Commuter Rail Parking in Acton
15 Nov 2016Although the data can be found, I couldn’t find all the info on parking for the South Acton Commuter Rail in one consumable place. I’m attempting to solve that problem with this post.
Summary: It’s complicated.
Overview
The South Acton Station in the Boston-area commuter train system (MBTA’s Commuter Rail) essentially travels down the Route 2 corridor into Boston. Acton is about 25 miles outside of the city.
–> Brief aside: Here’s what the commute looks like by car: If I leave in the morning before 6 a.m., I can get there in roughly 40 minutes. During rush hour, it varies widely, between 1 hour and 1.5 hours. After work is about the same, with at least 30 minutes of that just getting through Cambridge.
For this post, we’re taking the train. Before we even hop on the train, we need to park somewhere. This post is dedicated to that: logistics for parking for South Acton Commuter Rail lot.
Here’s the deal
There are 7 parking lots that I’m aware of. There are 3 permits & there are also meters. Annual cost for permits varies from $50 to $200. (Quizzically, it gets more expensive the farther away you park.)
Systems
There are 3 parking systems.
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Resident permits: You can pick these up at Town Hall. As-of this writing, the cost is $50 per year. More details on the town website. Stating the obvious: it’s for Acton residents only. More info on the Town Website
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Reserved spaces: This is a special system for one particular lot. You can pick these up at Town Hall and as-of this writing, the cost is $100/month. Also residents-only. More info also on the Town Website
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MinuteVan parking: You need a permit for these spots, and you can get them via mail or from Town Hall. Your permit can be daily, monthly, or annual. Anyone can get a permit. More info at MinuteVan
| Lot | Location (Description) | System | Quick Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | At station | Resident permit or meters for non-residents | Fills up quickly pssssh |
| 2 | At station, down a side street | Resident permit | Doesn’t fill as quickly, but hard to know if there’s a space until you’ve really invested in getting there |
| 3 | Across from Exchange Hall. 5 min walk | Resident permit | Small, not as close. Timeconsuming to turn around if it doesn’t work out |
| 4 | Next to Jones Field. 8 min walk | Reserved space | It’ll cost you but it’s solid. |
| 5 | At South Acton Fire Station. 8 min walk. | Resident permit | Typically the last resort for residents. |
| 6 | At Mt Calvary Church. 10-15-min shuttle ride. | MinuteVan permit | Reliable, far. |
| 7 | At West Acton Fire Station. 10-15-min shuttle ride. | MinuteVan permit | Reliable, far. |
A map to test your strength
This map is taken from the Acton map of public parcels.
Even more verbage if you want it
Parking lot 1 is at the station itself. “The main lot.” As I write this post, that generally fills up by 6:45 a.m., with folks waiting around for approx 25 minutes for a train. It really is the best lot though. When you get off the train, it’s a short walk. (For some people, it’s literally a run because getting out of the lot can get heavy with traffic so they sprint to their cars to get ahead. Don’t judge!)
Parking lot 2 is also at the station, but its access point is different. This is called the Railroad Street lot and you get it via a small road at a nearby light. I’m not sure how quickly this one fills up. Because of its location and the light, it’s a high investment just to see if there’s an open space. This lot is only for cars with resident permits.
Parking lot 3 is about a 5 minute walk. Assuming that you park your car and intend to go inbound, you have to either cross a street with somewhat heavy traffic, or you go under a bridge and take a long walk all the way to the back of one platform, cross over, then walk back on the inbound platform. This lot is also only for resident permits.
Parking lot 4 is reserved spaces only. I believe you have to be a resident to buy a permit. Permits at this lot cost $100/month and it is an actual reserved spot. That space is yours. The signage is very unclear though. I parked in a space here once because I thought my resident permit counted, based on my read of the signs. Instead I found out that someone threw a big fit and I got towed. So sorry, lady! I had no idea! So, this is the risk profile: you will pretty much have a guaranteed spot but occasionally some dufus like me will unwittingly take your space. At that point you can do various things, including taking a spot built just for this situation, calling the police and waiting for a tow, etc. This is one of those things where if it goes wrong, it’s rough, but it’s almost always right and very smooth. It’s about an 8 minute walk which is not well paved.
Parking lot 5 is at the South Acton Fire Station. It’s about an 8 minute walk, is for residents only, and comes with the same street-crossing caveats as Parking lot 3. This is the last bastion of resident parking spots. If this one’s full (and yes, this does happen), then you have to drive to one of the MinuteVan lots, and–SLAP–you need to be at those lots early enough to catch the van (typically 15 mins before the train departs). This lot fills at approximately 7:20 a.m. as-of this writing. Please see the site for more information.
Parking lot 6 is at the Mt Calvary Church, which is roughly 1.5 miles from the rail station. This is a MinuteVan lot. Note: The resident permit will not work here. You need another permit for this lot. The good news though, is that you can buy a one-day pass. You can also buy monthly and annual passes.
Parking lot 7 is at West Acton’s fire station, which is roughly 2 miles from the rail station. It is also a MinuteVan lot which means everything I said above in lot 6.