The MBTA subway system is one of the busiest in the United States. With an annual heavy rail ridership of nearly 85 million and light rail ridership of about 30 million, it ranks as the fourth- and third-busiest rail networks in the country, respectively. The MBTA is constantly carrying out maintenance, repairs, and construction to help sustain the current transit network and expand new ones. Amid the stations, tunnels, and crowds of commuters, you can still find reminders of when rapid transit was a brand-new concept and only a few stations existed.
Park Street and Boylston Street stations are the oldest subway stations in the United States, having opened on September 1st, 1897, as part of the Tremont Street subway. These early transit stops weren’t like today’s metro stations but were built for streetcars diverted underground to reduce congestion. Following the success of the system, three more stations were added a year later: Scollay Square, Adams Square, and Haymarket. Today, these stations form part of the Green Line, with Scollay Square now named Government Center and Adams Square closed since 1963.
In 1978, sculptor Lilli Ann Rosenberg created a mural to commemorate the historic station, and the mosaic was cleaned and restored in 2020 along with new lighting, making it much more vibrant and visible. The artwork is definitely worth taking a quick look if you have an interest in the history of rapid transit or if you happen to stop at Park Street station.
