Red-Blue Connector

MBTA3247 wrote:

Bramdeisroberts wrote:Though if you're not swallowing the D, then I'd build it down Brookline Ave to Longwood, with a simple stub station at Brookline Ave and Longwood Ave.

I would offer an alternative routing beyond Kenmore: extend the subway part or all of the way under the former A line, to further relieve pressure on the B and 57 bus.

Why not both? When I was plotting my BLX idea out, Watertown Center via Beacon Yards/West Station, HBS/North Harvard St & Western Ave, the new Arsenal redevelopment, and Arsenal St seemed like another logical extension that would probably be 2/3 cut+cover, 1/3 deep bore. Unlimited money allowing, of course...

That said, if there is any T line that lends itself to deep boring, the Blue Line, with its comparatively tiny loading gauge, would be it, speak nothing of its ability to handle tight turns better even than an IRT trainset can. Thinking of it as a potential "T-Tube" is something that doesn't get done nearly enough, imho.

I don't know if http://www.eot.state.ma.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is just temporarily down or if the entire site has been moved to somewhere under http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In case it helps, one of the few docs I could pull up via Google has detailed diagrams:

http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/bitstream/handle/2452/69131/ocn689058267-ExecutiveSummary.pdf#page=22

They took the site down, about a year or so ago. (If they moved it, they did a good job at hiding it as I have never found it.)

I had the foresight to print out all the planning documents from their site. They are held at the library I work for. https://tinyurl.com/ycxmvhm7

If you want to see them, message me and I put them aside for you.

Web Archive has the old MassDOT page snapshotted with all project documents preserved: https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104 ... uments.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Red-Blue came up in today's FCMB meeting: https://mbta.com/events/1156" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

The state rep for Eastie plugs Red-Blue hard in the livestream video during the public comment period (go to -3:30 on the video, i.e. about 18 minutes in).

By my calculation, it is less than 210 feet from DTX (OL northbound) to State (OL southbound) station. That's not a very long walking tunnel. Still, the total distance one would need to walk would be over 1/3 mile (1800 feet).

And here we go again...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/ ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suspect it is coming up on the radar again because Boston is still in the running for Amazon HQ2, however, perhaps it was simply because of the Suffolk Downs redevelopment (regardless of Amazon prospects). If Amazon selects Boston, Suffolk Downs would likely be their location of choice. Either way, there's big plans and plenty of ridership coming to the Blue Line soon.

That's what the article says. It's about Amazon. If that's what gets it built, than great. I would rather hear them say they were building it for us, the non-Amazon workers.
This is a connection long overdue.

I know I've said it before, but since I can't find it... It's not a single-seat ride as the width & platform height differ. You have to go between an elevated station and a below-ground station, so it's at least three levels. I'm not that sympathetic to needing to make two transfers vs one transfer where the stations are so close together & the headways are short. There are so many other projects that I *think* would be better bang for the buck.

You may not be sympathetic BandA, but I am because it will improve the flow of every subway line. I think that this will be the biggest bang for the buck right behind new subway cars.

Could it be....

The state is going to study the Red-Blue Connector again. Could this be the time it actually moves forward?

Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/ ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Boston Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news ... -blue.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I’d imagine that the journey from the Charles MGH red platform down to blue level underground would be less of a vertical drop than the Porter escalator.

The Red Line is bursting at the seams, the T needs to do whatever it can to relieve pressure there.

Also, this makes the Kendall commute much easier for people on the north shore. Some of the last affordable housing inside 128. The region would do well to find a way to distribute more tech employees, etc to live there.

Especially if they ever extend the Blue Line to Lynn, opens up a ton of possibilities for Lynn and the million bus connections there. I wonder how many people in that area already are commuting to MGH

Everybody is so concerned about the North Shore commuters getting to Kendall, but they are openly hostile to Framingham/Worcester commuters getting to Kendall. Interesting.