Mystic Valley Parkway station (also called Route 16 station ) is a proposed light rail station on the MBTA Green Line in Somerville , Massachusetts ; it would be built as part of a future third phase of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Route 16 would consist of one island platform , which would serve the E branch's two tracks.
146-472: The Green Line Extension ( GLX ) was a construction project to extend the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail system northwest into Somerville and Medford , two inner suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts . The project opened in two phases in 2022 at a total cost of $ 2.28 billion. Total ridership on the 4.3-mile (6.9 km) extension is estimated to reach 45,000 one-way trips per day in 2030. The project begins at
292-716: A Major Investment Study / alternatives analysis , was published in 2005. The analysis studied a variety of Green Line extensions (including a West Medford branch, a Union Square branch, both branches, and an extension to West Medford via Union Square and a tunnel under Prospect Hill), bus rapid transit (BRT) to West Medford and/or Union Square, commuter rail shuttles to West Medford or Anderson RTC with additional stops, and combinations of those modes. The highest-rated alternatives were Green Line to West Medford (estimated cost $ 390 million), Green Line to both West Medford and Union Square ($ 438 million), and Green Line to Union Square plus BRT to West Medford ($ 340 million). The 2005 litigation
438-716: A $ 118 million contract with CAF USA to build 24 Type 9 LRVs to expand the Green Line fleet for GLX service. In September 2014, the MBTA indicated that the cost would be $ 2.3 billion – $ 1.6 billion direct cost plus $ 400 million contingency and $ 300 million finance charges. This represented a $ 200 million increase in direct costs due to the addition of the Somerville Community Path extension, additional viaduct work near Lechmere, and additional construction management by design contractor AECOM/HNTB. In December 2014,
584-577: A $ 393 million (equivalent to $ 507 million in 2023), 51-month contract for the construction of Phase 2/2A – Lechmere station, the Union Square Branch, and the first segment of the Medford Branch to Washington Street station – with the stations to open in early 2017. MassDOT intended to seek $ 557 million (equivalent to $ 718 million in 2023) in federal funds for Phase 3 (construction of the maintenance facility) and Phase 4 (construction of
730-557: A 1974 plan due to the addition of Davis station to the planned Red Line Northwest Extension . (Davis opened in 1984 as the first MBTA subway station in Somerville.) An extension to Tufts University was listed as a proposal in the 1978 and 1983 updates to the Program for Mass Transportation. In 1980, the MBTA began a study of the "Green Line Northwest Corridor" (from Haymarket to Medford) with three area of focus: replacement of
876-618: A below-grade cut along with the two-track Lowell Line and is operated as part of the E branch . An extension of the Somerville Community Path runs along the west side of the Medford Branch south of Lowell Street, with a high bridge carrying it above the Red Bridge viaduct to a new terminus in the Northpoint development . An additional 0.9-mile (1.4 km) extension from Medford/Tufts to Mystic Valley Parkway
1022-422: A cost of $ 30,000 (equivalent to $ 720,000 in 2023), it is 136 feet (41 m) long and 34 feet (10 m) wide, carrying the tracks 30 feet (9.1 m) above the parkway. Local passenger stops were gradually added on the line. Medford Steps station at South Street (now Winthrop Street) was a stop for Woburn Branch local trains by 1846. The first waiting room was the front room of an existing house. It
1168-794: 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
1314-423: 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
1460-466: A four-track shop building, ten storage tracks with capacity for about 43 light rail vehicles (LRVs), a loop track, and a building for operator reporting and breaks. Yard leads connect the VMF to both branches near the Red Bridge flyover. The GLX is fully grade separated , with no road grade crossings , though there are level crossings for passengers at East Somerville and Ball Square stations. Construction of
1606-850: 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
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#17327717652441752-681: A month later, project manager HDR/Gilbane produced estimates of $ 853 million and $ 1.83 billion. The MBTA budgeted $ 1.99 billion in June 2014 for total cost ($ 2.3 billion including finance charges), using the HDR/Gilbane estimate; this estimate was announced in September and used for the FFGA. In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed that projected costs had increased by $ 700 million–1 billion from the previous $ 1.99 billion figure. Prices of several portions of
1898-466: A new span behind one abutment. The vehicle maintenance facility was reduced by half, with storage for 44 LRVs rather than 88. The southern section of the Community Path was removed – prompting criticism from trail advocates – and the number of street access points was reduced. These changes were projected to reduce total project cost back to the $ 2.3 billion established in the FFGA. That August,
