Ball Square station

Ball Square station

Company type	Light rail station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	December 12, 2022 (2022-12-12)
Headquarters	Somerville and Medford , United States
Products	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line service (E branch)

Ball Square station serves as a light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line, positioned at Ball Square on the boundary between Somerville and Medford, Massachusetts. This fully accessible station includes a single island platform that accommodates two tracks on the Medford Branch. It commenced operations on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project, which introduced two northern branches to the Green Line network. The station is currently served by the E branch.

Historically, the location was served by railroad stops. The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) inaugurated Willow Bridge station at Cambridge Road (present-day Broadway) by 1850. Around 1878, it was renamed North Somerville, and a new station building was erected during the 1880s. This station remained in service under the Boston and Maine Railroad, successor to the B&L, until its closure in 1958. Throughout the 20th century, various proposals for extending the Green Line included North Somerville as an intermediate stop. In 2008, Ball Square station near this historic site was officially chosen for inclusion in the GLX. After encountering budget overruns, the GLX underwent reassessment in 2015, resulting in a streamlined station design unveiled in 2016. Subsequently, a design and construction contract was awarded in 2017. Construction of Ball Square station began in early 2020 and reached substantial completion by late 2021.

Station design

Located just off Broadway near Boston Avenue at Ball Square, Ball Square station straddles the Somerville–Medford border. Although both entrances are situated within Somerville, the platform itself lies within Medford’s city limits. The Lowell Line runs in a northwest–southeast direction through this area, with the two-track Medford Branch of the Green Line positioned south of these tracks. The station consists of a single island platform approximately long and wide, nestled between the Green Line tracks northwest of Broadway. A canopy extending along the entire platform provides shelter.

The platform height is set at to enable accessible boarding for existing light rail vehicles (LRVs), with provisions to raise it to for future level boarding compatible with Type 9 and 10 LRVs; it is also engineered to allow a potential extension up to . The alignment of tracks and platform follows Boston Avenue’s orientation, while Broadway bridge spans above them. Access to the station primarily occurs via the Broadway bridge, which connects through a footbridge to a headhouse structure; stairs and an elevator offer accessible entry to the platform’s southeast end. An additional accessible entrance from Boston Avenue links here as well, featuring a grade crossing over the inbound Green Line track.

Adjacent to the Boston Avenue entrance is a 50-space "Pedal and Park" bicycle cage. The Ball Square Traction Power Substation is located near the station’s northwest end along Boston Avenue. Remaining frontage along this street has been reserved for potential future transit oriented development. Public art installations include Tour Jeté Series by Christine Vaillancourt—comprising colored geometric glass elements on the elevator tower—and historic photographs displayed on station signage. Several MBTA bus routes serve stops on Broadway just west of Boston Avenue.

Railroad station

The Boston and Lowell Railroad commenced operations through Somerville and Medford in 1835, initially without local passenger stops, which were introduced subsequently. By 1850, the Willow Bridge station was active at Cambridge Road (currently Broadway) near the town boundary. This station derived its name from the willow trees along nearby Winter Brook, and was briefly renamed Cambridge Road in the early 1850s before reverting to Willow Bridge by 1858. It functioned as a livestock unloading site for the Brighton Abattoir, with a dedicated cattle facility added in 1859. The initial wooden bridge was replaced with an iron structure in 1868 and underwent another replacement in 1893.

By 1874, the station was situated just north of Broadway on the west trackside. Around 1878, it was renamed North Somerville. During the 1880s, the original structure was replaced by a modest Queen Anne style depot. In 1887, the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) leased the B&L as its Southern Division. A freight train derailment heading south in June 1916 caused an obstruction lasting over a day and attracted approximately 10,000 spectators.

With increasing competition from streetcars and automobiles, local rail traffic declined significantly. By the late 1940s, all stations south of North Somerville had been discontinued. On April 18, 1958, the Public Utilities Commission authorized substantial reductions to B&M commuter services, including closing North Somerville along with Tufts College and Medford Hillside stations. These closures took effect on May 18, 1958. Although no longer serving passengers, the station building remained intact and was adapted for alternative uses until the 1990s.

Historical Proposals

In 1922, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) inaugurated Lechmere station as the terminus for streetcar operations within the Tremont Street subway. That same year, BERy envisioned three additional radial subway lines: one running alongside the Midland Branch through Dorchester, another branching off from the Boylston Street subway beneath Huntington Avenue, and a third extending northwestward from Lechmere Square into Somerville.

The 1926 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities suggested extending service from Lechmere to North Cambridge by utilizing the Southern Division and the cutoff constructed in 1870. Further expansion beyond North Cambridge was considered along the Lexington Branch, including a branch line from Somerville Junction to Woburn.

In 1945, the Coolidge Commission at the state level recommended nine suburban rapid transit expansions, largely echoing the 1926 proposal. This plan featured an extension from Lechmere to Woburn via the Southern Division, with an intermediate stop in North Somerville. The 1962 North Terminal Area Study proposed discontinuing the elevated segment between Lechmere and North Station; instead, it recommended relocating the Main Line (now known as the Orange Line) along the Boston and Maine Western Route, including a branch following the Southern Division toward Arlington or Woburn.

