MBTA to make its 15 busiest bus routes faster, more reliable; work includes moving, eliminating stops
The MBTA says it will make its 15 busiest bus routes faster, more reliable, and more accessible through a series of changes this summer, which include relocating some stops and eliminating others.
Construction on some of the bus routes will begin this week and upgrades to all of the effected routes are expected to be made by the end of August, officials announced Monday.
The 15 “key” routes carry about 40 percent of the T’s total bus ridership. The routes run more often than other bus routes to serve high-density travel corridors, primarily in Boston, but also stretching to Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, and Watertown.
The T hopes to make each route about 10 to 15 percent faster by moving some stops and removing others. The goal is for there to be a bus stop every 750 to 1,320 feet, or about four to seven stops per mile. Many stops now are as close as 200 feet.
The agency also hopes to run more reliable bus service by better adhering to schedules and by trying to reduce “bunching,” when two or more buses on the same route are traveling close to each other.
More “passenger amenities,” including new bus shelters at 85 stops, as well as benches and trash barrels, will be installed. Some sidewalks will be improved and some curb extensions will be built.
New signs and pavement markings will be installed to provide better route-related details and to keep drivers from stopping or parking at bus stops.
Traffic signal improvements are expected to be made along some routes.
Work will include bringing bus stops into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act to improve accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities, officials said. In some cases, that will mean lengthening the bus stop area.
The T also plans to install new "Park and Pedal" bike parking cages at Alewife Station and the Beverly Garage in July and at Wollaston, Back Bay, Dudley Square and Wonderland stations in August.
Funding for the program includes $7 million in federal stimulus money and another $3 million in federal transportation funding.
Over the past two years, more than 50 public meetings have been held about the “Key Bus Routes Improvement Program.”
“The MBTA is looking forward to improving the quality of amenities and service on some of our most utilized services,” General Manager Beverly Scott said in a statement Monday. “This aggressive and ambitious project will reduce trip times, enhance customer comfort, accessibility, convenience and safety, and make service more reliable and cost-effective.”
A list of the 15 routes and projected timelines for construction are as follows. The schedules are subject to change, T officials said:
Key Bus Routes
Route 1 – July 1st – July 25th
Route 15 – June 24th – July 12th
Route 22 – June 17th – July 17th
Route 23 – June 17th – July
Route 28 – June 17th – August 30th
Route 32 – June 24th – August 8th
Route 39 – July – August
Route 57 – July 15th – August 30th
Route 66 – June 24th – August 1st
Route 71 – August 1st – August 30th
Route 73 – August 1st – August 30th
Route 77 – July 25th – August 26th
Route 111 – August 9th – August 30th
Route 116 – July 19th – August 30th
Route 117 – July 19th – August 30th
For more information on the bus improvement program, click here.
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest updates about your community, follow some of our local neighborhood, city and town Twitter accounts, here.
After Marathon, Belmont families buy bench honoring first responders at new Joey's Park
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, a dozen Belmont families have pooled their resources to buy a bench honoring first responders at the new Joey's Park, which will also help garner cash for the playground as supporters embark on a final fundraising push this summer.
The idea started when Belmont resident Rachel Hinchliffe sent an email to the Belmont Family Group forum asking for ideas on how to show support for authorities and EMTs, and another parent suggested buying a bench to help fund the new Joey's Park playground and dedicating it to the first responders.
“It’s a win-win for the community,” Hinchliffe said in a statement, noting that she was a half-mile from the Boston Marathon finish line with her toddler when the bombs went off April 15. “It was the perfect idea, but I thought there’s no way I could raise that much.”
However, 12 families - not all of them knew each other, Hinchliffe noted - contributed a total of $500 to buy the bench. The plaque's inscription will read: “In appreciation of First Responders on events surrounding Marathon Monday April 2013.”
The park, built in 1989 in the memory of a local boy who died at 12 years old from cystic fibrosis, closed briefly in 2011 after a safety review raised concerns, and reopened on a temporary basis only after some play equipment was removed.
