Today I'll examine the Red Line, starting at Alewife--daily ridership of 11,221.
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Look at those stations! Plenty of concrete and angular architecture, but where are the shops???
Charles/MGH Station is an egregious example of this: it was renovated some years ago into a spacious glass palace with NOTHING IN ITpic.twitter.com/3nDVhRUTry
Not even a Dunkin Donuts? Come on Boston, you're not even trying!! Where's the newsstand? The bookstore? The florist?pic.twitter.com/lRunz6W9D5
Another way Boston leaves money on the table: flat rate fares on the subway, regardless of distance travelled
This is essentially a subsidy for people travelling longer (more expensive to operate) trips, paid for by those going one or two stops
This is incredibly stupid, especially in the era of smart cards, and guarantees uneconomical patterns of use.
Last note here: do you think this is the MAXIMUM ridership these stations could see, given density of population and commerce around them?
I find the prospect difficult to believe--what would happen to ridership if the stations were kept sparkling clean?
Imagine cleaner, safer stations on the Red Line, with places to get food and drink--wouldn't people be more willing to ride?
Think about it...
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