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104-819: The Causeway Street elevated was an elevated section of the MBTA Green Line light rail system in Boston , located in the area near North Station . It was in operation from 1912 until 2004, when it was replaced with a new tunnel and underground station on a slightly different alignment. The Causeway Street elevated began at the Canal Street incline in parallel with the Charlestown Elevated tracks, and after "splitting" away from it just south of Boston Garden , turned southwest above Causeway Street with an elevated station at North Station in front of

208-458: A Spring 2016 reopening. In August 2015, the MBTA revealed that the glass used on the headhouse was defective due to poor workmanship, with failed seals between the double-paned glass causing fogging. The glass was replaced at the contractor's expense and did not affect the project's schedule. On February 2, 2016, the MBTA announced that the station would reopen on March 26, 2016 and that the project

312-794: A dedicated tunnel in South Boston and on the surface, elsewhere including the SL1 route that serves Logan Airport . Washington Street service, a belated replacement for the Washington Street Elevated , began in 2002 and was expanded in 2009. Waterfront service began in 2004, with an expansion to Chelsea opened in 2018. MBTA predecessors formerly operated a large trolleybus network , much of which replaced surface streetcar lines. Four lines based out of Harvard station lasted until 2022, when they were replaced with conventional buses. Three Silver Line routes operated as trolleybuses in

416-423: A few dozen to over 2,500. The larger lots and garages are usually near a major highway exit, and most lots fill up during the morning rush hour . There are some 22,000 spaces on the southern portion of the commuter rail system, 9,400 on the northern portion and 14,600 at subway stations. The parking fee ranges from $ 4 to $ 7 per day, and overnight parking (maximum 7 days) is permitted at some stations. Management for

520-850: A major northerly mill town in northeast Massachusetts' Merrimack Valley , via one of the oldest railroads in North America . This marked the beginning of the development of American intercity railroads, which in Massachusetts would later become the MBTA Commuter Rail system and the Green Line D branch . Starting with the opening of the Cambridge Railroad on March 26, 1856, a profusion of streetcar lines appeared in Boston under chartered companies. Despite

624-460: A number of parking lots owned by the MBTA is handled by a private contractor. The 2012 contract with LAZ Parking (which was not its first ) was terminated in 2017 after employees were discovered "skimming" revenue; the company paid $ 5.5 million to settle the case. A new contract with stronger performance incentives and anti-fraud penalties was then awarded to Republic Parking System of Tennessee. Government Center (MBTA station) The station

728-490: A number of stations added and rebuilt, especially on the Fairmount Line. Each commuter rail line has up to eleven fare zones, numbered 1A and 1 through 10. Riders are charged based on the number of zones they travel through. Tickets can be purchased on the train, from ticket counters or machines in some rail stations, or with a mobile app called mTicket. If a local vendor or ticket machine is available, riders will pay

832-462: A one-track stub-end terminal at Court Street next to Scollay Square. A passageway was built connecting the two stations. A bronze statue of John Winthrop was relocated from Scollay Square to the Back Bay in 1903 to make room for the exit stairs from the station. Erected in 1880, the statue had already been moved in 1898 to make room for the first headhouse. The stub-end track at Court Street

936-507: A short section remaining at Lechmere, was the last section in service. When the Tremont Street subway fully opened in 1898, surface cars entering the subway from East Cambridge had to cross Craigie's Bridge and proceed on surface streets to the Canal Street incline . The trip from Lechmere Point over the bridge was slow and prone to heavy traffic delays. On June 20, 1907, construction began on one mile of elevated track connecting

1040-402: A surcharge for paying with cash on board. Fares range from $ 2.40 to $ 13.25, with multi-ride and monthly passes available, and $ 10 unlimited weekend passes. In 2016, the system averaged 122,600 daily riders, making it the fourth-busiest commuter rail system in the nation. The MBTA boat system comprises several ferry routes via Boston Harbor . One of these is an inner harbor service, linking

1144-572: A weekend of substitute bus service north of Government Center , Green Line service to the underground North Station "superstation" began on June 28. During the 2004 Democratic National Convention from July 24 to 29, 2004, the disused Elevated was used as a platform for security personnel. After a year of substitute bus service while the new portal and incline connecting the tunnel to the Lechmere Viaduct were finished, regular service to Lechmere resumed on November 12, 2005. The replacement of

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1248-532: Is 4 tracks wide under the North Station building. Through trains run on the outer tracks, while the inner two tracks are used for temporarily storing Green line cars and to reverse trains that terminate at North Station. A short siding off the inbound track south of North Station is used for storing construction equipment. On June 25, 2004, the Causeway Street elevated was permanently closed. After

