Green Line C branch

Green Line "C" Branch
An outbound train at St. Marys Street station
Overview
Owner	MBTA
Locale	Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts
Termini	North Station Cleveland Circle
Stations	22
Service
Type	Light rail
System	MBTA
Operator(s)	MBTA
Rolling stock	Kinki Sharyo Type 7 Ansaldobreda Type 8
Daily ridership	12,466 (2011 surface boardings)
History
Opened	October 23, 1932
Technical
Number of tracks	2
Character	Underground (Kenmore and eastward) Dedicated Lane ROW (west of Kenmore)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map D and E branches Government Center Tremont Street subway Park Street Boylston Boylston Street subway Arlington Copley Copley Junction E branch Hynes Convention Center Kenmore B branch D branch Saint Mary's Street portal Saint Mary's Street Hawes Street Kent Street Saint Paul Street Coolidge Corner Summit Avenue Brandon Hall Fairbanks Street Washington Square Tappan Street Dean Road Englewood Avenue Cleveland Circle Reservoir D branch

The "C" Branch, also called the Beacon Street Line or Cleveland Circle Line, is one of four branches of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Green Line light rail system in the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area. The line begins at Cleveland Circle in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and runs on the surface through Brookline along the median of Beacon Street. Reentering Boston, the line goes underground through the St. Marys Street Incline and joins the "B" and "D" Branches at Kenmore. Trains run through the Boylston Street subway to Copley where the "E" Branch joins, then continue through the Tremont Street subway to downtown Boston. As of 2020, the "C" Branch terminates at North Station.

Traffic signals

The C Branch runs in a dedicated median but has many street crossings

The "C" branch runs on a dedicated median on Beacon Street in Brookline, with a total of 18 grade crossings at major cross streets. Like on its sister "B" branch, "C" branch streetcars must stop on traffic signals at street crossings. The signals on Beacon Street in Brookline could in theory be prioritized to make the Green Line run faster. However, the MBTA, which would be expected to pay for the streetcar sensors, does not consider the project to be cost-effective. In 2007, the Boston Globe published letters from riders who are in favor of these sensors, a letter from the MBTA spokesperson arguing that a major study is needed before the MBTA spends money, and a letter arguing that the T's spokesperson is giving too many excuses.

In January 2008, the MBTA hired a consultant to study the issue. As of 2011, the Town of Brookline was considering formally asking the MBTA to cooperate in setting up traffic signal prioritization to speed up Green Line trains on Beacon Street.

In Mayor Marty Walsh's "Go Boston 2030" plan, prioritizing traffic signals on Beacon Street was a proposed idea. The plan indicated that the project is planned to be completed within five years.

History

A Beacon Street/Cleveland Circle PCC streetcar, #3295 preserved at Boylston station

Now-discontinued Boeing US Standard Light Rail Vehicle crossing Washington Street in 1987

The St. Marys Street portal connects the C branch to the Boylston Street subway

The first tracks on Beacon Street were laid in 1888, running from Massachusetts Avenue west to Coolidge Corner. The next year the rest of the line to Cleveland Circle opened, with access to the Reservoir Carhouse. In 1889, the first electric streetcar route (see Green Line "A" Branch) used Beacon Street from Coolidge Corner east to Massachusetts Avenue, then ran south on Massachusetts Avenue and east on Boylston Street to Park Square. That same year the line on Beacon Street to Cleveland Circle was electrified.

Another connection to the Beacon Street line was provided at Washington Square; streetcars came from Brookline Village along Washington Street and turned west on Beacon Street. This line was later extended north on Chestnut Hill Avenue and west on Commonwealth Avenue to Boston College and was the predecessor of the 65 bus route.

On September 1, 1897, the Tremont Street subway opened and then or soon after Beacon Street service began to run into it via the Boylston Street Portal at the Public Garden, turning around at Park Street. On October 3, 1914, the Boylston Street subway extended the underground portion to the Kenmore Incline just east of Kenmore Square, and the underground Kenmore and the St. Marys Street Incline extended it west on October 23, 1932.

Until 1967, when it was named the "C" Branch, the Beacon Street route had the map number 61.

Beacon Street service was extended from Park Street to Lechmere on February 7, 1931. Since then, Beacon Street service has had the following east terminals:

• November 20, 1961: cut back from Lechmere to North Station all but Sundays
• March 25, 1967: extended to Lechmere all times
• June–September 1968: cut back to Government Center Sundays, restored to Lechmere afterwards
• March 21, 1980: cut back to Government Center all but rush hours
• June 21, 1980: extended to Lechmere all times
• April 4, 1981: cut back to Park Street
• June 26, 1982: extended to Government Center
• July 30, 1983: extended to North Station
• March 28, 1997: cut back to Government Center
• January 1, 2005: extended to North Station

As of 2020, regular C service terminates at North Station.

Station listing

Washington Square station

A train pulls out of Cleveland Circle to change direction for an inbound trip

Location	Station	Opened	Notes and connections
East Cambridge	Lechmere	July 10, 1922	Current station for E Branch; has not served C Branch since April 3, 1981
West End	Science Park	August 20, 1955	Current station for E Branch; has not served C Branch since April 3, 1981
North End	North Station	June 28, 2004	Original surface station was open from September 3, 1898 to March 27, 1997. Elevated station was open from June 1, 1912 to June 24, 2004. MBTA subway: Orange Line MBTA Bus: 4 MBTA Commuter Rail: Fitchburg Line, Lowell Line, Haverhill Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line Amtrak: Downeaster
	Haymarket	September 3, 1898	MBTA subway: Orange Line MBTA Bus: 4, 92, 93, 111, 191, 192, 193, 194, 325, 326, 352, 354, 426, 428, 434, 450
Downtown Boston	Government Center		MBTA subway: Blue Line MBTA Bus: 191, 192, 193, 352, 354
	Park Street	September 1, 1897	MBTA subway: Red Line MBTA Bus: SL5, 43, 55, 191, 192, 193 At Downtown Crossing: Orange Line, 7, 11, 501, 504, 505, 553, 554, 556, 558
	Boylston		MBTA Bus: SL5, 43, 55, 191, 192, 193
Back Bay	Arlington	November 13, 1921	MBTA Bus: 9, 55, 192, 193
	Copley	October 3, 1914	MBTA Bus: 9, 10, 39, 55, 170, 192, 193, 502, 503
	Hynes Convention Center		MBTA Bus: 1, 55, 193
Fenway–Kenmore	Kenmore	October 23, 1932	MBTA Bus: 8, 19, 57, 57A, 60, 65, 193 At Lansdowne: Framingham/Worcester Line
Brookline	St. Mary's Street	1888	MBTA Bus: CT2, 47
	Carlton Street		Closed on July 24, 1982
	Hawes Street
	Kent Street
	St. Paul Street
	Coolidge Corner		MBTA Bus: 66
	Winchester Street	1889	Closed on July 4, 1982
	Summit Avenue
	Brandon Hall
	Fairbanks
	Washington Square		MBTA Bus: 65
	Winthrop Road		Closed on July 4, 1982
	Tappan Street
	Dean Road
	Englewood Avenue
	Strathmore Road		Closed on July 24, 1982
Brighton	Cleveland Circle		At Reservoir: MBTA Bus 51, 86

External links

Template:Attached KML/Green Line C branch

KML is from Wikidata

• MBTA - Green Line "C" Branch