From the Globe today...
Expected to cost more than $1 billion, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s latest spending spree is aimed at boosting Green Line capacity by up to 100 percent, in part by buying a new fleet of as many as 200-plus trolleys that will be much longer than the current cars — about 113 feet, compared to 74.
I believe this project is what came up here on Village 14 in the comments section on a post in October 2019, shortly after the MBTA did a presentation at the Newton Library on their master plan. https://village14.com/2019/10/21/globe-publishes-guide-to-newtons-city-council-election/#comment-104830
Important to note that the major increase in capacity described in the headline of today’s post would not happen overnight, it would be a long-term phase-in, but that there would be immediate (ie within 5 years, not decades) smaller increases as a result of purchasing those longer units (which aren’t custom built, as they’re already in use in Toronto). In the previous discussion there was some reasonable doubt about anyone ever living to see the long-term capacity changes but the off-the-rack longer vehicles from Toronto is something we can see in a shorter timeframe, as various improvements to tracks and platforms are made.
Great news, now for the city councilors to announce PRIORITY for 10 story+ high density affordable housing next the Waban and Newton centre T.
Affordable housing and parking meters in Waban.
Yea! Tear everything down and build our very own Brooklyn right here!
An effective fix for the Green Line would be signal prioritization (trolleys before cars at grade crossings) for the B, C, and E branches.
Los Angeles is finally doing that for its Expo line from Santa Monica to downtown, which I can attest is almost (though not quite) as excruciating as the 5-mph C-branch milkrun between Cleveland Circle and St. Mary’s Street.
https://la.curbed.com/2019/10/14/20914489/expo-line-slow-signal-prioritization