55 (MBTA bus)
| Company type | Streetcar route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | July 1900 |
| Defunct | July 14, 1934 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts |
| Products | Streetcar service |
The Ipswich Street line served as a streetcar route connecting Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts, traversing Boylston Street and Ipswich Street within the Fenway–Kenmore district, then continuing along Brookline Avenue through what is now the Longwood Medical Area to reach Brookline Village.
Conceived in the mid-1890s to foster growth in Fenway–Kenmore, the line commenced operations in July 1900. Initially, service ran between Park Street station and Cypress Street Carhouse, with a westward extension to Chestnut Hill completed later that year. In 1925, the eastern endpoint was shortened to Massachusetts station. The following year, the Ipswich Street line exchanged western termini with the Huntington Avenue line, restoring direct service to Cypress Street. By 1932, service was curtailed to terminate at Brookline Village, and then further reduced in mid-1933 to a brief shuttle running between Audubon Road and Massachusetts. This shuttle was discontinued entirely in July 1934.
As streetcar operations diminished, bus routes took over the corridor. Presently, MBTA bus routes 55 and 60 are direct descendants of the Ipswich Street line, while route 65—originating from a Huntington Avenue branch—also covers a portion of the former streetcar path.
Streetcar line
During the 1890s, the West End Street Railway swiftly transitioned its horsecar network to electric traction, facilitating expansion into suburban areas such as Brookline and Brighton. New lines were inaugurated along Beacon Street (1888–89) and Commonwealth Avenue (1894–96). Simultaneously, land reclamation in the Back Bay Fens, north of the Muddy River, encouraged development. In 1895, entrepreneurs from Brookline proposed an independent streetcar route extending from Newton Centre to downtown Boston via Cypress Street, Boylston Street (then known as Worcester Turnpike), Brookline Village, Brookline Avenue, and Boylston through the Fens to connect with the Tremont Street subway. This plan circumvented tracks owned by West End, thereby enabling use of city-owned subway infrastructure regardless of trackage rights agreements.
In response, West End proposed an alternative line extending from Reservoir located on Chestnut Hill Avenue and Boylston Street. By 1897, West End aimed to extend westward along Boylston Street from Massachusetts Avenue but encountered opposition due to concerns over parkland disturbance and a compromised Muddy River bridge. A compromise rerouted tracks northward along Ipswich Street parallel to the Boston and Albany Railroad mainline to avoid interfering with parklands and bridge issues.
Construction by the successor Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) began in early 1899; by midyear most track had been laid except in areas undergoing water main installation.
Service reached Longwood Avenue on July 23, 1900; full-route operation commenced by the end of that month, running from Cypress Street carhouse via existing tracks on Cypress and Boylston Streets onto newly installed tracks on Brookline Avenue and Ipswich Street before merging with existing Boylston Street tracks into the subway. That same week also saw the opening of a Huntington Avenue branch from Brookline Village to , briefly sharing track with Ipswich Street cars.
The route was extended westward on Boylston from Cypress Street to Chestnut Hill Avenue on September 29, 1900, followed by further extension to Chestnut Hill by November 19. On May 5, 1903, the Boston and Worcester Street Railway began service terminating at Chestnut Hill but soon extended over BERy tracks all the way to Park Square.
By 1907, regular Ipswich Street service operated between Chestnut Hill and , with short-turn trips between Longwood Avenue and Park Street; runs between Cypress Street Carhouse and Park Street were primarily for moving cars in and out of the carhouse. In 1912, BERy opened a transfer station at Brookline Village to facilitate connections with Huntington Avenue branches.
On November 28, 1919, service was redirected into a newly constructed surface transfer station at Massachusetts station allowing fare-controlled transfers with both the Massachusetts Avenue streetcar line and Boylston Street subway.
On June 13, 1925, Ipswich Street service was truncated from Park Street back to Massachusetts—the last streetcars operating on Boylston between Copley Square and Massachusetts—while buses replaced service between Bowdoin Square and Fenway. In March 1926, Ipswich and Huntington lines exchanged their western terminals; Ipswich cars resumed running to Cypress Street restoring a direct ride from Chestnut Hill downtown.
As construction advanced eastward along Worcester Turnpike, Boston and Worcester Railway buses replaced trains on June 11, 1932. That November Ipswich service was cut back further to Brookline Village; meanwhile Huntington Avenue line took over service on the Cypress branch until 1934 while buses served Chestnut Hill.
In March 1933 Ipswich service was reduced again to a shuttle operating two Type 5 streetcars between Audubon Road and Massachusetts; buses covered Brookline Avenue segments no longer served by streetcars. The shuttle ceased operations on July 14, 1934, marking the end of streetcar service on the Ipswich Street line.
