General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

[HenryAlan]

I think it would be okay to have two Mass Ave. stations. That kind of duality is pretty common in New York, and simply means there are two different lines with stations on Mass Ave. The only issue, really, is that we have many other stations on Mass Ave., representing several other lines, so we don't really have that naming convention. With the air rights projects in the pipeline, to a certain extent, that station will become more associated with Boylston St. than it is with Newbury St., so might be worth something like Boylston Square. Alternatively, we have a lot of stations named for proximate colleges, so I could see something naming it for Berklee. Before the current name, it was Hynes/ICA, but before that, it was Auditorium, which was a nod to both the convention center and Berkelee's performance spaces. We could revive that concept.

 

[jass]

Why not just leave it as Hynes but remove "convention center"

 

[RandomWalk]

Berklee is a landmark nearby, but I think that would violate the MBTA’s naming policy.

 

[JumboBuc]

If the Hynes Convention Center redevelopment goes through, what could the Green Line stop get renamed to? The Orange Line stole the Mass Ave name so there really isn't anything to go back to.

"Massachusetts," full stop. And if that doesn't work, then go with "Auditorium."

It's dumb to change the names of transit stops when new destinations open nearby, because we've all seen that those destinations often eventually close or move (for an extremely close-to-home example, see: "Hynes Convention/ICA" from 1990 to 2006). There are very few destinations that can possibly open next to an existing transit stop and not be outlived by that transit stop. Boston has done a whole lot of this short-sighted station renaming throughout history.

The best option when a "re-named namesake" closes is to go back to the original "rightful" name of the station before it was re-named in the first place (see, "Yawkey Way" going back to "Jersey Street"). This station opened as "Massachusetts" in 1914, that's it's rightful name and it should go back to it. If that is too abstract, go with the retro throwback "Auditorium" it had from 1965 to 1990.

(All that being said, switching "Wonderland" back to "Bath House" would be a bit weird...)

 

[millerm277]

Berklee is a landmark nearby, but I think that would violate the MBTA’s naming policy.

Universities are acceptable for said policy (See: BU, BC, Northeastern, JFK/UMass) and it's certainly close enough.

I'm not sure I'd pick that for the name though, I feel Berklee is less of a landmark for the sorts of people who need station names to help them (tourists, people unfamiliar with the city, etc)

I'd personally put my vote with Newbury West, Mass Ave is going to create confusion with the other stop named that.

 

[bigpicture7]

...see: "Hynes Convention/ICA" from 1990 to 2006

You KNOW you're from Boston when you hear Frank Oglesby narrate "Hynes Convention Cent..." on the Green Line and can't stop yourself from mentally filling in the "ICA." It's one of those endearing things to know it's a human voice in those .wave files, because the inflection is all wrong (in the best way) when they subsequently cropped out the "ICA."

 

[whighlander]

Berklee is the correct answer

The World of Berklee

• Boston, Massachusetts Campus
• Valencia, Spain Campus
• Study Abroad in Spain
• Berklee on the Road
• Berklee Latino
• Berklee Global Partners
• Berklee City Music
• Berklee Online

Boston Conservatory [ which joined Berklee]
https://online.berklee.edu/?pid=6875&c3ch=Affiliate&c3nid=bcm_world_of_berklee

https://online.berklee.edu/?pid=6875&c3ch=Affiliate&c3nid=bcm_world_of_berklee

About Berklee

Berklee is the preeminent institute of contemporary music and the performing arts, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs at its campuses in Boston, Massachusetts and Valencia, Spain, and through its award-winning distance learning program, Berklee Online. Dedicated to nurturing the creative and career potential of the world’s most inspired artists, Berklee’s commitment to arts education is reflected in the work of its students, faculty, and alumni—hundreds of whom have been recognized with Grammy, Tony, Oscar, and Emmy awards.
At Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, students explore interdisciplinary approaches to music, dance, theater, film, business, healthcare, education, technology, and more. Our pioneering youth programs reach underserved classrooms throughout the U.S. and beyond. With students and alumni from more than 100 nations and educational partners across the world, we are forging new connections among art forms, musical traditions, and technologies to build a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative global arts community.

and you can throw in the Signature Series

Upcoming Events

Dee Dee Bridgewater Meets Berklee
Wednesday / October 30, 2019 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Global icon Dee Dee Bridgewater is a multiple Grammy winner, Tony winner, music producer, United Nations goodwill ambassador, and jazz vocal legend.

