Medford/Tufts station

Medford/Tufts station

Company type	Light rail station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	December 12, 2022 (2022-12-12)
Headquarters	Medford, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Medford, Massachusetts
Products	Green Line light rail service

Medford/Tufts station serves as a light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line, situated just off Boston Avenue close to College Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts, adjacent to Tufts University. This accessible facility includes a single island platform positioned between 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 new northern branches and designated it as the terminal point for the E branch.

Historically, the location was served by earlier railroad stations. The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) established Stearns Steps station near what is now College Avenue by 1849; it was soon renamed Tufts College and later College Hill following the university's establishment in 1852. The original station, converted from a house, was replaced in 1897 by a brick-built Tufts College station located further south. This facility was operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad, successor to B&L, until service ended in 1958. Subsequently, Tufts University station functioned on the Lowell Line at this site from 1977 to 1979.

Throughout the 20th century, proposals for extending the Green Line to include a stop near Tufts were recurrent. In 2008, a location between College Avenue and Winthrop Street was chosen for the GLX station, which was later relocated to College Avenue in 2009. Due to budget overruns, a comprehensive reassessment of the GLX project occurred in 2015, leading to a simplified station design unveiled in 2016. This was followed by a design-build contract awarded in 2017. In January 2020, an agreement between MBTA and Tufts University resulted in renaming the stop Medford/Tufts. Construction began mid-2020 and reached near completion by early 2022.

Station design

Positioned off Boston Avenue near College Avenue on the northeastern slope of Walnut Hill within Medford, Medford/Tufts station lies adjacent to the Lowell Line, which runs northwest to southeast through this area. The two-track Medford Branch of the Green Line is located on the southern side of these tracks. The station is equipped with a single island platform, measuring approximately long and wide, situated between Green Line tracks northwest of College Avenue. A canopy extends over the full length of the platform.

The platform height is set at , enabling accessible boarding for current light rail vehicles (LRVs), with provisions allowing it to be elevated to for future level boarding compatible with Type 9 and Type 10 LRVs; plans also accommodate an extension up to . The tracks and platform are constructed below ground level within a cut. The primary access point is from Boston Avenue on the south side, where part of the headhouse structure extends over the southern Green Line track. Accessibility is ensured via stairs and two elevators connecting this entrance to the southeast end of the platform.

At the northwest end of the platform stands a starter booth alongside an emergency exit ramp leading back to Boston Avenue. Adjacent to the entrance along Boston Avenue is a "Pedal and Park" bicycle cage accommodating 50 bikes. Artistic elements include Speeding Green Line, a dynamic mural displayed above the entrance, as well as murals integrated into station signage panels. Nearby, several MBTA bus routes serve stops along Boston Avenue close to the station.

Railroad stations

The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) inaugurated its route through Medford in 1835, although local stops were introduced later. By 1846, a station known as Stearns Steps, named after George Luther Stearns' nearby estate, was situated near what is now College Avenue. By 1855, this station was referred to as Tufts College, positioned just west of the railroad tracks. Early service was inconsistent. In September 1858, the station was renamed College Hill and functioned as a flag stop for six daily round trips, mainly serving local trains on the Woburn Branch Railroad.

During the 1860s, special trains were arranged to accommodate commencement events. The initial station building was an extension to a house located north of the tracks, slightly west of College Avenue. Until 1885, the college's post office operated within this building before moving to a dedicated facility. In 1887, the B&L was leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M), becoming its Southern Division.

On May 3, 1897, the original structure was replaced by a new brick station positioned across the tracks and a bit south at Pearson Street. At the request of students, it was renamed Tufts College. The bridge on College Avenue spanning the tracks was reconstructed in 1898. Notably, during football-related disturbances in November 1905, students set fire twice to the former station building.

Tufts College station enjoyed popularity among students; special trains were scheduled for some away football games. Nonetheless, the consolidation of streetcar lines under the Boston Elevated Railway led to a significant decline in local rail traffic. To prevent demolition, the college acquired the disused station for one dollar in 1941 and by 1944 had converted it into a theatre workshop. Meanwhile, passengers used a modest wooden shelter. On April 18, 1958, substantial service reductions authorized by the Public Utilities Commission included shutting down North Somerville, Tufts College, and Medford Hillside stations. These closures took effect on May 18, 1958.

Due to community calls for faster commuter options than buses offered, B&M reinstated several inner-suburb stops during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A new Tufts University station near the original location was planned to open on October 12, 1976, but liability insurance disagreements between B&M and the university caused delays. When MBTA assumed operations, it also took on liability responsibilities. The university contributed $2,000 towards the $4,600 expense of constructing a small platform; MBTA funded the remainder. Service commenced on September 1, 1977, with official opening ceremonies held two weeks later on September 15. However, due to low ridership numbers, service was discontinued in October 1979.

Previous plans

In 1922, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) launched Lechmere station as a terminus for streetcar operations within the Tremont Street subway. At that time, with several radial lines and downtown subways active, BERy envisioned three additional radial subway routes: one paralleling the Midland Branch through Dorchester, another branching off from the Boylston Street subway beneath Huntington Avenue, and a third extending northwest from Lechmere Square through Somerville.

The 1926 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities recommended extending service from Lechmere to North Cambridge via the Southern Division and an 1870-built cutoff line. It also considered further expansions beyond North Cambridge over the Lexington Branch, including a branch from Somerville Junction toward Woburn.

In 1945, the Coolidge Commission proposed nine rapid transit extensions into suburban areas—largely echoing the earlier plan—including an extension from Lechmere to Woburn along the Southern Division with an intermediate stop at Tufts College. The 1962 North Terminal Area Study suggested abandoning the elevated segment between Lechmere and North Station and relocating what is now called the Orange Line onto B&M's Western Route. This plan included a branch following the Southern Division toward either Arlington or Woburn.

