Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

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{{Infobox Public transit|name=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)|image=Mbta-logo.svg|imagesize=100px|locale=Greater Boston, [Light rail, Bus, Rapid transit, Bus rapid transit, Trolleybus, Ferryboat formed in [1964 to finance and operate most bus, Rapid transit, Regional rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. It replaced the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), immortalized by the Kingston Trio in the popular folk-protest lament "The MTA Song". It is known by the locals as simply The T because of the letter "T" in a circle logo it adopted in the 1960s. In 2006, the system averaged 1.1 million passenger trips each weekday, of which the subway averaged 598,200, making it the List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership in the country. The Green Line (MBTA) of the T is the List of United States Light Rail systems by ridership, with a weekday ridership of 235,300.The MBTA also operates its own independent law enforcement agency, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police.

==Subway== at Downtown Crossing (MBTA station).The subway system has three rapid transit lines - the Red Line (MBTA), Orange Line (MBTA) and Blue Line (MBTA) Lines - and two light rail lines - the Green Line (MBTA) and the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line (designated as part of the Red Line). All four colored lines meet downtown at a square configuration, and the Orange and Green Lines (which run parallel) meet directly at two stations. The Red Line has two branches in the south - Ashmont (MBTA station) and Braintree (MBTA station), named after their terminal stations - and the Green Line has four branches in the west - Green Line "B" Branch (Boston College (MBTA station)), Green Line "C" Branch (Cleveland Circle and Reservoir (MBTA stations)), Green Line "D" Branch (Riverside (MBTA station)) and Green Line "E" Branch (Heath Street (MBTA station)). The Green Line "A" Branch formerly went to Watertown (MBTA station), filling in the pattern, which increases from north to south, and the Green Line "E" Branch formerly continued beyond Heath Street to Forest Hills (MBTA station). The colors were assigned on August 26, 1965, and have served as the primary identifier for the lines since the 1964 reorganization of the MTA into the MBTA.

The Orange Line is so named because it used to run down Orange Street (now lower Washington Street); the Green Line because it runs adjacent to parts of the Emerald Necklace; the Blue line because it runs under Boston Harbor; and the Red Line because its northernmost station used to be at Harvard University, whose school color is crimson, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bacon's Dictionary of Boston, circa 1886

The three rapid transit lines are incompatible: trains of one line would have to be modified to run on another. Orange and Blue Line trains are nearly identical, but Blue Line trains have pantograph (rail)s for use north of Boston Harbor. However, some of the new Blue Line cars from Siemens AG are being tested on the Orange Line after-hours. There are no direct track connections between lines, except between the Red Line and Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line, but all except the Blue Line have unused connections to the national rail network, which have been used for deliveries. here we go. The Red Line connection is at JFK/UMass (MBTA), the Orange Line at Wellington (MBTA) (last used ca. 1981), and the Green Line at Riverside (MBTA). Trucks may also be used to deliver train cars from the manufacturer.

A segment of Green Line tunnel from Park Street opened in 1897, making it the first subway in the United States. The downtown portions of what are now the Green, Orange, Blue, and Red lines were all in service by 1912. Additions to the rapid transit network occurred in most decades of the 1900s, and continue in the 2000s with the addition of Silver Line bus rapid transit and planned Green Line expansion. (See History and Future plans sections.)

Commuter rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system is a Regional rail network that shares its tracks with freight trains. In 2007 there are 12 lines, three of which have branches, and another branch provides access to Gillette Stadium for events. Eight of the lines converge at South Station, with four of these passing through Back Bay (MBTA station) station. The other four converge at North Station. Amtrak uses two of the south-side lines and one of the north-side lines for long-distance intercity service. There is no passenger connection between the two sides, although there have been proposals to fix this with the North-South Rail Link. The opportunity for such a connection, in association with the burying of the Central Artery in the Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts) was passed over. Passengers must take the Orange Line between Back Bay and North Station, the Red and Orange Lines between South and North Stations, or take a bus or taxicab. A south side commuter rail line, the Greenbush Line, is currently under construction; a south-side branch to Fall River, Massachusetts and New Bedford, Massachusetts is in the planning stages. Trackage exists to extend the Middleborough/Lakeville Line to restore passenger service to Cape Cod, formerly part of the Old Colony Railroad lines. The Commuter Rail system has used the color purple on train cars and system maps since October 8, 1974, and consequently it is sometimes called the "Purple Line."

