Photo: James Rojas
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Two new Green Line stations will open in Boston on Monday as a part of a consolidation plan for the Green Line's B Line branch.
The new stations, Armory Street and Babcock Street, began service Monday after the MBTA spent the last year and a half consolidating four of the B Line's stops into two.
As a part of the plan, the St. Paul Street and Boston University West stops became Armory Street and the original Babcock Street stop merged with Pleasant Street.
This consolidation effort was part of a larger Green Line Transformation plan that includes adding new Green Line trolleys, improving station accessibility, and making upgrades to the tracks on multiple sections of the Green Line.
The plan began on July of 2018 as a way to modernize the Green Line, according to the MBTA. Angel Peña, the Chief of Capital Transformation, said in a video announcing the new stations the project opened well ahead of schedule, opening months before its projected summer 2022 completion date.
The consolidation plan on the B Line was not only done to speed up travel time along Commonwealth Avenue. The plan also looked to create stations with more safety measures and improve amenities and accessibility.
Read more: Green Line Service Changes: A Shift In Downtown Reach
Both of the new stations include longer platforms that span about 225 feet in length and feature new benches and canopies to help provide cover from the elements for any waiting passengers.
The stations also include accessibility upgrades like raised platforms, to make it easier for those in need to enter and board trolleys. The plan also adds safety barriers between the stations and the nearby roads to help riders and drivers safe.
WBZ's James Rojas spoke to a resident named Jordan who said they were glad the project was now finished.
"This is absolutely incredible," Jordan said. "I hope every Green Line station is like this in the future."
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports.
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