Now, community members are fundraising to renovate the playground. The brand new facility was designed by students at the elementary school Joey attended, and is being constructed by Belmont residents in an old-fashioned community barn-raising.
The new playground is slated to open in October.
Belmont assistant police chief Jamie MacIssac said he thought the idea of the Belmont families buying a bench supporting first responders at Joey's Park was "wonderful."
“I like the idea of it being at the park," he said. "We like to think of ourselves being in all facets of the community.”
Diane Miller, co-chair of the Friends of Joey's Park group, described the ideas as an "amazing tribute" to first responders and the community.
“That’s exactly what this effort to build the new playground is all about – bringing together the whole town," Miller said. "When we build the new Joey’s Park next October there will be a role for everyone and it will be a time to come together to celebrate community.”
A final fundraising push is now underway as park supporters also seek hundreds of volunteers to help build the park in October.
For more information on the project or to learn more about donating, visit joeyspark.org.
--
Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss
Watertown Children's Theatre to merge with Arsenal Center for the Arts this summer
The Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown will formally merge with the Watertown Children’s Theatre beginning July 1.
The change means the children's theater will be fully integrated in to the Arsenal Center's educational programs, and will allow for joint programming expansion and combined membership outreach.
Certain administrative functions for the two entities will also be combined where possible, according to a joint statement from the organizations.
The Arsenal Center, started in 2005, will preserve the 30-year-old Watertown Children’s Theatre name under its umbrella, and will continue offering the same programming geared towards kids that it already features.
“The merger is a natural outcome of the long-standing partnership between our two institutions," said the children's theater founding artistic director, Dinah Lane. "Each has particular strengths in the areas of creativity and educational resources, which, combined, will create expanded opportunities for artists of all levels and interests.”
The Watertown Children’s Theatre offers local residents theater education programs, from full-scale musical productions to improv workshops to dance, voice, and theater tech lessons, Lane said.
Meanwhile, the Arsenal Center for the Arts offers gallery exhibits, art classes and workshops for all ages, musical concerts of all genres, and literary and art discussions.
The center's space at 321 Arsenal St. houses the 380-seat Charles Mosesian Theater and the 90-seat Black Box theater. The space is also shared by a fine arts and crafts retail shop, artist studios, the Quilters’ Connection organization, and the resident theater group, called the New Repertory Theatre.
Sharon Glennon, the center's executive director, said the decisions to merge the two organizations is an advancement for the greater arts community.
“I am excited that our singular mission will yield lasting positive cultural impact, and will allow the seed of the creative vision that was planted over 30 years ago by Dinah Lane to grow and flourish in the years to come," Glennon said. "This synergistic collaboration will present the best of what each organization has to offer to an expanded group of students and arts patrons.”
John Foote, the center's Board of Directors president, said the integration has been discussed for a year and a half.
“As we explored the possibility of this merger over the past eighteen months, we collectively arrived at the same conclusion - that together we are better able to support and serve our community,” Foote said.
The children's theater played a seminal role in the creation of the Arsenal Center and has continuously provided year-round programs to the community, officials said.
For more information, visit the Arsenal Center's website.
--
Follow us on Twitter: @yourwatertown, @jaclynreiss
Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com
Butler School kindergarteners learn to save
Cambridge Savings Bank (CSB) recently presented “Teach Children to Save,” part of its CSBsmart Financial Education Program, to the Butler School in Belmont, according to a press release.
The lesson encourages students to make a habit of saving money from an early age.
CSB has engaged Butler School children in its creative program for the past three years.
Maggie Weir, assistant vice president, assistant general counsel at CSB, read the book, “Just Saving My Money,” to the class. Each student received a piggy bank as well as a dollar in change to practice comparing the values of different coins.
“Lots of the students had conversations with their parents last night about saving and it's nice to see that they understand the concept of saving so much better,” said Audrey Ruddock, a kindergarten teacher at the Butler School.
“Teach Children to Save” coincides with National Financial Literacy Month.