2044-536: 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. Mystic Valley Parkway station The Boston and Lowell Railroad opened through Somerville and Medford in 1835. It crossed
2190-490: 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
2336-492: A precursor to an extension. A new elevated station would be located on the east side of the O'Brien Highway, with a new vehicle storage yard and maintenance facility to the north. The project was not pursued due to lack of available funding. In 1991, the state agreed to build a set of transit projects as part of the settlement of a lawsuit by the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) over auto emissions from
2482-421: A projected completion date of 2014; this was delayed to 2015, then to 2018. A groundbreaking was held in 2012, with several early construction elements over the next two years. The federal government committed $ 996 million of the $ 2.2 billion cost in 2014. In 2015, with projected costs increased to $ 3.3 billion, the project was placed on hold. A revised plan, with more modest stations and other value engineering ,
2628-465: A series of cuts. The former station building is no longer extant. The planned Green Line station was dropped from the list of stations that will open in 2022, in favor of the E branch terminating at Medford/Tufts station at College Avenue. The state successfully argued that this satisfied their legal commitment to mitigate the air pollution impact of the Big Dig by (among other projects) extending
2774-563: A single environmental impact report . That December, the Secretary of Environmental Affairs issued a certificate that instead required the preparation of separate draft (DEIR) and final (FEIR) environmental impact reports. Work on the DEIR began in September 2007. The DEIR was released in October 2009. West Medford was eliminated as a possible terminus due to the cost of modifying bridges over
2920-402: 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
3066-542: A third extending from Lechmere Square northwest through Somerville. (The Dorchester line was eventually built as an extension of the Cambridge–Dorchester Tunnel later that decade, while a shorter Huntington Avenue subway opened in 1941.) The Report on Improved Transportation Facilities , published by the Boston Division of Metropolitan Planning in 1926, was the first comprehensive transit plan for
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#17327717652443212-630: Is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, rather than the 11-foot (3.4 m) minimum in federal guidelines. The Friends of the Somerville Community Path criticized the path width, saying it would be a safety issue as cyclists in the same direction could not safely pass each other. The 1991 agreement to build the GLX specified "Ball Square/Tufts University" as the terminus; the 2005 update to the agreement substituted "Medford Hillside". By 2008, plans called for stations at Medford Hillside (between College Avenue and Winthrop Street) and Route 16/ Mystic Valley Parkway . However,
3358-565: Is designed for 5-minute headways on each branch, with 2 1 ⁄ 2 -minute headways through Lechmere. The seven GLX stations are accessible ; all have elevators between street level and platform level except East Somerville, which has a ramp from street level. The stations have fare vending machines, but not faregates. Most of the stations have island platforms 20–22.5 feet (6.1–6.9 m) wide and 225 feet (69 m) long – enough to fit three current LRVs or two future Type 10 LRVs – with provision to extend them to 300 feet (91 m) in
3504-692: Is designed so as to not preclude such an extension. Phase 1 consisted of the reconstruction of two railroad bridges (over Harvard Street in Medford and over Medford Street in Somerville) for Green Line tracks, and the demolition of a disused MBTA facility at 21 Water Street in Cambridge to make room for the new Lechmere station. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony held at the Medford Street bridge on December 11, 2012. Notice to proceed
3650-519: 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
3796-485: Is located in the Inner Belt District . The project includes a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) extension of the Somerville Community Path to North Point . An extension of service beyond Lechmere was considered as early as 1922, with the first formal proposal in 1926. Despite appearing in other regional plans throughout the 20th century, the state did not commit to the project until 1990. Planning began in 2006 with
3942-771: Is primarily located in Somerville , northwest of downtown Boston, with its northernmost portion in Medford and its southernmost portion in the East Cambridge section of Cambridge . The GLX begins at the north end of the Lechmere Viaduct in East Cambridge, where a short elevated section formerly led to the surface-level Lechmere station at Lechmere Square . The new elevated GLX viaduct continues northwest for about 0.6 miles (1.0 km), paralleling
4088-582: Is proposed, but it is not being constructed as part of the main GLX. The Union Square Branch continues 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west to Union Square , with no intermediate stations. It runs at grade next to the two-track Fitchburg Line and is operated as part of the D branch . The vehicle maintenance facility (VMF) is located in the Inner Belt area adjacent to the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility . It includes
