Dorchester Avenue (Boston)
Encyclopedia
Dorchester Avenue is a street in Boston, Massachusetts
, running from downtown south via South Boston and Dorchester to the border with Milton, where it ends. Built as a turnpike
, the Dorchester Turnpike, it is mostly straight.
, on the site of today's West Fourth Street Bridge, opened on October 1, 1805 as the first bridge connecting downtown to South Boston. Until it was sold to the city of Boston on April 19, 1832, it was a toll bridge
.
The Dorchester Turnpike Corporation (sometimes called the South Boston Turnpike) was created by the state legislature on March 4, 1805, to build a turnpike from the east end of the Boston South Bridge (Nook Point) to Milton Bridge over the Neponset River
, on the other side of which the Blue Hill Turnpike later continued.
Construction cost more than expected, and thus high tolls were charged, so many travelers took the old longer route through Roxbury. Despite that, the Dorchester Turnpike was one of the most profitable turnpikes, with earnings steadily climbing to a peak in 1838. When the parallel Old Colony Railroad
opened in 1844, earnings quickly fell.
The North Free Bridge, on the site of today's Dorchester Avenue Bridge, opened in 1826, providing a more direct route form the north end of the turnpike to Dewey Square downtown.http://world.std.com/~mobius/fort_point.html
On April 22, 1854, the turnpike became a free public road, named Dorchester Avenue. The name was changed to Federal Street in 1856, as it provided a continuation of that street from downtown Boston (via the North Free Bridge), but it became Dorchester Avenue again in 1870.
As part of the building of South Station
(opened 1899), Federal Street was cut between the bridge and Dewey Square. Dorchester Avenue was extended north from the bridge around the east side of the new union station, along the shore of the Fort Point Channel
, intersecting Mount Washington Avenue (which was also cut by the new station) and Summer Street
and ending at Congress Street. Additionally, the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct was built as a second bridge just west of the Dorchester Avenue Bridge, connecting to Atlantic Avenue
at Dewey Square.
By 1923 the viaduct was gone, but the extension of Dorchester Avenue remains to this day. In the 1990s it was closed to the public, including pedestrian
s and bicyclists, from the bridge to Summer Street, due to its proximity to Big Dig construction.http://groups-beta.google.com/group/ne.transportation/browse_frm/thread/5eb4a806cfa7c3f9/cb76586b40c5046a It has remained closed due to security concerns, as it runs next to the South Postal Annex (a sorting facility of the United States Postal Service
).
As the Red Line
opened in the 1910s and 1920s, parallel to Dorchester Avenue, most through passengers switched to that, and local routes were rerouted to feed into the new subway
. Tracks were removed by the 1950s. Today the Red Line Ashmont Branch is sometimes referred to as the Dorchester Ave. Line.
Nowadays the only bus
routes to use the road are local routes to subway stations:
were the New England Interstate Highways in 1922. NE 6 may have used Dorchester Avenue south of South Boston, but it is more likely that it turned northwest towards Morton Street just after crossing the Neponset River
. In any case, by 1927, Route 3 (which had replaced NE 6) and Route 28 turned northwest in Milton, on a route that Route 28 still uses. (By 1928, Route 3 had been realigned to use the new Southern Artery
, now Gallivan Boulevard.)
Between 1933 and 1935, the C (city) routes through downtown Boston began to be signed. Route C37, a continuation of Route 37
, used MDC Parkways (now Morrissey Boulevard), merging with Dorchester Avenue at Old Colony Avenue. From there C37 took Dorchester Avenue to its north end, Congress Street, turning northwest there into downtown. A one-way pair
existed from West Fourth Street to the Fort Point Channel
, with southbound traffic using Foundry Street and West Fourth Street, but this was later removed, with Dorchester Avenue returning to full two-way operation.
In the 1970s, C37 (and the rest of the C routes) was decommissioned, leaving Dorchester Avenue with no numbered routes. Thus, over the years, the only route to use the road has probably been C37.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, running from downtown south via South Boston and Dorchester to the border with Milton, where it ends. Built as a turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
, the Dorchester Turnpike, it is mostly straight.
History
The Boston South Bridge over Fort Point ChannelFort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel separating South Boston from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, feeding into Boston Harbor. The south part of it has been gradually filled in for use by the South Bay rail yard and several highways...
, on the site of today's West Fourth Street Bridge, opened on October 1, 1805 as the first bridge connecting downtown to South Boston. Until it was sold to the city of Boston on April 19, 1832, it was a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
.
The Dorchester Turnpike Corporation (sometimes called the South Boston Turnpike) was created by the state legislature on March 4, 1805, to build a turnpike from the east end of the Boston South Bridge (Nook Point) to Milton Bridge over the Neponset River
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
, on the other side of which the Blue Hill Turnpike later continued.
Construction cost more than expected, and thus high tolls were charged, so many travelers took the old longer route through Roxbury. Despite that, the Dorchester Turnpike was one of the most profitable turnpikes, with earnings steadily climbing to a peak in 1838. When the parallel Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
opened in 1844, earnings quickly fell.
