Word: mbta
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...steps beyond the front door: the hallways are done up as a sort of Spanish dungeon, and the dining hall's best efforts are about comparable to those of Central Kitchens. Unless you have a car, the trip to Cambridge will take you 40 minutes on the MBTA. (Last year, a much-needed limousine shuttle was put into operation between the Medical School and the Yard, but it doesn't run after dark...
Sometime in 1968, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) will evacuate those yards. The walls and fences will come down for good, and the 12-acre area will finally join life in Harvard Square...
...even with this sort of "support," Pei's problem in building a national memorial in the heart of Cambridge seems agonizingly difficult. Along the north side of the MBTA yards (the back of Brattle Square), he has to cope with motels, gas stations, and small stores, with their billboards and neon signs. "We must blend and defend," he says. "This is a great challenge...
...problems, however, are Herculean; some are simply annoying. Take land, for instance. "The Charles River basin is notorious for its bad foundations," he explains. There are already thousands of piles sunk in on the Bennett Street site by the MBTA. But Pei doesn't know if these are usuable. He will have extensive test borings made on the site before determining their suitability. And if they're no good? Well, he'll just have to have them all removed and put in new ones. That will take time...
...will begin more detailed studies of the foundations and of specific traffic requirements (how wide the streets should be, how many cars and buses are to be accomodated etc.). This latter step, Pei says, will require consultation with both the University and the city. Pei will also press the MBTA for a definite pull-out date. So far, he has only been able to get an estimate of from 18 to 24 months...