Each Commuter Rail line is divided into up to 9 fare zones (previously 10 on some lines), numbered 1A, and 1 through 8. Riders are charged based on the number of zones they travel through. Tickets can be purchased on the train or at designated ticket vendor locations near major stations. If a local vendor is available, riders must purchase a ticket before boarding to avoid a surcharge. Fares range from $1.70 to $7.75, with monthly passes available.

Buses and ferries CNG bus.The MBTA bus system comprises over 150 routes across the Greater Boston area. Transfers from the subway are Free transfer (transport) if using a CharlieCard (for local buses); transfers to the subway require paying the difference between bus and the higher subway fare (for local buses; if not using a CharlieCard, full subway fare must be paid in addition to full bus fare). Bus-to-bus transfers (for local buses) are free unless paying cash. Many of the outlying routes run express along major highways to downtown. The buses are colored yellow on maps and in station decor.

The Silver Line (MBTA) is the MBTA's first service designated as bus rapid transit, even though it lacks many of the characteristics of bus rapid transit. The first segment, replacing the 49 bus, which in turn replaced the Washington Street Elevated section of the Orange Line (MBTA), began operations in 2002, with free transfers to the subways downtown until January 1 2007, when the fare system was revised. The "Washington Street" segment runs along various downtown streets, and mostly in dedicated bus lanes on Washington Street itself. It is categorized as a "bus" service for fare purposes.http://mbta.com/fares_and_passes/subway/

The "Waterfront" section opened at the end of 2004, and connects South Station to South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, partly via a tunnel and partly on the surface. These buses run dual-mode, Trolleybus in the tunnel and diesel bus outside. Service to Logan Airport began in June 2005. The Waterfront segment is classified as a "subway" for fare purposes.

A third, fully tunneled segment is proposed to connect the two lines, which are currently not continuous. "Phase 3" is controversial due to its high cost and the fact that many do not consider Phase I to be adequate replacement service for the old Elevated.

Current plans include more bus rapid transit routes, including the Urban Ring Project (MBTA), intended to expand upon existing Crosstown Buses.

The MBTA contracts with private bus companies to provide subsidized service on certain routes, outside of the usual fare structure. These are known collectively as the HI-RIDE Commuter Bus service, and are not numbered or mapped in the same way as integral bus services.http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/private_bus/

Boston-area trackless trolleys to Harvard (MBTA station) still run as Trolleybus; there was once a much larger trackless trolley system.

The MBTA boat system operates several ferry routes around Boston Harbor, including to Logan International Airport.

Fare collection station on the Silver Line (MBTA).Beginning January 1 2007, rapid transit trips (including rides on the Green Line) cost $1.70 for CharlieCard holders, $2.00 for CharlieTicket or cash payers. Bus and trackless trolley fares are $1.25 for CharlieCard holders, $1.50 for others. Persons using CharlieCards can transfer free from a subway to a bus, and from a bus to a subway for the $0.45 difference in price. CharlieTicket holders can transfer free between buses, but not from a subway to a bus. Cash payers get no free transfers.

The MBTA began collecting fares for outbound trips originating on the surface part of the Green Line on January 1, 2007. The 2007 fare increase also eliminated exit fares at certain Red Line stops and ended higher fares at inbound stops on the outer part of the Green Line "D" Branch.

Monthly passes have been in use since the late 1980s. The MBTA also sells one- and seven-day passes intended for visitors.

Parking The MBTA operates park and ride facilities at many outlying stations, with a total capacity of almost 46,000 automobiles. The number of spaces at stations with parking varies from a few dozen to over 2,500. The larger lots and garages are usually near a major highway exit. The parking fee for a day ranges from $2.00 to $5.00. Lots often fill up during the morning rush hour. There are some 22,000 spaces on the southern portion of the commuter rail system, 9400 on the northern portion and 14,600 at subway stations. Most stations also have parking racks for bicycles.

