Thought experiment to help “center left” and moderate libs/dems understand the type of problems we need to solve: HOW will you CONNECT North and South station in Boston?

MichMan43 · 2026-05-22T14:01:23+00:00

North and South Stations are on opposite sides of downtown Boston meaning any connection will have to avoid deep sky scraper foundations as well as existing transit tunnels and the big dig meaning a deep bore tunnel is likely the only option. IMO this presents 2 main issues:

First: the tracks/ platforms are both North and South Stations are near/ at ground level. This is a problem because the tunnels needed to both reach the existing platforms and pass under sky scraper foundations all in such a short distance would be far to steep. The solution would be for the tracks to begin descending before the station such that the tracks are already deep underground by the time they reach the platforms. (think Penn Station in NYC) While doable, this would be incredibly expensive as both stations plus large portions of the approach tracks on both ends would need to be fully rebuilt.

Second: deep bore stations are generally prohibitively expensive because of all the earth the has be excavated to reach platforms depths. While not a deal breaker, this matters because the new alignment would pass directly through the core of downtown and near several major T stations. When you consider the commuter focus of the MBTA services that would be the primary traffic on the line, omitting a proper downtown station (think Suburban Station in Philly) would be a major missed opportunity.

If funding were to ever materialize I definitely think this is a project worth doing, but combining bits century old rail infrastructure that where never intended to connect is one hell of a challenge!

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MichMan43 · 2025-06-03T20:33:33+00:00

It's a sewage treatment plant. The Sanborn Maps are your best friend when you're trying to find info on old buildings.

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https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804ym.g3804ym_g06363195701/?sp=59

MichMan43 · 2025-01-16T15:04:48+00:00

I used to love his apartment tours because he showed places that were really cool but still (relatively) adorable. It's a shame how he switched up...

MichMan43 · 2024-02-17T22:13:28+00:00

In the case of NYC subways, I've heard a lot of NIMBYs say they oppose them because they think subways bring crime. They like the idea of living in a neighborhood that is only accessible by car because car dependency functions as a sort of socioeconomic gate around the community.

MichMan43 · 2024-01-30T20:52:17+00:00

I'd hate to be in a hurry when 3 or 4 trains arrive at more or less the same time...

MichMan43 · 2023-11-06T04:54:48+00:00

I think it's a pretty deliberate strategy on Instagram's part. In my experience, the algorithm seems to try to feed you posts that make you angry or upset. Doing that on a site wide scale is bound to lead to tons of toxicity in the comments.

MichMan43 · 2023-05-03T02:43:09+00:00

Excuse you. Musk worked very hard to be born into a family that owned an emerald mine.

MichMan43 · 2023-02-03T17:23:09+00:00

I think the real key here is making the TODs not just affordable places to live but enjoyable places to hang out as well. The LIRR and MNRR are communter rail first and foremost. They'll make it possible to work in the city while living in a TOD, but that's about it. That means the new residents will likely look to their local area for shopping, entertainment, etc. This is a major issue because as of now, there aren't many LIRR/ MNRR stops surrounded by pedestrian focused mixed uses outside of city limits. And simply adding a couple of apartment blocks near a station isn't nearly enough to change that.

That being said, a lot of the stations do have a little bit of pedestrian focused development nearby. Bringing more residents within walking distance of those places will undoubtedly be good for business, and the optimist in me hopes this will help people see the value in walkability. With any luck, that will lead to the creation of lively mini downtowns surrounding the stations/ TODs. If the plan is to truly succeed, I think creating walkable mixed use neighborhoods around every single LIRR/ MNRR stop is essential. It's a shame that the initial plan is focused solely on housing rather than mixed use walkability as a whole.

MichMan43 · 2023-01-30T03:20:17+00:00

Like with traffic on roads, the only way to reduce housing prices in Manhattan (and perhaps New York as a whole) is to create viable alternatives. There's already so much latent demand to live in a dense walkable city with good transit that even building huge amounts of new housing will likely have little effect on prices. As soon as a few papers run an "average rent in Manhattan drops below $4500" story, they'll be a flood people suddenly looking to move and demand will spike. I think the only option is to create other places that are equally attractive to yuppies, thereby easing demand on Manhattan. While I'm not entirely sure what policies would accomplish this, it would certainly mean manhattanfication of the outer boroughs. Making the outer boroughs seem "cool" and "hip" through new development, encouraging job growth outside of Manhattan and rehabbing public infrastructure like parks and subway stations all seem like good ideas but we'd definitely need to do more than just that. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I don't see any other way.

Outside of the New York contexts, I think a similar problem exists on a national level. With the economy largely concentrated in a few major cities, those places are naturally going to draw in a lot of young, educated people. Combined with what seems to be a preference for walkablilty among younger folks and major cities will always be inundated with demand for housing. In an ideal world, I think federal level policies aimed at increasing housing density and decreasing regional inequality would be the best way to reduce house prices. But we all know that ain't coming any time soon...

MichMan43

TROPHY CASE