As of February 2023[update], service operates on 7 to 8-minute headways at weekday peak hours and 10 to 11-minute headways at other times, using 8 to 11 trains (16 to 22 light rail vehicles).[2]
The first tracks on Beacon Street were laid in 1888, running from Massachusetts Avenue west to Coolidge Corner. The next year the rest of the line to Cleveland Circle opened, with access to the Reservoir carhouse. In 1889, the first electric streetcar route (see Green Line A branch) used Beacon Street from Coolidge Corner east to Massachusetts Avenue, then ran south on Massachusetts Avenue and east on Boylston Street to Park Square. That same year, the line on Beacon Street to Cleveland Circle was electrified. Another connection to the Beacon Street line was provided at Washington Square; streetcars came from Brookline Village along Washington Street and turned west on Beacon Street. This line was later extended north on Chestnut Hill Avenue and west on Commonwealth Avenue to Boston College and was the predecessor of the 65 bus route.
The Tremont Street subway opened on September 1, 1897; Beacon Street service was routed into the Public Garden incline at the Public Garden, turning around at Park Street.[3]:57 The Boylston Street subway opened on October 3, 1914 as a westward extension of the Tremont Street subway. The Beacon Street line entered just east of Kenmore Square.[3]:57
On November 21, 1914, rush hour Washington Street service was cut back to Reservoir, leaving only Beacon Street cars using the Chestnut Hill Avenue tracks.[4] Beacon Street service was cut to Reservoir on November 6, 1915, with Washington Street service extended back to Lake Street.[5] Beginning on February 6, 1922, all Washington Street service was operated as a Brookline Village–Lake Street shuttle as part of service changes on the Huntington Avenue line.[6] The Washington Street shuttle was converted to bus on April 24, 1926.[7]:197 It was redirected to Brighton Center on June 23, 1928, and eventually became route 65.[7]:52[8]
On December 14, 1929, most trips of the Kenmore–Lechmere shuttle were extended along Beacon Street to Washington Square. This resulted in 2+1⁄2-minute rush-hour headways on the inner part of the line, with three-car Washington Square–Lechmere trains and two-car Cleveland Circle–Park Street trains on alternating 5-minute headways.[9] On January 9, 1930, the BERy began running Washington Square-bound streetcars express from Kenmore to Kent Street in the afternoon peak due to crowding.[10] The Washington Street service was cut back to Kenmore in June 1930 but resumed that September.[11][12]
On February 7, 1931, Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street service was extended from Park Street to Lechmere using three-car trains; the Washington Street short turns were cut back to Kenmore–Park Street shuttles.[13][14] On October 23, 1932, a westward extension of the subway was opened with an underground Kenmore station. It split into separate tunnels for the Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street lines; the latter surfaced at St. Mary's Street.[3]:57 The first use of two-car trains of PCC streetcars on the system was on the Beacon Street line on April 16, 1945.[15]:100 At that time, service on the line operated every 2.8 minutes at morning peak, 6 minutes midday, and 2.7 minutes in the afternoon peak.[15]:202 The first use of a three-car train of PCC cars was on July 13, 1946 for a baseball extra; they entered regular service on September 16, 1946.[15]:100 From 1940 until its 1967 naming as the C branch, the Beacon Street line had route number 61.[15]:100
The Riverside Line (later the D branch) was connected to the Beacon Street tunnel near Mountfort Street, with service beginning on July 4, 1959.[3]:63 On November 20, 1961, after 30 years running to Lechmere, the line was cut back to North Station (except Sundays).[8] It was extended back to Lechmere on March 25, 1967; Saturday service was briefly cut to Government Center from June–September 1968.[8] From June 8 to September 11, 1974, D branch trains ran over the C branch due to track work. Trains used a temporary loop at Reservoir and non-revenue tracks on Chestnut Hill Avenue to cross between the two lines.[8] From March 20 to June 25, 1976, C branch night service looped at Kenmore to allow electrical work in the central subway.[8]
Boeing LRVs were first used on the line on January 20, 1978. By March 24, three-car trains of PCC streetcars were no longer used on the C branch; all service was two-car trains of PCCs or LRVs.[8] From June to September 1979, all service on the line was with PCCs due to LRV maintenance issues.[8] The line was cut back to Government Center except at rush hour from March 21 to June 21, 1980, and cut back to Park Street on April 4, 1981.[8] The line was extended to Government Center on June 26, 1982, with LRVs providing all service.[8]
From July 24 to September 10, 1982, the line was replaced by buses to allow for track replacement. Four stops were permanently closed to speed travel times.[8] Service was extended to North Station on July 30, 1983; this was the terminal until a cut to Government Center on March 29, 1997.[8] It was extended again to North Station on January 1, 2005.[8] The C branch was cut to Government Center on October 24, 2021, as part of changes in preparation for the opening of the Green Line Extension later in the year.[16]
All C branch service was replaced with buses from July 5 to August 1, 2020, to allow for track and platform work. Eleven grade crossings, 8,500 feet (2,600m) of track, and the crossover at Cleveland Circle were replaced as part of the work, and all jointed track was welded together.[17] C branch service was replaced by buses from July 11 to 22, 2022, to allow for trackwork and installation of train protection system equipment.[18] From August 6–20, 2022, some C branch service was extended to Union Square while the E branch was closed for track work.[8]
