Green Line in the South End?

by Redfin Blogger | 13 Comments

mbta_future6.jpg

We recently touched on how the lack of decent mass transit hurt the South End. Boston’s mass transit needs to expand, and this guy created a fantasy subway plan that benefits the South End. Seven Green Line stops between New England Medical Center and Dudley Square is genius!

I’d like to see it follow Washington Street, turning south at Columbia Square, to the Boston Medical Center. Then it could head out to South Bay before turning west to Dudley Square.

My plan is not the most direct route, but it connects Boston Medical Center to New England Medical Center. It also hits a bunch of big employment centers in South Bay- not just retail, but also the light industry in the area.

Does anyone have suggestions for other South End or Boston train lines? Where else could we put stations to benefit the city and the neighborhood?

Mass transit could be a great help to the South End and South Bay, but after the Big Dig, the city probably isn’t ready for more big-digging.

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  • http://www.newenglandmoves.com/Avi.Rome.home Avi Rome

    Great find Alyk, thank you.

    Maybe it’s the native NYCer in me, but am I the only one who finds buses an acceptable (for many, preferable) form of mass transit? Both the #43 bus down Tremont Street as well as the Washington Street Silver Line offer more choices than anything in the Back Bay where quite a few residents of Beacon and Marlborough Streets as well as Commonwealth Avenue all have to walk to three Boylston St green line choices.

  • Lisa

    good find alyk! don’t spend much time down the South End, but it would be good for the millions of people who do to have a better way to get around.

    thanks again for the info.

  • http://curiositykilledthe.com/ Brookie

    I’m so jealous of cities with smart public transport. Connecting the 2 medical buildings is a smart move.

  • Brian

    This is a fantastic suggestion.

  • http://boston.redfin.com/blog/author/cosmo.catalano cosmo.catalano

    Avi, the major disadvantage to buses is that they get stuck in traffic.

    Back Bay residents do have to walk a block or two to the Green Line, but whether it’s late at night or the peak of rush hour, it’s still 10 minutes from Hynes to Park Street.

    While it’s true you can hop on the #43 from your doorstep, things get awfully slow during the commute, especially when the bus is full, because riders need to get on and off the bus every 1/10th of a mile.

    There are some other great fantasy T resources at http://www.radicalcartography.net/?bostonfuture. While I think the South End is one of the neighborhoods *least* in need of better transit (compare to non-Davis Somerville or most of Dorchester) the T isn’t going to be able to build much of anything until it gets itself out of debt.

  • jill

    I’d have to agree with both Alyk and Cosmo here. The South End could use a revamped T line and the Dot needs it pretty bad too. And in case anyone cares,as an orange line gal,I hate the green line more than life. It’s hard to explain.

  • http://boston.redfin.com/blog/2008/02/south_end_price_reductions_under_half_a_mil.html alyk

    Thanks, everyone, for responding. Avi, I don’t care for the Green Line much because it’s so unreliable, but I prefer it to the Silver Line.

    In my fantasy where South End gets better train coverage, we don’t get stuck with Green Line trolleys; we get an honest-to-God, rapid-transit, subway line running twenty-four hours each day.

  • http://secretlyironic.com Verbal

    Well, while we’re having fantasies:

    The CT-series crosstown express buses, originally designed as part of the “Indigo Line” urban ring line could get dedicated lanes (Rapid Bus Transit) … or while I’m wishing, could become an actual subway line.

    The green line should be put entirely underground and run on real trains instead of trolleys. Or bus rapid transit in dedicated tunnels. That’d be nice.

    The A line should return… underground. The E line should be re-lengthened.

    The Silver Line buses should go faster in the tunnels – 6MPH is a joke. Their aboveground portions should get better dedicated lanes.

    The green line should go to Union Square in Somerville, as was promised some thirty years ago.

    All the T train lines should go out another ten or twenty miles: Red line to Waltham, for example. The stations that draw commuters (Alewife, for example) need more parking.

    Schedules should be accurate and realistic.

    GPS systems in the buses should be used to prevent bunching.

    All stations should be handicapped-accessible.

    How about a deal with the union that rewards performance instead of seniority and patronage? A decent funding system that’s related to things like “how much the T actually needs?”

    • Guest

      the green line ALWAYS WILL be a trolley line, future MBTA exec and HUGH trolley fan

    • Guest

      yeah handicapped-accessible.

  • http://boston.redfin.com/blog/2008/02/history_lesson_columbia_park.html alyk

    Verbal, I concur! Let’s have a world-class subway system in Boston. Did you follow the second link in the post, to the maps? It has some great options… I would support a massive expansion of Boston rail service.

  • Avi Rome

    Cosmo,

    Good points on the buses, thanks. I’ve been stuck a few times in some traffic or multiple stops but I guess I always feel it’s balanced out in the walking time to or from a subway stop.

  • Guest

    good plan, it's like mine, future MBTA exec and HUGH trolley fan