4234-462: 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,
4380-535: 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,
4526-570: 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,
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4672-804: 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
4818-577: 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
4964-503: The Cambridge Railroad in Somerville began in 1858 with lines from Union Square to Sullivan Square and to Elm Street (now Davis Square ) via Somerville Avenue. The Cambridge Railroad was granted permission in 1860 to run tracks over the Craigie Bridge from East Cambridge to Boston, joining with its existing line on Cambridge Street from Harvard Square , though service did not begin until around 1862. The Somerville Avenue line
5110-535: 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
5256-723: 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
5402-622: 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
5548-853: 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 ,
5694-632: The Middlesex Canal south of West Medford; the canal failed after the railroad's completion and it was filled in the 1850s. The original wooden bridge over the Mystic River at West Medford was replaced in 1852 with a stone arch bridge, which was later encased in concrete. A reinforced concrete arch bridge of similar style was built just to the south in 1907–08 during construction of the Mystic Valley Parkway . Completed at
5840-474: The O'Brien Highway . A new elevated Lechmere station is located on the viaduct on the east side of Lechmere Square. Two branches split at an aerial flying junction on the Red Bridge viaduct in the Inner Belt area. The Medford Branch continues 3.0 miles (4.8 km) northwest to Medford/Tufts , with intermediate stations at East Somerville , Gilman Square , Magoun Square , and Ball Square . It runs in
5986-519: The Phase 1 construction contract. The $ 13 million contract was awarded to Barletta Heavy Division that December. Unlike later parts of the project, it used the traditional design–bid–build procurement method. The City of Somerville, MassDOT, and the MBTA reached an agreement in August 2012 to open the Union Square Branch by early 2017, with construction to begin in 2014. In September 2013, MassDOT awarded
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6132-613: 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
6278-544: 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,
6424-555: The Red-Blue Connector and Arborway service restoration were removed. The Green Line Extension was changed to include a branch to Union Square, with the main branch running to Medford Hillside. The project was estimated to cost $ 559 million (equivalent to $ 838 million in 2023). While the city of Medford was supportive of an extension as far as Medford Hillside, a potential further terminus at West Medford had less local support. The Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study ,
6570-700: The Worcester Branch and in New Hampshire, was amended in January 2011 and finalized that March. An additional delay, with service beginning between late 2018 and 2020, was announced in August 2011. This delay was due to difficulties with land acquisition – due to issues with the Greenbush Line reopening, the state decided to acquire all property before beginning construction – and concerns about cost controls and financing. The delays beyond
6716-458: 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
6862-778: The 1930s. A 1935 proposal by a citizen's group called for a subway extension from Haymarket or Bowdoin surfacing in the North Station rail yards, then following the Southern Division and the Fitchburg Cutoff to Alewife Brook Parkway in North Cambridge. "High-speed trolley connections" would run to Arlington Heights and Belmont. A new expressway would have taken over the Causeway Street elevated and Lechmere Viaduct, then largely paralleled
7008-701: The 1940s. The Harvard Square–Lechmere route (now route 69 ) was converted to trackless trolley in 1936. By 1940, six streetcar routes remained in Somerville: route 87 Clarendon Hill–Lechmere via Somerville Avenue, route 88 , Clarendon Hill–Lechmere via Highland Avenue, routes 89 Clarendon Hill–Sullivan Square and 101 Salem Street–Sullivan Square on Broadway, and two routes on the Fellsway running through East Somerville. Routes 87 and 88 were converted to trackless trolley in 1941; following heavy wartime ridership, routes 89 and 101 were converted in 1947. Service on
7154-564: 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
7300-429: The 2009 draft environmental impact report replaced the Medford Hillside station with one slightly to the south at College Avenue, and deferred Mystic Valley Parkway to a future second phase. During the comment periods for the 2010 final environmental impact report and the 2011 environmental assessment, some residents in Medford and Somerville questioned the advantages and legality of this change, claiming that College Avenue
