Located at College Avenue near the center of campus, the stop will be the terminus of the Green Line extended from Lechmere
Medford/Tufts will be the name of the new Green Line station at the intersection of College and Boston Avenues in Medford following an agreement announced today between Tufts University and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
“Working collaboratively, we have chosen a name that emphasizes a sense of place for both our host community of Medford and the university,” said Tufts University President Anthony P. Monaco. “We’re delighted that the new station, together with Joyce Cummings Center, our newest academic building that will open at approximately the same time adjacent to the station, will serve as a welcoming gateway to the university for students, employees, and the tens of thousands of visitors who come to our campus each year.”
Mayor Stephanie M. Burke added: “Medford/Tufts is the perfect name for the new Green Line Extension station. The City of Medford and its residents have dedicated countless hours and have made tremendous sacrifices over the past few years. Thank you to Secretary Pollack, General Manager Poftak, the MBTA, and Tufts University for ensuring the station is named fittingly.”
The Green Line Extension will extend the northern end of the Green Line from Lechmere to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford, next to the Tufts University campus. The project will increase capacity and service frequency with six new MBTA stops in Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford. The Medford/Tufts station will be a terminus for the Green Line.
Commuters will benefit from additional transportation routes in Medford and Somerville and reduced traffic on local roads. The extension also supports municipal plans for sustainability and urban redevelopment. The project is expected to support increased ridership of more than 50,000 passenger trips per day once completed. It will provide fast and reliable public transit service in historically underserved areas.
“The name Medford/Tufts is the result of a collaborative effort that truly represents the shared sense of placemaking that a station creates,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We have a lot to look forward to as we get closer to completing the Green Line Extension, and Medford/Tufts station will play a pivotal role in strengthening connections with the city of Medford, Tufts University, and MBTA customers.”
The university has been an enthusiastic supporter of the project. The extension will connect three Tufts campuses in Medford/Somerville, Chinatown, and the Fenway, enabling students, faculty, and staff to easily travel between them. The university also has a large number of graduate students and more than 2,000 employees living in Green Line communities who will benefit from the additional commuting options the line will provide.
Additionally, the estimated 70,000 people who visit Tufts each year will now have the option of taking mass transit to the heart of the university campus, which will reduce the number of vehicles on local roads, yielding both traffic and environmental benefits.
