Green Line "B" Branch Boston College Branch
Ansaldobreda Type 8 #3840 waits at a red light on Commonwealth Avenue at Carlton Street.
Overview
Type	Light rail
System	Green Line
Locale	Greater Boston
Termini	Government Center Boston College
Stations	25
Daily ridership	30,745 (1995 typical weekday, surface boardings only)[1]
Operation
Opened	1932 (in current form)
Owner	MBTA
Operator(s)	MBTA
Character	Underground (Kenmore and eastward) Street-running (west of Kenmore)
Rolling stock	Kinki Sharyo Type 7 Ansaldobreda Type 8
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

The "B" Branch, also called the Commonwealth Avenue Branch or Boston College Branch, is a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line in the Boston, Massachusetts area, along which light rail vehicles run on a surface right-of-way down the middle of Commonwealth Avenue. After going underground via the Blandford Street Incline, the tracks merge with the "C" and "D" Branches into Kenmore station. From there the Boylston Street Subway and Tremont Street Subway carry "B" cars to downtown Boston, with regular service turning around at Government Center as of November 2005^[update].

Contents 1 History 2 Controversy 3 Station listing 4 External links 5 References

[edit] History

In 1896, tracks were laid on Commonwealth Avenue from Chestnut Hill Avenue west to the Newton town line at Lake Street, and around the same time the Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway opened, extending the tracks through Newton to Norumbega Park; this later became part of the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Trains between Lake Street and downtown Boston used tracks on Beacon Street, now part of the "C" Branch. From Kenmore Square they continued east on Beacon Street, then turned south on Massachusetts Avenue and east on Boylston Street to Park Square. In 1900 tracks were installed on the rest of Commonwealth Avenue, from Chestnut Hill Avenue east to existing tracks at Packard's Corner, later part of the "A" Branch. This enabled trains to use Commonwealth Avenue between Lake Street and Kenmore Square. In 1909, the tracks were electrified.^[2]

The Tremont Street Subway opened on September 1, 1897, and then or soon after the Commonwealth Avenue line was rerouted to turn around at Park Street via the Boylston Street Incline at the Public Gardens. The Boylston Street Subway opened on October 3, 1914, extending the underground portion to the Kenmore Incline just east of Kenmore Square. On October 23, 1932 the Blandford Street Incline opened along with the underground Kenmore station, giving the line its present configuration.

Until the 1920s, a streetcar line that has since become the 65 bus ran along Commonwealth Avenue from Boston College east to Chestnut Hill Avenue, then south on Chestnut Hill Avenue and east on Beacon Street from Cleveland Circle to Washington Square, turning southeast to Brookline Village. After this was replaced by bus service in the 1920s (along with a rerouting), no revenue service used the tracks on Chestnut Hill Avenue, but they have remained for "B" Branch trains to access the Reservoir Carhouse at Cleveland Circle on the "C" Branch.

From 1942 to 1967, the route was known by the map number of 62. Since then it has been the "B" Branch.

A turnback loop at Boston University Field was present from 1915 to January 14, 1962, and was used for service to special events.

On February 7, 1931, the Commonwealth Avenue service was extended east through downtown to loop at Lechmere rather than Park Street. Since then, the following changes in east terminal have been made:

• November 20, 1961: cut back to Park Street
• November 18, 1964: extended Monday-Saturday to Government Center
• January 1967: cut back to Park Street all times due to problems at the Government Center loop
• March 25, 1967: extended to North Station
• June 17, 1967: cut back to Government Center
• September 9, 1967: extended to North Station
• September 14, 1967: cut back to Government Center due to problems at the North Station loop
• March 21, 1970: extended to Haymarket, looped empty at North Station
• December 26, 1970: extended to North Station
• March 25, 1974: extended to Lechmere
• January 1, 1977: cut back to North Station weekdays only
• March 19, 1977: extended to Lechmere all times
• June 18, 1977: cut back to Government Center all times
• September 9, 1977: extended to Lechmere all times
• September 9, 1978: cut back to Government Center nights and Sundays
• March 24, 1979: cut back to Government Center middays and Saturdays, with only rush hour trips continuing to Lechmere
• March 21, 1980: cut back to Park Street all times
• April 4, 1981: extended to North Station (PCC cars looped at Government Center)
• July 30, 1983: cut back to Government Center

[edit] Controversy

The B branch is frequently criticized by riders for its slow service. It is markedly slower than the C branch, in part because of its greater density of stops. Both B and C line branches are slower than the D branch, which has the lowest stop density and a dedicated right-of-way.