7446-424: 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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#17327717652447592-416: The B&L built a cutoff from Lake Street to Somerville Junction , which allowed Lexington Branch trains to enter Boston on the B&L. The Massachusetts Central Railroad began service in 1881; it used most of the 1870-built cutoff to reach Boston. It was leased in 1886 by the B&L, which was in turn leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) in 1887 as its Southern Division. The Fitchburg
7738-463: The B&M Southern Division tracks to Somerville Junction, then follow the cutoff (by then called the Fitchburg Cutoff) to North Cambridge. Several branches of that line were listed as possible extensions: North Cambridge to Bedford via the Lexington Branch, North Cambridge to Waltham via the Fitchburg mainline, and Somerville Junction to Woburn via the Southern Division and Woburn Branch . Variations on this plan were proposed several times during
7884-429: 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,
8030-416: The BERy proposed a branch of the Charlestown Elevated following Mystic Avenue from Sullivan Square to Medford Square. In 1922, with the downtown subway network and several radial lines in service, the BERy indicated plans to build three additional radial subways: one paralleling the Midland Branch through Dorchester, a second branching from the Boylston Street subway to run under Huntington Avenue , and
8176-467: The Blue Line version was twice as expensive due to the need to tunnel under the Charles River. In March 2005, with the extension not in the MBTA's five-year plan, the city of Somerville and the CLF filed a lawsuit against the state for breaching the 1991 agreement. In May 2005, the state announced an updated agreement, which revised the set of committed projects. Improvements to the Fairmount Line and increased Framingham/Worcester Line service were added;
8322-413: The Boston area since the 1890s. The core recommendation of the report was a conversion of the Tremont Street subway to Maverick Square – Warren Street, Brighton and Lechmere Square– Brigham Circle, Roxbury rapid transit routes. Several suburban rapid transit extensions were proposed as secondary priorities; one would run in a dedicated median in the Northern Artery from Lechmere to Winter Hill, alongside
8468-412: The Causeway Street elevated, replacement of Lechmere station, and extension beyond Lechmere. An evaluation report for the extension was published in 1981 and updated in 1984. Alternatives recommended for further evaluation included a Green Line extension to Tufts, a Green Line extension to Union Square , and a busway to Tufts and Davis. Later in the 1980s, the MBTA made plans to relocate Lechmere station as
8614-578: The Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( Big Dig ). Among these projects was a "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University", to be complete by the end of 2011. While many of the projects were completed over the next 14 years, including the Old Colony Lines restoration and the South Boston Piers Transitway , the Green Line Extension was not advanced into planning. The 2003 Program for Mass Transportation considered both Green Line and Blue Line extensions to West Medford, including possible alignments through Union Square. Both modes were rated medium priority;
8760-414: 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
8906-410: The FTA indicated it was "committed in principle" to the project but expressed reservations that any delays to the "optimistic" schedule could increase the project cost. A new project manager was hired in November 2016. In December 2016, the MBTA reached funding agreements under which Cambridge would contribute $ 25 million and Somerville $ 50 million. the MBTA announced a new planned opening date of 2021 for
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#17327717652449052-528: The FTA indicated that it would provide $ 996 million (equivalent to $ 1.3 billion in 2023) of the $ 2.3 billion (equivalent to $ 2.9 billion in 2023) total project cost, with the state funding the remaining portion. The Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) was signed in January 2015. Internal cost estimates began to diverge even before funding was arranged. Construction costs were estimated at $ 1.17 billion by construction manager White Skanska Kiewit (WSK) in December 2013, with total project cost of $ 2.35 billion. However,
9198-492: The Fellsway, which included Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway service to Stoneham until 1946, lasted until 1955. In 1943, the state legislature appointed a commission headed by Arthur W. Coolidge to plan for the future of transit in the Boston region. In 1945, a preliminary report from the Coolidge Commission recommended nine suburban rapid transit extensions – most similar to the 1926 plan – along existing railroad lines. The proposed extension from Lechmere to Woburn followed
9344-417: The GLX opened prior to all-door boarding being implemented. The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) opened through South Medford, Somerville, and East Cambridge in 1835. Passenger service initially ran express between the two cities, but local stops were soon added. The Charlestown Branch Railroad opened through Somerville and Charlestown in 1842; it was soon extended as the Fitchburg Railroad . In 1870,
