.gif)
Government Center (MBTA station)
Encyclopedia
Government Center is an MBTA
subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line
and the Blue Line
. It is located at the intersection of Tremont
, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center
area of Boston.
was built at its current location, completely replacing old Scollay Square
, the station was known as Scollay on the Green Line and Scollay Under on the Blue Line. Years later, when the false walls on both ends of the Blue Line platform were removed to accommodate the change from four- to six-car trains, several surviving mosaic tile "Scollay Under" signs were uncovered, which can be seen on both ends of the platform.
Government Center station was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2
in the Boston level.
, thus causing the short Green Line segment between Government Center station and nearby Park Street
station to be especially congested during peak travel times. This bottleneck, combined with tight platform clearances on the Green Line outbound side, has been the cause of significant delays and crowding on the Green Line. In the past, an underground pedestrian passage had been proposed, paralleling the Green Line tracks and connecting the two stations, but this idea was dropped in favor of a direct transfer connection between the Blue and Red Lines.
It also is possible to transfer between the Red and Blue Lines by traveling one stop on the Orange Line
between State
and Downtown Crossing
stations, but this path involves navigating a longer and more convoluted path through stairs and passages of those stations. The Red and Blue Lines are the only pair of rapid transit lines in the MBTA system that lack a direct transfer connection.
As part of a lawsuit settlement relating to air quality mitigation for the Big Dig
highway tunnel project, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed to build a direct transfer connection between the Blue and Red Lines. This would be done by extending the Blue Line beyond Bowdoin
station, continuing to run a further 1500 feet (450 m) beneath Cambridge Street to Charles/MGH
station on the Red Line. Unlike the historic non-revenue Red/Blue Line connection, there would be no direct rail connection between the lines at Charles/MGH station (the rail gauges are identical, but the Red and Blue Line railcars are otherwise dimensionally incompatible). However, passengers would be able to transfer between the Red and Blue Lines without needing to crowd onto the Green Line, and many passengers from the North Shore of Boston would be able to reach the Massachusetts General Hospital
area directly without further transfers.
After failing to take any action for over a decade, and under threat of further lawsuits, the state finally agreed to start detailed engineering design for such an extension, which is ongoing as of 2011. Construction is expected to take 6 years, but a start date and funding scheme have not yet been announced.
Currently there are plans to shut Government Center station down for two years, which would save $16 million and shorten the project by 15 months, compared to keeping the station open during construction. Construction is planned to begin in November 2012.
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...
subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
and the Blue Line
Blue Line (MBTA)
The Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Downtown, East Boston and the North Shore. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
. It is located at the intersection of Tremont
Tremont Street
Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts.-Etymology:The name is a variation of one of the original appellations of the city, "Trimountaine," a reference to a hill that formerly had three peaks. Beacon Hill, with its single peak, is all that remains of the Trimountain...
, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center
Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Government Center is an area in downtown Boston, bounded by Cambridge, Court, Congress, and Sudbury Streets. Formerly the site of Scollay Square, it is now the location of Boston City Hall, two Suffolk County courthouses, two state office buildings, and two federal office buildings, a major MBTA...
area of Boston.
History
Before the current Boston City HallBoston City Hall
Boston City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Boston, Massachusetts. Architecturally, it is an example of the brutalist style. It was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles...
was built at its current location, completely replacing old Scollay Square
Scollay Square
Scollay Square was a vibrant city square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was named for William Scollay, a prominent local developer and militia officer who bought a landmark four-story merchant building at the intersection of Cambridge and Court Streets in 1795...
, the station was known as Scollay on the Green Line and Scollay Under on the Blue Line. Years later, when the false walls on both ends of the Blue Line platform were removed to accommodate the change from four- to six-car trains, several surviving mosaic tile "Scollay Under" signs were uncovered, which can be seen on both ends of the platform.
Government Center station was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2, also known as THUG 2, is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Series and sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Game Boy Advance platforms...
in the Boston level.
