This page describes ongoing works and plans on individual transit stations in Greater Boston, as studied, constructed or planned by MBTA, MassDOT and other municipal agencies.
- Examples of such station work include: maintenance, accessibility upgrades, additional exits and other enhancements, and infill stations on existing lines.
- The page generally considers stations on rapid transit (heavy and light rail lines), commuter rail and intercity rail, major bus terminals and BRT stations.
This page is part of the “Official Projects” series.
Last updated: April 20, 2024 (updated Sweetser Circle)
Table of Contents
Commuter Rail
Rebuilds and Major Station Improvements
Newtonville, West Newton and Auburndale (Framingham/Worcester Line, Newton)
Status: Concepts for Newtonville station released with project scope narrowed; seeking funding (as of Apr 2024)
In 2019, MBTA launched the Newton Commuter Rail Stations Accessibility Improvements project. It aims to rebuild the three station in Newton on the Framingham/Worcester Line Newtonville, West Newton and Auburndale with bidirectional high-level platforms that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Currently, the three stations only have unidirectional, low-level platforms to the south that are inaccessible. This not only limits service to these stations by necessitating some trains to skip them, but complicates operations of the entire Framingham/Worcester Line.
In October 2021, MBTA completed 30% design for all three stations, and presented them at a public meeting. The design had been advanced to 75% in subsequent years. However, the total estimated cost was $250 million around that time, which had further increased in later years, and MBTA failed to secure an All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grant from FTA in 2022.
In April 2024, MBTA provided updates at another public meeting. The project was revised to use a phased approach: the first phase involves Newtonville station, due to the highest ridership among the three stations, potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) and available space. The update also aims to reduce platform length from 800 ft to 400 ft, citing cost concerns and future considerations of electrification with shorter train sets. Two concepts were presented, with an island platform (shown above) and side platforms respectively. A reapplication for the ASAP grant has been submitted in January 2024.
Infill and Relocated Stations
Note: Even though West Station is an infill station, it is listed in a standalone page due to the scope and complexity of the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project that it is embedded within.
Millenium Park (Needham Line, West Roxbury)
Status: Early planning by the City of Boston, with “agreement” from MBTA (as of Mar 2024)
In March 2024, the Boston Globe reported in a newsletter that the City of Boston is looking into adding a station on the Needham Line near the West Roxbury Education Complex (formerly West Roxbury High School), roughly located between VFW Parkway and Millenium Park. The plan came in the aftermath of a withdrawn plan to move the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science to this site.
Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu said “[in] the months since we floated the idea we did come to agreement with the MBTA,” and that “[we] can build a commuter rail site right on that site.”
To date, there has been no official confirmation from MBTA, and no studies have been performed to estimate its ridership and costs.
River Works Relocation (Newburyport/Rockport Line, Lynn)
Status: Planning by the City of Lynn (federal grant awarded for planning), no official acknowledgment from MBTA (as of Mar 2024)
The existing River Works station is adjacent to a GE Aviation plant, is only open to General Electric employees, is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and has poor connections to nearby road and transit networks. Preliminary initiatives to transform the station and redevelop nearby land started in 2014 with a private land owner, who then reached an agreement with MassDOT in 2017 to open the station to public.
Subsequently, the City of Lynn unveiled plans to “reimagine” the station, by moving it further north, opening it to the general public as an ADA-compliant station, and integrating the site with transit-oriented development (TOD) and bus connections. In March 2024, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $561,000 to the City of Lynn for its proposal, “River Works Reimagined”, via its Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods (RCN) Grant Program. This planning grant will be used to “initiate funding, design, and construction”, without known timelines.
According to a map titled “Land Use Scenario 1” revealed at the press release, the relocated station is planned to be 1700 ft northeast of the existing station, roughly aligned with Hilton Ave. Multi-family residential housing is planned to the southeast of the station along Lynnway.
The city’s proposal also connects the station to proposed center-running bus lanes on Lynnway that’s funded by the USDOT RAISE, roughly 800 ft from the station. I have written about the Lynnway multimodal corridor here.
Sweetser Circle (Newburyport/Rockport Line, Everett)
Status: “Possibility” in consideration by the City of Everett within a broader project (federal grant awarded for planning), no official acknowledgment from MBTA (as of Mar 2024)
In March 2024, USDOT awarded $1.2 million in planning to the City of Everett for its proposal, “Uniting Neighborhoods and Transit Opportunities”, via its Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods (RCN) Grant Program. The proposal aims to improve connections both between different parts of Everett, and from Everett to nearby Orange Line stations. Today, these connections are severely hindered for non-car travelers due to Sweetser Circle, where MA-16 (Revere Beach Pkwy) intersects MA-99 (Broadway).
Transit improvements is a major part of the city’s vision, with “feasibility of installing a transit hub at Sweetser Circle” as one of the study’s goals. A potential commuter rail infill station on the Newburyport/Rockport line was explicitly mentioned in the grand proposal. Also listed were bus improvements, including accommodations for future Silver Line Extension. A StreetBlogMASS article also mentioned the city was aiming for potential dedicated busways through the circle.
Besides transit, the proposal also includes improved pedestrian and bicycle access, such as a pathway under Revere Beach Pkwy and connections to nearby trails.
- “Uniting Neighborhoods and Transit Opportunities” RCN grant description
- StreetBlogMASS article, with greater details from the city