9490-430: The GLX tracks and Inner Belt Road) was chosen as the site for a maintenance and storage facility. The project was widely supported in Somerville, where it was seen as a development catalyst and a correction for past transportation injustices, but was less popular in more suburban Medford. Several potential tunnel alternatives – from Ball Square to Alewife , an underground station at Union Square, and tunneling all or part of
9636-540: The Green Line because I had already been to three. Today is different because this one is real. It’s been a long time coming. Mike Capuano , US Representative and former Somerville mayor, on the 2018 groundbreaking 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
9782-414: The Green Line to Medford Hillside . In 2011, the Boston MPO decided to allocate funding in the 2016-2020 time period for further extension of the Green Line from College Ave to Route 16. However, this funding was reallocated to the main project after major cost overruns created a budget crisis. A Route 16 station is still in the state's plans, with environmental review proceeding, as of 2017. In 2017,
9928-581: 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
10074-461: 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
10220-421: 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
10366-546: 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
10512-555: 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
10658-572: 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
10804-557: 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
10950-400: The MBTA filed a Notice of Project Change for a state environmental review of its revised design for a Green Line station at Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16). While a station at this location was included in the original environmental review for the Green Line extension, the MBTA came up with a lower cost design that has the station at ground level. The previous design had a two-story station with
11096-468: 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
11242-401: 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
11388-404: 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
11534-465: 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
11680-524: The Medford Branch – were analyzed in 2008 and found not to be cost-effective. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works submitted an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in October 2006. The EENF identified a Green Line extension with Medford and Union Square branches as the preferred alternative, and sought permission to conduction
11826-562: The Metropolitan District Commission to study that proposal. Transit service in Somerville declined during this period due to the Great Depression and competition from autos, many using the 1927-completed Northern Artery. East Cambridge, Prospect Hill, and the three Fitchburg Cutoff stations closed in 1927. Winter Hill closed in the 1930s, Union Square and Somerville in 1938, and Somerville Junction in
11972-564: The Mystic River and Mystic Valley Parkway, as well as safety issues with two grade crossings. The proposed Medford Hillside station was replaced with College Avenue to improve access from the neighborhood to the north. The preferred alternative had branches to Route 16 and Union Square; however, due to cost constraints, the Route 16 terminus was deferred to a second phase, with the proposed alternative terminating at College Avenue. The FEIR
12118-530: The Mystic Valley Parkway station was later planned from Boston MPO funds for 2016–2020 after the rest of the line was to be complete; however, this funding was reallocated to the main project after the cost overruns. Some environmental review for the extension has taken place, with a notice of project change released in October 2017. An extension of the Union Square Branch to Porter has also been proposed by local officials. Union Square station
12264-417: The Mystic Valley Parkway. The Winthrop Street bridge adjacent to the station was rebuilt in 1920 as part of a street widening project. The station building, as well as wooden sidewalks on the bridge, was damaged by a fire on September 21, 1946. Located in a cut at the bottom of College Hill, the tracks at the station were blocked by debris during heavy storms on several occasions. Rocks and dirt washed onto
12410-512: 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
12556-479: 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
12702-473: 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
12848-495: The Tremont Street subway and its connecting lines became the Green Line . The 1966 Program for Mass Transportation , the MBTA's first long-range plan, listed an approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) extension from Lechmere to Washington Street as an immediate priority. New Hampshire Division (Southern Division) passenger service would be cut back from North Station to a new terminal at Washington Street. A second phase of
12994-500: 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
13140-400: 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
13286-510: 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
13432-524: 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
13578-707: 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
13724-464: 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