From time to time the MBTA has tried to work on various agreements with companies that contribute to commuting options. One company the MBTA selected was Zipcar, the MBTA currently provides the company Zipcar with a limited number of parking space at various subway stations throughout the system.

History Mass transit in Boston was provided by private companies, often granted charters by the state legislature to create limited monopoly and grant powers of eminent domain to establish a Right-of-way (railroad), until the creation of the MTA in 1947. Development of mass transportation both followed existing economic and population patterns, and helped shape those patterns.

Railroad era begins .The steam locomotive became practical for mass transportation in the 1810s, and came to the United States in the 1820s. The private Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered in 1830, connecting Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts a major northerly mill town (which was also on the Middlesex Canal). It was one of the oldest railroads in North America and the first major one in Massachusetts. This marked the beginning of the development of intercity railroads that evolved into the MBTA Commuter Rail system and the Green Line "D" Branch. Origins of the various lines are listed below.

Boston and Maine Railroad:

Lowell Line - Boston and Lowell Railroad, chartered 1830
Haverhill/Reading Line - Andover and Wilmington Railroad, incorporated 1833; extended as Andover and Haverhill Railroad in 1837
Fitchburg Railroad - Fitchburg Railroad, chartered 1842
Newburyport/Rockport Line - ?? as branches of the Eastern Railroad

Penn Central:

Framingham/Worcester Line - Boston and Worcester Railroad, chartered 1831
Providence/Stoughton Line - Boston and Providence Rail Road, chartered 1831, Stoughton Branch Railroad portion chartered 1841
Fairmount Line - Built in 1855 for the Norfolk County Railroad
Needham Line - Opened 1906, branch of the Boston and Providence Railroad
Franklin Line - ?? later acquired by New York and New England Railroad

The Old Colony Lines (MBTA) were acquired by the large Old Colony Railroad, much of which has since been abandoned, which later merged into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and then the Penn Central.

Old Colony Lines (MBTA) - Original Old Colony Railroad, opened to Plymouth in 1845
Old Colony Lines (MBTA) - Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad and Middleborough Railroad - chartered 1845
Greenbush Line - South Shore Railroad, chartered 1846
Gillette Stadium spur of Providence/Stoughton Line - Agricultural Branch Railroad, chartered 1847? (see Old Colony Railroad; eventually purchased by MBTA from New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

New York Central Railroad

Green Line "D" Branch - Brookline Branch Railroad, opened 1847; Charles River Branch Railroad extended from Brookline Village to Cook Junction in 1852; Boston and Albany Railroad extended to Riverside in 1886

The Grand Junction Railroad, mostly still owned by CSX, was built between 1847 and 1856. The MBTA uses it for non-revenue movement of trains between the northern and southern halves of its system.

Streetcar era begins ]

The Railroad] was the first Tram company in Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1853 to connect the West End, Boston, Massachusetts to Central Square (Cambridge) and Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts via the West End Bridge (which was at the site of the modern Longfellow Bridge). This is the same route as the Red Line subway, but on the street. The Dorchester Railroad, another streetcar company, was chartered in 1854. A profusion of streetcar lines were laid down throughout the Boston area.

In 1885, the West End Street Railway was chartered. The company consolidated ownership of existing streetcar lines in Boston and the inner suburbs, and began converting the animal-drawn vehicles to electric propulsion. The first electric trolleys ran in 1889, and the last horsecar went out of service around 1900.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, two other streetcar companies gained consolidated ownership of many smaller lines. The Middlesex and Boston Street Railway came to control the western suburbs, and the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway came to control the northern and southern suburbs.

Streetcar subways and elevated rail on the Green Line (MBTA) soon after opening, circa 1898

Streetcar congestion in downtown Boston created the need for Rapid transits and elevated rail. These grade-separated railways both added additional transportation capacity and avoided delays caused by intersections with cross streets. The West End Street Railway was renamed the Boston Elevated Railway and undertook several such projects.

