Heath Street station
| Company type | Public agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | August 3, 1964 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Greater Boston |
| Products | Public transit services (subway, bus, commuter rail) |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Website | mbta |
Heath Street station—also referred to as Heath Street/VA Medical Center—is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail stop situated in Boston, Massachusetts. Functioning as the southwestern endpoint of the Green Line's E branch, it lies at the intersection of South Huntington Avenue and Heath Street, straddling the boundary between the Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain districts.
Heath Street loop
Constructed in 1945, the Heath Street loop was designed to support the operation of new PCC streetcars, which featured operator controls only at one end and thus required loops rather than traditional crossovers for reversing direction. On December 15, 1945, Route 57 was extended to this loop, with PCC streetcar service commencing shortly thereafter on January 3, 1946. Up until 1961, Huntington Avenue's service pattern included both a Heath Street–North Station route and an Arborway–Park Street route; the Heath Street line ceased operations on September 11, 1961. Peak-period service to the loop was reinstated on December 26, 1964, and briefly in 1966 every alternate train terminated there. During several intervals between 1977 and 1978, Heath Street served as the weekday terminus (except during night hours) due to shortages of streetcars and ongoing track maintenance.
In 1972, the MBTA announced plans to reconstruct the median-running section scheduled for 1973–1974. Actual work commenced in 1980 with a line closure aimed at upgrading tracks and overhead wires to accommodate newer Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs). Service was initially truncated to Symphony station on March 21, 1980, then gradually extended first to Northeastern University by June and subsequently to Brigham Circle by September. Service to both Heath Street and Arborway resumed on June 26, 1982. However, short-turn operations at Heath Street ceased on February 11, 1983 following a snowstorm and were not immediately reinstated.
Short-turn service using LRVs returned to Heath Street on September 8, 1984. The Arborway line was closed on December 28, 1985 for repairs in the Huntington Avenue subway; service resumed to Brigham Circle on July 26, 1986 and eventually reached Heath Street again by November 4, 1989. Notably, Arborway service was never restored after its closure. Around this period, a circular concrete shelter serving as a crew base was built within the loop area.
21st century changes
In the early 2000s, as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Program, the MBTA enhanced major surface stops by installing raised platforms to improve accessibility. Around the year 2000, portable wheelchair lifts were temporarily deployed at Heath Street. This $32 million initiative upgraded thirteen stations across the B, C, and E branches and concluded on January 13, 2003; improvements included a wooden mini-high platform on the outer platform facilitating level boarding for older Type 7 LRVs.
Due to financial constraints, weekend service at Brigham Circle was discontinued starting July 1, 2012, which faced opposition from local residents. Nevertheless, weekend operations were reinstated on October 13, 2012 by slightly reducing overall branch frequency; this adjustment allowed full coverage of the line without incurring additional expenses. The revised schedule was officially adopted in the timetable issued December 29, 2012.
In March 2011, as part of the Key Routes Improvement Project, the MBTA proposed consolidating stops along route 39. The recommendation included eliminating the inbound stop at Heath Street due to its closeness to Back of the Hill station. Subsequently, the outbound stop just south of Heath Street was removed in 2013; however, the inbound stop remained operational until June 21, 2020.
Looking ahead, MBTA plans involve upgrading non-accessible surface stops between Heath Street and Brigham Circle by installing accessible platforms capable of accommodating two Type 10 vehicles. Additionally, modifications to Heath Street station may be undertaken to support longer trains. Design efforts commenced in July 2023 with an anticipated progress milestone of approximately 15% completion by July 2024.