Tufts University station

Medford/Tufts station

Company type	Light rail station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	December 12, 2022 (2022-12-12)
Headquarters	Medford, Massachusetts , United States
Products	Green Line (MBTA) 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 the campus of Tufts University. This fully accessible facility features 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), which introduced two new northern branches to the Green Line network, and functions as the northern endpoint for the E branch.

Historically, the location was served by various railroad stations. The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) established Stearns Steps station near what is now College Avenue by 1849; this station was soon renamed Tufts College following the university's founding in 1852, and later became known as College Hill. The initial station, housed in a converted residence, was replaced in 1897 by a brick structure named Tufts College station. This station was operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad, successor to B&L, until service ended in 1958. Subsequently, from 1977 to 1979, Tufts University station was active on the Lowell Line at this same site.

Throughout the 20th century, plans to extend the Green Line often proposed a stop near Tufts University. In 2008, a location between College Avenue and Winthrop Street was chosen for the GLX station but was relocated to College Avenue in 2009. Due to escalating expenses, a reassessment of the GLX project occurred in 2015, resulting in a simplified station design unveiled in 2016. A design-build contract was awarded in 2017. In January 2020, the MBTA and Tufts University reached an agreement to name the station Medford/Tufts. Construction commenced in mid-2020 and was largely finalized by early 2022.

Station design

Medford/Tufts station is positioned off Boston Avenue near College Avenue on the northeastern slope of Walnut Hill within Medford. The Lowell Line runs approximately northwest to southeast through this area, with the two-track Medford Branch of the Green Line located south of these railroad tracks. The station features one island platform, measuring and wide, situated between the Green Line tracks just northwest of College Avenue. A canopy extends over the entire length of the platform.

The platform height is set at for accessible boarding compatible with current light rail vehicles (LRVs), with provisions allowing it to be elevated to for future level boarding with Type 9 and Type 10 LRVs; it is also designed for potential extension up to in length. Both tracks and platform are constructed below ground level within a cut. The primary entrance is accessed from Boston Avenue on the south side of the tracks, where part of the headhouse extends above the southern Green Line track. Access from this entrance to the southeast end of the platform is provided via stairs and two elevators ensuring full accessibility.

At the northwest end of the platform lies a starter booth along with an emergency exit ramp leading back to Boston Avenue. Adjacent to the entrance on Boston Avenue is a "Pedal and Park" bicycle cage accommodating 50 bikes. Public art installations include Speeding Green Line, a dynamic blurred mural above the station entrance, complemented by murals displayed on station signage panels. Nearby, several MBTA bus routes serve stops located along Boston Avenue close to the station.

Railroad stations

The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) extended its line through Medford in 1835, although local stations were established later. By 1846, a stop known as Stearns Steps, named after the nearby estate of George Luther Stearns, was located close to what is now College Avenue. By 1855, this station was referred to as Tufts College, situated to the west of the tracks. Early service was sporadic, with the stop appearing as College Hill by September 1858, functioning as a flag stop for six daily round trips primarily serving local trains on the Woburn Branch Railroad.

During the 1860s, special trains were arranged for commencement events. The initial station structure was an annex added to a residence located north of the tracks, west of College Avenue. The post office for the college operated within this building until a separate facility was constructed in 1885. In 1887, the B&L became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) through a lease agreement as its Southern Division.

On May 3, 1897, a new brick station was built on the opposite side of the tracks near Pearson Street, replacing the older structure; it was renamed Tufts College at the request of students to align with the post office's designation. The bridge at College Avenue was replaced in 1898. The former station building suffered two fires set by students during football-related disturbances in November 1905.

Tufts College station catered to numerous students; special trains provided direct service for certain away football games. However, competition from streetcars significantly diminished local rail patronage. In 1941, the college acquired the disused station building for one dollar to save it from demolition and repurposed it as a theatre workshop by 1944. Afterward, passengers were served by a modest wooden shelter. On April 18, 1958, following approval by the Public Utilities Commission for significant service reductions, North Somerville, Tufts College, and Medford Hillside stations were closed; all ceased operations on May 18.

In reaction to public demand for quicker commuter alternatives than buses, B&M reinstated several inner-suburb stations during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Tufts University station near the original location was planned to open on October 12, 1976, but its launch was postponed due to disputes over liability insurance that were resolved once MBTA took over responsibility. The university contributed $2,000 toward the $4,600 cost of constructing the platform; MBTA covered the remainder. Service commenced on September 1, 1977, with an official opening ceremony held on September 15. Due to low ridership levels, service was discontinued in October 1979.

Earlier Proposals

In 1922, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) inaugurated Lechmere station as the endpoint for streetcar operations within the Tremont Street subway. At that time, with the downtown subway network and several radial lines operational, 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 northwest from Lechmere Square through Somerville.

The 1926 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities suggested extending service from Lechmere to North Cambridge via the Southern Division and the cutoff constructed in 1870. Further extensions beyond North Cambridge along the Lexington Branch and a branch from Somerville Junction to Woburn were also evaluated.

In 1945, the Coolidge Commission recommended nine suburban rapid transit expansions resembling the 1926 plan, including a line from Lechmere to Woburn via the Southern Division with an intermediate stop at Tufts College. The 1962 North Terminal Area Study proposed eliminating the elevated segment between Lechmere and North Station; instead, relocating the Main Line (now known as the Orange Line) along the B&M Western Route with a branch following the Southern Division toward Arlington or Woburn.