Boston's subway was the first in the United States and is often called "America's First Subway" by the MBTA and others. The Tremont Street Subway is the core of the precursor to the Green Line (MBTA), and opened in 1897 and 1898. In 1901, the Orange Line (MBTA), the precursor to the Orange Line (MBTA) opened, a rapid transit line running as an Rapid transit through outlying areas and using the Tremont Street Subway downtown, with the outer tracks and platforms reconfigured for Elevated trains; the Atlantic Avenue Elevated opened soon after, providing a second route downtown. This was the first elevated railway and the first rapid transit line in Boston, three years before the first underground line of the New York City Subway, but long after the first elevated railway in New York.

The Washington Street Tunnel (Boston) opened in 1908, giving the Elevated a shorter route through downtown and returning the Tremont Street Subway to full streetcar service. Various extensions and branches were built to the Tremont Street Subway in both directions, bypassing more surface tracks. In addition, when the Main Line El opened in 1901, many surface routes were cut back to its Dudley Square (MBTA station) and Sullivan Square (MBTA station) terminals to provide a transfer for a faster route downtown. Elevated extensions were soon built on each end, and more streetcar lines were cut back.

The next line to open was the East Boston Tunnel, a streetcar tunnel under Boston Harbor to East Boston, Massachusetts, in 1904. This replaced a transfer between streetcars and ferries, and provided access to the other subways downtown. The tunnel was converted to rapid transit specifications in 1924, with an easy cross-platform transfer at the East Boston end.

The Cambridge Tunnel opened in 1912, connecting the downtown lines to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was soon extended south from downtown to Dorchester, Massachusetts as the Dorchester Tunnel. The Dorchester Extension, opening in stages from 1927, took the line further along a former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad branch through Dorchester, with the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line continuing along the old right-of-way to Mattapan, Massachusetts. This too resulted in cutbacks in streetcar service to its terminals.

As built, many of the key transfer stations were prepayment stations, in which free transfers could be made between surface streetcar lines and grade-separated subway or elevated lines. This was made possible by the operation of all services under one umbrella; suburban services that operated over the same tracks used different areas outside fare control. Some of the streetcar levels were later converted for bus or trackless trolley operation; others have been closed. Free transfers were eliminated in October 1961 except between subway routes, returning in a limited capacity in 2000 and in full in 2007 as long as a CharlieCard is used. Some of the prepaid transfer areas still exist architecturally, though transfers from bus to subway are not free, and faregates enclose all subway stations (but not most above-ground Green Line stops). Prepayment stations included Andrew (MBTA station) (still in place), Forest Hills (MBTA station), Ashmont (MBTA station) , Broadway (MBTA station), Dudley Square (MBTA station), Egleston, Everett, Massachusetts, Fields Corner (MBTA station), Forest Hills (MBTA station), Harvard (MBTA station) (still in place), Hynes Convention Center (MBTA station), Kenmore (MBTA station) (still in place), Lechmere (MBTA station) (still in place), Maverick (MBTA station), Ruggles (MBTA station) (built for buses, still in place), Savin Hill (MBTA station), Sullivan Square (MBTA station), Watertown Square (MBTA station) (only served surface and surface-subway streetcars) and Wood Island (MBTA station) (built for buses).

Decline of streetcars and railroads The Boston Elevated Railway started replacing rail vehicles with buses in 1922. In 1936, it started replacing some rail vehicles with trackless trolleys. The last Middlesex and Boston Street Railway streetcar ran in 1930.

By the beginning of 1953, the only Boston-area streetcar lines fed two tunnels - the main Tremont Street Subway network downtown and the short tunnel (now the Harvard Bus Tunnel) in Harvard Square. Gasoline-powered buses could not be used in the tunnels due to the problem of venting exhaust.

The Harvard routes were replaced with trackless trolleys in 1958, and with the new phase 2 Silver Line and a short non-revenue connection from the terminus of the 71 to the Watertown Carhouse are the only MBTA trackless trolley routes.

The old elevated railways proved to be an eyesore and required several sharp curves in Boston's twisty streets. The Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed in 1938. The beginning of the decline of the Atlantic Avenue line was the Boston molasses disaster of 1919, which interrupted service on the line. In 1944, passenger service on the Fairmount Line was canceled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad after a long period of declining ridership.

As rail passenger service became increasingly unprofitable, largely due to the increasingly popular automobile, government takeover became necessary to prevent abandonment.

