MBTA "Transformation" (Green Line, Red Line, & Orange Line Transformation Projects)

[themissinglink]

Shuttles replace Blue Line service for 9 days, Orange Line for 3 weekends in August

The scheduled maintenance will add upwards of half-an-hour to commutes when the section of the Blue Line running between Airport Station and Wonderland is replaced by shuttle service.

www.bostonherald.com

The scheduled maintenance will add upwards of half-an-hour to commutes when the section of the Blue Line running between Airport Station and Wonderland is replaced by shuttle service from August 9 through 17, the transit agency said in announcing next month’s service changes.

“The MBTA will perform continued work on the Blue Line in August to continue to rebuild the Line and ensure that additional sections of track are improved to the same state of good repair standards that support reliable and robust service. Crews will accomplish essential infrastructure upgrades, heavy track renewal, and other critical revitalization work,” the agency said.

The nine-day closure aims to build on the success of the T’s now-completed “Track Improvement Program” which saw large portions of track closed for weeks at a time as the agency worked to bring the system up to full speed and complete decades of forestalled maintenance.
[...]
Orange Line service will also see scheduled interruptions next month, though only on weekends. Signal upgrade work will see service cut between Wellington and Back Bay from August 2 – 3, 9 – 10, and 23 – 24, the MBTA reports.

 

[BeansTheCat]

Some neat slides from today's board presentation for the 35th anniversary of the ADA: https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2025-07/6. FINAL Board Presentation_Honoring 35th anniversary of the ADA.pdf
View attachment 65265
By 2030, there's only going to be 4 inaccessible subway stations

4 inaccessible subway stops by 2030 seems closer to a worst case scenario than a best case one at this point. The second construction is funded and starts for the Red-Blue connector, Bowdoin can be closed for good. Who knows when that will happen, but 2030 is pretty reasonable. The same applies for Valley Road and the Mattapan Line program (assuming it gets restarted). Boylston is genuinely the only remaining heavy rail or light rail stop with no concrete plans to be made accessible.

 

[Jeremi]

4 inaccessible subway stops by 2030 seems closer to a worst case scenario than a best case one at this point. The second construction is funded and starts for the Red-Blue connector, Bowdoin can be closed for good. Who knows when that will happen, but 2030 is pretty reasonable. The same applies for Valley Road and the Mattapan Line program (assuming it gets restarted). Boylston is genuinely the only remaining heavy rail or light rail stop with no concrete plans to be made accessible.

Bowdoin will still be the terminus for the blue line in 2030 and 2040 and after that the blue line will probably be underwater.

 

[as02155]

Bowdoin and Boylston - I understand that Bowdowin cannot be made accessible without some significant amount of work - but - what's holding back Boylston from just having a couple of elevator shafts punched through the roof?

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Bowdoin and Boylston - I understand that Bowdowin cannot be made accessible without some significant amount of work - but - what's holding back Boylston from just having a couple of elevator shafts punched through the roof?

Nothing. The historical designation doesn't even prevent it, as Boylston has been modified many times over its history.

 

[as02155]

Nothing. The historical designation doesn't even prevent it, as Boylston has been modified many times over its history.

Yeah - that's the quizzical thing for me - is there some grand plan for Boylston that the T hasn't revealed? Is it that someone REALLY wants to bring back the Silver Line Phase 3 tunnel and is hoping that the state will do it?

 

[The EGE]

I think it's as much a fear of the historic status as any actual barriers presented by it. There will probably be some additional hoops to jump through as far as materials etc, but it's by no means impossible. Part of the reason it's fallen by the wayside may also be the (perceived)* proximity to Park Street, Arlington, and Chinatown which are already accessible.

*It's about 1500 from Park Street and 1800 from Arlington. Hynes is about 2200 from both (soon to be accessible) Symphony and Kenmore, which isn't that different, but it feels like more.

 

[Brattle Loop]

*It's about 1500 from Park Street and 1800 from Arlington. Hynes is about 2200 from both (soon to be accessible) Symphony and Kenmore, which isn't that different, but it feels like more.

I think it might even be less than that from Park's southern entrance. Plus you don't even have to cross so much as a single street, you can practically see Boylston from Park.