Established in 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) took on subsidizing suburban commuter rail and developing rapid transit expansions that would replace some commuter lines. In 1965, the Tremont Street subway and its connecting routes were rebranded as the Green Line. The MBTA's inaugural long-term plan, the 1966 Program for Mass Transportation, prioritized a brief extension from Lechmere to Washington Street, followed by a second phase reaching either (Route 16) or .

The final report of the Boston Transportation Planning Review in 1972 ranked a Green Line extension from Lechmere to as a lower priority, a stance echoed by later plans. Beginning in 1980, MBTA studied the "Green Line Northwest Corridor" extending from to Medford, which included potential extensions beyond Lechmere. Proposed options featured extending service to Tufts University or .

Station Development

A 1991 settlement between the state and the Conservation Law Foundation, resolving litigation concerning auto emissions linked to the Big Dig, committed to building a "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University". However, progress stalled until a revised agreement in 2005. That year’s Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study examined multiple light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail extension alternatives; most included a Ball Square station near North Somerville’s former site. Leading options incorporated an extension to West Medford with College Avenue as an intermediate stop.

In October 2006, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works filed an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) that identified Green Line extensions with branches to Medford and Union Square as preferred alternatives. The Secretary of Environmental Affairs’ December certificate mandated further analysis of terminal locations, including College Avenue, a potential Winthrop Street station, a combined station between these two points, and possible continuation to . It also required evaluation of Lowell Line stations at Tufts University and to enhance connections between commuter rail and rapid transit. Station locations were announced in May 2008, favoring a single station positioned between College Avenue and Winthrop Street due to lower costs, improved spacing, and avoidance of bridge modifications.

The October 2009 draft environmental impact report (DEIR) recommended against commuter rail platforms at Gilman Square or Tufts University because right-of-way restrictions would affect adjacent properties negatively. It endorsed a single College Avenue station over a combined station for superior pedestrian accessibility; meanwhile, a separate Winthrop Street station was not supported due to overlapping service areas. With Route 16 deferred, College Avenue was designated as the terminus. Initial DEIR designs proposed an island platform northwest of College Avenue featuring a two-story headhouse with stairs, escalators, and elevators accessible from Boston Avenue and College Avenue intersection.

The final environmental impact report released in 2010 introduced measures addressing traffic congestion, noise pollution, and vibration related to College Avenue serving as the terminal station. Updated plans from June 2011 incorporated a pedestrian connection to Burget Avenue; February 2012 revisions expanded the entrance plaza, added an emergency exit ramp at the northwest end of the platform, and relocated bicycle storage facilities. By 2012, completion of the Medford Branch segment stretching from Gilman Square to College Avenue was anticipated by June 2019. Consideration for a Tufts University commuter rail station resurfaced in 2012 as temporary air quality mitigation due to GLX delays but was ultimately deemed too expensive and unfeasible before the 2015 deadline; thus it was not supported by MassDOT.

A June 2013 update eliminated plans for an electric penthouse while redesigning both the headhouse and emergency exit ramp. Design work paused temporarily while Phase 2/2A stations (, , ) were given priority for earlier openings. Design efforts resumed in fall 2014; by May 2015 components of College Avenue station ranged between approximately 30% and 90% completion. In June 2015, Tufts University revealed plans for new construction on College Avenue incorporating one-third of its footprint over the Green Line station along with a pedestrian bridge spanning Boston Avenue linking directly to campus facilities.

Redesign

In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed a substantial escalation in the Green Line Extension (GLX) project costs, leading to a thorough reassessment of the initiative. By December 2015, contracts with four companies were terminated, and while ongoing construction continued, no new contracts were awarded. Discussions included the possibility of canceling the project or implementing cost reductions, such as removing the Union Square Branch.

In May 2016, both MassDOT and MBTA boards endorsed a value-engineered version of the project aimed at lowering expenses. Station layouts were simplified to mirror surface stops on the Green Line D branch, resulting in the elimination of canopies, faregates, escalators, and some elevators. Specifically, the College Avenue station lost its escalator, and the emergency exit ramp was substituted with a level track crossing.

By December 2016, a revised opening year of 2021 was set. In November 2017, a design-build contract was awarded that included six optional add-ons to reinstate features removed during value engineering—such as full-length station canopies. The emergency exit ramp was restored, and a pedestrian bridge was incorporated near College Avenue to prevent extensive bridge reconstruction. Station design advanced from 5% completion in March 2018 to 95% by October 2019.

Construction

In 2019, plans for Tufts University’s new facility—the Joyce Cummings Center—excluded the previously proposed footbridge and the portion spanning the station. On January 2, 2020, the MBTA and Tufts jointly announced that the station would be named Medford/Tufts, with Tufts pledging $2 million over ten years for maintenance in return for naming rights.

Construction at the station commenced by August 2020 with retaining wall installation. The pedestrian bridge was placed on May 8, 2021, followed by elevator shaft construction later that month. Concrete platform pouring occurred in June 2021—later than other GLX stations—with work on the emergency exit ramp also underway. By late 2021, both the headhouse and platform canopy were completed.

Initially, service to Medford/Tufts was planned for the Green Line D branch; however, by April 2021, this was changed to the E branch. A pedestrian bridge parallel to College Avenue was installed on May 8, 2021. The station’s opening was originally scheduled for December 2021 but faced multiple delays: first to May 2022, then "late summer" 2022, and ultimately November 2022. Train testing on the Medford Branch began in May 2022. The Medford Branch—including Medford/Tufts station—officially commenced operations on December 12, 2022.

External links

• MBTA – Medford/Tufts