Boston College station

Boston College station

Company type	Light rail station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1896
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts , United States
Products	MBTA Green Line B branch service
Website	www.mbta.com/stops/place-bcncl

Boston College station serves as a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line B branch. Situated at St. Ignatius Square within the Boston College campus, it lies near the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Lake Street, positioned along the border between the Boston neighborhood of Brighton and Newton’s Chestnut Hill. Since its inauguration in 1896, it has functioned as the endpoint of the Commonwealth Avenue line starting in 1900. Current proposals aim to relocate the station to a new site within the median of Commonwealth Avenue, just eastward of Lake Street.

Initial median location

Tracks were extended by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) on August 15, 1896, running along the newly constructed Commonwealth Avenue from the Newton town line eastward to Chestnut Hill Avenue. This extension connected with the preexisting Beacon Street Line at Cleveland Circle. Due to BERy’s lack of operational rights in Newton aside from the inherited Watertown Line, the neighboring Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway was built westward along the broad median of Commonwealth Avenue reaching Auburndale in 1895. This route was soon operated by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway (M&B). The two systems converged at Lake Street station located on the municipal boundary.

Starting September 1, 1897, BERy streetcars from Lake Street began utilizing the Tremont Street subway through Beacon Street. On May 26, 1900, tracks on Commonwealth Avenue were extended from Chestnut Hill Avenue to Packards Corner, establishing Lake Street as the terminus for what became known as the Commonwealth Avenue line, which also served subway routes. Apart from occasional interruptions caused by track maintenance or blockages, Boston College has continuously remained the line’s terminus since 1900.

Relocation northward

Around 1916, BERy constructed loops positioned on the northern side of Commonwealth Avenue just west of Lake Street. These loops allowed operation of two-car motor-trailer trains. On November 20, 1918, an unattended streetcar rolled downhill uncontrollably, resulting in destruction of the station and a fatal accident.

By 1930, M&B had replaced its remaining Commonwealth Avenue streetcar service with buses. BERy then converted the loops into a storage yard featuring a platform and waiting room that opened on September 12, 1930. The M&B bus stop was located adjacent to the inbound platform. On May 21, 1947, following Boston College’s acquisition of nearby land for its Newton campus, the station was renamed Boston College. Since the discontinuation in 1976 of bus route 535 between Lake Street and Auburndale—which evolved from Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway—there have been no MBTA bus connections at Boston College station. Instead, Boston College operates private shuttle buses that stop directly on campus rather than at this station.

A new carhouse opened at Lake Street yard on May 23, 1979, providing light maintenance capabilities and easing demand on Reservoir and Riverside facilities. Early in 1980, platforms were replaced and additional ones built east of Lake Street within the median to alleviate congestion caused by introduction of Boeing LRVs. These supplementary platforms were either removed or reduced in size during renovations carried out between 1980 and 1981; however, the westbound platform is still occasionally utilized during maintenance work on yard tracks.

Proposed New Station

During the early 2000s, the MBTA implemented upgrades at several surface stops by installing raised platforms to enhance accessibility as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Program. Around 2000, Boston College received portable lifts and a wooden mini-high platform designed for the older Type 7 light rail vehicles. By 2005, plans were underway to move the station to the median of Commonwealth Avenue, just east of Lake Street. Boston College contributed both funding and land to facilitate the widening of Commonwealth Avenue for this development. In 2009, new raised platforms catering to low-floor Type 8 LRVs were constructed at the site, with expenses totaling $296,000.

Progress in planning continued with a $656,000 federal grant supplemented by $164,500 from the MBTA, achieving a 30% design completion by November 2012 following an environmental assessment. The construction phase was estimated to span two years with a budget of $20 million pending full funding. The redesigned station would include two side platforms: a narrower platform situated between the tracks serving outbound passengers and a broader inbound platform equipped with a canopy. This configuration reduces train crossings over Commonwealth Avenue traffic by 89%, thereby enhancing operational flow, although trains would still cross to access the yard. Both new low-floor and older high-floor LRVs would be accommodated with accessible boarding platforms.

In anticipation of introducing new Type 10 LRVs, a $29.3 million expansion and overhaul of Lake Street Yard is planned for the late 2020s. A March 2024 design proposal involves demolishing the existing maintenance building, reorganizing yard tracks, installing a traction power substation, and relocating Boston College station to an island platform within Commonwealth Avenue’s median east of Lake Street. By November 2024, this station relocation was incorporated into a larger package of Green Line B branch improvements emphasizing accessibility upgrades and stop consolidation.

As of February 2025, the MBTA intends to issue a request for bids on a $74 million design-build contract in May 2025. Construction activities are anticipated to commence in fall 2025 and continue through mid-2027.

External links

• MBTA - Boston College
• Engineering drawings of new station
• Station from Google Maps Street View