Silver Lie

[apodino]

Upon searching the web, I found a transcript from a membership meeting of Move Massachusetts where two T officials were "answering" questions about the Silver Line. This organization fired some tough questions toward the T officials. In typical T fashion, they gave us nothing but spin. Here are some highlights from this conference.

The T admits at one point in this press conference that Light Rail would be cheaper than BRT. Yet they give overcrowding on the Green Line as the reason it wouldn't work. (Memo to T. Have one branch terminate at Park St. and you still have the same headways between Park St. and Lechmere, since the Inner track used by these trains wouldn't be accessible to any train coming from Dudley.)

The T says that they don't want vistors to have to transfer from South Boston. Of course, they still would, because I don't think many visitiors are going to Washington St., instead they would be going to the Back Bay area hotels, accessed better by changing to the green line and this is true no matter what.

They say that the turnback loop at Boylston is very important, since they want the option to be able to only run buses as far as boylston. So much for the one seat ride to southie.

Here is the site to go to. It is a very interesting press conference, and it seems like the T feels that capacity on the green line is limited, but I think if they look at it properly, it doesn't have to be.

http://www.car-free.com/meetings/movema ... 0304.shtml

[Charliemta]

I would like to see the T do an unbiased engineering study, with headway data, location of car stops in Park St., etc, to show exactly how adding a Silver Line light rail line to Park Street would impact Green line operations.

The tunnel expands from 2 tracks to 4 tracks at Boylston Sta., where a Silver line light rail line would enter the Green line. To me, this doubling of track capacity should handle the additional cars created by Silver Line light rail.

[vanshnookenraggen]

This is just gonna be another one of those things that we are gonna have to fight for years. Good thing Phase 3 has a "not recomended" stamp from the Federal Govt.

[CS]

Yes, and that should begin to boil soon when phase II is completed. What will happen to phase III? Nothing! It's stupid and a waste. If people speak out enough the only alternate will be a Silver Line light rail to Boylston and beyond.

And that's why it still ain't done!

[Arlington]

So when exactly will what part of Phase II open? I seem to recall that they were going to open it in june 2004 (i.e. this month) but that they didn't have enough fossil/electric buses to get to the Airport, meaning the schedule would go something like:

June 2004 Trolley bus service from South Sta to World Trade Center

October 2004 Fossil/electric bus service South Sta to Airport or Conv Center or Black Falcon

Anyone know?

[jwhite07]

Lat I knew it had slipped to December 2004.

[apodino]

South Station is certainly no where near ready for it. And the T has put the contract out for bid, then had to rebid it again for some reason. But the catenary is up over in the World Trade Center area.