Boston's Blue Line

Boston's Rapid Transit Blue Line covers a distance of 5.94 miles, a 23-minute commute that begins at Bowdoin station in Downtown Boston, travels under the harbor, passes Revere Beach, and terminates at Wonderland. Today's commuters might be surprised to learn that the line they are riding was once operated by trolley cars and narrow-gauge, steam-powered commuter trains; it was not until 1904 that the East Boston Tunnel under the harbor was completed. By 1917, the number of people riding the Blue Line had climbed to 25,000 a day. Although significant advances had been made to accommodate high-volume commuter traffic, rush-hour congestion at downtown stations remained a problem. In the 1920s, with ridership exceeding 42,000 people a day, the Boston Elevated Railway and the Boston Transit Commission agreed to convert the tunnel to a rapid-transit operation with a transfer station at Maverick Square. Further expansion occurred in the 1950s when the Blue Line was extended to Orient Heights, Suffolk Downs, and Revere Beach. This wonderful book features faithful reproductions of hundreds of vintage photos.

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Date: 04/07/2004
Images: 200
Pages: 128
Dimensions: 6.5: wide x 9.25" high
Author: Frank Cheney