Bus routes
During 1940–41, the BERy reorganized its public bus route numbers, establishing a system that has remained mostly unchanged since. The BERy transitioned to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947, which later evolved into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1964. Among the current MBTA bus routes, three have origins linked to the Ipswich Street line:
55
The bus route that succeeded the Audubon Road shuttle followed a comparable circuit, navigating through residential areas rather than turning back at Audubon Road. This service was designated as route 55 in 1941. Between September 1962 and June 1963, inbound buses operated via Brookline Avenue and Kenmore Square. The construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike Extension in 1963 necessitated changes to the loop routing, with further modifications during the late 1960s and 1970s aimed at improving access to emerging hubs such as the Prudential Center and Copley Square. In 1982, weekday trips were extended to Park Street; later, in 1998, outbound trips were rerouted along Huntington Avenue.
An MBTA evaluation conducted in 2018–19 identified route 55 as underutilized outside peak periods, attributing this to infrequent service, unreliability, and its proximity to the Green Line. No immediate adjustments were advised. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, service east of Copley was gradually reduced during midday and evening hours; all service ceased in March 2021 but midday operations resumed by June. In June 2023, the western terminus was renamed "Fenway," with the MBTA continuing to operate it under the name 55 Fenway–Copley station.
In May 2022, the MBTA proposed extending route 55 to Kendall/MIT station via Massachusetts Avenue and to Longwood Medical Area via Brookline Avenue while eliminating service east of Massachusetts Avenue and discontinuing the Fenway–Kenmore loop. However, a revised proposal released in November 2022 maintained route 55 as a service running between Fenway–Kenmore and Copley.
60
Following the cessation of Chestnut Hill streetcar operations in November 1932, buses took over service between Chestnut Hill and Brookline Village. By mid-1933, an additional Brookline Village– route was introduced along Brookline Avenue and was through-routed with the Chestnut Hill line around 1934. When Cypress Street service via Huntington Avenue ended in June 1934, a new Cypress Street–Kenmore bus route was launched. In 1935, a loop incorporating High Street and adjacent roads was added. By 1941, Cypress Street service had been designated as route 58, while Chestnut Hill became route 60. The Cypress Street loop was discontinued in 1942 but reinstated after World War II.
The inauguration of the Riverside Line in July 1959 prompted route adjustments: some trips on route 60 terminated at Brookline Hills station, while all Cypress Street trips were shortened to Brookline Hills under route number 60A. Concurrently, a new route 58 operated between Brookline Village and Kenmore. Due to complaints from residents about buses traversing narrow streets, routes were modified by September 1960 to end at Brookline Village. When the MTA eliminated free transfers in October 1961, many routes were extended or combined into through-routes to prevent double fares; as a result, Chestnut Hill and Cypress Street routes were extended back to Kenmore with Cypress Street reverting to route number 58.
In September 1969, routes 58 and 60 merged into a single route numbered 60 that traveled via Chestnut and High Streets except during peak hours when route 60A covered the former route 58 path. Route 60A was discontinued in December 1985, consolidating all service on route 60 via Cypress and High Streets at all times. In December 2006, the outer terminal was slightly extended to reach Chestnut Hill Mall. The MBTA continues operating this service as 60 Chestnut Hill–Kenmore station. A review conducted in 2018–19 found this route generally effective but noted issues with reliability and headway consistency. A recommendation was made to shorten the outer segment to Chestnut Hill Square to allow for increased frequency; nonetheless, service continues to Chestnut Hill Mall while plans for a new stop are pursued.
The May 2022 draft network plan suggested extending route 60 to Newton Centre via Langely Road with higher frequency. However, the November 2022 draft plan recommended retaining the existing routing unchanged.
65
The streetcar line along Washington Street, connecting Brookline Village to , originally operated as a branch of the Huntington Avenue line via Beacon Street. In 1922, the service was truncated to run between Lake Street and Brookline Village, and by 1926, it had transitioned to bus operations. Two years later, in 1928, the western segment was rerouted along Washington Street to reach Brighton Center, a change that had been proposed since the 1890s. Tracks previously laid on Washington Street were removed by 1940. The route received the number 65 designation in 1941. Saturday service was halted in 1953 but later reinstated in 1979. Following the cessation of free transfers in October 1961, the route was extended to Kenmore, sharing Brookline Avenue with routes 58 and 60.
Currently, the MBTA runs the 65 Brighton Center–Kenmore station bus line. A review conducted during 2018–19 highlighted challenges such as inconsistent reliability, overcrowding during peak times, and the absence of Sunday service. Unlike other crosstown routes, peak demand on this line is predominantly one-directional. A suggested modification involved shifting the inner terminal to , with a new alignment through Longwood Avenue, Huntington Avenue, and Ruggles Street—mirroring route —to enhance access to the Orange Line and better serve the Longwood Medical Area. However, this plan was postponed pending a more comprehensive system evaluation.
The draft network plan released in May 2022 proposed extending route 65 as part of route , establishing a high-frequency corridor between Oak Square and , while discontinuing service on Brookline Avenue north of the Fenway area; other routes would continue to provide coverage there. In the November 2022 draft, this concept was adjusted so that route 65 would operate between Brighton Center and Ruggles, with route 15 terminating at Ruggles.
External links
- MBTA: routes , , and