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The observation about station costs resonated for me. I've always been startled by the scale and ostentation of Westlake Station [1] in Seattle, which is relati

by pacaro 7y ago

The observation about station costs resonated for me. I've always been startled by the scale and ostentation of Westlake Station [1] in Seattle, which is relatively modern (1990), but feels like it was built in the 20s, it's huge and complicated and serves only two platforms. A practical station design would be a fraction of the size [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westlake_station_(Sound_Transit) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westlake_station_(Sound_Tran...

thehappypm 7y ago
Boston's light rail system (Green Line) is built in a very utilitarian, un-ostentatious way. The second it becomes feasible, the trains emerge from tunnels and ride above ground. Many of the stops are nothing more than a painted stretch of pavement. I've always found it ugly, but perhaps there was wisdom in keeping it simple.
- leggomylibro 7y ago
  Aww, come on - the green line can be really pretty. Go check out the Longwood stop and take a walk in the park along the tracks in the summer, it's almost surreal how beautifully the ironwork and old stone bridges and greenery mesh together.
  - volkl48 7y ago
    The D/Riverside Line of the Green Line is a recycled former heavy rail line, it was not originally built as a streetcar/light rail line. The ironwork, old stone bridges and stationhouses and such are very nice, but are thanks to the Boston and Albany RR in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It was bought by the government and converted over to a light rail line in the late 1950s.
    - leggomylibro 7y ago
      Fascinating, thanks for the history lesson - I guess that's part of Boston's charm. They say that cows and horses designed the street layout more than people did, although I'm sure that's not true anymore :)
      - volkl48 7y ago
        For a little more of a history lesson: Much of the core of Boston is artificial land added at various times throughout history. The seemingly crazy street layouts and orientations (especially in the Downtown/North End areas) make much more "sense" when you realize how the original landmass was shaped, which was a peninsula only connected to the mainland by a single very narrow road out to the south/southwest. You can find more detail and scope elsewhere, but here's a quick image that illustrates most of it: http://i.imgur.com/dWSGEjQ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dWSGEjQ.jpg
xxpor 7y ago
And it has a huge, useless mezzanine, as called out in the presentation.
Someone 7y ago
I don’t think minimising costs was a goal there. If so, it seems to have been at least somewhat succesful. That Wikipedia article: "the station's mezzanine became sought as an events venue”

by pacaro 7y ago

thehappypm 7y ago

Boston's light rail system (Green Line) is built in a very utilitarian, un-ostentatious way. The second it becomes feasible, the trains emerge from tunnels and ride above ground. Many of the stops are nothing more than a painted stretch of pavement. I've always found it ugly, but perhaps there was wisdom in keeping it simple.

leggomylibro 7y ago
Aww, come on - the green line can be really pretty. Go check out the Longwood stop and take a walk in the park along the tracks in the summer, it's almost surreal how beautifully the ironwork and old stone bridges and greenery mesh together.
- volkl48 7y ago
  The D/Riverside Line of the Green Line is a recycled former heavy rail line, it was not originally built as a streetcar/light rail line. The ironwork, old stone bridges and stationhouses and such are very nice, but are thanks to the Boston and Albany RR in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It was bought by the government and converted over to a light rail line in the late 1950s.
  - leggomylibro 7y ago
    Fascinating, thanks for the history lesson - I guess that's part of Boston's charm. They say that cows and horses designed the street layout more than people did, although I'm sure that's not true anymore :)
    - volkl48 7y ago
      For a little more of a history lesson: Much of the core of Boston is artificial land added at various times throughout history. The seemingly crazy street layouts and orientations (especially in the Downtown/North End areas) make much more "sense" when you realize how the original landmass was shaped, which was a peninsula only connected to the mainland by a single very narrow road out to the south/southwest. You can find more detail and scope elsewhere, but here's a quick image that illustrates most of it: http://i.imgur.com/dWSGEjQ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dWSGEjQ.jpg

xxpor 7y ago

And it has a huge, useless mezzanine, as called out in the presentation.

Someone 7y ago

I don’t think minimising costs was a goal there. If so, it seems to have been at least somewhat succesful. That Wikipedia article: "the station's mezzanine became sought as an events venue”