Please join Senator Brownsberger and other elected officials on Thursday, October 23, 6:00-8:00 PM at the Boston Public Library for a presentation by MBTA personnel on a proposed project to consolidate four Green Line stops along Commonwealth Avenue. Below is the full press release for this public meeting, please feel free to share it and the included flyer. Your comments on the project are welcome and encouraged on this website. Contact Andrew Bettinelli Legislative Aide in our office for further information at 617-722-1280 or Andrew.bettinelli@masenate.gov.
UPDATE 10/23/14: Here is the MBTA’s Green Line Stations Improvements PowerPoint delivered at the public meeting.
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For Immediate Release: October 16, 2014
CONTACT: Andrew Bettinelli, Legislative Aide,
Office of State Senator Will Brownsberger
617-722-1280, andrew.bettinelli@masenate.govCommonwealth Avenue Green Line Improvements Public Meeting
A consolidation of Green Line Stops is being proposed to enhance service
BOSTON (Thursday, October 16, 2014) — A public meeting outlining a proposal to consolidate four Green Line stops along Commonwealth Avenue will be held on Thursday, October 23 at 6:00 PM at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Commonwealth Salon meeting room.
The proposed project would consolidate the BU West, St. Paul, Babcock, and Pleasant stops into two fully accessible stations that will help reduce travel times and improve safety. The proposed new B Line stops would better serve the Boston University and Commonwealth Avenue community as well as all MBTA customers in this very congested corridor.
A presentation from MBTA personnel will cover: the history of the project; options analysis; cost and funding; the 30% design effort; the eventual construction project; what constitutes code compliance; the locations of the proposed new stops; elimination of the existing stops; improved headways; enhanced customer service; and safety upgrades and accessibility. A panel of MBTA personnel will answer questions from the public.
Elected officials co-hosting the meeting are: State Senators Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton); Representatives Kevin Honan (D-Brighton), Michael Moran (D-Brighton), and Frank Smizik (D-Brookline); and Boston City Councilor Mark Ciommo (District 9).
“I am grateful for the attention MBTA top management is giving to improving the Green Line,” said Senator Brownsberger.
For further information contact Andrew Bettinelli, Legislative Aide in Senator Brownsberger’s office, at 617-722-1280 or andrew.bettinelli@masenate.gov. Visit willbrownsberger.com for a meeting flyer.
The meeting space is accessible to people with disabilities.
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This absolutely needs to happen. I’m not even sure there’s enough consolidation, there’s a stop before Harvard Ave that could go too. I live near the Chiswick Rd Stop and there’s so much wasted time on the BU campus. All those stops need to go. There really should be packards, bu central and blandford. BU provides their OWN bus for the students if they need to get elsewhere.
Many local residents, like me, rely on the B line. More needs to be taken into consideration that just how well B.U. is served.
I agree. Boston University students/faculty are not the only or most important riders on the B line. I have been riding the B line since 2001. Many Allston-Brighton residents need to use it every day, most of whom travel from Packard’s Corner or points west to Kenmore or beyond. In addition to consolidating BU West – Babcock Street, Blanford – BU Central should also be consolidated. Several years ago, when the new BU East & Central platforms were under construction, a midway stop was utilized. This was great, and should have stayed that way, regardless of the money BU was obviously paying toward the attractive new platforms. There is no need for BU, which has their own bus service as mentioned above, to have 4 stops (Blanford – BU West) on the green line, plus numerous stops on the 57 bus.
Are you talking about Fordham Road, between Packard’s and Harvard? Because that stop closed 9 years ago.
I believe they are referring to Griggs St/ Long Ave to the West of Harvard.
I’m a lifelong user of the B Line and also a car and bicycle user on Comm. Ave. The consolidation may or may not be a good idea-without more details it’s hard to say, BUT, the loading and unloading of the streetcars is an accident waiting to happen. Especially, when people disembark and their momentum naturally wants to carry them into Comm. Ave traffic that I have seen reach 50 MPH and which easily averages 30 MPH. There needs to be some kind of buffer to prevent tragedy.
Yes. The new consolidated stops will be considerably safer. It will be an improved design.
BU has their own bus service and the 57 bus, not to mention these stops are literally a block away from each other, so the BU kids can walk anyways. Exercise is a great thing, especially when we’re facing an obesity epidemic in America!
It is absolutely pointless and a waste of time to have all these stops. I don’t think anyone that ACTUALLY rides the B line on a regular basis will have ANY problem with consolidating those stops.
A few years ago the B line consolidated some stops in an area further down. After they realized that one of the stops they wanted to eliminate served a major elderly housing complex, they kept that one, and went ahead with the others. And so far it has worked ok. So this one might too. I speak as one who just waited in the cold and rain for a B trolley, and it took forever because it had to keep stopping every other block!
I support the stop consolidation especially because there are other forms of public transportation available to the public (the 57 and 57A bus) and the BU community (the BU Shuttle as well as buses).
I think it is a great idea. The B Line’s speed is painfully slow, so many stops.
But I would suggest saving Babcock because it is near Shaw’s which lots of people use during non commute hours.
Wouldn’t it have been better to have the meeting out near where the changes are taking effect? (I understand the need for a large public space for the meeting)