Minuteman Corridor Transit Possibilities

[BandA]

Cog railway! Or BRT on an EL!

[Aerie]

That hill going through the rock cut between the retaining walls up to Park Ave is much too steep and narrow for any rail line.

That hill used to be a lot higher before they widened Route 2, and had a spectacular view of Boston. I was kind of sad when they lowered and widened the highway because the view wasn't as good.

When I was a little kid, streetcars were still running on Mass Ave in Cambridge and Arlington, with Type 4 or 5 cars running from the North Cambridge carbarn, and PCC's running from Arlington Heights. I used to live near Powder House Square in Somerville, and we'd take what is now the 96 bus, which at that point ran from Medford Square to a dirt lot turnaround on Mass Ave near Saint John's Church. We'd get off the bus and cross over to the streetcar platform in the middle of Mass Ave. I was only 5 at the time, and I couldn't understand why the "nice" PCC streetcars passed us by, and only the rickety old Type 4/5 cars would stop for us! Arlington Center used to be quite busy with multiple streetcar tracks in the middle of Mass Ave, the B&M trains crossing several times a day, and I think the Route 80 bus from Lechmere was a trackless trolley at that point. So there were a lot of wires and a lot of track. I remember that when a B&M train had to cross Mass Ave to get to the Arlington station, a trainman would climb down from the train and activate a switch that would turn all the traffic lights red on Mass Ave and all the adjoining streets. Very colorful!

[NRGeep]

If Green Line ever comes to Alewife, may as well have it use the old Watertown branch, now in the process of becoming a bike trail.

[BandA]

Much of the Watertown branch ROW has been sold off. It was mostly intact into the 1990s. Last I read a few years ago they were attempting to cobble together a bike path connecting the Minuteman to the Dr. Paul Dudley White path (Charles River). I think some of the substitute segments in Watertown were substandard & unsafe.

[rethcir]

Here's what's going on with the Watertown-Cambridge trail:

https://www.mass.gov/news/pedestrian-an ... n-greenway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Project ... gegreenway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once you hit Arsenal Street, there's a semi-protected bike lane there, and then obviously development has encroached as you get to Watertown Square and west of there. If we're dreaming, I'd put light rail on the bike trail ROW with surface stops at Star Market, Arlington/Nichols, Watertown Mall/The Arsenal, and then tunnel into Watertown Square. Watertown is quite dense, especially along that corridor where the new stick-build "luxury" apartments are multiplying like bunnies.

[jonnhrr]

"Luxury townhouses" - luxury means it has heat and indoor plumbing

I agree that Burlington / Bedford are transit black holes. My office is in Bedford but fortunately I get to telecommute, but occasionally have to show up in person if only to remind them I still exist. Traffic is always horrendous and you have numerous businesses such as on Network Drive and Crosby Drive, with the only public transit the 350 and 351 bus to Alewife, the latter only running a few times a day and often subject to 20-30 minutes delays due to traffic. The area needs something better but it is hard to imagine how given that there are no good rights of way available.

[djlong]

I work at Hanscom AFB and live in NH. Going up US-3, there is now stop and go traffic northbound at *2:45 PM* at exit 26! The US-3 widening project is a PERFECT demonstration case of "induced demand".