Silver Line Thread/Tracker

[vanshnookenraggen]

No, the Silver Line isn't a flop. Look at all the development that is going on around it now. Once all the routes are open more people will ride it and there will be more development in the Waterfront, which was the whole point.

[iandavid]

ALSO, did anyone else notice that there are 4 sets of TT wires at Courthouse?

I did notice that. My guess is it's so OOS buses can breeze through the station without taunting passengers. Although it's odd to me that they would opt to do something like this instead of putting in a fence between the lanes of travel. It seems like a much better idea than having a bunch of sandwich boards that say "DO NOT CROSS", especially since they block the buses from using the center portion of the lane.

The coolest thing for me was the tunnel section between South Station and Courthouse. At one point I noticed that the tunnel became round instead of square, which is where it goes under Fort Point Channel. It was neat to ride through that after watching all the Big Dig documentaries about how those tunnel sections were built.

Courthouse station is a little depressing, in that it exemplifies the fact that so much money (time, effort, etc) was put into a subway line that isn't really a subway.

[CS]

600 Million dollars, large stations and 10 minuite headways for one passenger per bus - that's not a flop?
When someone tells me they were on one bus with more then ten passengers, then I would be wrong but COME ON! Money is being lost at this moment!

[iandavid]

Before we start complaining about how much money this project is losing due to empty seats, we should consider that (a) service began on a weekend in an area where there is very little residential traffic, and (b) service is set to expand into a residential neighborhood in the coming weeks, and then to the AIRPORT (a fairly popular commuter destination) in the months following.

Give the thing at least a month or two to start gaining ridership.

[vanshnookenraggen]

Before we start complaining about how much money this project is losing due to empty seats, we should consider that (a) service began on a weekend in an area where there is very little residential traffic, and (b) service is set to expand into a residential neighborhood in the coming weeks, and then to the AIRPORT (a fairly popular commuter destination) in the months following.

Give the thing at least a month or two to start gaining ridership.

Thank you! Also the whole idea is to alow for TOD. Have you ever seen pictures of the elevated lines in New York and Brooklyn? Some of the areas had dirt roads! It is all about building for the future!

[FatNoah]

I rode Phase II to work today and the bus I was on had all of the seats full and a few standees.

Here are my observations:
o The T has lovely signs telling you that there are no inbound buses @ South Station, but none actually labeling the inbound side as such. Quite a few people came up from the red line and went down to the inbound side, only to be informed by the construction crew that they had to go to the other side.

o I just may not have found it yet, but it would be nice of there was direct access from the outbound red line platform to the outbound Silver Line platform.

o The trip was fairly quick, even though the bus speed was slow. Clearly an LRV could go faster than 15mph (posted limit) in the tunnel.

Other than that, it beat the heck out of walking from downtown to the World Trade Center...especially with today's weather!

[FatNoah]

I just may not have found it yet, but it would be nice of there was direct access from the outbound red line platform to the outbound Silver Line platform.

Apparently I just needed to use my eyes a little better. It's further toward the front of the train.

[helium]

I find it funny that the silver lie is called a bus if you get on at downtown crossing, but a subway if you get on in south station.
so if i try to board tonight on silverline way, can i use my subway pass? after all, it is above ground at that point.

[vanshnookenraggen]

Yes, the Silver Line at the Waterfront is $1.25.

[FatNoah]

The farebox in the Silver Line II bus I rode this morning had a sticker with bus fare information on it. I wonder if it would be possible to ride for 90 cents?

[WonderlandMan]

I have yet to ride on the Silver Line . . i plan to do so soon, just to check it out . .

[efin98]

The farebox in the Silver Line II bus I rode this morning had a sticker with bus fare information on it. I wonder if it would be possible to ride for 90 cents?

Are you sure it was one of the new dualmodes and not one of the temporary trackless trolleys? What number was it?
4100s are the temporary trackless trolleys on loan from North Cambridge, 1100s are the dualmodes.

[Ron Newman]

If this serves only a non-residential area, is there any reason to run it on Saturday or Sunday nights, or any night at all after about 10 pm?

[efin98]

If this serves only a non-residential area, is there any reason to run it on Saturday or Sunday nights, or any night at all after about 10 pm?

Events at the World Trade Center and the new Convention Center pretty much call for the service during those times, not to mention the concerts on Fan Pier(?) during the summer and don't let out until late on those nights.

And that doesn't even include arriving and departing late from the airport, which come and go all night long...

[FatNoah]

The bus with the 90 cent fare sticker was one of the temporary TTs.