13870-557: 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
14016-471: 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
14162-665: The elevated Lechmere–North Station segment be abandoned. The Main Line (now the Orange Line ) was to be relocated along the B&;M Western Route ; it would have a branch to Woburn or Arlington via the Southern Division. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964 as an expansion of the MTA to subsidize suburban commuter rail service , as well as to construct rapid transit extensions to replace some commuter rail lines. In 1965, as part of systemwide rebranding,
14308-672: 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
14454-580: 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,
14600-476: 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
14746-691: The extension. The FTA approved the revised cost estimate in April 2017. The first federal funds for the project were received in July 2017. In February 2017, three consortia were shortlisted for the new design-build contract. The MBTA issued a final request for proposal to those three teams in May 2017. Proposals were required to be below an affordability limit of $ 1.319 billion in order to keep total project costs below $ 2.3 billion. Six additive options – elements removed during value engineering – were to be included if
14892-613: 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
15038-508: The fare vending machines, with proof of payment enforcement in effect. When the station designs were simplified in 2016–17, faregates were removed from the plans. The MBTA expected AFC 2.0 (the Charliecard replacement system) to be fully in place by the time the GLX opened, with passengers able to board and tap their farecards at any door on trains. However, delays to the AFC 2.0 system means
15184-798: 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
15330-580: 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
15476-545: 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,
15622-449: 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
15768-436: The future. The platform at Lechmere is 32–35 feet (9.8–10.7 m) wide and 355 feet (108 m) long – enough to fit two current two-car trains – as it would be difficult to later extend the elevated platform. The platforms are 8 inches (200 mm) high for accessible boarding on current LRVs, and can be raised to 14 inches (360 mm) for future level boarding with Type 9 and Type 10 LRVs. Stations will have validators on
15914-444: 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
16060-504: 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
16206-505: The last three local stops south of West Medford – due to declining ridership. Route 101 was converted from trackless trolley to diesel bus in 1959; routes 69, 80 (not a former streetcar line), 87, 88, and 89 were all converted in 1963, leaving buses as the only remaining transit in Somerville and South Medford. The 1962 North Terminal Area Study , claiming that the 1959 Highland branch conversion showed that PCC streetcars were inadequate for suburban rapid transit service, recommended that
16352-423: The legal deadline of December 31, 2014, created a requirement for MassDOT to implement interim projects to reduce emissions. The selected interim measures were increased midday frequency in the corridor (Green Line service to Lechmere plus bus routes 80 , 88 , 91 , 94 , and 96 ), the purchase of hybrid vehicles for The Ride , and completion of new parking garages at Salem and Beverly stations. In June 2012,
16498-577: The line were also renamed. Frederick Stark Pearson became station agent in 1877 at age 16 after the death of his father, an engineer who had worked on the railroad. He served as agent until around 1880; he took classes at Tufts College the latter two years, with special permission from college president Elmer Hewitt Capen to leave classes to sell tickets. The former station building was moved to Auburn Street in West Medford around 1892, then moved again to nearby Cotting Street due to construction of
16644-553: The new transit line to connect with the existing Mohawk Trail expressway at Alewife Brook Parkway. A 1938 proposal by Somerville mayor John M. Lynch called for an extension of the East Boston Tunnel from Bowdoin to the Lechmere Viaduct, a subway from Lechmere to Washington Street, and use of the Southern Division, Fitchburg Cutoff, and Lexington Branch to reach Arlington Center. A 1939 state resolve directed
16790-580: The north end of the Lechmere Viaduct , where the former ground-level Lechmere station was replaced by an elevated station on an extended viaduct. Two branches split north of Lechmere, with the Union Square Branch following the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line right of way to Union Square station in Somerville. The Medford Branch follows the Lowell Line right-of-way to Medford/Tufts station with four intermediate stations. A new vehicle maintenance facility and storage yard
16936-551: 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