Aida Cuevas Meets Berklee
Thursday / November 14, 2019 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Mexican vocalist Aida Cuevas, the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” has won a Grammy and a Latin Grammy for her work in the regional Mexican genre.

Singers Showcase: A Night at the Opera—The Music of Queen
Thursday / December 5, 2019 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
In celebration of the enduring appeal of Queen, one of rock’s most influential bands, prepare for a glittering night of stomping, fearlessly eclectic rock anthems and harmony-steeped, melodramatic piano ballads.

Berklee Global Jazz Institute Celebrates Charlie Parker
Friday / December 13, 2019 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
For one night only, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute celebrates Charlie Parker's centennial, presenting new arrangements and music from Bird's repertoire.

Great American Songbook: Nu Vintage Pop—Today’s Hits, Time Traveled
Sunday / February 23, 2020 / 7:30 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Inspired by the retro-hip joie de vivre of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and its “gramophone music in a smartphone world” philosophy, join an eclectic and global cast of Berklee’s finest vocalists, instrumentalists, arrangers, and dancers as they reimagine modern-day pop songs in jazz and retro styles from a bygone era.

The Coming: Black History Month Celebration
Thursday / February 27, 2020 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
This musical narrative features excerpts with Daniel Black from his book The Coming, along with compositions from Tia Fuller’s Grammy-nominated album, Diamond Cut, and performances by the Rainbow All-Stars Ensemble on the rich traditions and more contemporary portrayals of the African diaspora, firmly depicting the unrighteous capture and journey of the transatlantic slave trade.

The Show
Thursday / March 5, 2020 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
In this concert spanning many genres and styles, musical director Rob Lewis '94 (Christina Aguilera, New Kids on the Block, Toni Braxton) presents Berklee College of Music students at their best, highlighting their talent and passion through popular music.

Singers Showcase: Bond...James Bond: Theme Songs
Thursday / April 9, 2020 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
While fans eagerly await the release of No Time to Die, the 25th James Bond movie, prepare to be shaken and stirred as Berklee’s most outstanding lead vocalists pay tribute to novelist Ian Fleming’s immortal and debonair Secret Intelligence Service agent, 007.

Berklee Middle Eastern Festival: Tigran Hamasyan Trio Meets Pletenitsa
Tuesday / April 28, 2020 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
The Berklee Middle Eastern Festival is a celebrated annual event that brings together guest artists from the region, as well as community musicians, students, visual artists, and dancers from all over the world to celebrate the music of the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Mediterranean.

Something for nearly everyone

I think they [Berklee] deserves to be recognized by a T stop along with:

1. MIT
2. Harvard,
3. Northeastern
4. Boston College
5. Boston University
6. UMass Boston
7. Tufts
8. Brandeis

 

[Arlington]

I nearly nominated Berklee, but stopped because Iworried it'd be confused with Berkeley St.

 

[jass]

I nearly nominated Berklee, but stopped because Iworried it'd be confused with Berkeley St.

Exactly, very confusing.

Most MBTA names are either the intersecting street, or the square they sit on, which in turn are named after some dead dude. In this case, Mass Ave, Boylston, and Newbury and not great names because of the other stations along them.

Kenmore Square was named after Kenmore Station that was named after Kenmore Street.

Theres no reason you cant call the station Hynes and then retrofit the intersection/area as "Hynes Square." In ten years, people assume Hynes Station is named after Hynes Square and not the other way around.

I don't know much about Mayor Hynes either than what is on his wikipedia:

John Hynes (politician) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But he doesn't seem to have any Yawkey-style controversy in his past.

 

[Riverside]

I like Berklee! Also like Auditorium, and have long been a fan of Newbury, though I agree that it's possibly a bit confusing. Newbury West could be good, but doesn't particularly sound like other T stations. On the other hand, while certainly new and different, Newbury on Mass is an evocative name and could be good from a redevelopment perspective.

I am not a fan of duplicated station names -- i.e. Massachusetts, Massachusetts Avenue, Mass Ave. It's done in NYC but there's a whole geographical schema that overlays the system and in the mind of pretty much every commuter. Boston almost never does this (Harvard Ave. and Central Ave. notwithstanding) and I don't think this would be a good place to start.