1352-519: Is done online, and requires a valid email address and the serial number of the CharlieCard. All bike parking is free of charge. As of 2014 , the MBTA operates park and ride facilities at 103 locations with a total capacity of 55,000 automobiles, and is the owner of the largest number of off-street paid parking spaces in New England. The number of spaces at stations with parking varies from

1456-462: Is provided through contract of the MBTA by Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC). The MBTA contracts out operation of "The Ride", a door to door service for people with disabilities. Paratransit services carry 5,400 passengers on a typical weekday, or 0.47% of the MBTA system ridership. The two private service providers under contractual agreement with the MBTA for The Ride: Veterans Transportation LLC, and National Express Transit (NEXT). In September 2016,

1560-535: Is the successor of several previous public and private operators. Privately operated transit in Boston began with commuter rail in 1834 and horsecar lines in 1856. The various horsecar companies were consolidated under the West End Street Railway in the 1880s and electrified over the next decade. The Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) succeeded the West End in 1897; over the next several decades,

1664-632: The Atlantic Avenue Elevated . North Union Station was replaced in 1928 by North Station with the Boston Garden arena on top, prompting minor changes to the station's configuration. When the Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed in 1938, and subsequently demolished for scrap metal in 1942, the tracks that once served it were removed from the elevated station, but the abandoned stub trackbed remained part of

1768-624: The Big Dig . However, these projects have strained the MBTA's limited resources, since the Big Dig project did not include funding for these improvements. Since 1988, the MBTA has been the fastest expanding transit system in the country, even as Greater Boston has been one of the slowest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. The MBTA subsequently went into debt, and rates underwent an appreciable hike on January 1, 2007. In 2006,

1872-752: The Boston Elevated Railway in 1947. In the 1950s, the MTA ran new subway extensions, while the last two streetcar lines running into the Pleasant Street Portal of the Tremont Street Subway were substituted with buses in 1953 and 1962. In 1958, the MTA purchased the Highland branch from the Boston and Albany Railroad , reopening it a year later as a rapid transit line (now the Green Line D branch ). While

1976-496: The Boston Garden , and then turned northwest above Lowell Street, before joining the Lechmere Viaduct at Leverett Circle . It was a two-track structure on steel girders, similar to the Charlestown Elevated , Atlantic Avenue Elevated , and Washington Street Elevated , which were opened between 1901 and 1909. The Causeway Street elevated was one of the last pieces of elevated line constructed in Boston, and, except for

2080-577: The Boston and Maine Railroad to the north, the New York Central Railroad to the west, and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to the south. Most branches and one trunk line – the former Old Colony Railroad main – had their passenger services discontinued during the middle of the 20th century. In 1964, the MBTA was formed to fund the failing suburban railroad operations, with an eye towards converting many to extensions of

2184-535: The Central Mass branch (cut back from Hudson to South Sudbury ), West Medway branch (cut back from West Medway to Millis ), Blackstone Line (cut back from Blackstone to Franklin ), and B&M New Hampshire services (cut back from Portsmouth to Newburyport ), these cuts were temporary; however, service on three branch lines (all of them with only one round trip daily: one morning rush-hour trip in to Boston, and one evening rush-hour trip back out to

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2288-738: The East Boston Tunnel and Washington Street Tunnel incorporated this criticism into their more modest headhouses. On June 10, 1901, Main Line Elevated trains began using the through tracks through the Tremont Street Subway, while streetcars continued using the Brattle Loop. The main platform was divided into separate sections for northbound and southbound elevated trains, each with separate staircases and ticket takers, with sliding platform sections to meet

2392-723: The Fairmount Line , the Talbot Avenue station , opened in November 2012. On June 26, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick signed a law to place the MBTA along with other state transportation agencies within the administrative authority of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), with the MBTA now part of the Mass Transit division (MassTrans). The 2009 transportation law continued

2496-622: The MBTA subway with three metro lines (the Blue , Orange , and Red lines), two light rail lines (the Green and Ashmont–Mattapan lines), and a five-line bus rapid transit system (the Silver Line ); MBTA bus local and express service; the twelve-line MBTA Commuter Rail system, and several ferry routes . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 239,981,700, or about 812,400 per weekday as of

2600-853: The Middleborough/Lakeville Line . Amtrak runs regularly scheduled intercity rail service over four lines: the Lake Shore Limited over the Framingham/Worcester Line , Acela Express and Northeast Regional services over the Providence/Stoughton Line , and the Downeaster over sections of the Lowell Line and Haverhill Line . Freight trains run by Pan Am Southern , Pan Am Railways , CSX Transportation ,

2704-613: The Providence and Worcester Railroad , and the Fore River Railroad also use parts of the network. The first commuter rail service in the United States was operated over what is now the Framingham/Worcester Line beginning in 1834. Within the next several decades, Boston was the center of a massive rail network, with eight trunk lines and dozens of branches. By 1900, ownership was consolidated under

