Blandford Street (MBTA station)

Blandford Street (MBTA station) is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line, located in the heart of Boston University's main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It primarily serves the Green Line B branch, providing critical transit access for thousands of students, faculty, and residents in the Fenway–Kenmore and Allston neighborhoods. The station is fully accessible and features a distinctive street-level design integrated into the median of Commonwealth Avenue.

History

The station opened on October 23, 1914, as the **Blandford Street Portal**, a surface stop on the then-Boston Elevated Railway's Commonwealth Avenue Line. It was constructed as part of the Boynton Line project, which brought streetcar service into a dedicated median reservation along Commonwealth Avenue. For decades, it also served the former A branch to Watertown until that service was discontinued in 1969. A major reconstruction in 1994, part of the MBTA's systemwide accessibility program, transformed the station with raised platforms, new canopies, and tactile warning strips to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Station layout

Blandford Street utilizes a simple **side platform** configuration, with two platforms located in the center median of Commonwealth Avenue, flanking the two light rail tracks. Each platform is approximately 120 feet long, sufficient for two Type 7 or Type 8 light rail vehicles. The station's design is open-air, featuring distinctive green-painted steel canopies that provide shelter. Passenger access is via at-grade crosswalks from the sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue, which are equipped with pedestrian traffic signals coordinated by the Boston Transportation Department.

Accessibility

Blandford Street is a fully **accessible** station, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Both platforms are raised to standard rail car floor height, eliminating the need for lifts or ramps for boarding. Features include detectable warning surfaces along all platform edges, accessible signage with Braille, and level pathways from the public sidewalk. The station's accessibility was a key outcome of the 1994 renovation overseen by the MBTA.

Connections

The station functions as a major transit hub within the Boston University campus. Direct connections are available to several MBTA bus routes, including the **57** (Watertown–Kenmore Square), **CT2** (Sullivan Square–Ruggles), and **193** (Haymarket–Logan Airport via Mass Pike), which stop on adjacent Commonwealth Avenue. A Bluebikes station is located nearby, and the station is within a short walk of the Fenway station on the D branch.

Nearby points of interest

The station's location is dominated by the sprawling campus of Boston University, with key facilities like the George Sherman Union, Mugar Memorial Library, and Nickerson Field all within immediate walking distance. It is also close to the Agganis Arena and FitRec athletic complex. The station provides access to the southern edge of Allston and is near cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts and Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

Category:MBTA Green Line stations Category:Railway stations in Boston Category:Railway stations opened in 1914 Category:1914 establishments in Massachusetts