Auction through this week to benefit Joey's Park in Belmont
Dozens of one of a kind outings and works of art are up for bid in an online auction benefitting the rebuilding of Joey's Park in Belmont. The auction began in mid-May and lasts through Saturday, June 8.
The park, built in 1989 in the memory of a local boy who died at 12 years old from cystic fibrosis, closed briefly in 2011 after a safety review raised concerns, and reopened on a temporary basis only after some play equipment was removed.
Now, community members are using funds that they have been raising to renovate the playground. The brand new facility was designed by students at the elementary school Joey attended, and is being constructed by Belmont residents in an old-fashioned community barn-raising.
Money raised in the auction will help pay for a new Joey’s Park playground, which is slated to open in October with help from hundreds of volunteers, according to officials at the Friends of Joey's Park group.
“We really do have something for everybody,” said Ellen Schreiber, co-chair of the friends organization, in a statement. “Whether you want to take in a Red Sox game or purchase a one-of-kind piece of art, here’s your opportunity. And, of course, it helps pay for the new playground.”
Among the items up for bid are art projects created by students at the Winn Brook Elementary School, where students in each class worked together to create a unique piece of art.
“We thought it would be fun to get kids and teachers involved the auction,” said Diane Miller, another co-chair. “The pieces they created are simply stunning.”
Other opportunities in the auction include biking with a state senator, rafting down a river, enjoying dinner out or bringing in a party planner.
For more information about the auction, visit the fundraiser's site.
Learn more about plans for Joey’s Park at joeyspark.org.
Law raising age to buy cigarettes to 19 takes effect in Brookline
Eighteen-year-olds can no longer legally buy cigarettes in Brookline, as a measure spearheaded by high school students to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products kicked in over the weekend.
The new law took effect on Saturday, June 1, and will affect 28 retailers in Brookline, which can no longer legally sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 19, according to Wesley Chin, the tobacco control program coordinator for Brookline.
The change to local tobacco laws was an initiative led by Eric Dumas and fellow members of the Peer Leadership Group at Brookline High School in 2012. Dumas, who graduated last year, and his classmates, asked the town to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco in an effort to cut down on smoking by students at Brookline High School.
Brookline’s Town Meeting approved the idea by an overwhelming margin of 169-1, and the town joins Needham, which was the first community in the state to hike the minimum age to buy tobacco from 18 to 19 in 2003, and now sets the minimum age at 21 years old. Other communities, including Belmont, Arlington and Dover have also approved raising the minimum age to buy tobacco in the past year.
“A regulation aimed at increasing the purchase age of tobacco to nineteen is good public health policy, as research suggests that those who delay the onset of smoking are less likely to develop a smoking habit,” said Alan Balsam, Brookline’s director of public health and human services, in a statement Monday.
Brookline health officials said that research has shown that about 90 percent of current smokers become addicted before the age of 18, and as a result the Brookline Department of Public Health is focusing efforts on prevention and placing an added obstacle to deter teenagers from addiction.
--brock.globe@gmail.com
What's the best independent coffee shop in Greater Boston?
We're obsessed with coffee over at Boston.com, so wanted to put together Coffee Week to celebrate all things java!
New interactives, maps, and galleries for the caffeine-obsessed will be unveiled each day this week. On Sunday, we wrote and mapped out how Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks are battling for coffee supremacy in Massachusetts. Today, we took a look at the national trend.
We wanted to find a way to feature local independent shops that have also developed a passionate following. Sadly, we still couldn't fit everyone in (but we've got something Wednesday that might go toward fixing that). We didn't want to leave anyone out.
FULL ENTRYLifeguards will be at state-owned pools, beaches for an extra day this weekend due to hot weather
Lifeguards will be on-hand for an extra day this weekend at state-owned pools and beaches with temperatures expected be hovering near 90 degrees for the next four days through Sunday, officials announced Thursday.
From Memorial Day to late June, the Department of Conservation and Recreation normally schedules lifeguard coverage at its aquatic sites on Saturdays and Sundays, before launching into a full summer schedule.