2808-544: The Red Line was extended both north and south, providing not only additional subway system coverage, but also major parking structures at several of the terminal and intermediate stations. In 1981, seventeen people and one corporation were indicted for their roles in a number of kickback schemes at the MBTA. Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and MBTA Chairman Barry Locke was convicted of five counts of bribery and sentenced to 7 to 10 years in prison. By 1999,

2912-517: The four-track-wide segment of the Green Line tunnel between Park Street and Boylston stations was the first subway in the United States, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark . The downtown portions of what are now the Green, Orange, Blue, and Red line tunnels were all in service by 1912. Additions to the rapid transit network occurred in most decades of the 1900s, and continue in

3016-461: The 1990s called for the project to add two new entrances to the station, using the former west entrance to the Blue Line level and the former Brattle Loop entrance to the Green Line level. The Blue Line entrance would be close to Bowdoin station, allowing it to be closed. The additional Green Line entrance was cut during preliminary design, but the Blue Line entrance was kept; until at least 2011,

3120-564: The 2000s with the addition of Silver Line bus rapid transit and planned Green Line expansion. (See History and Future plans sections.) The MBTA bus system, the nation's sixth largest by ridership , has 152 bus routes . Most routes provide local service in the urban core; smaller local networks are also centered around Waltham , Lynn , and Quincy . The system also includes longer routes serving less-dense suburbs, including several express routes. The buses are colored yellow on maps and in station decor. Most routes are directly operated by

3224-610: The 39 bus. The MBTA purchased bus routes in the outer suburbs to the north and south from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway in 1968. As with the commuter rail system, many of the outlying routes were dropped shortly before or after the takeover due to low ridership and high operating costs. In the 1970s, the MBTA received a boost from the Boston Transportation Planning Review area-wide re-evaluation of

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3328-480: The BERy built a partially-publicly owned rapid transit system, beginning with the Tremont Street subway in 1897. The BERy came under the control of public trustees in 1919, and was subsumed into the fully-publicly owned Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947. The MTA was in turn succeeded in 1964 by the MBTA, with an expanded funding district to fund declining suburban commuter rail service. In its first two decades,

3432-419: The BERy in 1947 and continued to reduce streetcar services. The last Brattle Loop service was discontinued in 1952. The northbound platform was extended over the loop in 1954 to allow two 3-car trains of PCC streetcars to board simultaneously. Boston City Hall Plaza replaced Scollay Square in the early 1960s. Scollay Square station was wholly renovated, and the northbound tunnel was realigned to accommodate

3536-561: The Boston Transit Commission began an extension of the East Boston Tunnel west to Bowdoin . Court Street station was abandoned on November 15, 1914; a passageway was opened to connect Scollay Square station with Devonshire , which temporarily served as the terminal. The floor of the station was removed and the tunnel angled down through the former station to allow for the extended tunnel to proceed under

3640-621: The Canal Street incline to East Cambridge. The project's centerpiece was the 1,700-foot (520 m) arched Lechmere Viaduct crossing the Charles River; other sections included a short elevated in East Cambridge and an elevated line above Causeway Street connecting the viaduct to the Canal Street incline. The first streetcars crossed the new bridge and the Causeway Street elevated in revenue service on June 1, 1912, shortening

3744-528: The Causeway Street elevated cost $ 310 million in 2005 dollars. [REDACTED] Media related to Causeway Street Elevated at Wikimedia Commons Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as " the T ") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston , Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network includes

3848-475: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts for all costs above revenue collected (net cost of service). "Forward funding" introduced at that time consists of a dedicated revenue stream from assessments on served cities and towns, along with a 20% portion of the 5% state sales tax . The Commonwealth assigned to the MBTA responsibility for increasing public transit to compensate for increased automobile pollution from

3952-512: The East Boston Tunnel including Scollay Under was converted from low-platform streetcars to high-platform third-rail-powered rapid transit. A portion of the low streetcar platform remained east of the new high platform. The station was further renovated in 1928 with new lights, and improved fare collection equipment. Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway service to Brattle Loop ended on January 13, 1935, though some BERy streetcars continued to use it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) replaced

4056-519: The Elevated's original Causeway Street alignment. As part of environmental remediation to compensate for increased air pollution caused by the Big Dig, the Causeway Street elevated was replaced by a new tunnel under North Station to free up land and to lower noise levels associated with the trains' characteristic screech as they rounded the sharp elevated turns, as well as to remove the light-blocking elevated structure from Causeway Street. The new tunnel

4160-772: The Green Line, or the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line segment of the Red Line. Buses equipped with bike racks at the front (including the Silver Line) may always accommodate bicycles, up to the capacity limit of the racks. The MBTA claims that 95% of its buses are now equipped with bike racks. Due to congestion and tight clearances, bicycles are banned from Park Street, Downtown Crossing, and Government Center stations at all times. However, compact folding bicycles are permitted on all MBTA vehicles at all times, provided that they are kept completely folded for

