Central (MBTA station)

CENTRAL
Inbound platform at Central in 2013
Location	Massachusetts Avenue at Prospect Street Cambridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°21′54″N 71°06′12″W / 42.365°N 71.1034°WCoordinates: 42°21′54″N 71°06′12″W / 42.365°N 71.1034°W
Owned by	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Line(s)	Red Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Bicycle facilities	36 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	March 23, 1912
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	16,525 (weekday average boardings)[1]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Harvard toward Alewife Red Line Kendall/MIT toward Ashmont or Braintree

Central (also called Central Square) is an MBTA Red Line subway station located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue with Western Avenue, Prospect Street, and Magazine Street at Central Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It also includes a street-level bus terminal for local routes.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
P Platform level	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Outbound	← Red Line toward Alewife (Harvard)
	Inbound	→ Red Line toward Ashmont or Braintree (Kendall/MIT) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right

History

Old tiles above the platforms

Central Square station opened along with Park Street Under, Kendall Square station, and Harvard Square station on March 23, 1912. Several 1912-built tile mosaics displaying the station name are still visible above the platforms. Similar mosaics are visible at a number of other older MBTA stations, including South Station and Broadway on the Red Line.

On January 26, 1978, heavy rains flooded the station.^[2]

In the mid 1980s, the platforms were extended at many early-built Red Line stations, allowing 6-car trains to be run beginning in January 1988.^[3] The platforms at Central were extended to the northwest (contrary to original plans for the southeast) beginning on April 25, 1985, with new entrances placed west of Prospect Street.^[4][5] The row of arches and columns between the tracks was not extended when the station was lengthened, making the extensions visually distinct from the original station area.

A fictionalized version of Central's platform area appears as a backdrop in the Xbox and PlayStation 2 game Karaoke Revolution.

Bus connections

Inbound entrance on Mass Ave

Central is a major transfer station, with 8 MBTA Bus routes running from the station to various parts of Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, and Boston.

• 1 Harvard/Holyoke Gate - Dudley Station via Massachusetts Avenue
• 47 Central Square, Cambridge - Broadway Station via B.U. Medical Center, Dudley Station & Longwood Medical Area
• 64 Oak Square - University Park, Cambridge or Kendall/MIT via North Beacon Street
• 70 Cedarwood, Market Place Drive or Central Square, Waltham - University Park via Watertown Square, Arsenal Street & Western Avenue
• 70A North Waltham - University Park via Watertown Square and Central Square, Cambridge
• 83 Rindge Avenue - Central Square, Cambridge via Porter Square Station
• 91 Sullivan Square Station - Central Square, Cambridge via Washington Street
• CT1 Central Square, Cambridge - B.U. Medical Center/Boston Medical Center via M.I.T.

Accessibility

Central is wheelchair accessible. The elevator on the south side of Mass Ave serves the inbound platform, while the elevator on the north side of Mass Ave serves the outbound platform. There are separate entrances for inbound and outbound trains; there is no fare-controlled connection between the two platforms.

References

1. "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14 ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
2. Moskowitz, Eric (18 November 2012). "Starts and Stops: MBTA receives first of long-delayed rail cars". Boston Globe. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
3. Belcher, Jonathan (12 November 2012). "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). NETransit. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
4. Cambridge Community Development Department (2013). "Central Square: Final Report". p. 21. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
5. Sanborn, George M. (1992). A Chronicle of the Boston Transit System. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority – via MIT.

External links

• MBTA - Central
• Prospect Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Essex Street entrance from Google Maps Street View