Don’t go Green Line

Oh the Boston College bound Green Line train: the magical “subway” that runs through Boston University’s entire campus. You might call it a lifesaver for when it’s raining (because it’s always raining) and you missed the BU bus and can’t fathom actually walking to class; and you risk your life dodging cars on Commonwealth Avenue when you see the Green Line coming your way. The T is generally a reliable resource for getting around Boston, yet for some reason, the Green Line isn’t. With its inconstancy and packed trains, among other first world problems, loyal Green Line passengers might begin to second guess how often they ride. While the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority continues to improve other T lines, such as the new T alert signal for the Red Line’s stations, the Green Line continues down its poor track.

To sum up, these are the reasons the Green Line sucks:

Two cars too small:

For some reason, the Green Line is significantly smaller and carries fewer passengers than any other line. I know I know, I’m not that naive; it’s because the Green Line runs above the ground. But would it kill the MBTA to add a third train onto the back sometimes? Pack a few more BU students in there? Small trains create packed cars, and disappointed T riders when this packed train doesn’t stop at your T stop because it’s too full and expressed to BU East.

Traffic:

The Green Line is basically like a car, because it runs along with the car traffic. Can you think of any other train service that has to stop at a red light, or wait for pedestrians to cross the street? Traffic problems delay your expected arrival time by however many cars that are on the road. If I wanted to sit in traffic, I could have taken the bus.

One entrance:

Okay, this one isn’t specifically the Green Line’s fault. Debt problems are causing trust issues between the MBTA and its passengers. So long are the days of sneaking onto the back of the T and avoiding the conductor when he yells at you for being the annoying kid who sneaks on and doesn’t pay. To help with their budget, you can only enter the Green Line now from the front door; this way everyone has to pay. Sadly, the glory days are behind us.

10 feet apart:

The Green Line insists on stopping every three feet for passengers to get off. Apparently, it is too difficult to ask a passenger to walk from Pleasant St. to Babcock St., so it provides stops at both. While some important person in MBTA world might have thought this was convenient, it’s really just silly. Walk a little people. Get some exercise.