4264-461: The MBTA $ 2.7 billion from the state's five-year transportation bond bill plus more money from the proposed multi-state Transportation and Climate Initiative . A December 2019 report by the MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board panel found that "safety is not the priority at the T, but it must be." The report said, "There is a general feeling that fiscal controls over the years may have gone too far, which coupled with staff cutting has resulted in

Causeway Street elevated - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-617: The MBTA Board of Directors safety subcommittee that of 61 recommendations made by the Fiscal and Management Control Board in 2019, two-thirds were complete and one-third were on progress or on hold (including all financial review recommendations). In April 2022, the Federal Transit Administration announced in a letter to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak that it would assume an increased safety oversight role over

4472-743: The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board, effective July 17, 2015, with expanded powers to reform the agency during five years. Its term was extended by another year in 2020. Construction of the Green Line Extension , the first expansion to the rail rapid transit system since 1987, began in 2018. In April 2018, the MBTA Silver Line began operating a route from Chelsea to South Station . A June 2019 Red Line derailment resulted in train delays for several months, which brought more attention to capital maintenance problems at

4576-555: The MBTA and would conduct a safety management inspection. As of 2022, the MBTA had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 47% from 2009 levels, and now buys or produces 100% renewable electricity. The subway system has three heavy rail rapid transit lines (the Red , Orange and Blue Lines), and two light rail lines (the Green Line and the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line , the latter designated an extension of

4680-572: The MBTA announced that paratransit users would be able to get rides from Uber and Lyft . Riders would pay $ 2 for a pickup within a few minutes (more for longer trips worth more than $ 15) instead of $ 3.15 for a scheduled pickup the next day. The MBTA would pay $ 13 instead of $ 31 per ride ($ 46 per trip when fixed costs of The Ride are considered). Conventional bicycles are generally allowed on MBTA commuter rail, commuter boat, and rapid transit lines during off-peak hours and all day on weekends and holidays. However, bicycles are not allowed at any time on

4784-557: The MBTA corporate structure and changed the MBTA board membership to the five Governor-appointed members of the Mass DOT Board. In February 2015, there was record breaking snowfall in Boston from the 2014–15 North American winter , which caused lengthy closures of portions of the MBTA subway system, and many long-term operational and financial problems with the entire MBTA system coming under greater public attention, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker subsequently announced

4888-498: The MBTA still planned to close Bowdoin after Government Center was renovated. However, by 2013, the MBTA decided not to construct the planned west entrance at Government Center, and to instead build only a less-expensive emergency exit. The main construction contract was awarded to Barletta Heavy Division in July 2013, and site preparation began in mid-November 2013. On March 22, 2014, Government Center station closed for two years for

4992-407: The MBTA took over the commuter rail system from the private operators and continued expansion of the rapid transit system. Originally established as an individual department within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the MBTA became a division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in 2009. Mass transportation in Boston was provided by private companies, often granted charters by

5096-401: The MBTA website. The MBTA says that over 95% of its stations are equipped with bike racks, many of them under cover from the weather. In addition, over a dozen stations are equipped with "Pedal & Park" fully enclosed areas protected with video surveillance and controlled door access, for improved security. To obtain access, a personally registered CharlieCard must be used. Registration

5200-404: The MBTA, though several suburban routes are run by private operators under contract to the MBTA. The Silver Line is also operated as part of the MBTA bus system. It is designated as bus rapid transit (BRT), even though it lacks some of the characteristics of bus rapid transit. Two routes run on Washington Street between Nubian station and downtown Boston. Three "waterfront" routes run in

5304-646: The MTA) designated the remaining streetcar routes as the Green Line and the East Boston Tunnel line as the Blue Line . In 1968-69, a "Phase I" modernization added false ceilings, fluorescent lights, and other aesthetic upgrades. In the late 1970s, Mary Beams - an artist at Harvard's Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts - painted 19 murals which were placed along the wall behind the Brattle Loop. Although intended to be temporary, they received protective covers in

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5408-465: The MTC recommended an expansion of the MTA to commuter rail territory. On August 3, 1964, the MBTA succeeded the MTA, with an enlarged service area intended to fund continued commuter rail operations. The original 14-municipality MTA district was expanded to 78 cities and towns. Several lines were briefly cut back while contracts with out-of-district towns were reached, but, except for the outer portions of

5512-512: The Orange and Green Lines (which run approximately parallel in that district) also connect directly at two stations just north of downtown. The Red Line and Blue Line are the only pair of subway lines which do not have a direct transfer connection to each other. Because the various subway lines do not consistently run in any given compass direction , it is customary to refer to line directions as "inbound" or "outbound". Inbound trains travel towards