17082-578: The project had risen substantially, with Phase 2/2A rising from $ 387 million to $ 898 million. Critics including the CLF blamed the use of construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) procurement process, under which WSK was able to set the cost of each subcontract, rather than a traditional process where the costs were set during bidding. In December 2015, the MBTA ended its contracts with WSK and three other firms. Construction work in progress continued, but no new contracts were awarded. At that time, cancellation of
17228-405: The project included the replacement or modification of three rail bridges and seven road bridges. Maximum speed on the extension is 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), except for 10–20 miles per hour (16–32 km/h) limits for the Union Square Branch at Red Bridge. As with the existing Green Line subway and D branch, the GLX has automatic block signaling with color light signals . The signal system
17374-544: The project was accepted into the preliminary engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts program – a requirement to access federal funding. By that time, the project was planned to cost $ 1.34 billion, including $ 200 million in finance charges . The project received a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the FTA in July 2012. This allowed the MBTA to open bidding on
17520-562: The project was considered possible, as were elimination of the Union Square Branch and other cost reduction measures. In May 2016, the MassDOT and MBTA boards approved a modified project that had undergone value engineering to reduce its cost. Stations were simplified to resemble D branch surface stations rather than full rapid transit stations, with canopies, faregates, escalators, and some elevators removed. Two bridge replacements were avoided, and two others were reduced in scale by building
17666-464: The project was delayed to October 2015. In November 2010, the MBTA reached an agreement with Pan Am Railways and the NorthPoint developers under which the MBTA would receive property on the east side of O'Brien Highway needed for the new Lechmere station; in return, Pan Am would receive the existing Lechmere station site for redevelopment. The agreement, which also included MBTA trackage rights on
17812-516: The project would extend Green Line service from Washington Street to Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16) or West Medford. The 1972 final report of the Boston Transportation Planning Review listed a Green Line extension from Lechmere to Ball Square as a lower priority. The cost of the extension was estimated as $ 26 million (equivalent to $ 187 million in 2023). Extension past Lechmere was listed as low priority in
17958-554: The remainder of the Medford Branch), which were to be completed in 2019 or 2020. In April 2014, governor Deval Patrick signed a $ 12.8 billion bonding bill, which included up to $ 1.3 billion (equivalent to $ 2 billion in 2023) for the Green Line Extension. Later that month, MassDOT announced that the $ 39 million Somerville Community Path extension would be included in the GLX project. In May, MassDOT approved
18104-553: 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,
18250-456: The same alignment as the 1926 plan, albeit using an extended elevated structure rather than a subway north of Lechmere. A short subway segment was to be built to avoid the grade crossings at Winchester Center . Annual ridership on the 9.18-mile (14.77 km) extension was estimated to be 11.8 million based on B&M and BERy ridership. The 1947 final report modified some routes; the Woburn route
18396-421: 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
18542-454: 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 ,
18688-678: 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
18834-611: The subway and bypassing the Cragie Bridge. However, the surface lines through Somerville continued to be unreliable, and multiple-car trains were needed to increase subway capacity. On July 10, 1922, the BERy opened Lechmere station as a transfer point. Passengers on the Harvard Square and Clarendon Hill surface lines transferred to two-and-three-car subway trains, bringing rapid transit -style service to Lechmere. In 1907,
18980-524: 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
19126-442: The teams could still meet cost and schedule requirements: station canopies, additional elevators at some stations, public art, an additional Community Path street connection, full-length extension of the Community Path, and improvements to the vehicle maintenance facility. In August 2017, construction manager CH2M was removed from the project to avoid a conflict of interest, as it was being acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group , which
19272-400: 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
19418-480: The tracks by rains from Hurricane Diane caused a Budd RDC to derail at the station on August 18, 1955. On April 18, 1958, the Public Utilities Commission approved a vast set of cuts to Boston and Maine Railroad commuter service, including the closure of North Somerville , Tufts College , and Medford Hillside stations. The three stations were closed on May 18, 1958, amid the first of
19564-545: 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
19710-499: Was $ 954 million, with all six additive options included; the $ 1.08 billion contract included contingency funds. The contract was awarded on November 20, 2017. Several elements of the reduced-cost project design were criticized by community advocates and local politicians. E. Denise Simmons criticized the scaled-down station designs at Union Square and East Somerville for having long ramps rather than elevators, saying they were not sufficient for accessibility. The Community Path extension