I think it's as much a fear of the historic status as any actual barriers presented by it. There will probably be some additional hoops to jump through as far as materials etc, but it's by no means impossible. Part of the reason it's fallen by the wayside may also be the (perceived)* proximity to Park Street, Arlington, and Chinatown which are already accessible.

It's also the lowest-ridership of all the Central Subway stations served by more than one GL branch, presumably in part due to its proximity to both Park and Chinatown. So, not a lot of urgency for an expensive (if eminently feasible) renovation.

 

[okin15]

*It's about 1500 from Park Street and 1800 from Arlington. Hynes is about 2200 from both (soon to be accessible) Symphony and Kenmore, which isn't that different, but it feels like more.

I've always wondered if adding a head-house at the Southern end of Park would (or could) effectively eliminate the need to stop at Boylston station altogether.

 

[KCasiglio]

I've always wondered if adding a head-house at the Southern end of Park would (or could) effectively eliminate the need to stop at Boylston station altogether.

Not sure what you mean, there already is a headhouse at the southern end of park, no? Quick google mymaps measurements says the southern headhouse is about 1000ft from the Boylston headhouse

 

[The EGE]

I think it might even be less than that from Park's southern entrance. Plus you don't even have to cross so much as a single street, you can practically see Boylston from Park.

The southern entrance is not accessible (and only serves the SB platform) - both surface elevators are at Winter Street near the north end of the station.

 

[as02155]

I think it's as much a fear of the historic status as any actual barriers presented by it. There will probably be some additional hoops to jump through as far as materials etc, but it's by no means impossible. Part of the reason it's fallen by the wayside may also be the (perceived)* proximity to Park Street, Arlington, and Chinatown which are already accessible.

*It's about 1500 from Park Street and 1800 from Arlington. Hynes is about 2200 from both (soon to be accessible) Symphony and Kenmore, which isn't that different, but it feels like more.

I would think that given the T seems to be - uniquely focused on redundant paths of travel - having a station with zero access for people using wheelchairs or needing the elevator as a mobility aid would stand as a higher priority over all those other efforts at redundant paths of travel.

 

[JeffDowntown]

I would think that given the T seems to be - uniquely focused on redundant paths of travel - having a station with zero access for people using wheelchairs or needing the elevator as a mobility aid would stand as a higher priority over all those other efforts at redundant paths of travel.

I honestly think it is a money issue. It is a complex project where you have to find a suitable way to get elevator access to both platforms, separately, while maintaining the historic integrity of the two head houses (historic landmarks). Past experience with elevators into these old stations has led to massive cost overruns. Also the station has very low boardings. So this is likely a low priority on the capital spending list for the MBTA.

(To my knowledge the MBTA has never gotten extra funding for ADA compliance; it is an unfunded mandate that has to compete with other capital needs.)

 

[as02155]

I honestly think it is a money issue. It is a complex project where you have to find a suitable way to get elevator access to both platforms, separately, while maintaining the historic integrity of the two head houses (historic landmarks). Past experience with elevators into these old stations has led to massive cost overruns. Also the station has very low boardings. So this is likely a low priority on the capital spending list for the MBTA.

(To my knowledge the MBTA has never gotten extra funding for ADA compliance; it is an unfunded mandate that has to compete with other capital needs.)

Is that not the case with Park right up the street? They basically added new elevators outside the historic headhouse.

 

[BeansTheCat]

How expensive/difficult would it be to build a new Boylston station a little to the northwest of the existing one, under the Common? This would avoid any of the headhouse preservation concerns as well as the issues that come from Boylston's age. There's also fewer problems with construction staging and the Boylston curve can be straightened out as a bonus. I assume that this is overkill for just ADA compliance, but it would also be much cheaper than projects like Hynes ($110 million projected), Symphony ($120 million), and Ruggles ($135 million).

 

[Brattle Loop]

How expensive/difficult would it be to build a new Boylston station a little to the northwest of the existing one, under the Common? This would avoid any of the headhouse preservation concerns as well as the issues that come from Boylston's age. There's also fewer problems with construction staging and the Boylston curve can be straightened out as a bonus. I assume that this is overkill for just ADA compliance, but it would also be much cheaper than projects like Hynes ($110 million projected), Symphony ($120 million), and Ruggles ($135 million).