Established in 1964 to fund suburban commuter rail services and develop rapid transit extensions replacing some commuter lines, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rebranded the Tremont Street subway and its connected routes as the Green Line in 1965. The MBTA's 1966 Program for Mass Transportation prioritized a short extension from Lechmere to Washington Street, followed by a second phase extending to either (Route 16) or .

The final report from the Boston Transportation Planning Review in 1972 listed a Green Line extension from Lechmere to as a lower priority project. In 1980, MBTA initiated studies on what was called the "Green Line Northwest Corridor" stretching from to Medford. Potential termini included Tufts University or .

Station planning

In 1991, a legal settlement between the state and the Conservation Law Foundation resolved a lawsuit concerning vehicle emissions from the Big Dig, which included a commitment to extend the "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University". However, no advancement occurred until a renewed agreement was reached in 2005. The Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study conducted that year assessed various options such as light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail expansions, all proposing a Ball Square station near the former North Somerville location. Leading proposals featured an extension reaching West Medford with College Avenue serving as an intermediate stop.

In October 2006, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works filed an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF), designating a Green Line extension branching to Medford and Union Square as the preferred plan. A certificate issued in December 2006 mandated that the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) examine terminal station locations, including College Avenue, a potential station at Winthrop Street, a combined station option between these points, and a further extension to . The report also required evaluation of Lowell Line stations at Tufts University and for connections between commuter rail and rapid transit. Station locations were publicly identified in May 2008, recommending a single station positioned between College Avenue and Winthrop Street due to cost efficiency, optimal spacing, and elimination of the need for bridge alterations.

The DEIR released in October 2009 did not support adding commuter rail platforms at Gilman Square or Tufts University stations because right-of-way limitations would adversely affect nearby properties. It supported a single College Avenue station, noting inadequate pedestrian access for a combined station north of the tracks and overlapping service areas with Winthrop Street. The extension to Route 16 was postponed for a subsequent phase, making College Avenue the line’s terminus. Initial DEIR designs showed a solitary island platform northwest of College Avenue with a two-story headhouse featuring stairs, escalators, and elevators accessible from both Boston Avenue and College Avenue.

The final environmental impact report published in 2010 incorporated measures to mitigate traffic congestion, noise pollution, and vibrations associated with College Avenue as the terminal stop. Revised plans from June 2011 introduced a pedestrian walkway connecting to Burget Avenue; by February 2012, designs expanded the entrance plaza, added an emergency exit ramp at the northwest corner, and relocated the bicycle storage facility. By 2012, completion of the Medford Branch segment spanning Gilman Square to College Avenue was anticipated by June 2019. That year also saw consideration of a Tufts University commuter rail station as temporary air quality mitigation due to GLX delays; however, MassDOT declined support citing financial and scheduling challenges.

A design update in June 2013 eliminated the electric penthouse and altered both the headhouse layout and emergency exit ramp configuration. Work on design was temporarily halted while Phase 2/2A stations (, , ) were prioritized for earlier completion. Design efforts resumed in fall 2014; by May 2015, various components of College Avenue station had reached between 30% and 90% design finalization. In June 2015, Tufts University revealed plans for new construction along College Avenue incorporating one-third of the building above the Green Line station with a pedestrian bridge linking to its main campus.

Redesign

In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed significant budget overruns for the Green Line Extension (GLX), triggering a thorough reassessment of the project. By December 2015, the MBTA had ended contracts with four companies and paused awarding new ones, although ongoing construction continued. To manage expenses, options such as project cancellation and eliminating certain branches were explored. In May 2016, both MassDOT and MBTA boards approved a cost-effective, value-engineered version of the initiative. Station layouts were simplified to mirror surface stations on the Green Line D branch, eliminating features like canopies, faregates, escalators, and some elevators; for instance, the College Avenue station’s escalator was removed and its emergency exit ramp was substituted with a level track crossing.

The MBTA announced a revised opening timeline for 2021 in December 2016. A design-build contract was awarded in November 2017, incorporating six optional add-ons that reinstated elements previously cut during value engineering—such as continuous canopies at every station and the emergency exit ramp at College Avenue. To avoid extensive reconstruction of a nearby road bridge, a pedestrian bridge was introduced adjacent to College Avenue. Station design advanced from 5% completion in March 2018 to 95% by October 2019.

Construction

By 2019, plans for the new Tufts building—the Joyce Cummings Center—excluded the footbridge and station-over components. On January 2, 2020, MBTA and Tufts University announced that the station would be named Medford/Tufts, with Tufts pledging $2 million over ten years for upkeep in exchange for naming rights.

Construction of the station commenced by August 2020 with retaining wall installation. A pedestrian bridge was placed on May 8, 2021, followed by the assembly of elevator shafts later that month. The concrete platform was poured in June 2021—several months behind other GLX stations—with work on the emergency exit ramp ongoing. The headhouse and platform canopy were finalized by late 2021.

Although initial plans intended for the Green Line D branch to reach Medford/Tufts, MBTA altered this in April 2021 to have the Medford Branch served by the E branch instead. A pedestrian bridge parallel to College Avenue was also installed on May 8, 2021. While the initial opening date targeted December 2021, delays pushed it first to May 2022 and then to "late summer" of that year. Train testing began in May 2022. In August 2022, another postponement set the opening to November, with the Medford Branch—including Medford/Tufts station—officially launching service on December 12, 2022.

External links

• MBTA – Medford/Tufts