Green Line (MBTA)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GREEN LINE
Green Line vehicle at Heath Station
Green Line vehicle at Heath Station
Route length: 36.4 km
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Minimum radius : 10.058 m
Type Light rail
place Boston , Massachusetts
Number of stations 66
opening 1897
operator MBTA
Passengers daily 232,000
BSicon .svgBSicon uexKBHFa.svgBSicon .svg
E College Avenue
BSicon .svgBSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
Ball Square
BSicon .svgBSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
Lowell Street
BSicon .svgBSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
Gilman Square
BSicon .svgBSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
Brickbottom
BSicon .svgBSicon uexKRWl.svgBSicon uexKRW + r.svg
BSicon uexKBHFaq.svgBSicon uexSTRq.svgBSicon uexABZg + r.svg
E Union Square
BSicon .svgBSicon .svgBSicon uexhSTRa.svg
Lines under construction
BSicon .svgBSicon uWSL + r.svgBSicon uexhSTR.svg
Lechmere loop
BSicon .svgBSicon uBHF.svgBSicon uexhBHF.svg
E Lechmere
BSicon .svgBSicon uhSTRa.svgBSicon uexhSTR.svg
BSicon .svgBSicon uehKRWg + l.svgBSicon uexhKRWr.svg
BSicon .svgBSicon uhKRZW.svgBSicon .svg
Charles River
BSicon .svgBSicon uhHST.svgBSicon .svg
Science Park
BSicon .svgBSicon uhtSTRa.svgBSicon .svg
BSicon .svgBSicon utSTR.svgBSicon utSTR.svg
Orange Line from Oak Grove
BSicon .svgBSicon utBST.svgBSicon utSTR.svg
North Station Sweeper
BSicon .svgBSicon utBHF.svgBSicon utBHF.svg
C North Station
BSicon .svgBSicon utBHF.svgBSicon utBHF.svg
Haymarket
BSicon .svgBSicon utSTR.svgBSicon utSTRl.svg
Orange Line to Forest Hills
BSicon .svgBSicon utKRWgl.svgBSicon utKRW + r.svg
BSicon .svgBSicon utABZg + l.svgBSicon utABZg + r.svg
Government Center Loop
BSicon utSTR.svgBSicon utSTRf.svgBSicon utSTRg.svg
Blue Line from Bowdoin
BSicon utBHF.svgBSicon utBHF (L) f.svgBSicon utBHF (R) g.svg
D Government Center
BSicon utSTRl.svgBSicon utKRZto.svgBSicon utKRZto.svg
Blue Line to Wonderland
BSicon .svgBSicon utKRWg + l.svgBSicon utKRWr.svg
BSicon utBS2c2.svgBSicon utBS2lr.svgBSicon utBS2c3.svg
BSicon utABZg + l.svgBSicon utABZg + r.svg
Park Street Loop
BSicon utBS2c1.svgBSicon utBS2 + lr.svgBSicon utBS2c4.svg
BSicon utSTRq.svgBSicon utTBHFt.svgBSicon utSTRq.svg
A B Park Street Red Line
BSicon .svgBSicon utHST.svgBSicon .svg
Boylston
BSicon .svgBSicon uetABZgl.svgBSicon uextSTReq.svg
formerly Pleasant Street Portal
BSicon .svgBSicon utHST.svgBSicon .svg
Arlington
BSicon .svgBSicon utHST.svgBSicon .svg
Copley
BSicon .svgBSicon utABZgl.svgBSicon .svg
Green Line E to Heath Street
BSicon .svgBSicon utHST.svgBSicon .svg
Hynes Convention Center
BSicon .svgBSicon utHST.svgBSicon .svg
Kenmore
BSicon .svgBSicon utSTR.svgBSicon .svg
BSicon utSTRaq.svgBSicon utABZgr.svgBSicon .svg
Green Line A to Watertown Yard (formerly)
and Green Line B to Boston College
BSicon .svgBSicon utSTR.svgBSicon .svg
BSicon .svgBSicon utABZgl.svgBSicon utSTReq.svg
Green Line D to Riverside
BSicon .svgBSicon utSTRe.svgBSicon .svg
Green Line C to Cleveland Circle

The Green Line is a premetro the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the city of Boston in the state of Massachusetts of the United States and in adjacent areas. It is the oldest light rail in Boston and is referred to as the "T" for short by residents. The route runs underground in the center of the city and above ground in outer areas. It is also the most heavily used light rail line in the United States, with 232,000 passengers being transported daily .

