Arlington station (MBTA)
| Company type | Light rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
| Products | Green Line light rail service |
Arlington station is a subterranean light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line, situated at the southwest edge of the Boston Public Garden where Arlington and Boylston Street intersect in Boston's Back Bay district. Unlike the original Boylston Street subway, which began service in 1914, construction of Arlington station was postponed due to World War I and it eventually opened in 1921.
Station layout
The station consists of two side platforms serving a pair of tracks beneath the eastern portion of Boylston Street, stretching between Arlington and Berkeley Streets. The primary fare mezzanine is located underneath the junction of Arlington and Boylston streets, providing access to the platforms through stairs, elevators, and escalators designated for exit only. Surrounding this mezzanine are five stairway entrances, with an additional stairway and a surface elevator positioned further west along Boylston’s north side, connected by an underground passage. A former passageway linked the station directly to an entrance within the Public Garden but is now closed. A smaller fare mezzanine exists near Berkeley Street, accessible via a lengthy corridor to the platforms; however, it does not have elevators and remains closed during normal operations.
Construction
Following the successful launch of the original Tremont Street subway in 1897–1898, plans were developed to extend tunneling beneath Boylston Street toward Kenmore Square. During excavation work in 1913 near where Arlington station now stands, ancient fish weirs constructed by Native Americans were uncovered approximately below street level, dating back an estimated 2,000 to 3,600 years.
Merchants along Boylston Street between Clarendon and Tremont Streets expressed concerns over potential losses in business revenue due to a continuous tunnel linking Boylston and Copley stations that opened in 1914. They advocated for an additional infill station near Arlington Street but initially faced rejection from both the Boston Elevated Railway and state lawmakers. In 1915, with backing from Boston mayor James Michael Curley, legislative approval was obtained to construct a new underground stop.
After delays caused by World War I, Arlington station commenced service in 1921. Escalators connecting the platforms to the lobby were installed three decades later—opening on June 11 for the westbound platform and November 7 for the eastbound. Prior to these additions, Arlington was the deepest station in the system at 55 steps below ground without escalator access.
1960s renovations
In the early 1960s, the MBTA engaged Cambridge Seven Associates to revamp its graphic design system to improve passenger navigation. Arlington station was selected as a prototype for these upgrades, which introduced features such as the (T) "lollipop" signage, color-coded walls and signs distinguishing "inbound" from "outbound" travel directions, high-contrast photographic displays on platforms, and colored bands above entrances. The platform walls were painted with warm hues (red and orange) on the inbound side and cooler tones (blue and green) on the outbound side. This modernization project was dedicated in August 1967 and finalized in 1968.
The Berkeley Street entrance was closed on January 3, 1981 due to budget reductions that also led to the closure of Bowdoin and Symphony stations; unlike those stations, Berkeley Street entrance did not reopen afterward. In 1985, some station signage incorporated a secondary name—Park Plaza—as part of a broader renaming initiative across several stations.
Subsequent improvements
On November 22, 2006, the MBTA temporarily shut the Arlington Street entrance to carry out extensive renovations, coordinated with similar enhancements at . These upgrades included the installation of elevators and the elevation of platforms to enhance accessibility. A new elevator was positioned near Arlington Street Church, and the northwest entrances were relocated. During this period, the previously closed Berkeley Street entrance was reopened on a temporary basis.
The refurbished Arlington Street entrances were made accessible to the public again by May 31, 2009, while the Berkeley Street access points were restricted back to emergency use only. Artwork created by Ross Miller, displayed at platform level, honors the ancient Boylston Street Fishweir uncovered in the vicinity.
The MBTA has future plans to add three elevators within the Berkeley Street lobby and fully reactivate it as a public entrance. In April 2020, a $10.5 million contract was awarded for design work encompassing Arlington, , and . The design phase for Arlington was finished by late 2023. Track realignment projects at Arlington and Copley are planned for the mid-2020s to address Green Line vehicle door clearance challenges. Beginning in June 2024, entrances located at the southwest corner of Arlington and Boylston were temporarily closed due to redevelopment activities in adjacent buildings.