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BingBong022 t1_jbcz6un wrote

That's an industrial bong

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UncleJimmee t1_jbfisl6 wrote

1st: obligatory 'username checks out' 2nd, While likely not correct yours is the best answer.

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Parlor-soldier t1_jbczera wrote

I believe that to be a sewer vent. Puts the smell above the noses of pedestrians.

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aKnowing t1_jbd2od4 wrote

Is this the reason why the city smells better than when I was a kid? I distinctly remember downtown having such a strange shitty smell

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lofaszzz t1_jbf36e8 wrote

I have built and installed these in Providence. The building it is next to has a gas fired boiler or other heating equipment in the sub basement. These boilers require both intake air for the gas combustion and an exhaust. The exhaust is hot and rises. It comes out the very top where the vent is narrower. The intake air goes in lower where the vent widens. It is essentially an exhaust pipe running in the middle of a larger intake pipe.

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mdurg68 OP t1_jbfawk0 wrote

Ah, I really love all the comedy but this makes sense. They aren't just at city hall they're all over. You can hear the equipment running and using as intake makes sense to what sound it's making.

I suppose it may be a place the joker and his henchmen could dump knockout gas to clear a building?

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lofaszzz t1_jbfig9x wrote

Unfortunately no, it's a sealed system. The combustion air does not mix with the heating/ cooling air. But I like the way you think.

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BlancheDevereauxPVD t1_jbifout wrote

I’ve lived in Providence almost 25 years, downtown 10…always noticed these and randomly ask my friends “WTF are these?!l” and no one knew. So thank you! I can’t wait to make my friends feel dumb 😊

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wyzapped t1_jbd6qr2 wrote

That’s the vent for the new subway system 🙃

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CarniverousApple t1_jbe3kux wrote

I wish RI had a subway system going from Boston through Pawtucket to Providence to Cranston and Warwick

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big_whistler t1_jbe4fy3 wrote

A subway between Boston and RI would suck cause it would stop every five seconds. You would never get where you’re going.

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CarniverousApple t1_jbe4mbi wrote

Have you ever taken the commuter rail? Doesn’t stop every 5 seconds

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Status_Silver_5114 t1_jbe5nwv wrote

Eh stops more than it should! We should have express train options to BOS and back.

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CarniverousApple t1_jbe5tx4 wrote

Right! Like building a subway with all the stops and then make the commuter rail an expressway. Or vise versa

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Status_Silver_5114 t1_jbe6qnf wrote

It’s just ridiculous it takes as long as it does to get downtown to downtown. It’s what 40 miles? 45?

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CarniverousApple t1_jbe6vp0 wrote

Yeah I agree. Opening a secondary track would allow you to alternate the stops.

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big_whistler t1_jbeb09u wrote

subways stop more often than commuter rail, so that’s why you would not want a subway instead

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NickRick t1_jbeycrr wrote

and you know that the commuter rail and subway operate differently right?

https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-12/2022-12-12-subway-map-v37f.pdf

between north station and Malden center there are two commuter rail stops, 6 orange line stops. between south station and brain tree there are 4 commuter rail stops, and 9 red line stops. subways are for shorter distances and have more stops. the commuter rail has 13 stops from providence to south station. a subway would at the minimum have 26 stops, but probably more. with just 26 stops and waiting for a quick 2 minutes per stop that's already almost and hour of waiting without travel time. a subway isn't a good form of transportation over that large a distance.

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PotatosAreDelicious t1_jbg1cco wrote

A subway is just an underground railroad. there are no requirements on the technology to how many stops per mile you have. Subways can also go straighter then above ground routes.

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newbiePVD t1_jbeo5n5 wrote

Nah RI doesn't want subways, with climate change & storms subway tunnels flood. Like NYC's do & Boston's is always at risk at the Aquarium stop. Are there people in RI who consider how RI should protect against climate change? I read the Army Corp of Engineers is studying if the hurricane barrier can withstand rising ocean.

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grizzlor_ t1_jbh6u71 wrote

At least we’ve got a nice bottleneck right there to protect PVD from rising sea levels. Permanently closing the hurricane barrier and reinforcing it is relatively straightforward.

Boston on the other hand will have to build a seawall from either from Logan or across the islands further out. It’ll be a hell of a megaproject.

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PotatosAreDelicious t1_jbg1wwl wrote

You realize there are plenty of tunnels that go under the ocean/bay right?

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newbiePVD t1_jbgj3bn wrote

I assume they don't have entrances & grates to the streets that allow the flooding,

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UncleJimmee t1_jbdzlo7 wrote

Below grade generator intake and exhaust.

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JustShawnML t1_jbezu7x wrote

All wrong answers. This is a vent for the blower to an underground electrical vault.

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Cole3823 t1_jbels1h wrote

Ah the old poop chutes

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Db3ma t1_jbhd3w8 wrote

Isnt there a black and white photo of that intersection under water in the early part of last century?

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