5616-479: The Red Line). The system operates according to a spoke-hub distribution paradigm , with the lines running radially between central Boston and its environs. It is common usage in Boston to refer to all four of the color-coded rail lines which run underground as "the subway" or "the T", regardless of the actual railcar equipment used. All four subway lines cross downtown, forming a quadrilateral configuration, and

5720-529: The Scollay Square headhouse had its entrance at one end of the structure. A small exit structure was located to the north, while the Brattle Loop used a separate entrance built into a building at Court Street and Brattle Street. The headhouses of the Tremont were sharply criticized as "pretentiously monumental", with the Scollay Square headhouse compared to "an enlarged soda fountain". Later stations on

5824-417: The T. After complaints from many riders and business groups, the governor proposed adding $ 50 million for an independent team to speed up inspections and capital projects, and general efforts to speed up existing capital spending from $ 1 billion to $ 1.5 billion per year. Replacement of the Red Line signal system was accelerated, including equipment that was damaged in the derailment. Baker proposed allocating to

5928-500: The Waterfront Tunnel using dual-mode buses until these were replaced with hybrid battery buses in 2023. The MBTA Commuter Rail system is a commuter rail network that reaches from Boston into the suburbs of eastern Massachusetts. The system consists of twelve main lines, three of which have two branches. The rail network operates according to a spoke-hub distribution paradigm , with the lines running radially outward from

6032-400: The branches of the Green Line from north to south. Shortages of streetcars, among other factors, caused bustitution of rail service on two branches of the Green Line. The A branch ceased operating entirely in 1969 and was replaced by the 57 bus, while the E branch was truncated from Arborway to Heath Street in 1985, with the section between Heath Street and Arborway being replaced by

6136-510: The change of companies, Boston is the city with the oldest continuously working streetcar system in the world. Many of these companies consolidated, and animal-drawn vehicles were converted to electric propulsion. Streetcar congestion in downtown Boston led to the subways in 1897 and elevated rail in 1901. The Tremont Street subway was the first rapid transit tunnel in the United States. Grade-separation added capacity and avoided delays caused by cross streets. The first elevated railway and

6240-524: The city of Boston, with a total of 394 miles (634 km) of revenue trackage. Eight of the lines converge at South Station , with four of these passing through Back Bay station. The other four converge at North Station . There is no passenger connection between the two sides; the Grand Junction Railroad is used for non-revenue equipment moves accessing the maintenance facility . The North–South Rail Link has been proposed to connect

6344-707: The creation of the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority saw several towns subtract their MWRTA assessment from their MBTA assessment, though the amount of funding the MBTA received remained the same. The next year, the MBTA started commuter rail service to the Greenbush section of Scituate , the third branch of the Old Colony service . Rhode Island also paid for extensions of the Providence/Stoughton Line to T.F. Green Airport in 2010 and Wickford Junction in 2012. A new station on

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6448-413: The district was expanded further to 175 cities and towns, adding most that were served by or adjacent to commuter rail lines, though the MBTA did not assume responsibility for local service in those communities adjacent to or served by commuter rail. In 2016, the Town of Bourne voted to join the MBTA district, bringing the number of MBTA communities to 176. Prior to July 1, 2000, the MBTA was reimbursed by

6552-432: The downtown waterfront with the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown . The other routes are commuter routes, linking downtown to Hingham , Hull , and Salem . Some commuter services operate via Logan International Airport . All boat services are operated by private sector companies under contract to the MBTA. In FY2005, the MBTA boat system carried 4,650 passengers (0.41% of total MBTA passengers) per weekday. The service

6656-471: The duration of the trip, including passage through faregates. Gasoline -powered vehicles, bike trailers , and Segways are prohibited. No special permit is required to take a bicycle onto an MBTA vehicle, but bicyclists are expected to follow the rules and hours of operation. Cyclists under 16 years old are supposed to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Detailed rules, and an explanation of how to use front-of-bus bike racks and bike parking are on

6760-601: The elevated section was cut back slightly and connected to a northwards viaduct extension as part of the Green Line Extension . The old elevated railways proved to be an eyesore and required several sharp curves in Boston's twisty streets. The Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed in 1938 amidst declining ridership and was demolished in 1942. As rail passenger service became increasingly unprofitable, largely due to rising automobile ownership, government takeover prevented abandonment and dismantlement. The MTA purchased and took over subway, elevated, streetcar, and bus operations from

6864-426: The entire Old Colony Railroad system serving the southeastern part of the state was abandoned by the New Haven Railroad in 1959, triggering calls for state intervention. Between January 1963 and March 1964, the Mass Transportation Commission tested different fare and service levels on the B&M and New Haven systems. Determining that commuter rail operations were important but could not be financially self-sustaining,

