Porter
A Red Line train at Porter on the lower (outbound) platform
General information
LocationMassachusetts Avenue at Somerville Avenue
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°23′18.0″N 71°7′8.5″W / 42.388333°N 71.119028°W / 42.388333; -71.119028
Line(s)Fitchburg Route
Red Line Northwest Extension
Platforms1 island platform (Fitchburg Line)
2 split platforms (Red Line)
Tracks2 (Fitchburg Line)
2 (Red Line)
ConnectionsBus transport MBTA bus: 77, 83, 96
Construction
Bicycle facilities34 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone1A (commuter rail)
History
Opened1845 (Fitchburg Railroad)
December 8, 1984 (Red Line)[1]
Rebuilt1897, 1937
Previous namesPorter's Station, North Cambridge, Cambridge
Passengers
20181,468 daily boardings[2] (Fitchburg Line)
FY20198,094 daily boardings[3] (Red Line)
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Belmont Center
toward Wachusett
 Fitchburg Line North Station
Terminus
Davis
toward Alewife
 Red Line Harvard
toward Ashmont or Braintree
Former services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Lake Street
toward Bedford
 Lexington Branch
Closed 1977
 North Station
Terminus
Waltham North
toward South Sudbury
 Central Mass Branch
Closed 1971
Preceding station Boston and Maine Railroad Following station
Hill Crossing
toward Northampton
 Central Mass Branch Boston
Terminus
Location

Porter station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) transit station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It serves the Red Line rapid transit line, the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line, and several MBTA bus lines. Located at Porter Square at the intersection of Massachusetts and Somerville Avenues, the station provides rapid transit access to northern Cambridge and the western portions of Somerville.[4] Porter is 14 minutes from Park Street on the Red Line, and about 10 minutes from North Station on commuter rail trains.[4] Several local MBTA bus routes also stop at the station.

A series of commuter rail depots have been located at Porter Square under various names since the 1840s. The modern station with both subway and commuter rail levels was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates and opened on December 8, 1984. At 105 feet (32 m) below ground, the subway section is the deepest station on the MBTA system.[5] The station originally had six artworks installed as part of the Arts on the Line program; five remain, including Gift of the Wind and Glove Cycle.

History

Early history

There has been a railroad station at Porter Square since the Fitchburg Railroad began operations in the early 1840s.[6] The first station, built in 1843–1845, was called Porter's Station.[7] A new station building was constructed in 1854.[8] Later stations at the site were known as North Cambridge, then later simply as Cambridge.[9] In 1869, the original station was moved to the North Avenue (now Massachusetts Avenue) bridge over the tracks.[7]

B&M era

Second station, built in 1897, on a postcard sent in 1911

A new station was built in 1897, slightly to the southeast, behind the Lovell Block. In 1927, the Fitchburg Cutoff became freight-only between the Alewife area and Somerville Junction. Passenger trains from the Lexington Branch and the Central Massachusetts Railroad were diverted to the Fitchburg mainline and began to stop at Cambridge station.[10] In 1937–38, the Boston and Maine Railroad built a two-story brick depot by the bridge, with the ticket office at street level and the waiting room and platforms below.[11] The new station opened on May 2, 1938; the old station was demolished to make room for a parking lot for the adjacent Sears, Roebuck and Company store.[12] As passenger traffic declined, the B&M sold and leased disused station buildings; the Cambridge station was converted to office use by 1968.[13]

MBTA era

By the time the newly formed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began subsidizing northside commuter rail operations in the late 1960s, both the Lexington Branch and the Central Mass Branch had been reduced to single rush hour round trips on poorly maintained track. The South Sudbury run on the Central Mass was terminated on November 26, 1971.[1] The Bedford round trip on the Lexington Branch ended after a major snowstorm on January 10, 1977, leaving the Fitchburg Line (with multiple daily round trips) as the only rail service at Cambridge station.[1]

Adding the Red Line

Rusted-out stairs from Somerville Avenue, used to access the commuter platform during the building of the modern station

In the late 1970s, Cambridge station was renamed to Porter when it became certain that the Red Line Northwest Extension would include a stop there. ("Cambridge", while sufficient for a commuter rail station, would have been confusing for a rapid transit station, because the Red Line has multiple stations—five in total—in the City of Cambridge.) The Red Line platforms were built in a deep-bore tunnel, while the commuter platform was rebuilt with an accessible mini-high platform. During construction, commuter trains were accessed via a staircase from Somerville Avenue.[14] On September 30, 1980, construction worker Paul Leone was killed when a retaining wall collapsed.[15]