I'm guessing, but I don't think it would be in the same universe as anything 'cheap' to build an entire new station in a 128-year-old tunnel. Not to mention it would be extraordinarily disruptive unless you shut down at least significant portions of the main trunk of the Central Subway during construction, which would cause massive problems system-wide for the Green Line.

Besides, it's completely unnecessary. The headhouses are of no concern. As-built, Boylston had two additional headhouses (basically identical to the current ones) at the north ends of the two platforms. Perfect places to put in new headhouses with elevators there, and then you're just talking about your fairly-basic renovation of the rest of the station. It's not like Boylston is some unsolvable problem, it's just that it's a mixture of extra-complexities, cost, and utter lack of urgency (because of how lightly used it is and its proximity to Park and Chinatown) that it's perennially at the bottom of the priority pile (being so low-priority is why Symphony and to an extent Hynes lingered as long as they did).

The Boylston curve is immaterial. It's noisy and a bit slow, that's all. But unless they decide to change their insistence on the Park Street loop being the ruling curve for the entire line (and the Brattle Loop barely any wider) changing the Boylston curve doesn't get them much of anything.

 

[as02155]

I'm guessing, but I don't think it would be in the same universe as anything 'cheap' to build an entire new station in a 128-year-old tunnel. Not to mention it would be extraordinarily disruptive unless you shut down at least significant portions of the main trunk of the Central Subway during construction, which would cause massive problems system-wide for the Green Line.

Besides, it's completely unnecessary. The headhouses are of no concern. As-built, Boylston had two additional headhouses (basically identical to the current ones) at the north ends of the two platforms. Perfect places to put in new headhouses with elevators there, and then you're just talking about your fairly-basic renovation of the rest of the station. It's not like Boylston is some unsolvable problem, it's just that it's a mixture of extra-complexities, cost, and utter lack of urgency (because of how lightly used it is and its proximity to Park and Chinatown) that it's perennially at the bottom of the priority pile (being so low-priority is why Symphony and to an extent Hynes lingered as long as they did).

The Boylston curve is immaterial. It's noisy and a bit slow, that's all. But unless they decide to change their insistence on the Park Street loop being the ruling curve for the entire line (and the Brattle Loop barely any wider) changing the Boylston curve doesn't get them much of anything.

I guess thinking about it from a different perspective ..... Is closing Boylston station the best option rather than making it accessible?

 

[Brattle Loop]

I guess thinking about it from a different perspective ..... Is closing Boylston station the best option rather than making it accessible?

No.

Making Boylston accessible is not that hard, especially compared to the really complicated stations. It's simply that it's complicated and expensive enough for a station that lightly used that literally every other station in the Central Subway (and all of the heavy rail stations apart from similarly-lightly-used Bowdoin) were higher priorities. It's a reasonable bet that even with the rest of the stations done they won't get around to Boylston until somebody makes them, but there's zero reason to close the station.

 

[JeffDowntown]

I'm guessing, but I don't think it would be in the same universe as anything 'cheap' to build an entire new station in a 128-year-old tunnel. Not to mention it would be extraordinarily disruptive unless you shut down at least significant portions of the main trunk of the Central Subway during construction, which would cause massive problems system-wide for the Green Line.

Besides, it's completely unnecessary. The headhouses are of no concern. As-built, Boylston had two additional headhouses (basically identical to the current ones) at the north ends of the two platforms. Perfect places to put in new headhouses with elevators there, and then you're just talking about your fairly-basic renovation of the rest of the station. It's not like Boylston is some unsolvable problem, it's just that it's a mixture of extra-complexities, cost, and utter lack of urgency (because of how lightly used it is and its proximity to Park and Chinatown) that it's perennially at the bottom of the priority pile (being so low-priority is why Symphony and to an extent Hynes lingered as long as they did).

The Boylston curve is immaterial. It's noisy and a bit slow, that's all. But unless they decide to change their insistence on the Park Street loop being the ruling curve for the entire line (and the Brattle Loop barely any wider) changing the Boylston curve doesn't get them much of anything.

Your point about the two additional headhouses is a good one. Recreating those would be perfect for adding elevators. The cost element is you have to create a second access to fare control with gates and fare vending for those access points (more money for low utilization equipment).

 

[stick n move]

“OL trains are now allowed to go 55mph between oak grove and assembly, they havent been able to do this in 20 years”

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