History of The MBTA

History Of The MBTA

The history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spans two centuries, starting with one of the oldest railroads in the US. Development of mass transportation both followed existing economic and population patterns, and helped shape those patterns.

Mass transit in Boston, Massachusetts was provided by private companies, often granted charters by the state legislature to create limited monopolies and granted effective powers of eminent domain to establish a right-of-way. With the creation of the MTA in 1947, government agencies started to take on transit services, consolidating many separate routes into a more-unified system.

Read more about History Of The MBTA:  Railroad Era Begins, Streetcar Era Begins, Streetcar Subways and Elevated Rail, Decline of Streetcars and Railroads, MTA Incorporation and Takeovers, Maps Gallery, MBTA Incorporation and Commuter Rail Takeovers, Bus Expansion and Streetcar Cutbacks, Rapid Transit Expansion, MBTA Expansion and The Big Dig, Debt Concerns, Route Cutbacks, and Fare Increases, T-Radio

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