6968-504: The existing Scollay Square station. The upper part of the former station was later converted to storage space. Scollay Under opened on March 13, 1916, with streetcars looping empty around the Bowdoin loop. It had an island platform with staircases to the existing Scollay station. The 1898-built platform was extended during the project to accommodate expected loads of transferring passengers. Bowdoin station opened on March 18. An Orient Heights– Central Square, Cambridge through service

7072-476: The existing rapid transit system. The first unified branding of the system was applied on October 8, 1974, with "MBTA Commuter Rail" naming and purple coloration analogous to the four subway lines. The system continued to shrink – mostly with the loss of marginal lines with one daily round trip – until 1981. The system has been expanded since, with four lines restored ( Fairmount Line in 1979, Old Colony Lines in 1997, and Greenbush Line in 2007), six extended, and

7176-485: The extremities of the Orange Line: its northern end was relocated in 1975 from Everett to Malden, Massachusetts , and its southern end was relocated into the Southwest Corridor in 1987. However, the Green Line's Causeway Street Elevated remained in service until 2004, when it was relocated into a tunnel with an incline to reconnect to the Lechmere Viaduct . The Lechmere Viaduct and a short section of steel-framed elevated at its northern end remain in service, though

7280-607: The first rapid transit line in Boston were built three years before the first underground line of the New York City Subway , but 34 years after the first London Underground lines, and long after the first elevated railway in New York City; its Ninth Avenue El started operations on July 1, 1868, in Manhattan as an elevated cable car line. Various extensions and branches were added at both ends, bypassing more surface tracks. As grade-separated lines were extended, street-running lines were cut back for faster downtown service. The last elevated heavy rail or "El" segments in Boston were at

7384-589: The first two months of renovations, two additional Scollay Under tile signs were uncovered on the Blue Line level. After the first sign was discovered in April, the MBTA announced that it would be restored and placed in the renovated station, similar to previously found mosaics at South Station and Arlington . In total, five 'Scollay Under', one 'Scollay', and two single-letter mosaics were restored. An original faregate, ticket booth, and ceiling arches were also found. The 1970s Mary Beams murals - made of house paint on plywood - did not meet fire code for installation in

7488-632: The formation of a special advisory panel to diagnose the MBTA's problems and write a report recommending proposals to address them. The special advisory panel formed the previous February released its report in April 2015. On March 19, 2015, using a grassroots tool, GovOnTheT, Steve Kropper, and Michele Rapp enlisted 65 Massachusetts General Court legislators to ride the T to the State House, pairing them with 85 TV, radio, electronic, and print reporters. The event responded to widespread anger directed at

7592-545: The former "Orange Street" also was the street that joined the city to the mainland through Boston Neck in colonial times; the Green Line because it runs adjacent to parts of the Emerald Necklace park system; the Blue Line because it runs under Boston Harbor ; and the Red Line because its northernmost station was, at that time, at Harvard University , whose school color is crimson . Opened in September 1897,

7696-405: The foundation of Boston City Hall . The work drastically altered the shape of Brattle Loop and provided a new northbound-to-southbound turnback loop. The stairways to the lower level were relocated, and a fare lobby was built in a low brick structure at the surface. The 1963-built headhouse was often described as resembling a bunker or a cave, even by MBTA management. Government Center station

7800-449: The four downtown transfer stations , and outbound trains travel away from these hub stations. The Green Line has four branches in the west: B ( Boston College ), C ( Cleveland Circle ), D ( Riverside ), and E ( Heath Street ). The A branch formerly went to Watertown , filling in the north-to-south letter assignment pattern, and the E branch formerly continued beyond Heath Street to Arborway . The Red Line has two branches in

7904-444: The governor, state legislators, and MBTA management. The pairings helped to raise awareness of the problems with the T and contributed to its restructuring and refinancing. The next month, Baker appointed a new MassDOT Board of Directors and proposed a five-year winter resiliency plan with $ 83 million being spent to update infrastructure, purchase new equipment, and improve operations during severe weather. A new state law established

8008-567: The high-level doors on the El cars. Passages under the Brattle Loop were built from each side to the Brattle Loop platform, which had its own staircases and ticket takers for streetcars. On July 9, 1904, streetcar passengers began paying fares to the streetcar conductors and the streetcar ticket office was repurposed for southbound El passengers. On December 30, 1904, the East Boston Tunnel opened for streetcars from Maverick Square in East Boston to

8112-451: The inability to accomplish required maintenance and inspections, or has hampered work keeping legacy system assets fully functional." In June 2021, the Fiscal and Management Control Board was dissolved, and the following month, Baker signed into law a supplemental budget bill that included a provision creating a permanent MBTA Board of Directors, and Baker appointed the new board the following October. In February 2022, MBTA staff reported to

