MBTA history

In 1901, construction began on the East Boston Tunnel (which is now the Blue line). The tunnel ran under Boston Harbor, making it the first North American tunnel to run under a body of water.

Workers dug towards each other from Boston and East Boston and joined the tunnel under the harbor on July 4, 1903.

1904: Blue Line opens as a trolley tunnel from Maverick Sq to Court Sq at Scollay Sq.

1906: Atlantic Ave station opens on the Blue Line.

1908: Washington St subway opens on the Orange Line, Green Line restored to trolley service.

1909: Orange Line extended from Dudley Sq to Forest Hills.

The Harvard Square Business Men’s Association was established by local business owners in 1910 as a result of the subway construction, which was disrupting local businesses.

A two-part project began with the Cambridge tunnel from Harvard Square in Cambridge through the Park Street station, which was completed in March of 1912.

One of the first improvements endorsed by the Association, in 1914, was the installation of 53 electric street lamps.

1916: Red Line extended to South Station; Blue Line extended to Bowdoin Sq.

1917: Red Line extended to Broadway.

A deep-bored tunnel was dug far below Beacon Hill and Boston Common to connect Cambridge to Park Street and opened July 1, 1918.

I’ve updated the map to show that Beach St was closed after 1919 and the suspended service along the Atlantic Ave el. (Clear your cache if you don’t see the changes).

1921: Arlington station added to Green Line.

1927: Red Line extended to Fields Corner.

The iconic kiosk, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928 and has served as a beacon on Harvard Square ever since.

The yard still had trolleys dating back to the 1930’s and 40’s.

1932: Green Line extended past Kenmore with portals for Watertown, Boston College, and Cleveland Circle trolleys; Charles St station added to Red Line.

Ward maps have scanned the map side of the 1936, 37, and 38 Boston El maps which all show the Dover-South Station segment as still in place.

If service south of South Station was rush-hour only in 1938 then do you know when off-peak service was cut?

Until its closure in 1940, the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad ran trains every 15 minutes from East Boston to Lynn along the right-of-way used today by the outer part of the Blue Line, and stopping at most of the same stations.

1941: Huntington Ave subway opened on Green Line from Copley to Arborway.

In 1947 the state of Massachusetts bought the majority share in the Boston Elevated Railway Company and created the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in charge of Boston and 13 other cities and towns.

1954: Blue Line extended to Wonderland.

In 1957, the MTA authorized the expansion of rapid transit along the Newton Highlands Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad.

Service on the Highland Branch began in 1959, and is still in operation today as the Green Line D Branch, with service between Boston and Newton, MA.

1961: Pleasant St portal closed on Green Line.

In 1964 the system expanded again, taking control of the transportation concerns of 78 local cities and towns and combing rapid transit lines, commuter rails, street cars, trolley, and buses under the newly renamed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Since 1965, the FTA has funded $3.5 billion in improvement projects at the MBTA.

1971: Red Line extended from Andrew to Quincy Center.

By December 1980, increased demand and funding shortages resulted in a 1-day shutdown.

1983: Quincy Adams station added to Red Line.

1985: Red Line extended to Alewife.

In May 1987, crews completed their demolition of the elevated Orange Line and riders celebrated the completion of nine new accessible Orange Line stations.

1988: Columbia changed to JFK/UMass; added to Red Line Braintree branch.

In 2002, a group of riders filed a class-action lawsuit against the MBTA. Four years later, the parties entered into the Daniels-Finegold et al.

In 2009, Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation that put the MBTA under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).