Ayer Station

Surprised no one has reported or commented on the breaking developments
at Ayer station last night. Seems the landowner next to the station has or is
going to fence off his property, thereby blocking past access to the station. This
happened around 430PM Friday. Passengers were forced to walk up to Ayer Tower
or down the other way. Apparently there was an 18-wheeler loaded with fencing
blocking access from the lot.

Monday morning could be interesting. No service this weekend, so maybe there's
time to come to a compromise.

D

Wow - I had not heard of this in the news. Please keep us updated as you're able.

Isn't crossing by either the Ayer tower or across the wye technically trespassing on PAR property? There are signs by the tower (but not the other way, unless they put some up in the past few months). I know they don't enforce it, but they could. I didn't think he could block the access from the platform itself out to the road, around towards the Mobil station, in any event - I thought he only owned from the driveway alongside Carlin's east towards the bridge? If he does cut off the walkway from any form of access, then technically there is NO way to the platform that isn't illegal, from the look of it.

I haven't been to Ayer for a few years, but I did manage B & M property records, 1973-85. The MBTA owns the entire railroad property from Boston to the start of the Vermont & Massachusetts at Fitchburg. As far as access out of the Ayer station. If any of the land in question that is blocked off was sold by the B & M during the big property sell off in the 1960s, the B & M usually reserved easements for it and its passengers across the sold property. However, the B & M never got too pushy about easements that were closed off as it was trying to exit the passenger business and did not care. The MBTA doesnt't always seem to have the will to push for access to its own property as the situation at Kendal Green demonstrates (parking area next to former station building).

Don't have any updates on the situation. Nothing in the local papers either.

D

Stopped by yesterday afternoon and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes they set up farmers markets and flea markets in the parking lot on weekends and maybe they were staging fencing for that, and it happened to block the station access?

Maybe a compromise was reached. I do know the situation was broadcast to outbound
trains already moving during Friday's PM rush hour. Everybody else was advised by
phone when they called for messages.

D

This was posted to the GRS Yahoo Groups List this morning:

Yup. I'm here in ayer as of 11:18am and the fence is still here. The fence now separates the entire parking lot from the tracks. The only way to access the station is to cut around the fence at the Mobil next to Moore's. Don't know if that is considered trespassing or not but there is no "no trespassing" to be seen.

Monday morning should be interesting

D

The no trespassing sign was placed by the tower at the wood walkway. The walkway was for train crews to get to the wye when the tower was in use. The sign was to discourage use of the walkway. The bigger issue is the terrain. There is not a even walking surface from the tower to the platform.

It was not up yesterday at least to the extent that it is today. It looks temporary though.

I stopped on my way home, there is certainly a fence cauing an issue. Thee path in is right between the lot and the mobil station. There is no good way rough. I attached an annotated map with the arrow showing he way in.

No way many one can avoid going right next to the tower. However, it looks temporary (doesn't even have an offal MBTA sign or logo), maybe they are doug major construction in the lot, or this is a warning shot since it seems small town politics is a sport out here.

There was (is?) a proposal to build a new MBTA station out near the entrance
to Devens between Ayer and Shirley and close both the current Ayer and Shirley
stations. There was opposition in Ayer. Not sure about Shirley's stance. This
could be some political games, as previously mentioned.

This probably isn't politics to get the new station; the owner of the parking area adjacent to the station has long been complaining of commuters and pick-ups parking in his parking lot taking spaces from his customers. I suspect that, unless he's doing construction starting Monday, this is a "message".

This all stems back to $$$$$. The owner feels that he does not have to allow RR pax access since the MBTA is not paying him. He has been upset with the MBTA since they stopped paying for use of the parking near the tower.

This is NOT his first attempt at something like this. He had in the past chained off his lot, until the town threatened they would come by and cut the chains down. I fully expect you know what to hit the fan in Ayer tomorrow morning. If anyone wants a fireworks show, it should be fun. I can guarantee the town will have something to say about this.

Dick H wrote:There was (is?) a proposal to build a new MBTA station out near the entrance
to Devens between Ayer and Shirley and close both the current Ayer and Shirley
stations. There was opposition in Ayer. Not sure about Shirley's stance. This
could be some political games, as previously mentioned.

Makes sense. Take away the station from two places where the most people are within walking distance and plop somewhere that you are forced to drive to, instead. Behold, "progress"!