The line is green in color because it mainly runs through the city's green belt called the Emerald Necklace . The four branches B , C , D and E are remnants of a once very extensive system of tram lines , which began in 1856 with the Cambridge Railroad . The oldest subway tunnel in North America is the Tremont Street Subway , which opened gradually from September 1, 1897 to September 3, 1898 and , together with adjacent tubes, still brings vehicles from all railway lines to downtown Boston.

background

Kinki Sharyo train on the D line at Fenway station, with the mouth of the tunnel in the background
Two Green Line trains at Park Street station . On the left a type 7 Kinki-Sharyo train in the direction of Boston College , in the background a type 8 AnsaldoBreda train in the direction of the Government Center .

Today's Green Line ends in the north at Lechmere station in eastern Cambridge . From there it leads south over the Lechmere Viaduct and through the Tremont Street Subway under downtown Boston, then continues west on the Boylston Street Subway to Kenmore Station . In planning documents, the Green Line tunnels that run through the city center and Back Bay are sometimes called the Central Subway . In the course of the route, the Green Line E splits to the west of Copley station and runs southwest through the Huntington Avenue Subway , to then reach the surface and continue there along Huntington Avenue to its terminus on Heath Street .

The lines Green Line B , Green Line C and Green Line D each branch off west of the Kenmore station. The "B" line runs along Commonwealth Avenue to its terminus at Boston College , the "C" line reaches the surface on Beacon Street and leads to the terminus at Cleveland Circle . The line "D" finally leads on an intersection-free route, which was used by the Boston and Albany Railroad until 1958 , to the terminus Riverside .

There was also a Green Line A that ran to Watertown until 1969 when it was discontinued. In fact, no train ever carried this name, although the system was introduced two years before the line was closed. The rails of line "A" were in operation until 1994 in order to be able to use the maintenance facilities located in Watertown.

Rolling material

Like the other three subway lines of the MBTA runs the Green Line on tracks with standard gauge .

background

At the end of the 19th century, the original purpose of the Tremont Street Subway was to allow ordinary streetcars to bypass the toughest traffic jams on the streets in the densely populated areas of Boston. Therefore, these ordinary trams were also the first rail vehicles to be used on the route that was later designated as the Green Line .

For many years the Green Line used the PCC cars developed during the Great Depression . These were gradually replaced in the mid-1970s by the Boeing LRV types from the manufacturer Boeing Vertol . However, the first series of these vehicles suffered from chronic operational disruptions, which led to a real crisis in local passenger transport. The MBTA demanded reliable material and launched an extensive PCC overhaul program to extend maintenance cycles and increase reliability. In 2011 ten of these vehicles were still in use on the Ashmont – Mattapan High Speed ​​Line of the Red Line .

In 1987, the MBTA commissioned 100 second generation LRV trains from the Japanese company Kinki Sharyo and ordered 20 more in 1997. Boeing Vertol's last train was decommissioned in March 2007 and, like most others, scrapped. In 2011, the Kinky Sharyo trains, together with the Breda trains, provided most of the rolling stock on the Green Line .

One of the first type 5 trains with the number 5734 can still be viewed today, parked together with train PCC 3295 on a side track at Boylston station . They were still used for historical special trips for a while, but have not been used since 1997.

Active fleet

As of February 2010, the following trains are in operation on the Green Line :

Construction year Manufacturer model length width Gauge Numbers
1986-1988 Kinki Sharyo Type 7 LRV 72  ft (21.95  m ) 104  in (2.64  m ) 1,435 m (36xx): 3600–3699 (91 active)
1997 Kinki Sharyo Type 7 LRV 72  ft (21.95  m ) 104  in (2.64  m ) 1,435 m (37xx): 3700–3719 (19 active)
1998-2007 AnsaldoBreda Type 8 LRV 74  ft (22.56  m ) 104  in (2.64  m ) 1,435 m (38xx): 3800-3894

In May 2014, MBTA ordered 24 new trains for the Green Line from the Spanish rail company CAF . The trams have a 70 percent low-floor share and should be delivered from the end of 2017.

Vehicles decommissioned

The following information does not include vehicles from the Boston Elevated Railway era .

Years of service Manufacturer model length width Gauge Total number of trains
1976-2007 Boeing Vertol Boeing LRV 71  ft (21.64  m ) 104  in (2.64  m ) 1,435 m 150
1937–1985 (10 are still in use on the Ashmont – Mattapan High Speed ​​Line ) Pullman Palace Car Company PCC car 71  ft (21.64  m ) 100  in (2.54  m ) 1,435 m 10 remaining; more were used in the service of the Green Line.

Accessibility

A type 8 vehicle ( AnsaldoBreda )

Unlike the Red Line , Blue Line and Orange Line , which are each designed exclusively as a subway and can be flexibly adapted to the height of the platform via level-adjustable entrances and exits in stations , the Green Line is basically a partially underground line Tram with a large number of different types of vehicles that have been used throughout its history. Access for disabled people is therefore still limited on this line.

