Silver Line MBTA (Boston, Norton, Dudley: transfer, neighborhoods, living)

[jamesgale]

What is the Silver Line? Quickest answer possible

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by jamesgale

What is the Silver Line? Quickest answer possible

ICA, Courthouse, Design Center, Logan

[jayrandom]

A bus with a dedicated road.

[MikePRU]

Part of it is underground and some of it runs along the surface. I believe the buses run on electricity when underground and some sort of combustion engine when above ground.

[Austin023]

The silver line is a glorified bus service.
I've only ridden it once and I am native to the area.

[timberline742]

Nice option to get to the airport.

[missionhill]

Silver line = BRT, or bus rapid transit. There's a whole BRT movement in transportation circles in this country and elsewhere. The Rockefeller Foundation supports BRT projects and puts out some information about it. The MBTA's only BRT so far is the silver line.

[goyguy]

Not mentioned thus far is that the southern terminus of the Silver Line is Dudley Square.

Until 1987, the Orange Line south of downtown was an el train. It emerged from underground just south of what's now called Tufts Medical Center and followed Washington St to Forest Hills. The "powers that be" decided that the line would be relocated to the so-called Southwest Corridor - a swath of land left over from the "urban removal" destruction of neighborhoods for part of I-95 which was never built. What was promised in response to community input was replacement of the el by light-rail service like the Green Line. Ridership figures made this feasible, as did environmental considerations. However, after much hemming and hawing using cost as an excuse the T compromised (satisfying no one) by putting the Silver Line in instead.

Part of the intent of Silver Line service was to reduce the number of "regular" buses serving City Point in South Boston on multiple routes. But the response was so poor that the "SL-3" route was quietly dropped. The "SL-2" service along the waterfront to the "Design Center" has proven to be pretty popular at least during rush hours, and the "SL-1" from South Station to the airport is reliably crowded. Routes 4 and 5 from Downtown Crossing and South Station, respectively, to Dudley don't seem to have taken off all that well, judging at least from there always being plenty of seats when I've used them. Since many people who pass through Dudley on their commutes are connecting from other buses, I think most of them are just staying on until the new nearby hub (Ruggles) or making their transfers there instead. Likewise, folks living or working along Washington St are apparently choosing the nearest Orange Line station as much as they're opting for the Silver Line. There's no denying that even with a somewhat limited number of stops the SL can't compare with the trains for speed.

Count me among those who are less than impressed with the "BRT" system. The trip from South Station to "Silver Line Way" is filled with stops and starts. Then there's always the lag time during which the driver has to exit the vehicle to lower the trolley poles before continuing into the Ted Williams Tunnel, and raise them on inbound runs. The underground stations are vast echo chambers utilized by practically no one except at peak times. And the long, cantilevered buses contribute just as much in the way of noise and emissions as any other buses, since that's all they are. But for getting to Logan from downtown it's better than nothing - and an improvement for Red Line users who no longer have to make three transfers to reach that destination. (Funny how the short Blue Line extension to Charles Circle is never brought up when future MBTA planning is put on the table now. )

There's your long answer.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Silver Line was made to respond to demands of Black residents who had the Orange Line, which provided access to downtown Boston, moved from the heart of Traditional black Boston. Its is just a glorified, series of small bus routes to the airport, waterfront, and the ghetto.

[Austin023]

I agree the silver line is a big disappointment and under-serves those residents along Washington street in Roxbury and the South End. Back in the 70s when the new orange line was being designed a promise was bad by the MBTA to replace the old orange line el on Washington street with a light rail line to at least Dudley Square---essentially a new branch of the green line it would had been.
But when they finally got around to the project to install a line on Washington street (to replace the deficient bus service) they opted instead for a glorified bus service (Bus rapid transit) which as you can see is no better than the old bus route it replaced in 2002---its no faster than before and cost an enormous sum for such a service; Washington street was reconstructed to add the Bus Lane (which has no barrier or dedicated right of way, so it gets blocked often and is subject to the normal traffic).