A new glass and concrete headhouse was built around 1982, and the complete new transfer station opened on December 8, 1984, along with Davis.[1][11] The new station, designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, won awards from the American Institute of Architects and the American Consulting Engineering Council of New England.[5] Porter and Davis were the first MBTA stations made accessible during initial construction, rather than by renovation.[16][17] A second entrance on the west side of Massachusetts Avenue was added in the late 1980s.[18]

Because of its Red Line connection, Porter Square can serve as a temporary inbound terminus for the Fitchburg Line service when commuter rail service is disrupted between Porter and Boston's North Station. It served this role during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when North Station was closed for a week for security purposes, and during Green Line Extension construction in 2015 and 2019–20.[1][19] The staircase from Somerville Avenue was removed in 2020 during retaining wall reconstruction; a new staircase may be added later.[20]

An extension of the Union Square Branch of the Green Line Extension from Union Square to Porter has been proposed by local officials.[21]

Station layout

An outbound commuter rail train arrives at Porter in 2012
Looking down the MBTA's longest escalator, at Porter station. This escalator runs from the fare mezzanine to the inbound subway platform level. The overhead graphics theme commemorates early railroad history.

Porter station has a glass-covered headhouse located on the east side of Massachusetts Avenue just south of Somerville Avenue. The station has four below-ground levels.. The Fitchburg Line runs approximately east-west in an open cut, with a single island platform between the two tracks. Most of the platform is low, with a raised mini-high platform at the west end under Massachusetts Avenue. Direct stair entrances to the platform are located on both sides of Massachusetts Avenue.

A mezzanine, partially under Somerville Avenue east of White Street, is one level deeper. It contains fare machines, faregates for the Red Line, a convenience store, and – unusually for the MBTA system – public restrooms.[22] Stairs, escalators, and elevators connect the mezzanine to the platforms and the surface. MBTA bus routes 77, 83, and 96 serve the station.

South of Porter Square, the Red Line runs north-south under Massachusetts Avenue. North of the square, the avenue turns to the northwest, while the Red Line runs north in a deep-bored tunnel to Davis Square. The Red Line platforms are mostly north of the headhouse, partially under the Porter Square Shopping Center. The subway tracks and platforms are enclosed in a single cylindrical concrete shell. The two platforms are at different levels, with the inbound (southbound) platform above and laterally offset from the outbound platform. The platforms are near the center of the shell, with the outbound track on the east side and the inbound track on the west side.

At 105 feet (32 m) below ground level, the outbound platform is the deepest in the MBTA system.[5] Porter's unusual depth is due to the MBTA's decision to build the station in bedrock rather than soft clay, saving time and money in the construction process.[23] Passengers reach Red Line platforms via a series of escalators, stairs totalling 199 steps, or a set of elevators.[24] The longest single span of the escalators is 143 feet (44 m), the longest in the MBTA system.[4][23] In 2005, a man was killed when his sweatshirt tangled in the bottom of the escalator.[25]

G Street level Exit/entrance, buses
P
Commuter platform level		 Northbound ←      Fitchburg Line toward Wachusett (Belmont Center)
Island platform
Southbound      Fitchburg Line toward North Station (Terminus) →
M Mezzanine Red Line fare control
B1 Southbound ←      Red Line toward Ashmont or Braintree (Harvard)
Side platform
B2 Side platform
Northbound      Red Line toward Alewife (Davis) →

Accessibility

Commuter rail platform elevator (left) and Massachusetts Avenue elevator

Porter is fully accessible; elevators lead from street level to the mezzanine with its accessible bathrooms, to the commuter rail platform, and to both Red Line platform levels. Although most of the commuter platform is low, there is a "mini-high platform" – a one-car-length high section – that allows level boarding.