Originally, there were no flexible platforms at any station on the Green Line , so that the passengers had to climb several steps into the vehicle, which was a hurdle that was sometimes insurmountable, especially for people with walking difficulties. To address this problem, two major changes have been made:

  • At some stations there are wheelchair ramps and lifting platforms , but these have proven to be very time-consuming in use and cause significant delays when there is high traffic.
  • Vehicles equipped with low-floor technology are gradually being used to enable passengers with wheelchairs to get on and off more quickly.

In a first step, 100 low-floor vehicles were ordered from the Italian manufacturer AnsaldoBreda , which were given a modern look by Pininfarina . However, these vehicles were initially problematic in operation and difficult to maintain - the first examples used failed every 640 km, while the specifications of the MBTA actually provide for 14,500 km. They also tended to derail what the MBTA to an additional investment of 9.5 million US dollars forced the railways to modify so that this problem no longer occurred. However, this again caused some difficulties with Boeing's vehicles. The MBTA was criticized for failing to adequately check the reliability of AnsaldoBreda's vehicles before they were purchased and during delivery.

In December 2004, MBTA canceled its order for the rest of the vehicles it had ordered from AnsaldoBreda as part of a nine-year, $ 225 million project. A year later, MBTA announced that it had entered into new contract negotiations with the Italian dealer, with the order volume reduced to 85 vehicles. The remaining sum should only be paid if the vehicles meet all specifications. Production of the last vehicle on this order was completed on December 14, 2006. At the end of 2007, however, the MBTA announced that, due to the high capacity utilization of the Green Line , it had agreed with AnsaldoBreda to deliver a further ten vehicles, so that a total of 95 of the original 100 vehicles should be used. The remaining 5 vehicles should only be delivered unfinished as a spare parts warehouse. In June 2008, 90 Type 8 vehicles were in use, one of which was badly damaged in a derailment with a resulting fire, and four more were still in the test phase. After several years in which the tracks of the Green Line D were modified, the AnsaldoBreda vehicles could also be used there again, so that they can now drive unhindered on every branch of the line.

The MBTA operates trains with one, two or three vehicles on the Green Line , depending on demand and availability. As of December 2011, trains with two vehicles are in continuous use from Monday to Friday, while three vehicles are used on selected routes during rush hour on lines "B", "D" and "E". At the same time, she promised to use at least one AnsaldoBreda with low-floor technology in every network of two or more vehicles.

Expansion to Somerville / Medford

Future location of the Green Line station on Washington Street

In order to settle a legal dispute with the Conservation Law Foundation , which had sued the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reduce the automobile emissions increased by the Big Dig , the latter agreed to extend the Green Line from its previous northern terminus Lechmere to Medford Hillside . The expansion would lead through the two Boston suburbs Somerville and Medford , which are currently supplied by the MBTA in terms of population density, their economic importance and their proximity to Boston rather below average. Two existing tracks can be used for the extension, which are currently used by the Lowell Line with the Downeaster and the Fitchburg Line . According to official information, it is expected that 52,000 people will be on the road every working day on the extended Green Line route alone . This would mean that the MBTA would gain a total of 7–8,000 new passengers.

As of February 2, 2009, the new stops on the expanded route include a relocated station at Lechmere Station , Brickbottom on Washington Street , Gilman Square on Medford Street , Lowell Street , Ball Square , Hillside on College Avenue in Medford on the campus of the Tufts University and the terminus on US Highway 16 and the Mystic Valley Parkway in Somerville on the Mystic River . A possible further stop on Winthrop Street and Boston Avenue was deleted from the plans due to the proximity to other stations and residents' protests. The expansion is scheduled to be completed on December 31, 2014.

The new stations should be easily accessible for cyclists and pedestrians, but will not offer any new parking spaces. In 2003, a financial requirement of 375 million US dollars was calculated for the necessary track construction, but on the assumption that the expansion would extend to West Medford and thus about 1,500  ft (457  m ) further than the later actual plan. Seven new stops and 24 new vehicles are forecast to cost $ 953.7 million.

In 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that the new line would go into operation in October 2015 (around 1 year later than initially planned). Interim measurements of the air quality are required if the delay occurs as expected. The MassDOT had previously announced that due to a lack of budget, the part from College Avenue to Highway 16 would be outsourced to a second, future expansion phase and should no longer be part of the current project.

As of August 2011, the MassDOT informed that the opening of the extension could take place in autumn 2018 at the earliest. Completion of the route to College Avenue could be postponed until 2020, while the endpoint on Mystic Valley Parkway has been postponed indefinitely. The reason for the delays is due to difficult land purchase conditions and concerns about costs and financing.

Accidents

On May 28, 2008, two trains on the Green Line D collided in Newton . One of the two train drivers was killed and many passengers were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity. Initially it was assumed that a phone call caused the accident with a mobile phone, but it was found afterwards that the real reason one by sleep apnea caused by falling asleep was the driver.

