The History of the T by Robert MacKerron https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd en-us 2022-10-12 15:37:25 UTC 2023-11-08 14:51:06 UTC hello@padlet.com Before the T: Horsepower rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337250000 In the 1600s, Boston was in need of a way of alternate transportation. It took a while for people in certain parts of the city to get to where they needed to go by foot. So, in 1631, the first chartered transit service in the country at the time was opened.

In 1793, the first stagecoach to connect Boston and Cambridge was opened. By the early 1800s, a larger stagecoach, known as the Omnibus, was making stops on predetermined routes, making it a very popular form of transportation.

By 1887, over 20 companies had formed to service the city via horsecar services. However, due to large competition in the industry, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an act which consolidated all of said companies into the West End Street Railway, which was one of the largest street rail operations in America at the time.
]]> 2022-10-12 15:38:49 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337250000 Late 19th Century: Going electric rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337250515 Despite this consolidation resulting in Boston having a large street railway operations in the country, it was unreliable with the medium requiring the use of horses, which came with many preventable problems in the face of electric streetcars.

After researching the advantages of electric streetcars, a man named Henry Whitney created an electric train route from Allston to Back Bay. It began service on January 1, 1889, and is now part of the Green Line’s C branch.

]]> 2022-10-12 15:39:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337250515 1897: The hemisphere’s first subway emerges rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337252033 As the first electric streetcars emerged in Boston, there was a glaring problem: the streetcars were extremely congested. 

It was time for a change, the idea of a subway system was appealing. The Rapid Transit Commission, which Boston’s mayor appointed in 1891, recommended four railway lines for streetcars in Tremont Street, along with the creation of the Boston Elevated Railway Company. The Tremont Street subway started running on September 1, 1897. 

]]> 2022-10-12 15:40:06 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337252033 Early 20th century: Boston rises above rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337252672 Although an “El” would be talked about for quite a while, it would take years to implement it. After a ceremony in January 1899, the company built 7 miles of elevated track, 10 elevated stations, and two multilevel terminals. By 1909, the El would be used in along with the subway and a large network of trolley lines.

By 1930, approximately 75 percent of the people traveling in and out of downtown Boston either used the public transit system or walked. In comparison, in 2018, 46 percent of commuters drove around the city, and 34 percent took public transit.

]]> 2022-10-12 15:40:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337252672 1940s: Change brewing rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337253221 In 1947, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) took over the El, absorbing the entire Boston Elevated Railway system. 

By this point however, the region’s mass transit were becoming too crowded, and Bostonians were becoming tired of looking at the elevated track, preferring the portions of trains underground.

]]> 2022-10-12 15:40:49 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337253221 1960s: Goodbye, El-Hello, MBTA rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337254346 In 1957, the MTA expanded the Newton Highlands Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad. Service began in 1959, this has evolved into today’s Green Line D Branch.

As the number of car commuters grew, the MTA began to suffer financially as traffic became worse overall and more people were starting to opt for trains.

Following a large study, state lawmakers decided to combine all existing railroads around the greater Boston area into a singular transit system, becoming the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Almost as soon as it began, the MBTA applied for public finding to modernize 10 major transit stations, marking the beginning of the MBTA’s influence.
]]> 2022-10-12 15:41:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337254346 1970s until now: A tumultuous time rpmackerron28 https://padlet.com/rpmackerron28/5nyhj5zjqh45eyyd/wish/2337254971 Due to gas prices, T ridership rose during the 1970s, exposing the aging system’s problems. In December 1980, the T even shut down for a day due to a lack of funds. 

Because of this, the MBTA board was increased from five to seven members. This was to make sure problems could be detected beforehand, and prevented in time. By 2009, the MBTA was put under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) umbrella. 

Despite this, stories of the MBTA’s often troubled system has still continued to unfold. Much of these problems can be attributed to its age, debt, often needed repairs, and population growth of Boston as a whole.
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