Dover station (MBTA)

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.

Dover
A train approaching Dover station in 1967
General information
Location	Washington Street at Dover Street Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°20′38.22″N 71°3′57.59″W
Line(s)	Washington Street Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	MBTA bus: 9, 11
Construction
Bicycle facilities	2 spaces (Silver Line)
Accessible	Yes (Silver Line)
History
Opened	June 10, 1901[1] July 20, 2002 (Silver Line)
Closed	April 30, 1987[1]
Rebuilt	December 9, 1912[2]
Passengers
2012	1,374 (average weekday boardings - Silver Line)[3]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Union Park Street toward Nubian Silver Line SL4 Herald Street toward South Station Silver Line SL5 Herald Street toward Downtown Crossing
Former services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Northampton toward Forest Hills Orange Line Essex toward Oak Grove
Location

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. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
2. 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.

External links

Media related to Dover station (MBTA) at Wikimedia Commons

• MBTA: Washington St @ E Berkeley St northbound and southbound