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Stations on the Red Line's Ashmont branch falling apart again
By adamg on Thu, 12/08/2022 - 11:51am
The Dorchester Reporter goes on a tour of the stations from JFK/UMass to Ashmont and quickly finds lots of things wrong.
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Comments
How can the T spend so much and get so little?
I just don't understand how these stations are so overbuilt and so lacking at the same time. North station is my favorite example of something that has aged like meth addict. It isn't that old!
For all the problems with the DC Metro, most of the stations still look pretty nice ~40 years later. Meanwhile the life expectancy for any MBTA renovation is about the same as a large inbred dog.
All of these stations have extensive water damage. Either the designs were faulty or there was a glaring lack of oversight from experienced engineers who could put the projects on hold until the problems were resolved. (Probably a combination.)
No regular maintenance
They just let it go until it's so bad that it becomes cheaper to build a new station and start over again. Then they neglect that one, cycle continues.
Power washing the station once a week would not cost millions. Fixing a rusted out step ain't a big deal. They just leave this shit to fester, one little problem at a time.
I think Forest Hills is a beautiful station but the rust is left to spread and it seems there's no intention to paint it, ever.
Low Bidders Cutting Corners
Bid low, get the job, make a few substitutions ...
I agree @SwirlyGrrl!
I went to BC High in the 1970s and Columbia Station (JFK/UMass) was leaky even back then.
Columbia was…
…pushing 50 in the early 70’s; it’s just 34 now
It's more than that
Most companies have a policy of going with the lowest bidder. The difference with the private sector is oversight. A contractor who cuts too many corners is going to get called on it.
Salt
The T over-salts, and uses extremely corrosive calcium chloride and other chlorides for ice mitigation. Calcium chloride kills both concrete and steel, and is impossible to get rid of once it's imbedded in the concrete.
State Rep
Insists NO MORE MONEY, and better communication. Sigh.
Where goes the money?
I volunteered at a small non-profit several years ago. I saw a situation where it looked to me that a vendor charged way more than reasonable. Given other factors, including the liaison with the vendor, I wondered whether part of the excessive charge was going into the pocket of the liaison. When I questioned this (and other dubious practices) I was pushed out of the organization.
Today I saw a BPD cop on a detail where there was not even a need for a flagger. Yet BPD vociferously lobby and shout that details are a vital necessity to public safety.
Two examples of what I consider everyday graft that are embedded in Boston society.
The MBTA spends millions. Was it worthwhile for the soon to be ex governor to pay attention to the receipts? Who has been watching the folks who are supposed to watch over these things?
Stalagmites of Shawmut
I was always fascinated that a subway station had stalactites. Did any college geology courses take advantage of the sites for exploring how stalactites grow?
Will the DTX tunnel leading to and from the Red Line south platform collapse? Walking underneath the temporary supports always left me feeling the need to rush through before the ceiling collapsed.