In late 2003, the MBTA proposed eliminating five stops along the branch (Greycliff Road, Mount Hood Road, Summit Avenue, Fordham Road, and Chiswick Road.) This was seen as a way to speed up service for riders, while also reducing the MBTA's maintenance costs. Many riders welcomed the change, noting the stops' low ridership and close proximity to more popular stops. Others felt that the change did not go far enough, noting that the total time savings would be small (a few minutes out of a 45-minute trip) and the B branch would still be the slowest Green Line branch by far. Many riders questioned why the MBTA did not propose closing any of the stops east of Packard's Corner, even though this would improve travel times for a large number of riders and several of these stops were only a few hundred feet apart.

In early 2004, four of the five stops (Greycliff Road, Mount Hood Road, Summit Avenue, Fordham Road) were closed in a pilot stop elimination program. The fifth (Chiswick Road) was spared, after elderly residents of the nearby Jewish Community Housing facility rallied to its defense. In 2005, after a survey showed that 73% of 1,142 riders surveyed approved of the closures, the MBTA announced that the four stops would be closed permanently. ^[3] Despite these favorable and popular results by B branch riders, the MBTA maintains no further plans to improve service times on the B branch, either by reducing stop frequency or using any other means. The rationale by MBTA officials for this decision is unknown.

[edit] Station listing

Station	Location	Time to Park Street[4]	Transfers and notes
Blandford Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Silber Way, Boston	16 minutes
Boston University East	Commonwealth Avenue at Granby Street, Boston	17 minutes	the first station serving Boston University
Boston University Central	Commonwealth Avenue at Marsh Chapel, Boston	18 minutes	the second station serving Boston University
Boston University West	Commonwealth Avenue at Amory Street, Boston	19 minutes	the third station serving Boston University
St. Paul Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Buick Street, Boston	20 minutes	57 Bus to Watertown Square
Pleasant Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Pleasant Street, Boston	22 minutes	no MBTA parking
Babcock Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Babcock Street, Boston	24 minutes	no MBTA parking
Brighton Avenue/Packard's Corner	Packard's Corner at Brighton Avenue, Allston	26 minutes	the "A" Branch formerly diverged here
Harvard Avenue	Commonwealth Avenue at Harvard Avenue, Allston	28 minutes	66 Bus to Harvard Square
Griggs Street/Long Avenue	Commonwealth Avenue at Griggs Street, Allston	30 minutes	no MBTA parking
Allston Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Allston Street, Allston	32 minutes	no MBTA parking
Warren Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Warren Street, Brighton	34 minutes	no MBTA parking
Washington Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Washington Street, Brighton	36 minutes	65 Bus to Kenmore Square
Sutherland Street	Commonwealth Avenue at Sutherland Road, Brighton	38 minutes	no MBTA parking
Chiswick Road	Commonwealth Avenue at Chiswick Road, Brighton	40 minutes	no MBTA parking
Chestnut Hill Avenue	Commonwealth Avenue at Chestnut Hill Avenue, Chestnut Hill	41 minutes	within easy walking distance of the C branch's Cleveland Circle station, and the D branch's Reservoir station
South Street	Commonwealth Avenue at South Street, Chestnut Hill	42 minutes	no MBTA parking
Boston College	Commonwealth Avenue at Lake Street, Chestnut Hill, serving Boston College	43 minutes	formerly Lake Street

[edit] External links

• Green Line schematic

[edit] References

This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (September 2009)

v • d • e Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Subway lines (List of stations)      Blue Line •      Green Line ("B" Branch · "C" Branch · "D" Branch · "E" Branch) •      Orange Line •      Red Line (Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line)      Silver Line      Commuter Rail lines Fairmount • Fitchburg  • Framingham/Worcester • Franklin • Greenbush • Haverhill/Reading • Lowell • Needham • Newburyport/Rockport • Old Colony Lines • Providence/Stoughton Bus routes (List of routes) Crosstown routes • Key routes • Trackless trolleys • Bus routes in East Boston, Chelsea, and Revere • Bus routes in Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield • Bus routes in Saugus, Lynn, and Salem • Bus routes in South Boston Proposed lines South Coast Rail Link • North-South Rail Link • Urban Ring Project • Green Line Extension Former lines Charlestown Elevated • Atlantic Avenue Elevated • Washington Street Elevated • Boston Elevated Railway • Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway • Middlesex and Boston Street Railway • Green Line "A" Branch Miscellaneous Accessibility • Boston-area streetcar lines • CharlieCard • MBTA Boat • History • MBTA Police • Nomenclature • Newton, Massachusetts rail accident