Brigham Circle (MBTA station)
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Brigham Circle is a station on the light rail
MBTA Green Line The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway ...
"E" branch, located just east of
Brigham Circle Brigham Circle is located at the intersection of Tremont Street and Huntington Avenue in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The commercial center of Mission Hill, it forms the southern tip of the Longwood Medical Area. The ...
in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. With raised platforms installed in a 2001-03 renovation, the station is
accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
when served by low-floor streetcars. The two
side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platform ...
s are staggered, with the outbound platform further west. Crosswalks across Huntington Avenue to the station are present at Brigham Circle (to the outbound platform), between the two platforms, and at Wigglesworth Street (to the inbound platform). East of Brigham Circle, the E branch runs in a dedicated reservation in the median of Huntington Avenue; west of the circle is street running in mixed traffic to the terminus at Heath Street. Because of this, service is often terminated at Brigham Circle due to traffic conditions to preserve service frequency on the remainder of the line. At these times, the parallel bus provides all service west of Brigham Circle. A facing point crossover is located just east of the station, allowing terminating trains to cross over to the inbound platform.


History

Like other surface stops on the median-reservation section of the line, Brigham Circle (Francis Street) station had bare asphalt platforms. In 1972, the MBTA began planning a reconstruction of that section of the line, then scheduled for 1973-74. Three lightly used stops, including one at Wigglesworth Street, were to be closed. The work (minus the footbridge) were eventually done in 1980, when the line was closed to modify the track and wires for the new LRVs. The line was cut back to Symphony on March 21, 1980; it was re-extended to Northeastern (using LRVs) on June 21 and Brigham Circle on September 20. The inbound platform was moved east, with its east end at Wigglesworth Street. In the early 2000s, the MBTA modified key surface stops with raised platforms for accessibility as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Program. The renovation of Brigham Circle - part of a $32 million modification of thirteen B, C, and E branch stations - was completed in 2003. As part of a series of service reductions due to a budget crisis, on July 1, 2012 the MBTA began terminating weekend service at Brigham Circle. The cutback was unpopular with local residents, who considered it an unnecessary inconvenience. On October 13, 2012, the cut was quietly reversed by reducing frequency on the branch slightly, thus allowing the same equipment to cover the full line at no additional cost. This was made official with the December 29, 2012 timetable.


References


External links


MBTA – Brigham Circle
*Google Maps Street view
Tremont Street entranceMidblock entranceWigglesworth Street entrance
{{MBTA Subway Stations Green Line (MBTA) stations Railway stations in Boston MBTA subway stations located above ground