MTA incorporation and takeovers The MTA purchasedhttp://members.aol.com/netransit/private/LRV.html and took over subway, elevated, streetcar, and bus operations from the Boston Elevated Railway in 1947.

The Revere Extension (now part of the Blue Line (MBTA)) to Wonderland (MBTA station) opened between 1952 and 1954, mostly along the former narrow-gauge Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad right-of-way.

In 1959, MTA streetcar service opened on what is now the Green Line "D" Branch, connecting to the Boylston Street Subway and using track from the New York Central Railroad, which had stopped running on the line the previous year. It required many more cars than expected due to heavy ridership.

Also in 1959, with the opening of the Interstate 93, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad halted passenger service on the former Old Colony Railroad lines.

The last two streetcar lines running into the Pleasant Street Portal of the Tremont Street Subway were substituted with buses in 1953 and 1962, and it has since been covered over.

MBTA incorporation and commuter rail takeovers On August 3, 1964, the MBTA succeeded the MTA, with an enlarged service area. The original MTA district consisted of 14 cities and towns — Arlington, Massachusetts, Belmont, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, Brookline, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Chelsea, Massachusetts, Everett, Massachusetts, Malden, Massachusetts, Medford, Massachusetts, Milton, Massachusetts, Newton, Massachusetts, Revere, Massachusetts, Somerville, Massachusetts and Watertown, Massachusetts. The MBTA covered an expanded area of 78 cities and towns, with a 79th (Maynard, Massachusetts) joining in or before 1972 and leaving in or after 1976.

The MBTA was formed partly to subsidize existing commuter rail operations, provided at the time by three private railroad companies — the Boston and Maine Railroad, the New York Central Railroad (via the Boston and Albany Railroad) and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad — with the B&M running the north-side lines and the NYC and NYNH&H (both merged into Penn Central in 1968, and taken over by Conrail in 1976) on the south side. The MBTA soon began to subsidize the companies, and acquired the lines in stages from 1973 through 1976 amidst large cutbacks in service and coverage area. Since then, many of these lines have seen service return, most notably the Old Colony Railroad (NYNH&H) lines to the South Shore (Boston).

By 1964, commuter rail service to Worcester was being provided. The Boston and Maine Railroad started receiving MBTA subsidies for its commuter service in 1965. The MBTA bought most of the present-day commuter rail trackage from the Boston and Maine Railroad and Penn Central (into which the New York Central Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad had merged), in 1973. It also purchased rolling stock at this time. Track between Framingham and Worcester was not acquired by the agency, and due to a lack of state subsidy, commuter rail service on this portion was cut in 1975. It resumed in 1994, though the track is still privately owned (by CSX, as of 2006). The Fairmount Line was purchased from Penn Central in 1976. Passenger service resumed there in 1979 during diversion of other lines during Southwest Corridor construction, and was not discontinued when the project was complete.

Bus expansion and streetcar cutbacks The MBTA assigned colors to its four rapid transit lines in 1965, and lettered the branches of the Green Line from north to south. However, shortages of streetcars, among other factors, caused bus substitution of rail service on two branches of the Green Line. The Green Line "A" Branch was replaced in its entirety in 1969. The portion of the Green Line "E" Branch from Heath Street (MBTA station) to Forest Hills (MBTA station) was replaced by buses in 1985.

The MBTA purchased bus routes in the outer suburbs to the north and south from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway in 1968. Western suburban routes were purchased in 1972 from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. (Both of these companies had long since ceased running any streetcar service.) A few routes to the north were taken over from Service Bus Lines in 1975, and one in the south in 1980 from the Brush Hill Transportation Company. As with the commuter rail system, many of the outlying routes were dropped soon before or after the takeover due to low ridership and high operating costs.

Rapid transit expansion In the 1970s, the MBTA received a boost from the BTPR areawide re-evaluation of the role of transit relative to highways. Producing a moratorium on highway construction inside Route 128, numerous transit lines were planned for expansion by the Voorhees-Skidmore, Owings and Merrill-ESL consulting team. The Charlestown Elevated, part of the Orange Line (MBTA) north of downtown Boston, was replaced by the Haymarket North Extension in 1975, and the Washington Street Elevated lasted until 1987, when the Southwest Corridor was opened to replace it. The closure of the Washington Street Elevated south of downtown Boston brought the end of rapid transit service to the Roxbury, Massachusetts neighborhood. Both of these were built next to existing rail corridors.

