Dover station (MBTA)

Dover
A train approaching Dover station in 1967
General information
LocationWashington Street at Dover Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°20′38.22″N 71°3′57.59″W / 42.3439500°N 71.0659972°W / 42.3439500; -71.0659972
Line(s)Washington Street Elevated
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport MBTA bus: 9, 11
Construction
Bicycle facilities2 spaces (Silver Line)
AccessibleYes (Silver Line)
History
OpenedJune 10, 1901[1]
July 20, 2002 (Silver Line)
ClosedApril 30, 1987[1]
RebuiltDecember 9, 1912[2]
Passengers
20121,374 (average weekday boardings - Silver Line)[3]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Union Park Street
toward Nubian
 Silver Line Herald Street
toward South Station
Silver Line Herald Street
toward Downtown Crossing
Former services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Northampton
toward Forest Hills
 Orange Line Essex
toward Oak Grove
Location
Map

Dover station was an elevated rapid transit station located above Washington Street at Dover Street (now East Berkeley Street) in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It served the Washington Street Elevated, part of the MBTA's Orange Line, from 1901 until 1987.

East Berkeley Street station, a street-level bus station on the Washington Street branch of the MBTA Silver Line bus rapid transit service, opened on the site in 2002. It is served by the SL4 and SL5 Silver Line routes as well as several local MBTA bus routes. Like all Silver Line stops, East Berkeley Street is accessible.

History

A southbound Silver Line bus at East Berkeley Street in 2011

The Washington Street Elevated, including Dover station, opened as part of the Main Line Elevated on June 10, 1901.[1] It was originally built with a short center island platform, similar to Northampton station to the south. Like most of the other Elevated stations, both were designed in a Beaux Arts style by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr.[2] Mere months after opening, both stations had their platforms extended for four-car trains. Eleven years later, Dover was rebuilt with two eight-car-long side platforms in a more utilitarian style, with the new station opening on December 9, 1912. A temporary wooden station was used during construction.[2][4]

On December 5, 1960, the MTA began operating "modified express service" on the Elevated during the morning rush hour. Every other train bypassed Dover and three other stations.[5][6] This was discontinued in September 1961 to reduce wait times at the skipped stations, all of which were outdoors.[7]

The Main Line Elevated was renamed the Orange Line in 1965. Dover station was closed on April 30, 1987, when the Washington Street Elevated was closed and the Orange Line was rerouted to the west along the Southwest Corridor.[1] Silver Line service on Washington Street began on July 20, 2002, replacing the route 49 bus. Service levels increased on October 15, 2009 with the introduction of the SL4 route.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. ^ a b c Zaitzevsky, Cynthia R. (July 1986). "Written Historical and Descriptive Data" (PDF). National Park Service / Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 30, 33.
  3. ^ "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
  4. ^ Cheney, Frank; Sammarco, Anthony M. (2000). When Boston Rode The El. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 102–103. ISBN 9780738504629.
  5. ^ "MTA Advisory Board Supports Cuts". The Boston Globe. December 1, 1960. pp. 1, 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "M.T.A. Express Train Gets 'A' From Riders". The Boston Globe. December 5, 1960. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "M.T.A. Dropping Morning Express". The Boston Globe. September 27, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.

Media related to Dover station (MBTA) at Wikimedia Commons