Whenever I hear “Green Line” with context of the MBTA, this branch is oftentimes the first to pop into my mind. Maybe it’s because I’ve ridden it more than the others, or it’s just plain more memorable, but either way, it’s the first thing I think of with “Green Line”.
So, the line starts at the newly-opened Medford/Tufts station in, well, Medford. This opened in December 2022 (and I was there on day 1, picture above!), and it was hype. Around here are a few street-level bus connections, but mainly Tufts University is the draw. Going down, you have several stops at Ball Square, Gilman Square (near Somerville HS, thank GOD it’s not another case of “let’s build an eyesore above the ROW like on the D branch!“). I digress, there. For this section, the ROW parallels the Lowell Line until it splits at East Somerville, and it merges at Lechmere. It goes through the central subway, however unlike the other three, it splits at Copley and stops at two different underground stops: Prudential and Symphony. Unfortunately, one of those aren’t accessible yet. But, the four median stops are, as we pop out onto Huntington Avenue. As we pass through Northeastern’s campus, we’re soon met by Brigham Circle where the line spills into the street itself, with four more stops, and looping at Heath Street.
The good: It’s varied! I mean, you have all the variants of light rail repped here (elevated, underground, median, and street-running). Furthermore, the stops are spaced and, outside the street-running stretch near Heath St., it’s fast! However….
The bad: The street-running section renders the line unpredictable due to traffic. Yikes. Also, no Commuter Rail connection on the GLX?
Nearby points of interest: You got Longwood, Northeastern’s campus, the Christian Science HQ, the Prude, and various areas in Somerville and Tufts Unviersity!
Overall, it’s an alright branch. I still prefer the D over this one, but it’s still not that bad a branch, and it’s certainly unique on the MBTA, and in New England for that matter.
Rating: 7/10