The Braintree Extension, a branch of the Red Line (MBTA) to Braintree (MBTA station), opened in stages from 1971 to 1980, again next to an existing rail corridor. The Red Line Northwest Extension to Alewife (MBTA station) opened in 1985, with an intermediate opening in 1984, partly along a railroad corridor and partly through a deep-bore tunnel.

These recent extensions provided not only additional subway system coverage, but also major parking structures at several of the terminal and intermediate stations, the best-known of which is Alewife (MBTA station), where the Route 2 (Massachusetts) freeway ends at the Red Line (MBTA) terminal.

With the 2004 replacement of the Causeway Street Elevated with a subway connection, the only remaining Rapid transits are a short portion of the Red Line (MBTA) at Charles/MGH (MBTA station) and a short portion of the Green Line (MBTA) between Science Park (MBTA station) and Lechmere (MBTA station).

MBTA expansion and the Big Dig The district was expanded further to 175 cities and towns in 1999, adding most that were served by or adjacent to Commuter Rail lines (including Maynard). The MBTA did not assume responsibility for local service in those communities, some of which run their own buses.

Prior to July 1, 2000, the MBTA was reimbursed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for all costs above revenue collected (net cost of service). Beginning on that date, the T was granted a dedicated revenue stream consisting of amounts assessed on served cities and towns, along with a dedicated 20% portion of the 5% state sales tax. The MBTA now must live within this "forward funding" budget.

The Commonwealth assigned to the MBTA responsibility for increasing public transit to compensate for increased automobile pollution from the Big Dig (see "Big Dig remediation projects" below). The T submerged a nearby portion of the Green Line and rebuilt Haymarket and North Stations during Big Dig construction, however these projects have strained the MBTA's limited resources since the Big Dig project did not include funding for these improvements.

Debt concerns and fare increases Since 1988, the MBTA has been the fastest expanding transit system in the country, even as Greater Boston has been the slowest growing metropolitan area.http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/05/24/t_expansion_on_wrong_track/ When, in 2000, the MBTA's budget became limited, the agency began to run into debt from scheduled projects and obligatory Big Dig remediation work, which have now given the MBTA the highest debt of any transit authority in the country. In an effort to compensate, rates were hiked on January 1, 2007 from $1.25 up to $2.00 per subway ride with a CharlieCard, and $1.70 with a CharlieCard.http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/ Increasingly, local advocacy groups are calling on the state to assume $2.9 billion of the authority's now $5.1 billion debt, the interest on which severely limits funds available for required projects.http://www.masspirg.org/news-releases/transportation-agenda/transportation-agenda/legislators-advocacy-groups-and-t-riders-call-for-mbta-debt-relief

Future plans In 2005 there were a number of plans for MBTA system expansion and improvement. Some are in progress, some are in the planning stages, and others have been advocated by citizens groups. All new and rebuilt stations will be handicap accessible (as required by state and Americans with Disabilities Act). In 2005 the administration of then-State-Governor Mitt Romney announced a long range transportation plan that emphasized repair and maintenance over expansion.

Projects underway

Construction is finished on a controversial commuter rail line to the Greenbush section of Scituate, Massachusetts, the third branch of the Old Colony service. Service will begin October 31, later than expected due to signal problems and the need for additional employee training time.
Several stations on the Blue Line (MBTA) are being rebuilt to accommodate six-car trains. New cars are on order.
The Kenmore (MBTA station), Copley (MBTA station), and Arlington (MBTA station) stations on the Green Line (MBTA) are being rebuilt.
A new station at T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station) in Warwick, Rhode Island, 13 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island that will allow expansion of MBTA commuter rail to that airport and Wickford Junction (Funded in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users; work is expected to be completed in 2009). Amtrak trains could use the station as well.
Rail renovation on the Green Line "D" Branch took place in the summer of 2007. The MBTA should begin using new, low-floor cars on the line early in 2008.
All stations along the Mattapan-Ashmont trolley line are currently being made ADA accessible while the line is closed for the reconstruction of Ashmont station. The PCC cars will have air-conditioners installed. The line was originally to reopen in late 2007, but will probably not be ready until early 2008. Meanwhile the Ashmont station renovation will not be complete until 2009, as questions of the platforms' structural integrity have surfaced.
Several commuter rail bridges and track sections are being replaced.