Accessibility
Accessible platforms at Washington Square
The introduction of low-floor LRVs in 2000 allowed for accessible service on the Green Line. In the early 2000s, the MBTA modified key surface stops with raised platforms as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Program. Portable lifts were installed at Coolidge Corner and Cleveland Circle around 2000.[19][20] Four surface stops – St. Mary's Street, Coolidge Corner, Washington Square, and Cleveland Circle – were modified with raised platforms in 2002–03.[19]
Track work in 2018–19, which included replacement of platform edges at several stops, triggered requirements for accessibility modifications at those stops.[21] Design work for Englewood Avenue, Tappan Street, Fairbanks Street, Brandon Hall, Summit Avenue, St. Paul Street, Kent Street, and Hawes Street (all the remaining C Branch surface stops save for Dean Road) was 15% complete by June 2023.[22]As of November 2023[update], construction at the stops (which may include stop consolidation) is expected to last from mid-2025 to spring 2026.[23] The short-term accessibility modifications at 14 B and C branch stops are expected to cost $57.5 million.[24]
Traffic signals
The C branch runs in a dedicated median but has many street crossings
The C branch runs on a dedicated median on Beacon Street in Brookline, with a total of 18 grade crossings at major cross streets.[25] Like on its sister B branch, C branch streetcars must stop on traffic signals at street crossings. The signals on Beacon Street in Brookline could in theory be prioritized to make the Green Line run faster. However, the MBTA, which would be expected to pay for the streetcar sensors, does not consider the project to be cost-effective.[26] In 2007, the Boston Globe published letters from riders who are in favor of these sensors,[27] a letter from the MBTA spokesperson arguing that a major study is needed before the MBTA spends money,[28] and a letter arguing that the T's spokesperson is giving too many excuses.[29]
In January 2008, the MBTA hired a consultant to study the issue.[30]As of 2011[update], the Town of Brookline was considering formally asking the MBTA to cooperate in setting up traffic signal prioritization to speed up Green Line trains on Beacon Street.[31]
In Mayor Marty Walsh's "Go Boston 2030" plan, prioritizing traffic signals on Beacon Street was a proposed idea. The plan indicated that the project is planned to be completed within five years.[32]
Station listing
Washington Square stationA train pulls out of Cleveland Circle to change direction for an inbound trip
Original surface station was open from July 10, 1922 to May 23, 2020; it had not served the C branch since April 3, 1981. Current station for D and E branches.
The Green Line is a semi-metro system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway in North America. It runs underground through downtown Boston, and on the surface into inner suburbs via six branches on radial boulevards and grade-separated alignments. With an average daily weekday ridership of 137,700 in 2019, it is the third most heavily used light rail system in the country. The line was assigned the green color in 1967 during a systemwide rebranding because several branches pass through sections of the Emerald Necklace of Boston.
Kenmore station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line, located under Kenmore Square in the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The station opened on October 23, 1932 as a one-station extension of the Boylston Street subway to relieve congestion in the square. Kenmore is the primary station for passengers wishing to visit Fenway Park, located one block away.
Boston College station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line B branch. It is located at St. Ignatius Square on the Boston College campus near the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Lake Street, on the border between the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts. Originally opened in 1896, it has been the terminus of the Commonwealth Avenue line since 1900. The current station is planned to be replaced by a new station located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue just east of Lake Street.
Lechmere station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located on the east side of Monsignor O'Brien Highway near First Street, adjacent to the NorthPoint development. The accessible elevated station has a single island platform, with headhouses at both ends. It opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Lechmere station is served by Green Line D branch and E branch service.
Reservoir station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Cleveland Circle area of Brighton. The station is adjacent to Reservoir Yard and Carhouse, with the Cleveland Circle terminus of the C branch just a block away. With a daily ridership of 3,395, Reservoir is the second-busiest surface stop on the D branch.
Heath Street station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the southwestern terminus of the Green Line E branch. It is located at the intersection of South Huntington Avenue and Heath Street on the border between the Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods.
The E branch is a light rail line in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line. The line runs in mixed traffic on South Huntington Avenue and Huntington Avenue between Heath Street and Brigham Circle, in the median of Huntington Avenue to Northeastern University, then into the Huntington Avenue subway. The line merges into the Boylston Street subway just west of Copley, running to North Station via the Tremont Street subway. It then follows the Lechmere Viaduct to Lechmere, then the Medford Branch to Medford/Tufts. As of February 2023, service operates on eight-minute headways at weekday peak hours and eight to nine-minute headways at other times, using 13 to 17 trains.