But due to the forecast for extreme heat, the state will have lifeguards working on Friday, May 31, in addition to their usual Saturday and Sunday schedules.
The department’s Commissioner Edward Lambert said the state is happy to be offering expanded lifeguard coverage this weekend “as the early summer heat rolls in.“
“Stop by, cool off or come and stay for the day,” he said in a statement.
“However you stay cool this weekend, please respect others and be safe. Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and take shade breaks,” reminded Lambert.
Below is a list of facilities that will be guarded this Friday. Additionally facilities will be open this Saturday and Sunday, as well as on upcoming weekends, until June 22, when they begin their daily guarded schedules.
Beaches:
Chicopee State Park, Chicopee
Walden Pond State Reservation, Concord
Douglas State Forest (Wallum Lake), Douglas
Nantasket Beach, Hull
Houghton’s Pond, Blue Hills, Milton
Nahant Beach, Nahant
Revere Beach Reservation, Revere
Carson Beach, South Boston
Pleasure Bay Beach, South Boston
Salisbury Beach, Salisbury (Main Beach Only)
Horseneck Beach, Westport
Shannon Beach, Winchester
Regatta Point, Worcester
Wading Pools:
Lee Wading Pool, Boston
Artesani, Brighton
Spray Decks:
Johnson Spray Deck, Jamaica Plain
Mission Hill, Boston
Stony Brook, Jamaica Plain
Neponset Spray Deck, Dorchester
Beaver Brook, Belmont
North Point, Boston
Olsen Deck, Hyde Park
Moynihan Deck, Hyde Park
Spray decks facilities not attached to a larger full pool facility are running and available for a quick cool off every day from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Sept. 2, officials said. Most wading pools will be open on Saturdays and Sundays until June 29, when remaining wading pools and full-sized swimming pools open for use seven days a week. Daily lifeguard coverage at Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor begins on July 3.
For more information, visit www.mass.gov/dcr.
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest updates about your community, follow some of our local neighborhood, city and town Twitter accounts, here.
Joey's Park organization accepting art submissions for new playground
The organization helping to rebuild Joey’s Park in Belmont is searching for an artist to design pieces for the newly-renovated playground, according to Friends of Joey's Park officials.
Organizers are looking for art pieces that can withstand New England weather; pose no safety threat to children; and that are easy to maintain, according to a statement from the group.
“We’re building a one-of-a-kind playground that inspires creative play and promotes fun,” said Diane Miller, Friends of Joey’s Park co-chair. “We want the art work to reflect that spirit and we are open to many possibilities.”
The art featured on site will double as the “Joey’s Park” sign. It must incorporate a donor list and brief park history, and be a free-standing structure up to 5 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
The new playground, located on Cross Street in Belmont, will maintain both the castle-like feel of the current play structure and the park’s natural elements, the group's officials said.
The park, built in 1989 in the memory of a local boy who died at 12 years old from cystic fibrosis, closed briefly in 2011 after a safety review raised concerns, and reopened on a temporary basis only after some play equipment was removed. Now, community members are using funds that they have been raising to renovate the playground in an old-fashioned community barn-raising.
The new playground has been slated to be built and open in October.
To find out more about the request for art submissions, or to submit a proposal for the playground, visit www.joeyspark.org.
--
Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com
Arlington-based typewriter company fixes what's broken
Jack Furrier shows off the typewriter that Cambridge historian David McCullough brought to the Cambridge Typewriter Co. repair shop for a spring tune-up. Jack's brother, Tom, is the store's owner and resident fixer. Photo by Rob Brown.
For writers who prize manual tradition over new technology, the Cambridge Typewriter Company, in Arlington, is the all-purpose pit stop. Among the shelved machines getting serviced are Susanna Kaysen's ("Girl Interrupted") and novelist Tayari Jones's (Leaving Atlanta"). The store, once a fixture in Cambridge, moved to Arlington more than 20 years ago.