Big Dig remediation projects Massachusetts agreed to build several transit projects as remediation for the environmental impacts of the Big Dig. Some have been completed, but three have not been started and the Commonwealth has proposed alternatives to the last two. The original remediation projects that were not done are:

Extending the Green Line (MBTA) north beyond Lechmere, partially along commuter rail rights of way, to Tufts University and Union Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. (This project will proceed on a definite time table.)
Connecting the Blue Line and the Red Line at Charles Street. (The connection will be designed, but there is no commitment to build it.)
Restoration of The Arborway streetcar service in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. On February 13, 2007, the Arborway Committee sued the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to restore E-branch service to Forest Hills.

The last two projects are controversial:

Owners of historic buildings near Charles Street have expressed concerns that the excavation required might damage their foundations;
Some Jamaica Plain residents and merchants object to the restoration of streetcar service, on the grounds that it would create traffic snares on busy main thoroughfares (vigorously disputed by other residents), and be accompanied by the probable elimination of on-street parking in an area with no garages or large parking lots.

In 2002, the MBTA formed the Arborway Rail Restoration Project Advisory Committee (ARRPAC) to provide community oversight of the new design and construction for the return of streetcars to Jamaica Plain. In February 2004, after two years of planning and with station designs nearly complete, the MBTA stopped communicating with ARRPAC members and halted the planning process.

On January 12, 2005, the cities of Medford, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts announced their intent to sue the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project rerouted a lot of traffic through the area, causing high levels of pollution and congestion (traffic). Though the MBTA had agreed to extend the Green Line through the two cities, there had been no progress on the extension since the deal was made in 1990. Soon after, the MBTA announced that it would build the extension.

In late 2005, the MBTA proposed moving forward on the Green Line northward extension but replacing the other two projects with increased service and new stations on the Fairmount Line, originally a community-originated proposal called the Indigo line, and building an additional 1000 commuter rail parking spaces. Planning and work on some Fairmount modifications has begun.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection agreed to this plan, and public comment was taken from November 2005, to January 2006.

In March 2006, the Boston Globe reported that the Conservation Law Foundation's lawsuit against the state could proceed to trial. The suit claims that the state failed to fund mitigation projects that were required for the construction of the Big Dig.

In November 2006, the Conservation Law Foundation announced a settlement of the suit under which the MBTA and the Commonwealth would commit to completing the Green Line extension to Somerville, the Fairmont Line upgrade and the 1000 additional parking spaces on a fixed time table. The MBTA will also complete design of the Blue Line - Red Line connection, but did not commit to building it. The MBTA did not agree to restore Arborway streetcar service in Jamaica Plain, but will study other transit improvements in that area. The new plan still must be approved by the EPA.

Other projects in active planning

A new commuter rail line to Fall River, Massachusetts and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Possible future extension from Fall River to Newport, Rhode Island.
Extension of the Blue Line (MBTA) to Lynn, Massachusetts
Capacity improvements on the Framingham/Worcester Line.
Replacement of the Lechmere Green Line station as part of the North Point Redevelopment Project and also to enable the extension of the Green Line into Somerville and Medford.
Extension of the Lowell Line to New Hampshire.

Projects whose future is uncertain

Silver Line (MBTA) Phase 3 — a tunnel connecting South Station with the Silver Line Phase I BRT service to Dudley Square, Roxbury, Massachusetts (project "on hold" as of August 2005)
Connecting North Station and South Station via the North-South Rail Link.
Extension of the Blue Line (MBTA) to Charles/MGH (MBTA station).
Urban Ring Project (MBTA)
Extension of commuter rail to Peabody, Massachusetts and Danvers, Massachusetts.
A second South Salem commuter rail station in Salem, Massachusetts on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.