My other idiosyncrasy -- I think the T should adopt the policy of dropping the "Street" or "Square" from the station name, unless it is a minor i.e. street-running stop. So, Harvard, not Harvard Square, Assembly, not Assembly Square. It's shorter, catchier, easier to fit on maps, and builds up this image of what to expect when you get to the station.

This is sorta done already, but I'd love for it to be more deliberate and regular.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

"Massachusetts" was the name from the 1919 opening to opening of the original auditorium. Then it was "Auditorium" to the late-80's.

I guess by historical timelines we're about due for another rebranding.

 

[JeffDowntown]

For historical reasons, I vote "West Chester". Unique and completely confusing (like most of the T).

 

[Arlington]

Theres no reason you cant call the station Hynes and then retrofit the intersection/area as "Hynes Square." In ten years, people assume Hynes Station is named after Hynes Square and not the other way around.

I don't know much about Mayor Hynes either than what is on his wikipedia:

John Hynes (politician) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But he doesn't seem to have any Yawkey-style controversy in his past.

His grandson and namesake, John B. Hynes III leads BGI (a big player in the Seaport and the deal-doer for the parcel-swap/rebuild move of Our Lady of Good Voyage)

BGI

Boston Global Investors

bginvestors.com

 

[Siobhán]

Not sure how I feel about keeping Hynes's name around considering his role in urban renewal and the razing of the West End.

 

[dhawkins]

Give the naming rights to who ever builds the deck over the Pike! Or Little Stevie's - the last of the nasty pizza joints in town.

 

[bakgwailo]

Give the naming rights to who ever builds the deck over the Pike! Or Little Stevie's - the last of the nasty pizza joints in town.

Isn't New York Pizza still open though?

 

[whighlander]

Exactly, very confusing.

Most MBTA names are either the intersecting street, or the square they sit on, which in turn are named after some dead dude. In this case, Mass Ave, Boylston, and Newbury and not great names because of the other stations along them.

Kenmore Square was named after Kenmore Station that was named after Kenmore Street.

Theres no reason you cant call the station Hynes and then retrofit the intersection/area as "Hynes Square." In ten years, people assume Hynes Station is named after Hynes Square and not the other way around.

I don't know much about Mayor Hynes either than what is on his wikipedia:

John Hynes (politician) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But he doesn't seem to have any Yawkey-style controversy in his past.

Mayor Hynes would not have many fans in what used to be the West End -- he was mayor during a major part of the obliteration era
from the wiki

Legacy

During his tenure as mayor, he oversaw the opening of the Central Artery elevated highway through the city's waterfront district, as well as the opening of the Freedom Trail, which traces many of Boston's Revolutionary War era landmarks. He was responsible for founding the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), which laid the foundation for developments in Boston in the 1950s and beyond including the controversial razing of the West End.

And Hynes was originally a Curley flunkey who temporarily stood-in for Curley when the latter was in the Federal Prison System [as an inmate]

No -- the new name for the Auditorium Station has to be Berklee or perhaps Berklee College

 

[Fred R]

Mayor Hynes would not have many fans in what used to be the West End -- he was mayor during a major part of the obliteration era
from the wiki


And Hynes was originally a Curley flunkey who temporarily stood-in for Curley when the latter was in the Federal Prison System [as an inmate]

No -- the new name for the Auditorium Station has to be Berklee or perhaps Berklee College

Berklee is likely to cause confusion with Berkeley Street, particularly since there's a Berkeley Street exit from Arlington Station. Instead, restore the name "Massachusetts" to the GL station. Rename the OL station "St Botolf". Unique, geographically accurate, and it does homage to Boston's original name.

 

[Fred R]

Berklee is likely to cause confusion with Berkeley Street, particularly since there's a Berkeley Street exit from Arlington Station. Instead, restore the name "Massachusetts" to the GL station. Rename the OL station "St Botolf". Unique, geographically accurate, and it does homage to Boston's original name.

sorry for the misspelling. It's St Botolph.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Berklee is likely to cause confusion with Berkeley Street, particularly since there's a Berkeley Street exit from Arlington Station. Instead, restore the name "Massachusetts" to the GL station. Rename the OL station "St Botolph". Unique, geographically accurate, and it does homage to Boston's original name.

Yeah except St Botolph St runs parallel to the OL from Back Bay station all the way to and past the current Mass Ave. Also lets not forget Mass Ave (Silver Line station) and Symphony GL which is... also geographically Mass Ave. I like Newbury, no street.