19856-507: Was also bidding on the construction contract. The three proposals were received in September 2017. Two of the three proposals were certified in October 2017 as meeting the affordability limit. On November 17, 2017, the MBTA selected GLX Constructors (a consortium of Fluor Enterprises , the Middlesex Corporation, Herzog Contracting Corporation, and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure ) to build the project. The consortium's base bid
20002-483: Was extended from Union Square to Boston in 1864, joining the existing line at Lechmere Square in East Cambridge. The Cambridge Street line was converted to electric streetcar service by Cambridge Railroad successor West End Street Railway in 1891; the Somerville Avenue line and an 1888-built line to Davis Square via Highland Avenue were electrified and extended to Clarendon Hill in 1893–1895. The West End
20148-663: Was issued to Barletta Heavy Division on January 31, 2013, and construction started in March. The 21 Water Street facility was demolished in August 2014. Originally planned to last until early 2015, Phase 1 work was completed in October 2015. Notice to proceed with the Type 9 LRV contract was given to CAF in September 2014. The first LRV was delivered in March 2018 and entered service that December. The remaining 23 LRVs were delivered in 2018–2020 and entered service in 2019–2021. I swore publicly that I would never come to another groundbreaking of
20294-715: Was leased by the B&M in 1900 as the Fitchburg Division. By the early 20th century, the Southern Division had stations at Medford Hillside and Tufts College in South Medford; North Somerville , Somerville Junction, Winter Hill , and Prospect Hill in Somerville; and East Cambridge . Stations were located on the Lexington Branch at North Cambridge, West Somerville , and Somerville Highlands. The Fitchburg Division had stations at Cambridge , Somerville , and Union Square . Horsecar service by
20440-496: Was leased to the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) in 1897. The three streetcar lines running through Lechmere Square began running into the Tremont Street subway upon its September 3, 1898, opening. Slow and unreliable service on the surface streetcar lines resulted in congestion in the subway. The Lechmere Viaduct and Causeway Street elevated opened on July 1, 1912, creating a grade-separated route from Lechmere Square to
20586-506: Was named for the lengthy set of steps to reach the tracks from Walnut Hill . A new station building was built on the southwest side of the tracks around 1875. The railroad planned to call it Walnut Hill, but yielded to local requests for the name Medford Hillside . "Walnut Hill" signs already made for the station were reused for a flag stop in Woburn . The name was changed to Medford Hillside around August 27, 1876; three other stations on
20732-480: Was not part of the Medford Hillside neighborhood and thus that the Mystic Valley Parkway station was needed to fulfill the commitment. In January 2012, MassDOT stated that "the position of MassDOT and the MBTA on the configuration of the Green Line Extension is supported and has been reinforced by multiple regulatory agencies overseeing the [State Implementation Plan], including MassDEP ." Construction of
20878-441: Was released in June 2010, with an estimated project cost of $ 845 million (equivalent to $ 1167 million in 2023). The primary change from the DEIR was the relocation of the maintenance facility about 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) to the east (adjacent to the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility ) due to local objections to the original site. In July 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that
21024-518: Was resolved by a November 2006 court settlement under which the Green Line Extension was to be completed in 2014. This was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2008. Proposed station sites were announced in May 2008: Union Square , Brickbottom , Gilman Square , Lowell Street , Ball Square , Medford Hillside (between College Avenue and Winthrop Street), and Route 16 . The former Yard 8 (located between
21170-487: Was submitted in 2016 and approved in 2017. The main $ 1.08 billion design-build contract was issued in November 2017, with several optional items like platform canopies and a larger vehicle maintenance facility included. Construction began in 2018, with the old Lechmere station closed in May 2020. The new Lechmere station and Union Square Branch opened on March 21, 2022, while the Medford Branch opened on December 12, 2022. The Community Path extension opened in June 2023. The GLX
21316-490: Was to be extended an additional 2 miles (3 km) to North Woburn. Cost was estimated at $ 3.627 million in 1941 dollars (equivalent to $ 58 million in 2023). The Coolidge Commission also laid the groundwork for the 1947 transition of the BERy to public ownership as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). In 1958, the B&M ended service to Medford Hillside, Tufts College, and North Somerville –
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