The station was originally built with three elevators: from Elm Street to the fare lobby, from the lobby to both Red Line platforms, and from the lobby to the commuter rail platform.[26] The MBTA installed additional elevators at Porter and four other busy MBTA subway stations as part of the settlement of Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA.[27][22] The three existing elevators were overhauled, and two redundant elevators were added, in a $12 million project.[26]

The elevator to the Red Line platforms was out of service for construction from March 21, 2011, to June 22, 2012; an accessible shuttle bus ran between Porter and Davis.[22][26] The elevator to the commuter rail platform was also taken out of service from December 9, 2011, to July 2012; a shuttle bus ran between Harvard, Porter, and Waltham.[28] An elevator from Massachusetts Avenue to the lobby opened later that year, followed by an overhaul of the existing street elevator; the redundant Red Line platform elevator was completed in 2013.[26]

Arts on the Line

Gift of the Wind

As a part of the Red Line Northwest Extension, Porter was included as one of the stations involved in the Arts on the Line program, devised to bring art into the MBTA's subway stations in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was the first program of its kind in the United States and became the model for similar drives for art across the country.[29]: 5 

Six works, five of which remain, were placed at Porter:

  • Gift of the Wind by Susumu Shingu, a 46 foot (14 m) tall kinetic sculpture with three large red "wings" that rotate the structure in response to the wind
  • Ondas by Carlos Dorrien, a 24 foot (7.3 m) tall piece of undulating granite affixed to the station wall both inside the station and outside
  • Glove Cycle by Mags Harries, a large number of bronze gloves of varying types and sizes scattered inside the station, including alongside one of the escalators
  • Untitled by William Reimann, six granite bollards with various ethnic designs carved into them
  • Porter Square Megaliths by David Phillips, four boulders with large "slices" removed and replaced with bronze casts of the missing pieces
  • The Lights at the End of the Tunnel by William Wainwright, a large reflective mobile in the station's mezzanine. It was removed in 1986 after a lead weight fell off.[29]: 9 [30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. ↑ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  3. ↑ "A Guide to Ridership Data". MassDOT/MBTA Office of Performance Management and Innovation. June 22, 2020. p. 8.
  4. 1 2 3 "Red Line" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 "MBTA Porter Square Station". Cambridge Seven Associates. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Railroad to Fresh Pond". Boston Post. July 14, 1842. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge: Northwest Cambridge. Cambridge Historical Commission. 1977. pp. 138–140. ISBN 0-262-53032-5.
  8. ↑ "New Depots". Boston Evening Transcript. April 5, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ The station is listed as "North Cambridge" on 1871 and 1898 maps and "Cambridge" on 1888, 1916, and 1975 maps from Wikimedia Commons.
  10. ↑ Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. p. 228. ISBN 0-942147-02-2.
  11. 1 2 Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 184–186. ISBN 978-0-942147-08-7.
  12. ↑ "Cambridge". Boston Globe. May 3, 1938. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ O'Connell, Richard W. (August 18, 1968). "Old railroad depots take on new careers". Boston Globe. p. A-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Prescott, Michael R. (October 11, 2009). Boston Transit Equipment 1979–2009. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-938315-06-3.
  15. ↑ Hirshson, Paul (December 29, 1982). "Wakefield man critical after fall at T project". The Boston Globe. p. 34. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. ↑ Operations Directorate Planning Division (November 1990). "Ridership and Service Statistics" (3 ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. pp. 1–4 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ Tran Systems and Planners Collaborative (August 24, 2007). "Evaluation of MBTA Paratransit and Accessible Fixed Route Transit Services: Final Report" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  18. ↑ Howe, Peter J. (February 18, 1988). "MBTA OK's funds for Saugus study". Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Commuter Rail Service Alerts: Fitchburg Line". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 25, 2015. Archived from the original on November 30, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Porter Square Retaining Wall Repairs". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. October 5, 2020. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  21. ↑ Levy, Marc (March 1, 2022). "Lechmere, Union Square T stops open March 21 as council reminds of Porter Square connection". Cambridge Day. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  22. 1 2 3 Parker, Brock (March 6, 2011). "Work to shut down elevators at Porter Sq. T stop for a year". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 25, 2011.
  23. 1 2 Daniel, Mac (June 11, 2006). "Odd road sign is part of Boston trivia". Boston Globe.
  24. ↑ Fox, Lauren (July 10, 2019). "For these people, every day is leg day at Porter Square Station". Boston Globe.
  25. ↑ Daniel, Mac (March 2, 2005). "Man is strangled after clothing snags in MBTA escalator". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 2, 2005. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Rocheleau, Matt (June 22, 2012). "Elevator access returns to Porter Square T station after 15-month absence". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Settlement Agreement" (PDF). Joanne Daniels-Finegold et al. v. MBTA. April 10, 2006. p. 18.
  28. ↑ "MBTA DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY FIXED ROUTE REPORT" (PDF). Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization. December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015.
  29. 1 2 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (3 May 1985). Red Line Northwest Extension. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  30. ↑ "The Lights at the End of the Tunnel". CultureNOW. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
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