8216-551: The largest of the horsecar systems, used the Tremont House hotel a block to the south of Scollay Square as a terminus for many routes. The northern section of the Tremont Street Subway opened on September 3, 1898, with a station at Scollay Square . The station had an unusual platform design. The three-sided main platform served northbound and southbound through tracks plus the Brattle Loop track, one of two turnback points (along with Adams Square ) for streetcars entering

8320-503: The late 1980s and remained in good condition until the 2014 closure. On February 11, 1983, the Green Line E branch was shut down by snow for several days; a Government Center-Lechmere shuttle ran in its stead - the first use of the Brattle Loop in three decades. Even after the E branch resumed operations several days later, the shuttle service ran until June 21, 1997. Since, the loop was used only for temporary car storage, largely during events at Boston Garden (later TD Garden ) and after

8424-488: The morning peak. In 1990, the state agreed to a number of transit expansion and renovation projects to settle a lawsuit from the Conservation Law Foundation over the environmental impacts of the Big Dig . Due to its cost, complexity, and the need to completely shut down a major transfer station, Government Center was the last of 80 key stations to be upgraded for accessibility . Original plans in

8528-551: The operations of the MTA were relatively stable by the early 1960s, the privately operated commuter rail lines were in freefall. The New Haven Railroad , New York Central Railroad , and Boston and Maine Railroad were all financially struggling; deferred maintenance was hurting the mainlines while most branch lines had been discontinued. The 1945 Coolidge Commission plan assumed that most of the commuter rail lines would be replaced by shorter rapid transit extensions, or simply feed into them at reduced service levels. Passenger service on

8632-438: The parallel Washington Street Tunnel and the Tremont Street Subway through tracks returned to streetcar operations. The separated platform areas were kept; the through tracks offered a free transfer to East Boston Tunnel streetcars (plus a small toll for use of the tunnel, separate from normal BERy fares), while the Brattle Loop platform was kept separate for "foreign" (non-BERy) cars on a separate fare system. In November 1912,

8736-474: The rebuilt station. Instead, they were sold at auction in October 2015, with the proceeds going to an enamel commemorative panel and new artworks placed in the new station. By September 2014, demolition was completed and the steel frame of the new glass headhouse had been erected. At that point, the project was on schedule and on budget. In July 2015 the MBTA announced that the project was still on schedule for

8840-448: The reconstruction, which included new elevators, station entrance and lobbies, emergency exit-only structure on Cambridge Street between Court and Sudbury Street, escalators, LED signage, expanded fare collection area, upgraded back-up electrical power supply, improved interior finishes, station lighting, mechanical systems, and public address system. The abandoned side platform was almost completely tiled over. Additional vendor retail space

8944-553: The role of mass transit relative to highways. Producing a moratorium on highway construction inside Route 128 , numerous mass transit lines were planned for expansion by the Voorhees-Skidmore, Owings and Merrill-ESL consulting team. The removal of elevated lines continued, and the closure of the Washington Street Elevated in 1987 brought the end of rapid transit service to the Roxbury neighborhood. Between 1971 and 1985,

9048-421: The south, Ashmont and Braintree , named after their terminal stations . The colors were assigned on August 26, 1965, in conjunction with design standards developed by Cambridge Seven Associates , and have served as the primary identifier for the lines since the 1964 reorganization of the MTA into the MBTA. The Orange Line is so named because it used to run along Orange Street (now lower Washington Street), as

9152-454: The state legislature for limited monopolies , with powers of eminent domain to establish a right-of-way , until the creation of the MTA in 1947. Development of mass transportation both followed and shaped economic and population patterns. Shortly after the steam locomotive became practical for mass transportation, the private Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered in 1830. The rail, which opened in 1835, connected Boston to Lowell ,

9256-399: The station cost $ 25 million; the MBTA estimated the construction cost would be $ 91 million. The primary construction contract was for $ 82 million, and total construction cost was $ 88 million. The new station headhouse design was heavily criticized in a monthly architectural review by the social commentator and critic James Howard Kunstler . The headhouse has also been criticized for blocking

9360-533: The station for the remainder of its lifespan. In 1995, Boston Garden was replaced by the FleetCenter (later renamed TD Garden ), whose building was set further back from Causeway Street. Several years later, the Elevated was temporarily extended approximately 100 feet (30 m) east along Causeway Street, and the Causeway Street surface terminal closed on March 28, 1997, because Big Dig construction required several maintenance buildings to be constructed along

9464-733: The suburbs) was dropped permanently between 1965 and 1976 (the Millis (the new name of the truncated West Medway branch) and Dedham Branches were discontinued in 1967, while the Central Mass branch was abandoned in 1971). The MBTA bought the Penn Central (New York Central and New Haven) commuter rail lines in January 1973, Penn Central equipment in April 1976, and all B&M commuter assets in December 1976; these purchases served to make

