Silver Line Thread/Tracker

[FatNoah]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_r ... annou.html

Deal reached on bus tunnel....[/url]

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_r ... annou.html

Deal reached on bus tunnel....[/url]

Not with the Feds, it hasn't. Still hasn't been funded yet.

[fm535]

Does this mean, the buses they use along the completed route are going to have their poles pulled twice in their trips? It is supposed to be a single-seat ride, so that means one set of buses, and CNG can't go into the TWT, and I doubt highly they are going to string 13kv along Washington Street! Too many 'adjustments' to get from one terminus to the other!

[octr202]

Does this mean, the buses they use along the completed route are going to have their poles pulled twice in their trips? It is supposed to be a single-seat ride, so that means one set of buses, and CNG can't go into the TWT, and I doubt highly they are going to string 13kv along Washington Street! Too many 'adjustments' to get from one terminus to the other!

My guess is it means the end of CNG on the Silver Line when its all said and done.

CNG can go in the TWT, its the Silver Line tunnels that can't have it. Electric overhead and CNG are a no-no. Natural gas is lighter than air, so it rises, and if a tank is leaking, it will collect at the top of the tunnel. A spark from a trolley pole could then ignite a pocket of gas. That's why CNGs are banned in the Harvard tunnel.

I thought that at Silver Line way, the buses were supposed to automatically raise and lower their poles. The Neo's are capable of automatic retraction, and I thought that the baffles over the wires at the change point were for automatic pole raising. Apparently not though, as the drivers stop and get out to do this both ways. But then, this is bus rapid transit without the rapid part.

[danib62]

Anyone see this article in the globe today: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articl ... ps+columns ? Now if this isn't an overly sunny view on the phase I silverline I don't know what is. Traffic light pre-emption? yeah right!

[gus]

octr2002, the last few times I have ridden the silver line to the airport, the raising and lowering was done without the driver stepping outside.

[octr202]

octr2002, the last few times I have ridden the silver line to the airport, the raising and lowering was done without the driver stepping outside.

that's good. the last time I was on it (about a week ago) there was a lengthy pause inbound while the driver raised the poles outside. Outbound, I took the Blue Line (where the operator did not have to go outside to raise the pans ).

[helium]

Any idea when the SL wasterfront buses will get the new fare boxes?
I get on on at Oak Grove, but need to leave the city via the SL.
I don't ride enough to justify a monthly pass, so I'd like to start stored value asap.

[octr202]

I don't think any of the buses will be seeing them for a while (current installation on the Wash. St. Silver Line excepted).

[danib62]

The Silver Line Waterfront buses are *scheduled* to get the AFC in July, according to the MBTA.

As for the automatic raising/lowering, aside from the first few weeks of service, I have yet to see them utilize this function. I believe they were having too many problems with it. Typically now, the driver will stop and an inspector/uniformed person stationed at Silver Line Way walks over and does the poles for the driver. Rarely does the driver have to get out and do it.

I have always wondered why the buses were not designed to remain on when changing from fuel to wire. Outbound they do, but inbound the driver must shut off the bus, losing all power and displays, and then start again when the poles are attached. Many times this leads to confusion among passengers, wondering if it is the "Last Stop" or generally what is going on.

I also still dislike the naming of that stop as "Silver Line Way", it is weird, nondescriptive and confusing for some to have a stop essentially named after the service. I thought it was going to be named after the MetLife building, or something else nearby?

Mike

I took the silver line just last week from the airport and they raise and lower the polls automaticly. No person outside needed. They have a line on the pavment that they pull up to so they know they are in the right spot.

[jwhite07]

I took the silver line just last week from the airport and they raise and lower the polls automaticly. No person outside needed.

Some of the DMAs have been retrofitted with rope cleats on the rear near the retrievers. It was my understanding that the trolley ropes must be tied down to these cleats because the retriever will not prevent the trolley poles from raising far enough to strike very low clearance structures (like the parking garages above the roadway at Logan terminals) if the pole were to somehow bounce out of its securing hook. I imagine the procedure was put in place under the pain of experience!

Although it's been a month or so since I've been to Silver Line Way, last time I was there I did see on-ground personnel at Silver Line Way manually tying down the poles on outbound buses and unsecuring them on inbound buses. Perhaps there has been some sort of modification done in the meantime to render this practice unnecessary?

[sabourinj]

So I was on a very old looking silver line bus Wednesday afternoon toward Downtown. It was #6012 I recall, a standard length non-articulating one. It was CNG though and had a very pleastant female voice on the PA system that was much more realistic than the ones on the normal busses. The screen also flipped back and forth between the date and the next stop, unlike the normal ones that do all kinds of crazy things.

The bus did have the new AFC farebox.

JS

[sery2831]

There are still 3 non artic silver buses in service. From the NETransit site:
6012, 6013, and 6015 for evening Silver Line Washington St. service

[sabourinj]

Union Park outbound station relocated.

So without any warning (short of a hand written sign duct taped under the LED sign at the old station) the MBTA has moved this station a block or so farther down Washington Street. I was quite suprised when the driver wouldn't let me off today, although she pleasantly explained that the stop was moved.

Question is why a hand written sign and no flyers on the bus, no announcements on the LED signs before it happened (since static messages are all that seem to work on them anyways).

JS

[sabourinj]

Quite bizarre... Have they installed a new stop, or do they plan on moving all of the equipment (shelter, signs, etc.) from the old to the new?

The handwritten sign is just priceless, classic MBTA! lol

Mike

They moved the overhead "shelter" but nothing else. So there is currently a stop with seats that they won't let you off at, and a stop further down with a roped off shelter that you can't wait under.

There is a printed sign there now on a self standing board, but there was someone sitting right next to it waiting for the bus

Maybe this time they'll put the police call box near the shelter instead of in the middle of nowhere?

JS