The original plan called for a dedicated right of way for the light rail line down Washington, which would had run down the median, just like you see on the B, C and E branches of the Green Line---not subject to nearly as much traffic jams, blocked lanes and such so movement is quicker. The Silver Line along Washington street gets tangled up in traffic and double/illegally parked cars, sometimes blocking a stop or using the "dedicated" lane which has no barrier whatsoever. Its just a glorified bus line, nothing more.

Also, the original 1970s light rail plan had one other very important difference: the light rail would had departed Washington street right around where it crosses the Mass Pike and veered over to Tremont street, right where it meets Charles street at Eliot Norton Park and go underground into an existing Green Line tunnel which is currently not used; a tunnel 'portal' for Green Line trolleys existed at this park until it was sealed over in 1975 (it was used for trolley lines serving South Boston, Roxbury until 1961 when those lines were converted to buses or discontinued altogether). This old now-unused tunnel connects to Boylston Street station a few blocks up where it joins the current Green Line; tunnel itself still exists but has been sealed at its entrance in the park, otherwise its fully intact and used for storage of disabled trains sometimes.
A study done by the MBTA in 2008 determined the tunnel is still structurally sound, in good condition and with minimal reinforcement and new tracks could certainly be used with current Green Line equipment, even the new Type 8 cars which are heavier.
There has been repeated talk over the years of reusing this tunnel instead of the dreaded (and horrendously expensive)Silver Line Phase III plan which calls for an entire new tunnel in this same area which would some how hook up to the Orange and/or Green lines; that project would include demolition of much of the historical 1897 Boylston Street station and some of this old existing tunnel and it would still not be a continuous route as it would be with the old 1970s light rail plan which would be a one-seat ride from Dudley Square to North Station, Lechmere. The benefits of the light rail plan seem painfully obvious.

Originally Posted by goyguy

Not mentioned thus far is that the southern terminus of the Silver Line is Dudley Square.

Until 1987, the Orange Line south of downtown was an el train. It emerged from underground just south of what's now called Tufts Medical Center and followed Washington St to Forest Hills. The "powers that be" decided that the line would be relocated to the so-called Southwest Corridor - a swath of land left over from the "urban removal" destruction of neighborhoods for part of I-95 which was never built. What was promised in response to community input was replacement of the el by light-rail service like the Green Line. Ridership figures made this feasible, as did environmental considerations. However, after much hemming and hawing using cost as an excuse the T compromised (satisfying no one) by putting the Silver Line in instead.

Part of the intent of Silver Line service was to reduce the number of "regular" buses serving City Point in South Boston on multiple routes. But the response was so poor that the "SL-3" route was quietly dropped. The "SL-2" service along the waterfront to the "Design Center" has proven to be pretty popular at least during rush hours, and the "SL-1" from South Station to the airport is reliably crowded. Routes 4 and 5 from Downtown Crossing and South Station, respectively, to Dudley don't seem to have taken off all that well, judging at least from there always being plenty of seats when I've used them. Since many people who pass through Dudley on their commutes are connecting from other buses, I think most of them are just staying on until the new nearby hub (Ruggles) or making their transfers there instead. Likewise, folks living or working along Washington St are apparently choosing the nearest Orange Line station as much as they're opting for the Silver Line. There's no denying that even with a somewhat limited number of stops the SL can't compare with the trains for speed.

Count me among those who are less than impressed with the "BRT" system. The trip from South Station to "Silver Line Way" is filled with stops and starts. Then there's always the lag time during which the driver has to exit the vehicle to lower the trolley poles before continuing into the Ted Williams Tunnel, and raise them on inbound runs. The underground stations are vast echo chambers utilized by practically no one except at peak times. And the long, cantilevered buses contribute just as much in the way of noise and emissions as any other buses, since that's all they are. But for getting to Logan from downtown it's better than nothing - and an improvement for Red Line users who no longer have to make three transfers to reach that destination. (Funny how the short Blue Line extension to Charles Circle is never brought up when future MBTA planning is put on the table now. )

There's your long answer.