Courthouse station (MBTA)

Courthouse is an underground bus rapid transit station on the MBTA's Silver Line, located under Seaport Boulevard at Thomson Street on the South Boston Waterfront. It is named for the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse which is one block to the north on Fan Pier. The station also serves the Fort Point neighborhood, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and nearby residential and commercial development. Like all Silver Line stations, Courthouse station is accessible.

Courthouse
The outbound platform viewed from the mezzanine in 2012
LocationSeaport Boulevard at Pittsburg Street
South Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°21′10.21″N 71°02′50.89″W
Line(s)South Boston Piers Transitway
Platforms2 side platforms
Connections MBTA bus: 4
Construction
Disabled accessYes
History
OpenedDecember 17, 2004[1]
Passengers
FY20192,530 boardings (weekday average)[2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
South Station
Terminus
 Silver Line World Trade Center
toward Logan Airport terminals
Silver Line World Trade Center
toward Design Center
Silver Line World Trade Center
toward Chelsea
Former services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
South Station
Terminus
 Silver Line
Closed 2009
 World Trade Center
toward City Point

History and design
An outbound bus at Courthouse station in 2017

Construction of the $110 million station was technically demanding, as the Waterfront district is built on fill rather than solid ground or rock. Slurry walls and large braces were built, allowing 210,000 cubic yards of soil to be excavated for the platform area.[3] The station was called Fan Pier during early planning until it was determined that the federal courthouse would be located nearby.[4] Because the station was initially surrounded by parking lots, its original headhouses were intended to be temporary until development occurred. The station was also designed to allow two future entrances at the east end of the mezzanine if needed.[5]:54

The station was intended as the centerpiece of the Silver Line and a key feature of Boston's Innovation district, with a visual impact significantly different from other stations in the MBTA system. It includes "some of the most complex and ornate station finishes installed in any MBTA transportation facility to date" which cost $30 million to complete.[3] The lobby includes a polished stone floor and distinctive purple overhead lighting fixtures, while both the platforms have brushed steel finishes on support columns and walls. The station was turned into an "idea lab" nightclub and conference center in June 2014 for Boston Idea Week, which included several other MBTA-centered events.[6][7]

Courthouse station opened along with the rest of the South Boston Piers Transitway from South Station to Silver Line Way on December 17, 2004.[1] Through service on the SL2 and SL3 routes serving the Design Center and City Point areas began on December 31, 2004, followed by SL1 service on June 1, 2005. SL3 service was discontinued on March 20, 2009.[1]

The station has headhouses on the north and south sides of Seaport Boulevard. The south headhouse was closed from October 5, 2015 until October 2016 due to construction of a hotel on the adjacent lot.[8] SL3 service (a new South Station–Chelsea route different from the discontinued City Point route) at the station began on April 21, 2018.[1]

The station suffers from water infiltration from several sources, which has damaged ducts and electrical conduits. A $26.9 million contract for waterproofing and repairs was approved by the MBTA in December 2020, with construction to take place from January 2021 to early 2023.[9] Construction of a northeast headhouse is also planned; bidding for the $14.5 million project began in December 2020.[10]

References
  1. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). NETransit.
  2. "A Guide to Ridership Data". MassDOT/MBTA Office of Performance Management and Innovation. June 22, 2020. p. 10.
  3. "MBTA Transitway Courthouse Station and Tunnel". J.F. White Contracting. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  4. South Boston Piers / Fort Point Channel transit project, Boston, Massachusetts: Final Environmental Impact Statement / Final Environmental Impact Report. Federal Transit Administration and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 1993. p. 2.34 – via Internet Archive.
  5. Schimek, Paul; Watkins, Kari; Chase, David; Smith, Karl; Gazillo, Stephen (June 1, 2007). Silver Line Waterfront Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): 2007 Evaluation (PDF) (Report). Federal Transit Administration.
  6. Bernard, Gillis (16 June 2014). "Courthouse Station Turns 'Techno Meets Hipster' Nightclub-Like Lab for Boston Idea Week". BostInno. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  7. Annear, Steve (11 June 2014). "The MBTA Is Embracing Boston Idea Week". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  8. "Route SL1: Upcoming". Bus Service Alerts. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015.
  9. Eckstrom, Karl E. (December 7, 2020). "MBTA Construction Contract No. X02CN04: SL Courthouse Station Waterproofing Resiliency and Repairs" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  10. "Notice to Bidders" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 1, 2020.

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