The B branch, also called the Commonwealth Avenue branch or Boston College branch, is a branch of the MBTA Green Line light rail system which operates on Commonwealth Avenue west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts. One of four branches of the Green Line, the B branch runs from Boston College station down the median of Commonwealth Avenue to Blandford Street. There, it enters Blandford Street portal into Kenmore station, where it merges with the C and D branches. The combined services run into the Boylston Street subway and Tremont Street subway to downtown Boston. B branch service has terminated at Government Center since October 2021. Unlike the other branches, the B branch runs solely through the city limits of Boston. The Green Line Rivalry between Boston College and Boston University is named in reference to the B branch, which runs to both universities.
The Green Line D branch is a light rail line in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line. The line runs on a grade separated surface right-of-way for 9 miles (14 km) from Riverside station to Fenway station. The line merges into the C branch tunnel west of Kenmore, then follows the Boylston Street subway and Tremont Street subway to North Station. It is the longest and busiest of the four Green Line branches. As of February 2023, service operates on 8 to 9-minute headways at weekday peak hours and 8 to 11-minute headways at other times, using 13 to 19 trains.
The A branch or Watertown Line was a streetcar line in the Boston, Massachusetts, area, operating as a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line. The line ran from Watertown through Newton Corner, Brighton, and Allston to Kenmore Square, then used the Boylston Street subway and Tremont Street subway to reach Park Street station.
Back of the Hill station is a surface stop on the light rail MBTA Green Line E branch, located in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after, and primarily serves, the adjacent Back of the Hill apartment complex, a Section 8 development for elderly and disabled residents. Back of the Hill is located on the street running section of the E branch on South Huntington Avenue. The station has no platforms; passengers wait in bus shelters on the sidewalks and cross a traffic lane to reach Green Line trains.
Brookline Village station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in the Brookline Village neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts, United States. It was originally a commuter rail station on the Boston and Albany Railroad's Highland branch; it closed with the rest of the line in 1958 and reopened on July 4, 1959 as a light rail station. With 3,230 daily boardings, it is the third-busiest surface station on the D branch and the sixth-busiest surface station overall. Brookline Village station has raised platforms for accessibility with low-floor light rail vehicles.
Cleveland Circle station is a surface light rail station on the MBTA Green Line C branch, located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, at Cleveland Circle. Cleveland Circle station is accessible, with raised platforms to accommodate low-floor light rail vehicles.
St. Mary's Street station is a surface light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line C branch, located just west of the intersection of Beacon Street and Park Drive in the northeastern tip of Brookline, Massachusetts. Like all surface stops on the line, St Mary's Street has two side platforms serving two tracks. The station is accessible. With just over 1,500 daily boardings by a 2011 count, St. Mary's Street is the second-busiest stop on the C branch, behind only Coolidge Corner.
Blandford Street station is a surface-level light rail station on the MBTA's Green Line B branch located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station is located in the center median of Commonwealth Avenue at Silber Way and Blandford Mall, about 2 blocks west of Kenmore Square, near the east end of Boston University. The station consists of two low side platforms, which serve the B branch's two tracks. The station is the first station outbound on the B branch after it splits off from the C and D branches at Kenmore.
Babcock Street station is a light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line B branch, located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue in the west part of the Boston University campus. The accessible station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, with access at Babcock Street and Pleasant Street.
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.
Amory Street station is a light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line B branch, located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue in the west part of the Boston University campus. The accessible station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, with access at Amory Street and St. Paul Street.
North Station is an underground MBTA subway station in Boston, Massachusetts. Served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line and Orange Line, it is connected to the North Station surface terminal used by MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak. The station is fully accessible.
The Ipswich Street line was a streetcar line in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. The line ran on Boylston Street and Ipswich Street in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood, and on Brookline Avenue through what is now the Longwood Medical Area to Brookline Village.
↑ Belcher, Jonathan (January–February 2023). "MBTA Vehicle Inventory as of February 28, 2023". Rollsign. Vol.59, no.1–2. Boston Street Railway Association. p.10.
1 2 3 4 Clarke, Bradley H.; Cummings, O.R. (1997). Tremont Street Subway: A Century of Public Service. Boston Street Railway Association. ISBN0938315048.
↑ Chasson, George Jr. (1987). Lonto, Arthur J. (ed.). "Boston's Main Line El: The Formative Years 1879-1908". Headlights. 49. Electric Railroader's Association: 25–26.
1 2 "Executive Summary"(PDF). Program of Mass Transportation. Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization. January 2004. p.2-9. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 20, 2012.
↑ "Subway Map"(PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2001. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 1, 2001.
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