9568-487: The subway from the north; a side platform also served the loop Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) streetcars from Everett, Medford, and Malden (which formerly ran to Scollay Square on the surface) used Brattle Loop, as did cars from Lynn and Boston Railroad and its successors. The last of those, the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway , used the loop until 1935. Scollay Square and Adams Square had similar baroque headhouses with four-sided clock towers. Unlike Adams Square,

9672-524: The system state-owned with the private railroads retained solely as operators. Only two branch lines were abandoned after 1976: service on the Lexington branch (also with only one round trip daily) was discontinued in January 1977 after a snowstorm blocked the line, while the Lowell Line 's full-service Woburn branch was eliminated in January 1981 due to poor track conditions. The MBTA assigned colors to its four rapid transit lines in 1965, and lettered

9776-623: The ten-minute trip from Lechmere Square to the subway to just three minutes. A single station was built on Causeway Street in front of the Boston and Maine Railroad 's terminal, North Union Station , with connections to it as well as the Main Line Elevated station (which had opened in 1901) and the Causeway Street streetcar terminal (opened in 1898). An additional platform at the station was built for Main Line trains running shuttle services between North Union Station and South Station on

9880-501: The terminus permanently for five more years), while the D branch was cut to Park Street at rush hours and North Station at other times. The " C " and "E" branches kept their usual terminals. Bowdoin station was kept open for all MBTA operating hours (for the first time since 1981) during the closure. A shuttle bus, the 608 Haymarket via Government Center Loop route, operated in a loop from Haymarket station via State Street station, Government Center station, and Bowdoin station. During

9984-400: The third quarter of 2024, of which the rapid transit lines averaged 267,700 and the light rail lines 102,500, making it the fourth-busiest rapid transit system and the third-busiest light rail system in the United States. As of the third quarter of 2024, average weekday ridership of the commuter rail system was 109,300, making it the fifth-busiest commuter rail system in the U.S. The MBTA

10088-545: The two halves of the system; it would be constructed under the Central Artery tunnel of the Big Dig . Special MBTA trains are run over the Franklin/Foxboro Line and the Providence/Stoughton Line to Foxborough station for New England Patriots home games and other events at Gillette Stadium . The CapeFLYER intercity service, operated on summer weekends, uses MBTA equipment and operates over

10192-403: The view of Old North Church from Tremont Street. Since the loop opened in 1964, Government Center has been a terminus for scheduled service on one or more branches except for the 2014–2016 closure, 1980–1982, and a short period in 1967. It was the terminus for D branch service from 2016 to October 24, 2021, when it became instead the terminus for B and C branch service as part of preparations for

10296-550: Was closed on March 22, 2014 for a major renovation, which included retrofitting the station for accessibility and building a new glass headhouse on City Hall Plaza. The new fully accessible station was reopened on March 21, 2016. As the first horsecar lines were built in the late 1850s, the Scollay Building in Scollay Square became the transfer point between the various lines. The Metropolitan Railroad ,

10400-498: Was dedicated on October 28, 1963, though the new loop was not activated until November 18, 1964, when the Commonwealth Avenue line was extended from Park Street to Government Center. Despite the new name, several tiles mosaics reading "Scollay Under" and "S" were still extant and gradually uncovered over the years. On August 26, 1965, as part of a wholesale rebranding of the system, the MBTA (formed in 1964 to replace

10504-462: Was normally restricted to one streetcar at a time; however, two were commonly allowed during peak periods. On October 6, 1906, a conductor was crushed to death between two streetcars while preparing his trolley pole for the return trip - the second such accident at the station. In addition to these incidents, the stub-end terminal was operationally inefficient, which prompted the need for a replacement. On November 30, 1908, Elevated trains moved into

10608-419: Was provided on both Green Line and Blue Line platforms. The platform levels feature terrazzo flooring color-coded to the lines. During Government Center station's closure, Green Line trains passed through but did not stop at the station. For the duration of the closure, the B branch was cut back to Park Street (after the reopening of Government Center station, this would later be modified to keeping it at as

10712-402: Was started, while several Cambridge streetcar lines entered the new tunnel and terminated on a pocket track at Scollay Under. The northbound (Cornhill Street) entrance was closed on November 24, 1917, forcing all passengers to use the southbound Tremont Row entrance. In 1927, the original headhouse was replaced with a simple staircase to improve sightlines for auto drivers. On April 18, 1924,

10816-413: Was within its budget. On February 19, the MBTA tested multicolored LED lights to illuminate the glass headhouse. After several unpublicized notices, the MBTA announced on March 9 that the station would open on March 21 instead, with a ceremony at 11:45am and full opening an hour later. On the radio command of Governor Charlie Baker , service to the station resumed at 12:43pm. Design and engineering for

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