43 (MBTA bus)
Encyclopedia
The 43 Ruggles Station - Park and Tremont Streets is a bus
route in Boston, Massachusetts run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
. The route runs southwest from downtown Boston along Tremont Street, ending at the Ruggles
bus terminal and Orange Line
transfer point. It is notable as the last streetcar service to use the since-covered over Pleasant Street Portal before its bustitution
; until the new Southwest Corridor
relocation of the Orange Line opened, the route continued down Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue to Egleston (at the old Washington Street Elevated
).
The Tremont Street Subway
opened to the four-track Pleasant Street Portal on October 1, 1897, and the west two tracks were connected to Tremont Street. However, from June 10, 1901 to November 29, 1908, the Washington Street Elevated
was connected into the portal, and Tremont Street streetcars again ran along the surface. At some time around then (after 1888), the tracks were extended the rest of the way to Egleston (and beyond on Seaver Street).
After March 1, 1953, the last day the ran, the 43 was shifted to the two east tracks to allow a bus transfer facility to be built where the west tracks had been. By this time, service ran to North Station, turning around on the lower level loop. Streetcars last reached Egleston on June 14, 1956, after which they were cut back to Lenox Street
, with a new bus route (also 43) running from Lenox to Egleston. The Lenox Street service last ran November 19, 1961, and the bus was extended north past the Pleasant Street Portal to Boylston
. A shuttle service was kept between the portal and Boylston, with one double-ended PCC car on each track. This shuttle last ran April 5, 1962.
On February 26, 1966, the bus was cut back to Stuart Street due to the temporary closure of Tremont Street. This terminus was kept until June 1972, when service was extended north around the Boston Common to Park Street
. With the opening of the new Orange Line
in May 1987, the south end of the 43 was truncated to Ruggles
, with extensions of the and providing service between Ruggles and Egleston.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
route in Boston, Massachusetts run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
. The route runs southwest from downtown Boston along Tremont Street, ending at the Ruggles
Ruggles (MBTA station)
Ruggles Station is a MBTA subway station on the Orange Line; it is also a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham Lines. It is located at the intersection of Ruggles and Tremont Streets, where the Roxbury neighborhood begins and borders with the nearby...
bus terminal and Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
transfer point. It is notable as the last streetcar service to use the since-covered over Pleasant Street Portal before its bustitution
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
; until the new Southwest Corridor
Southwest Corridor
The Southwest Corridor or Southwest Expressway was a project designed to bring an eight-lane highway into the City of Boston from a direction southwesterly of downtown. It was supposed to connect with Interstate 95 at Route 128...
relocation of the Orange Line opened, the route continued down Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue to Egleston (at the old Washington Street Elevated
Washington Street Elevated
The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line . It ran from Chinatown through the South End and Roxbury, ending in Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain...
).
History
Originally, trackage along Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue was built in 1857 by the West Roxbury Railroad to provide service to Jamaica Plain (see Green Line "E" Branch for more about that line). It used Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue from downtown to Centre Street. Soon after, in 1859, a branch of this line was built west along Tremont Street to Brookline (this later became part of the 66).The Tremont Street Subway
Tremont Street Subway
The Tremont Street Subway is a tunnel in Boston's subway system, and is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opening on September 1, 1897. It was originally built as a tunnel to get streetcar lines off the streets, rather than a rapid transit line...
opened to the four-track Pleasant Street Portal on October 1, 1897, and the west two tracks were connected to Tremont Street. However, from June 10, 1901 to November 29, 1908, the Washington Street Elevated
Washington Street Elevated
The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line . It ran from Chinatown through the South End and Roxbury, ending in Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain...
was connected into the portal, and Tremont Street streetcars again ran along the surface. At some time around then (after 1888), the tracks were extended the rest of the way to Egleston (and beyond on Seaver Street).
After March 1, 1953, the last day the ran, the 43 was shifted to the two east tracks to allow a bus transfer facility to be built where the west tracks had been. By this time, service ran to North Station, turning around on the lower level loop. Streetcars last reached Egleston on June 14, 1956, after which they were cut back to Lenox Street
Lenox Street (MBTA station)
Lenox Street is a street level transportation station in Boston, Massachusetts, on the MBTA's Silver Line. The station is located on Washington St at Lenox St.-Connections:Lenox Street is also a stop for the 8 and 170 MBTA bus routes.-External links:...
, with a new bus route (also 43) running from Lenox to Egleston. The Lenox Street service last ran November 19, 1961, and the bus was extended north past the Pleasant Street Portal to Boylston
Boylston (MBTA station)
Boylston is a station on the Green Line light rail service of the MBTA rapid transport network, and is located on the southeast corner of Boston Common at the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets.-Location:...
. A shuttle service was kept between the portal and Boylston, with one double-ended PCC car on each track. This shuttle last ran April 5, 1962.
On February 26, 1966, the bus was cut back to Stuart Street due to the temporary closure of Tremont Street. This terminus was kept until June 1972, when service was extended north around the Boston Common to Park Street
Park Street (MBTA station)
Park Street is a rapid transit and light rail station of the MBTA subway system in Downtown Boston. One of the four subway hub stations, Park Street is a transfer point between the Green and Red Lines. Park Street is the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network, with an average of 19,836 entries...
. With the opening of the new Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
in May 1987, the south end of the 43 was truncated to Ruggles
Ruggles (MBTA station)
Ruggles Station is a MBTA subway station on the Orange Line; it is also a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham Lines. It is located at the intersection of Ruggles and Tremont Streets, where the Roxbury neighborhood begins and borders with the nearby...
, with extensions of the and providing service between Ruggles and Egleston.