Back on the horse but the horse isn't really going anywhere.

I think I've said it before once or twice but finishing this second half of the steps is going to be a bitch.

I am hovering around the half way point. Yesterday I was out for about an hour and was only able to accomplish 38 new steps. Usually I could do 700 or more in an afternoon. I am super out of shape too.

Good news is the Google has come up with a new mapping system which will make compiling my data much simpler. I have started organizing by neighborhood and will soon have links to each individual map instead of the jumbled mess you see on the margin to the right presently. So that's exciting for me.

I have been eating super healthy and have not been smoking because, guess what, I am completing this project this summer dammit. If I ever want to write this guidebook, I have to first finish documenting. One "step" at a time (raucous laughter) oh puns.

So on a different note, I have a qualm. It has to do with Brookline and Overbrook; Two neighborhoods that border the Blue line trolley. While walking steps along route 51 it became clear to me that the Port authority had no idea what they were doing when they built the t extension and bus way. The South bank stop for the bus way and the T is very stupid. I'll explain. In order to reach this stop from Brookline, you must descend city steps from Brookline Blvd, then go under a tunnel and cross the street to the bus way stop. Cool, the T is right above you but there is no access to it...oh. Dumb. You could theoretically ride the bus 200 feet to the T stop...You're not allowed to walk...dumb. Also what's even dumber is that there are two stops so close together!!! Why wouldn't they just be combined!!!! Why doesn't the T run along the bus way????!?! Why does it have its own separate track?!?! It's so inefficient?!?!! Ok, I'll stop with the excessive punctuation.

Onto The McNeilly stop. Wow is this thing over-invested. There is virtually no pedestrian access from Brookline unless you have a death wish walking through that rail tunnel from McNeilly. I have done this countless times. The issue with both stops is that there is a freight line in the way. How to get pedestrians over train tracks has long stumped city planners, no wait...it hasn't. Tunnels! Or cheaper yet, bridges. Or even cheaper. just have a protected cross walk. the protected cross walk could be problematic if a train is coming and you're trying to catch a trolley on time. understood. but these specific stops both beg for better solutions.