Four Corners/Geneva Ave (MBTA station)

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FOUR CORNERS/GENEVA
File:Four Corners Geneva Ave station, looking inbound, July 2013.JPG
The newly-opened station in July 2013
Location Washington and Erie streets,
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Owned by MBTA
Line(s) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 2
Connections MBTA Bus: 19, 23
Construction
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Fare zone 1A
History
Opened July 1, 2013[1]
Previous names Mount Bowdoin (closed 1944)
Services
Preceding station   MBTA.svg MBTA   Following station
toward Readville
 Fairmount Line
Franklin Line
limited service

Four Corners/Geneva Ave is a passenger rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Fairmount Line located in the Mount Bowdoin section of Dorchester, Boston. The new station was being built as part of the Fairmount Line Improvement Project, which includes four new stations as well as infrastructure upgrades. It has two full-length high-level platforms with walkways connecting them to Washington Street and Geneva Avenue.[2] Four Corners/Geneva Ave opened on July 1, 2013, along with Newmarket.[1]

Background and history

File:Mt Bowdoin steps.jpg
Steps leading to the former Mt. Bowdoin platform

Mt. Bowdoin

File:Four Corners Geneva Washington Street ramp Sept 2012.JPG
Ramp to the outbound platform from Washington Street under construction in September 2012

Service on the Fairmount Line (as the Dorchester Branch of the Norfolk County Railroad and later the New York and New England Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) began in 1855 and lasted until 1944. A station named Mt. Bowdoin was located near the Washington Street overpass.[3] Originally one story, the small inbound station building was awkwardly modified with a second story below street level when the tracks were lowered to eliminate problematic grade crossings.[4] There was a small shelter on the outbound side; a set of wooden steps leading to the outbound side are still extant.

Restoration and planning

Temporary shuttle service resumed on the Fairmount Line in 1979 during Southwest Corridor construction, with stops at Uphams Corner, Morton Street, and Fairmount. The MBTA planned to drop the shuttle after service resumed on the Southwest Corridor in 1987, but the service was locally popular and the Fairmount Line became a permanent part of the system. A plan called the Indigo Line was later advanced by community activists in which the line would add stations and more frequent service to closely resemble a conventional rapid transit line. The Indigo Line plan was not adopted, but elements of it were included when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed in 2005 to make improvements on the Fairmount Line part of its legally binding commitment to mitigate increased air pollution from the Big Dig. Among the selected improvements in the Fairmount Line Improvements project were four new commuter rail stations on the line, including one at Geneva Avenue. The stations were originally to be completed by the end of 2011.[5]

Construction

File:Four Corners Geneva from Eldon St in Sept 2012.jpg
Outbound platform under construction in September 2012

After several years of planning, the contract to build the station went out to bid on September 4, 2009. By the October 7 bid opening date, the MBTA had received six bid packages for the project, which had an estimated value of $19,620,700. The apparent low bidder and eventual awardee of the contract was S&R Construction Enterprises of Newton, New Hampshire with a bid of $17,687,300.75.[6] Notice to proceed was given on January 28, 2010;[6] however, the groundbreaking for the $17.7 million station did not occur until July 16, 2010.[2]

The inbound platform and ramp were mostly complete by the end of 2011. By April 2012, the station was 75% complete, with the inbound platform and the Geneva Avenue ramp structures in place. Construction delays were caused by the need to redesign the outbound ramp to Washington Street due to a rock vein that was missed by test borings.[5] By September, the inbound platform was nearly completion, while the ramps to the outbound platform were still incomplete.

On September 13, 2012, the MBTA announced that the station was planned to open in April 2013.[7] By mid-October, the station was at 82% completion.[8] However, the opening was delayed to July 1, 2013 to match Newmarket for publicity purposes. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held at Newmarket, Four Corners/Geneva Ave, and Talbot Ave on July 17, 2013.[9]

Bus Connections

The station is served by two MBTA Bus routes:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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