Riders want more of new bike coaches
After unveiling their new bike coach for last weekend's Fitchburg bicycle races, the MBTA is now taking two-wheelers to Cape Ann.
The new coach -- which can accommodate 39 bikes and 42 seated passengers -- will make two scheduled weekend trips to Manchester, Gloucester, and Rockport.
There's a lot of good biking on Cape Ann, including Gloucester's infamous Dogtown for mountain bikers, who will now hate this column for the mention.
The train's trips are scant, however, departing Saturdays and Sunday from Boston's North Station at 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Boston-bound service from Rockport leaves at noon and 5:10 p.m.
The coach is expected to be available weekends only throughout the summer.
The T doesn't know what's going to happen come fall.
While some are happy about this, others want more.
``I had visions of the MBTA's answer to the Bay Area's BART, where scores of daily commuters load their bicycles into bicycle cars," wrote J.K. of Maynard.
``As a Metro West bike/train commuter, I'm affected by the no-bikes-on-the-train-during-peak-hours rule. If you want your wheels with you in town, all you can do is keep a bike at both ends of the line; or seek out that rare item, a folding bicycle, which is allowed on all trains.
`` I applaud the MBTA's reaching out to recreational cyclists who wish to ride around the North Shore on weekends. But what about the rest of us? Look at the number of bikes parked at any train station on a weekday morning and there's the potential ridership. If the bike car is going to be idle on weekdays, why don't they put it on one weekday commuter train as an experiment?"
T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the car was never designed to be part of a rush hour weekday train, citing the tripping hazard for commuters because of the bike racks and the wasted space in the car if it does not fill with bikes.
``At 7 a.m. on a Tuesday, you don't have a lot of bikers taking commuter rail," he said. ``We're going to closely monitor this, and then based on what happens in the coming weeks on the Rockport line, we'll make a future decision."
Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff came to a press conference Friday via the Green Line, proclaiming that vigilance will make the nation stronger against terrorism and that Boston has received $11 million this year alone for security.
Chertoff, a Harvard graduate who said he had many fond memories of riding the T, came to the press event in his own three-car Green Line train and was flanked by ear pieces of all shapes and sizes.
A metal barricade mistakenly set up behind his microphone stand was removed by handlers to make it appear as though the secretary was standing among the milling throngs on City Hall Plaza, but the press was kept at a safe distance, and the public was barricaded behind the press.
During the press conference, without warning, a spike-haired bicycle messenger unknowingly pedaled into the fray, came within feet of the secretary, and was quickly but politely nabbed and escorted away. Chertoff did not notice.
Work has begun on the rehabilitation of Ashmont Station on the Red Line, with demolition of the old station scheduled for Friday, July 14. And you know what that means? Busing.
Yup. Busing between Ashmont and JFK/UMass will take place for the next three weekends starting 9 p.m. next Friday and ending at the end of service the following Sunday.
The whole thing should be done by the end of the day on Sunday, Aug. 6.
Ashmont, Shawmut, Fields Corner, and Savin Hill customers can access the buses along Dorchester Avenue at any bus stop. Buses will make all stops in both directions.
The demolition will also require the closure of pedestrian access from Huron Circle, Van Winkle Street, Radford Lane, and the temporary busway entrance to the Red Line.
Customers can still use the main entrance on Dorchester Avenue.
Questions? Call the MBTA Red Line Construction Hotline at (617) 222-6757.
Albany Street, and any access to streets and highways off Albany Street, have been shut down for the weekend to make way for street reconstruction.
The intersection at Albany Street at Herald Street, and streets approaching the intersection closed at 11:30 p.m. Friday and won't reopen until 5 a.m. tomorrow.
Other closures include the Albany Street onramp to the Pike west, and the Herald Street onramp to I-93 south. Locals can still access the area via Traveler Street.
Exit 20B (Pike west/Albany St.) off I-93 south will also have no access to Albany Street.
The road should be a smoother trip after the work, which is welcome news to David of Stoneham.
``I think the people who use the Albany Street exit from 93 south should get some sort of reward for putting up with what must be the most aggravation from the Big Dig and Big Dig related changes," he wrote. `` It's been brutal. When the resurfacing is finally finished, if it ever is, maybe they could hand out roses to us? Or shock absorbers?"
That's not all. The Congress Street onramp to I-93 south also remains closed until 5 a.m. tomorrow.
The Haymarket onramp to I-93 south and the Callahan Tunnel will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday through Saturday .
Exit 20B (Pike west/Albany St.) will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday .
Two lanes of I-93 south approaching and through downtown will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.
Two lanes of I-93 north through downtown will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.
The Sumner Tunnel onramp to I-93 north will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.
The Essex Street onramp to I-93 north will close 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. tomorrow through Friday and 11 p.m. Friday to 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Exit 23 (Gov't Ctr.) off I-93 north will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.
Exit 26 (Storrow Dr.) off I-93 north will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday and 1 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
I-93 north will close to all traffic at Exit 16 (Southampton St./Andrew Sq.) 11:30 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow.
The Haymarket onramp to I-93 north will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.
The ramp at Exit 24 (I-93/South Station) off the Pike east will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday .
One lane of the Pike east between I-93 and the Ted Williams Tunnel will close 10 p.m. tomorrow to 5 a.m. Tuesday.
One lane of the Pike east around Logan Airport will close 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow through Friday.
Access from South Boston to the Pike east and Logan Airport will close 11 p.m. tomorrow to 5 a.m. Tuesday.
The onramp from Congress Street to I-93 in South Boston, and Exit 24 (I-93) off the Pike west will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.
One lane of the Pike west around Logan Airport will close 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow through Friday.
One lane of the Pike west between the Ted Williams Tunnel and I-93 will close 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow through Friday and 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday morning.
The D Street onramp to the Pike west will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Thursday.
The Albany Street onramp to the Pike west will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
The Congress Street onramp to I-93 south and the Pike west will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.
Route 1A north near Logan Airport will close 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow through Friday.
The Sumner Tunnel onramp to Government Center and Haymarket will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.
The Sumner Tunnel onramp to Storrow Drive will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday and 1 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Sumner Tunnel access to Haymarket will remain open.
The tunnel under Leverett Circle that takes vehicles from Exit 26 (Storrow) off I-93 will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday. Access from Exit 26 to Nashua Street/Leverett Circle will remain open.
The Frontage Road Northbound onramp to the Pike west at the Broadway Bridge will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Wednesday.
The ramp at Exit 20 (Pike west) off I-93 north will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Wednesday morning. Access from Exit 20 to the Pike east and South Station will remain open.
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