Congestion and Red-Blue Connector
As of 2011, the Green Line is the most convenient way to transfer between the Blue Line and the Red LineRed Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
, thus causing the short Green Line segment between Government Center station and nearby 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...
station to be especially congested during peak travel times. This bottleneck, combined with tight platform clearances on the Green Line outbound side, has been the cause of significant delays and crowding on the Green Line. In the past, an underground pedestrian passage had been proposed, paralleling the Green Line tracks and connecting the two stations, but this idea was dropped in favor of a direct transfer connection between the Blue and Red Lines.
It also is possible to transfer between the Red and Blue Lines by traveling one stop on the 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...
between State
State (MBTA station)
State, well known as State Street, is a subway station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, State is the transfer point between the Orange Line and the Blue Line.-Description:...
and Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing (MBTA station)
Downtown Crossing Station of the MBTA, located at the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street and the corner of Chauncey Street and Summer Street in Boston, is the main transfer point between the Orange Line and the Red Line....
stations, but this path involves navigating a longer and more convoluted path through stairs and passages of those stations. The Red and Blue Lines are the only pair of rapid transit lines in the MBTA system that lack a direct transfer connection.
As part of a lawsuit settlement relating to air quality mitigation for the Big Dig
Big Dig
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project , known unofficially as the Big Dig and as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery , the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a 3.5-mile tunnel...
highway tunnel project, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed to build a direct transfer connection between the Blue and Red Lines. This would be done by extending the Blue Line beyond Bowdoin
Bowdoin (MBTA station)
Bowdoin of the MBTA, is a station on the Blue Line, serving Bowdoin Square in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is currently the downtown terminus of the line, although it may close if the line is extended or after Government Center is rebuilt.-History:...
station, continuing to run a further 1500 feet (450 m) beneath Cambridge Street to Charles/MGH
Charles/MGH (MBTA station)
Charles/MGH Station also known as Charles or Charles Street, is located at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Charles Street, in Boston, Massachusetts. The rapid transit station is on the MBTA Red Line and is elevated, being located at the Boston side of the Longfellow Bridge, which carries...
station on the Red Line. Unlike the historic non-revenue Red/Blue Line connection, there would be no direct rail connection between the lines at Charles/MGH station (the rail gauges are identical, but the Red and Blue Line railcars are otherwise dimensionally incompatible). However, passengers would be able to transfer between the Red and Blue Lines without needing to crowd onto the Green Line, and many passengers from the North Shore of Boston would be able to reach the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
area directly without further transfers.
After failing to take any action for over a decade, and under threat of further lawsuits, the state finally agreed to start detailed engineering design for such an extension, which is ongoing as of 2011. Construction is expected to take 6 years, but a start date and funding scheme have not yet been announced.
Accessibility
As of 2011, Government Center is not wheelchair accessible, with the exception of accessible inbound and outbound transfers on the Blue Line.Renovation
A renovation that will make the station more accessible and relieve some overcrowding is planned, including rebuilding of the headhouse and installation of elevators. As part of the project, a second headhouse has been proposed on Cambridge Street in the direction of Bowdoin station (the Blue Line terminus), a stop which the MBTA may eventually close. However, Bowdoin is scheduled to remain open during the Government Center station reconstruction.Currently there are plans to shut Government Center station down for two years, which would save $16 million and shorten the project by 15 months, compared to keeping the station open during construction. Construction is planned to begin in November 2012.
Attractions
- Boston City HallBoston City HallBoston City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Boston, Massachusetts. Architecturally, it is an example of the brutalist style. It was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles...
, seat of the city's government - John F. Kennedy Federal Building
- Faneuil HallFaneuil HallFaneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
- Quincy MarketQuincy MarketQuincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed 1824–1826 and named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt.-History:...
- Freedom TrailFreedom TrailThe Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
- Shops and restaurants
Further reading
- Belcher, Jonathan, "Remnants of Abandoned Stations, Tunnels, and Station Entrances found on the MBTA" (archived 2007)
- Bierman, Noah, "Transit archeology: Tour of abandoned subway network offers a glimpse of how the T was built", Boston Globe, Saturday, December 26, 2009.