don't know that JFK/UMass has a commuter stop. If the NSRL ever gets built, you WILL have a one-seat ride from Lowell to South Station, Back Bay and other points south - JFK/Umass would require one transfer which could conceivably be on the same platform as the train you're getting off). In a blue-sky case, by the time this ever MIGHT get built (with some hoped-for expansions to the existing rail system), you'd be able to take the train from one State Capital (Concord NH) through another (Boston) on to a third (Providence RI). The idea is not just to create a shuttle from North to South Station but to link the entire SYSTEMS the way they did in Philadelphia and Paris.

Does the #4 bus not run anymore?

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/ ... s/?route=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Because it directly connected North and South Stations.

One way, limited number of trips, at rush hour only.

The EGE wrote:One way, limited number of trips, at rush hour only.

And it's a city bus, which is fine for commuters but not so good for travelers with luggage. It does seem like there'd be a market for a minibus shuttle between BOS and BON though, booked through Amtrak, arranged by NNEPRA, and with a high enough margin to allow it to make money.

Anyone know what the ballpark charge is for
a cab between North and South Stations?

North Station-South Station is only about a mile so a cab would cost under $10. At rush hour in heavy traffic some waiting time charges might be added, however the Greenway usually isn't badly backed up.

North Station-Back Bay by Orange Line subway is $2.50 on a single-ride ticket, $2.00 on a Charlie Card.

Dick H wrote:Anyone know what the ballpark charge is for
a cab between North and South Stations?

$6

http://bpdnews.com/taxi-rates" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's 1.3 miles, so that's $2.60 for the base fare 1/7 mile, plus $3.30 for the additional 1.16 miles.

Stmtrolleyguy wrote:

gprimr1 wrote:It's a bit of a controversial issue as you can see.

I think your best bet is Back Bay-Orange Line-North Station.

I'll second that. No transfers on the subway, and its a one-seat ride. It shouldn't take too long, there's plenty of announcements for North Station.
Going back, I'd suggest South Station though. Its a great station to see, and a bit less utilitarian and underground then Back Bay.

As well as providing much better seat selection.

deathtopumpkins wrote:

Dick H wrote:Anyone know what the ballpark charge is for
a cab between North and South Stations?

$6
http://bpdnews.com/taxi-rates" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's 1.3 miles, so that's $2.60 for the base fare 1/7 mile, plus $3.30 for the additional 1.16 miles.

Or about $8 including tip using UberX (https://www.uber.com/cities/boston" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

It's possible to walk, with luggage, even when it's cold outside, and it's no big deal. What are you carrying, steamer trunks? Luggage has wheels. We've also invented the coat, which you're probably bringing to Boston if it's cold out. And yes, trains are crowded at rush hour, but I recently brought a large suitcase onto one at rush hour there. Not wonderful, but not a problem. Unless you're elderly or disabled, I don't know what's with all the whining.

There are many cities in America that have more than one train station in their central business district, Boston is not alone. Amtrak only services one of those stations everywhere else in the country and no one suggests or expects Amtrak to link them. The only city where Amtrak services two downtown train stations is Boston and we have this thread as proof that an Amtrak link is requested by some. I can see their point that some sort of service to link them - but I don't agree Amtrak or anyone else should build a subway to link them. Amtrak provides a thru bus service in many locales across the country to link LD trains that travel much further than a similar bus service would require in downtown Boston. So this type of service could be provided, although I'm not familiar, MBTA may already be providing this linking service.

But, looking at this issue from an entirely different viewpoint, is the Downeaster more akin to commuter rail service or regional rail service? Couldn't Maine contract with MBTA to provide the Downeaster service? If MBTA could and if MBTA did, or anyone else for that matter, Amtrak not providing a link service between these two downtown stations at all would be consistent everywhere!

So, from my perspective from deep in the heart of Texas, an Amtrak service between the two downtown Boston stations would be nice to have, but it is not a necessity. There are other options available to travelers besides an Amtrak provided one. I would like to see Amtrak provide daily train services between Dallas and Houston, but it's not the end of the universe if they never do.

A one track trolley shuttle between the stations fenced in on the Greenway could fit the bill it seems though there's no $ for it and various interests would no doubt frown on the idea.

electricron wrote:There are many cities in America that have more than one train station in their central business district, Boston is not alone. Amtrak only services one of those stations everywhere else in the country and no one suggests or expects Amtrak to link them. The only city where Amtrak services two downtown train stations is Boston and we have this thread as proof that an Amtrak link is requested by some. I can see their point that some sort of service to link them - but I don't agree Amtrak or anyone else should build a subway to link them. Amtrak provides a thru bus service in many locales across the country to link LD trains that travel much further than a similar bus service would require in downtown Boston. So this type of service could be provided, although I'm not familiar, MBTA may already be providing this linking service.

But, looking at this issue from an entirely different viewpoint, is the Downeaster more akin to commuter rail service or regional rail service? Couldn't Maine contract with MBTA to provide the Downeaster service? If MBTA could and if MBTA did, or anyone else for that matter, Amtrak not providing a link service between these two downtown stations at all would be consistent everywhere!

So, from my perspective from deep in the heart of Texas, an Amtrak service between the two downtown Boston stations would be nice to have, but it is not a necessity. There are other options available to travelers besides an Amtrak provided one. I would like to see Amtrak provide daily train services between Dallas and Houston, but it's not the end of the universe if they never do.

The one major city that comes to mind that did have separate stations serving Amtrak for a very long time was NYC and that was finally rectified with the addition of the tunnel for the Empire Connection.

Operationally there's a lot to be said for connecting the two Boston stations.
Economically, not so much, from Amtrak's POV that is. If the state, the city, or MBTA wants to, they can go right ahead.