Established in 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) increased funding for suburban commuter rail and planned rapid transit expansions to replace certain commuter rail corridors. In 1965, the Tremont Street subway and its connecting lines were rebranded as the Green Line. The 1966 Program for Mass Transportation prioritized a brief extension from Lechmere to Washington Street, with a subsequent phase aiming to reach either (Route 16) or .

The 1972 Boston Transportation Planning Review assigned a lower priority to extending the Green Line from Lechmere to Ball Square. By 1980, MBTA conducted studies on the "Green Line Northwest Corridor," considering extensions beyond Lechmere toward Medford, including possible branches to Tufts University or .

Station Development

A 1991 settlement between the state and the Conservation Law Foundation obligated construction of a "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University" as part of resolving litigation concerning vehicle emissions linked to the Big Dig. However, no significant progress occurred until a revised agreement was reached in 2005. The Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study, a Major Investment Study and alternatives analysis published that year, assessed light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail options—all incorporating a Ball Square station near the former North Somerville location. The top-rated proposals extended service to West Medford with Ball Square as an intermediate stop.

In October 2006, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works filed an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF), identifying a Green Line extension featuring branches to Medford and Union Square as preferred alternatives. By May 2008, proposed station sites were announced; Broadway was chosen over Harvard Street due to its closer proximity to Ball Square, stronger community endorsement, and more effective spacing between stops. A tunnel option connecting Ball Square to was found technically feasible but financially impractical.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) released in October 2009 confirmed Broadway as the station site and emphasized connections with bus routes 80 and 89. Initial designs included a single island platform situated northwest of Broadway, accompanied by a two-level headhouse providing stairways, escalators, and elevators accessible from both Boston Avenue plaza and Broadway bridge. In 2012, consideration was given to establishing a Ball Square commuter rail station as temporary air quality mitigation amid delays in completing the Green Line Extension; however, this idea was dismissed due to excessive costs and infeasibility for completion by 2015.

Revised plans issued in June 2011 modified the headhouse exterior design and relocated emergency exits. By February 2012, design updates incorporated a bicycle storage cage, traction power substation, and a drop-off zone for The Ride at the lower plaza level. By late 2012, completion of the Medford Branch segment between Gilman Square and College Avenue was projected for June 2019. In June 2013, adjustments moved the headhouse further from Broadway to avoid interference with an uncharted NStar power line; additionally, the substation was repositioned away from Boston Avenue to facilitate potential future transit oriented development, with parts of the plaza redesigned into sloped terraces. Design work paused while Phase 2/2A stations (, , ) were prioritized for earlier openings but resumed in fall 2014, reaching approximately 90% completion by May 2015.

Redesign

In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed significant budget overruns for the GLX initiative, leading to a thorough reassessment of the project. By December of the same year, agreements with four contractors were terminated; while construction already underway continued, no additional contracts were issued. Considerations included project termination and cost reduction strategies, such as removing the Union Square Branch from the plan.

By May 2016, the boards of MassDOT and MBTA sanctioned a revised version of the project that incorporated value engineering techniques aimed at lowering expenses. The station layouts were simplified to align with the style of surface stations on the Green Line D branch, eliminating features like canopies, faregates, escalators, and certain elevators. Ball Square station was notably reduced to a single access point featuring an at-grade crossing for inbound tracks, with no elevator installations or access to the Broadway bridge.

In December 2016, the MBTA announced an updated opening timeline set for 2021. A design-build contract was awarded in November 2017, which included six optional add-ons restoring elements previously removed during value engineering—such as full-length station canopies and a Broadway bridge entrance equipped with both an elevator and stairways. Station design advanced from initial concept stages in March 2018 to near completion at 95% by October 2019.

Construction

The existing Broadway bridge adjacent to the station was replaced by a longer structure designed to accommodate Green Line tracks. Early in 2015, a temporary utility bridge was constructed. The replacement necessitated an extended closure of Broadway—a major east-west route in Somerville—with pedestrian detours deemed impractical. The demolition of the old bridge commenced immediately following closure. The new bridge partially reopened on June 6, 2020, providing one lane in each direction alongside one sidewalk, and became fully operational by November.

In April 2019, several older structures including a bowling alley were demolished to clear space for the station and a traction power substation. Platform foundation work began by August 2020 and was completed by November; platform concrete was poured before year-end. The canopy structure was finalized in April 2021, followed by erection of the elevator shaft and headhouse frame in May. In July 2021, the MBTA announced that planning for transit-oriented development adjacent to the station would be postponed until after the station’s opening.

Originally, plans had envisioned extending the Green Line D branch service to Medford/Tufts. However, in April 2021, MBTA updated their strategy so that the Medford branch would instead be served by the E branch. The station’s opening was initially projected for December 2021 but experienced delays first to May 2022, then further pushed back to late summer 2022. Train testing on the Medford Branch commenced in May 2022. Subsequent postponements moved the opening to November 2022, with both the Medford Branch and Ball Square station officially beginning service on December 12, 2022.

External links

• MBTA – Ball Square Station