On 8 May 2009, two vehicles met the Green Line in the tunnel between the Park Street Station and the Government Center station together, as the 24-year-old driver of one of the features of his girlfriend while driving an SMS sent. As a result, the MBTA issued stricter rules for the use of cell phones. The driver responsible for the accident had overlooked a stop signal before the accident due to his distraction. 46 people were injured in the accident. According to official information from the MBTA, the damage amounted to 9.6 million US dollars.

A pilot test of a collision avoidance technology was planned for 2009 on the Ashmont – Mattapan High Speed ​​Line with the aim of investigating transmission possibilities on the Green Line .

The Green Line has been at the top of US tram derailment statistics for years. A high point was reached in 2007 when 29 trains on the line derailed. Safety has improved significantly since then, but derailments continue to occur relatively frequently. On March 10, 2014, a D-Line train derailed between Kenmore and Fenway stations and hit the wall of the tunnel. Seven passengers were slightly injured. After an investigation, the accident was attributed to failure of the train driver.

Individual evidence

  1. a b Ridership increases in third quarter. ( PDF ; 2.7 MB) (No longer available online.) In: Policy Development and Research Program at APTA. American Public Transport Association, December 2011, archived from the original on April 28, 2012 ; accessed on January 31, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / apta.com
  2. Gavin W. Kleespies, Katie MacDonald: Transportation History. (No longer available online.) In: Harvard Square Business Association. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012 ; accessed on January 31, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.harvardsquare.com
  3. ^ End of the line for T pioneers. Once considered cutting-edge, an aging part of the authority's trolley fleet is being retired. In: Boston Globe . March 16, 2007, accessed January 31, 2012 (English, paid article).
  4. Ridership and Service Statistics - Thirteenth Edition 2010. ( PDF ; 6.2 MB) In: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2010, p. 20 , accessed on January 31, 2012 (English).
  5. BOARD APPROVES PURCHASE OF NEW GREEN LINE CARS & BUSES. In: Press release MBTA. May 14, 2014, accessed June 3, 2014 .
  6. ^ T-Projects and Accessibility. (No longer available online.) In: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012 ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mbta.com
  7. ^ Anthony Flint: MBTA halts purchase of Green Line 'lemons'. In: Boston Globe . December 12, 2004, accessed February 1, 2012 (English, paid article).
  8. Mac Daniel: Green Line seeks zippier service with upgrade plan. In: Boston Globe . December 17, 2005, accessed February 1, 2012 (English, paid article).
  9. Bredas. In: Boston Globe . December 14, 2006, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  10. ^ Noah Bierman: T will take 10 new cars for its busy Green Line. In: Boston Globe . November 12, 2007, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  11. Green Line to nearly triple the number of 3-car trains. In: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 16, 2011, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  12. ^ Ian Bowles: Final Environmental Impact Report. ( PDF ) In: Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. July 30, 2010, p. 5 , archived from the original on July 8, 2011 ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English).
  13. ^ Andrew Ryan: Potential Green Line stops announced in Somerville, Medford. In: Boston Globe . May 7, 2008, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  14. ^ The 2003 Program for Mass Transportation. (No longer available online.) In: Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. July 2003, archived from the original on February 20, 2012 ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bostonmpo.org
  15. ^ Alix Roy: Latest plan has Green Line ending at College Avenue. In: Boston Globe . June 21, 2010, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  16. Matt Byrne: State: Green Line extension will be delayed til 2018. (No longer available online.) In: Boston Globe . August 2, 2011, formerly in the original ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English).  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / articles.boston.com  
  17. The official website for the expansion project offers a current overview .
  18. ^ Collision Between Two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line Trains. ( PDF ; 1.9 MB) Accident Report NTSB / RAR-09/02 PB2009-916302. In: National Transportation Safety Board. July 14, 2009, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  19. Trolley Driver Was Texting Girlfriend At Time Of Crash. 46 Injured In Green Line Crash. (No longer available online.) In: TheBostonChannel. May 8, 2009, archived from the original on February 22, 2012 ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.thebostonchannel.com
  20. ^ Trolley Crash Inspires Tougher Cell Phone Policy. NTSB Still Investigating Crash. (No longer available online.) In: TheBostonChannel. May 9, 2009, archived from the original on February 22, 2012 ; accessed on February 1, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.thebostonchannel.com
  21. Michele McPhee: Texting Trolley Driver Could Face Charges. In: ABC News . May 11, 2009, accessed February 1, 2012 .
  22. Nicole Dungca: The Green Line had the most derailments in the nation lastyear. In: The Boston Globe . October 13, 2016, accessed March 6, 2017 .
  23. ^ Martine Powers: Focus turns to driver in Green Line crash. In: The Boston Globe . November 3, 2014, accessed March 28, 2014 .

Web links

Commons : MBTA Green Line  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files