9-25-2008 - Ever conscious of fashion and design, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has moved to a distressed finish on the D route of their Green Line trolley system to give their brand new, state-of-the-art light rail vehicles the classic urban rust bucket look. In addition to a fashionable appearance, the MBTA has also modified the doors so that they occacsionally fail to close properly, creating delays that shield the ridership from the potential shock of actually arriving at a destination on time when taking the T.

It is this kind of thoughtful dedication to ridership experience that so differentiates the MBTA from other service agencies, such as FEMA or the IRS.

9-19-2008 - Boston, MA. - Back Bay Station, designed, built, owned and operated by the famous Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is truly one of the wonders of the modern world, comparable to the famous sewers of Paris. The filthy platforms of this dark hole in the ground extend for perhaps a quarter mile beside the equally subterranean Mass. Turnpike. Exhaust from the Pike competes with fumes from the ancient diesel trains to form a continual haze that coats every surface, including the lungs of commuters and Amtrak passengers, with a toxic film. Since the non-smoking regulations go unenforced, one would have to travel perhaps as far as Beijing to find a more poisonous, yet breathable atmosphere. Escalators and elevators descend from the lobby to this small version of hell, that is, if they are working that day.

This hole is also a valuable space for urban wildlife. The platforms provide an important venue for the courtship of pigeons. If you're lucky, you might spot the occasional rat foraging along the tracks for edibles cast down by the damned - I mean, by the commuters.

Panhandling is a popular activity, the common theme of which is, "Can you help me out with fare to Worcester?" They might want it for train fare, or they might want it for 'hair of the dog'. But it doesn't really matter, does it?

Since the trains often run 10 to 30 minutes late, commuters often have an extended opportunity to enjoy this magical ambience. Sometimes commuters occupy this time by reading, feeding the rats and pigeons, or (rarely) conversing, but usually they sit silently and motionlessly slumped on those super-comfortable wooden benches like prisoners awaiting their fates. The place definitely puts a damper on social interaction.

The ceiling of the platform area is a marvelous mish-mosh of abandoned attempts at lighting, electrical conduits both current and obsolete, broken electronic signage, and rotting duct work (see right). It is comforting to know that the MBTA cares enough to put up a couple of two-by-three trash grade pine studs to protect commuters from falling metal. Since the platform is unheated, one can assume that these ducts were intended to ventilate the place. Looking at this picture and the picture above, it is easy to judge the probable effectiveness of this ventilation system.

Note the grimy appearance of every part of the ceiling, the effect of decades of exposure to diesel fumes and particulates. One can imagine the effect of these substances on human lungs.

So if you are planning to visit Boston, do come by train, and plan to arrive at Back Bay Station. It's beauty is awe-inspiring.

8-19-2008 Beyond all belief, the summer is almost complete but the Brookline Village MBTA station renovaton is NOT. Not even close. At left you can see the eventual result. If one person is waiting for the train on the platform, another person has barely enough room to pass between them and the yellow safety line on one side or the abundant advertising signage on the other. I hesitate to think what will happen when there is a person in a wheelchair or other mobility device on the platform. Apparently advertising revenue is more important to the MBTA than rider safety and comfort. This makes sense, since the MBTA has effectively doubled the fare on the D line while cutting service. They are trying to squeeze every penny they can out of the riders and the communities in which they live.

Alhough the platform has been replaced with one that could accomodate pesons with disabilities, there are still no Breda cars on the D line to accomodate persons with disabilities, therefore the renovation has done little but inconvenience the public and support whoever's brother-in-law is doing the renovation.

The only possible reason I can think of for implementing the Charlie Card before increasing accessibility for disabled persons is money: somebody's brother-in-law needed to make a fast buck.

Accessibility for persons using a wheelchair continues to be provided by the Adaptive Engineering unit shown at right. This unit is operated by the train conductor. It is fully mechanical. The conductor unlocks and wheels the unit into position next to the train car, then lowers a ramp on the unit so that the wheelchair can board. The conductor then turns a crank to raise the wheelchair to the level of the train car. After the person in the wheelchair boards the train, the conductor must lower, close, park, and secure the device. This process takes 10-20 minutes.

One objective of the construction project is accessiblity. The device to right was usable on the old platform, therefore as of this date said accessibility has not been accomplished. Since the platform has been raised and the edge squared, the plan is perhaps to use the new Breda cars to achieve accessibility, however I have never seen a Breda car on the D line. The MBTA routinely runs Breda cars on the E line, where half the stops are not handicapped accessible anyway.