Railroad finds quieter site for trains to wait for Boston run
By now, Dick and Marianne of Canton should have heard the news from the commuter railroad: The iron roosters blowing diesel fumes and noise behind their house at dawn before the real cockerels crow will move to a different spot on the tracks to wait for their run into Boston.
Marianne, who said her Curtis Road home bears the brunt of the trains idling at the Canton Center station, had written in January asking whether the locomotives could be directed to move forward toward the bridge at the neck of
After we wrote about Marianne's plea and the noncommittal response from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., which said moving the waiting trains was likely to mess up its ''very tight" schedule up and down the line, her husband jumped in to press their case. He even attached a simple map showing where he thought the trains might go: 100 feet or more to the southeast.
''As it is, the engineer looks down toward us, whereas the houses on the two streets shown on the other side of the Forge Pond neck are considerably elevated above the tracks, being on a hillside," Dick wrote to the railroad. ''The attached news clip did not represent you as conciliatory, but I suspect that you are not aware of the proximity of the idling monster to Marianne's bedroom window and the simplicity of the proposed solution."
Well, it didn't hurt to ask, and ask again, in this case. Tara Frier, a spokeswoman for MBCR, said last week the railroad has found another spot, just over the culvert at Forge Pond, where the trains might wait.
''It is an acceptable location for MBCR crews to perform the required brake tests, and the move does not have a serious impact on the schedule," she said. ''MBCR staff is in the process of installing a marker at the new site and distributing a division notice regarding the change. Marianne and her husband should notice the difference on or before March 1."
Frier said MBCR's customer services manager was going to call Dick and Marianne personally to deliver the good news.
Faulty messageSpeaking of news, one often doesn't care whether it is of the positive variety, just that the information therein is accurate. The same goes for message boards and signs in public places telling us this or that: Give us accurate information, or don't bother.
David of Canton wrote recently to complain about incorrect signage at the Canton Junction commuter rail station, specifically the signs posted at various spots that indicate the platform (A, B, C, or D) from which a particular train, based on the time of day, will depart.
''For example, the signs indicate the 5 p.m. train leaves from track C; however, it actually leaves from track D," he said. ''I missed an important engagement because I waited on track C while the train left from track D. To get from C to D requires one to climb up several flights of steps, use the bridge to cross over the tracks, and then climb down several flights of steps. I understand from some regular riders that the sign has been wrong for months. Where has customer service gone? Is there no money to correct the signs?"
We're told the signs will be fixed shortly, David.
''The signage problem at Canton Junction was recently brought to our attention, and it is on our priority list," said Frier, the MBCR spokeswoman. ''As soon as we get through the current string of winter storms, we will send a crew to cover the signs until they can be permanently removed. We are also printing new schedule posters that will go up in early April that will reflect the correct track information."
On the road againIt seems the topic of roadway speeds, speeding, speed demons, and speed enforcers is one sure to ignite passions and discussion.
Several of you wrote in response to our Feb. 17 column on the subject, and we thank you for taking the trouble. (Two of your letters can be found under Voices on Page 4 today.)
We want to add a third here, from Dan of Hingham, who shot us an e-mail saying he has had the same experiences as the drivers we quoted a fortnight ago who were ''going 70 in a 65 [miles-per-hour zone] and having almost everyone pass" them, with only the occasional motorist driving at the legal limit of 55.
''I especially enjoyed the response by the police officer when you asked about the 'rules,' " said Dan. ''In short, there are no rules. You can be stopped going 55 for slowing down traffic, or you can be stopped going 66 for speeding. No wonder there is chaos out there.
''How can anyone expect a driver who wants to drive safely, avoid accidents, and help traffic flow smoothly to know how fast to drive?"
How, indeed.
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