The North Free Bridge, on the site of today's Dorchester Avenue Bridge, opened in 1826, providing a more direct route form the north end of the turnpike to Dewey Square downtown.http://world.std.com/~mobius/fort_point.html
On April 22, 1854, the turnpike became a free public road, named Dorchester Avenue. The name was changed to Federal Street in 1856, as it provided a continuation of that street from downtown Boston (via the North Free Bridge), but it became Dorchester Avenue again in 1870.
As part of the building of South Station
South Station (Boston)
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
(opened 1899), Federal Street was cut between the bridge and Dewey Square. Dorchester Avenue was extended north from the bridge around the east side of the new union station, along the shore of the Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel separating South Boston from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, feeding into Boston Harbor. The south part of it has been gradually filled in for use by the South Bay rail yard and several highways...
, intersecting Mount Washington Avenue (which was also cut by the new station) and Summer Street
Summer Street (Boston)
Summer Street in Boston, Massachusetts extends from Downtown Crossing in the Financial District, over Fort Point Channel, and into South Boston...
and ending at Congress Street. Additionally, the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct was built as a second bridge just west of the Dorchester Avenue Bridge, connecting to Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic Avenue (Boston)
Atlantic Avenue is a street in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA, partly serving as a frontage road for the underground Central Artery and partly running along the Boston Harbor...
at Dewey Square.
By 1923 the viaduct was gone, but the extension of Dorchester Avenue remains to this day. In the 1990s it was closed to the public, including pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s and bicyclists, from the bridge to Summer Street, due to its proximity to Big Dig construction.http://groups-beta.google.com/group/ne.transportation/browse_frm/thread/5eb4a806cfa7c3f9/cb76586b40c5046a It has remained closed due to security concerns, as it runs next to the South Postal Annex (a sorting facility of the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
).
Public transportation
The Dorchester Avenue Railroad, one of the first street railways in Boston, started operations in 1857, eventually running over the full length (from downtown to the Neponset River). When the road was realigned around 1899, the tracks were moved, ending at a line along Summer Street.As the Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
opened in the 1910s and 1920s, parallel to Dorchester Avenue, most through passengers switched to that, and local routes were rerouted to feed into the new subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
. Tracks were removed by the 1950s. Today the Red Line Ashmont Branch is sometimes referred to as the Dorchester Ave. Line.
Nowadays the only bus
MBTA Bus
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates a large number of bus lines in the greater Boston area. Some routes are for transport within the city; others bring passengers from surrounding areas to stops on the rail lines of the MBTA.The MBTA also operates bus rapid transit service; see...
routes to use the road are local routes to subway stations:
- Note: routes that use Dorchester Avenue for only a few blocks are not listed.
- 18 AshmontAshmont (MBTA station)Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
—AndrewAndrew (MBTA station)Andrew is a station on the rapid transit Red Line at Dorchester Avenue at Andrew Square, by Southampton Street, Dorchester Street, and Boston Street in South Boston, Massachusetts...
via Dorchester Avenue - 27 MattapanMattapan (MBTA station)Mattapan or Mattapan Sq. is the southern terminus of the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line in Boston, Massachusetts. It is in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. The station is a major transfer facility, served by several bus lines.- Reconstruction :...
—AshmontAshmont (MBTA station)Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
via River Street and Dorchester Avenue - 217 Wollaston Beach—AshmontAshmont (MBTA station)Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
via Adams, East Milton Square and Beale Street - 240 AshmontAshmont (MBTA station)Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
—Avon Square via Crawford Square Randolph
- 18 Ashmont
Numbered routes
The first numbered routes in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
were the New England Interstate Highways in 1922. NE 6 may have used Dorchester Avenue south of South Boston, but it is more likely that it turned northwest towards Morton Street just after crossing the Neponset River
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
. In any case, by 1927, Route 3 (which had replaced NE 6) and Route 28 turned northwest in Milton, on a route that Route 28 still uses. (By 1928, Route 3 had been realigned to use the new Southern Artery
Southern Artery
Southern Artery is a street in Quincy, Massachusetts. For much of its length it is a major arterial street which is used by an average of over 30,000 Boston area commuters daily.-History:...
, now Gallivan Boulevard.)
Between 1933 and 1935, the C (city) routes through downtown Boston began to be signed. Route C37, a continuation of Route 37
Massachusetts Route 37
- Route description:Route 37 begins in the north end of the city of Brockton at Route 28. After crossing the Middleboro-Lakeville Line and passing the Montello Station, it enters the town of Holbrook. It winds through the center of that town, where it intersects Route 139...
, used MDC Parkways (now Morrissey Boulevard), merging with Dorchester Avenue at Old Colony Avenue. From there C37 took Dorchester Avenue to its north end, Congress Street, turning northwest there into downtown. A one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
existed from West Fourth Street to the Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel separating South Boston from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, feeding into Boston Harbor. The south part of it has been gradually filled in for use by the South Bay rail yard and several highways...
, with southbound traffic using Foundry Street and West Fourth Street, but this was later removed, with Dorchester Avenue returning to full two-way operation.
In the 1970s, C37 (and the rest of the C routes) was decommissioned, leaving Dorchester Avenue with no numbered routes. Thus, over the years, the only route to use the road has probably been C37.