Porter (MBTA-Station)

Porter is the name of a metro station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA ) in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. It provides access to the Porter Square Red Line MBTA Commuter Rail Line and trains on the Fitchburg Line.

History

Already in the 1840s there were at the site of the present subway station a breakpoint of the Fitchburg Line with the name Porter 's station. The last station without connection to the underground network was built in 1937 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. 1984 was followed by another new building to tie the Red Line.

Railway facilities

Track, signaling and safety systems

The underground station has two tracks for both the traits of the Red Line as well as the traits of the Fitchburg Line. The commuter rail trains are accessible via a central platform, while the Red Line trains to run on two different levels and therefore do not also find the associated side platforms on a common level.

Building

The metro station is located at the address Massachusetts Avenue at Somerville Avenue and is completely accessible. With a depth of 105 ft (32 m) is the station the lowest altitude in the whole system of the MBTA. The building is applied to a total of five levels at different depths.

Surroundings

At the station there is a bus connection to five of the MBTA, in addition are 34 spaces for bicycles.

Under the program, Arts on the Line six works of art have been installed in the station as well as outside of it, of which five still exist:

• The work "Gift of the Wind" by Susumu Shingu consists of a 46 ft (14 m) -high sculpture, whose red wing align after the prevailing wind.
• 24 ft (7.3 m) high is a created by Carlos Dorrien wavy granite block with the title " Ondas ", which seems to break through one of the outer walls of the station and is visible from both inside and outside.
• A variety of gloves made ​​of bronze of different shape and size was distributed by Mags Harries, entitled "Glove Cycle" in the station.
• A work of art without a name by William Reimann consists of six bollards made ​​of granite, were engraved in different ethnic designs.
• The " Porter Square Megaliths " by David Phillips are four boulders, from which large pieces were removed first and then used as a bronze replica again.
• On the mezzanine level of the station was located until 1993, installed by William Wainwright artwork " The Lights at the End of the Tunnel", which represented a large reflective Mobile. However, it dropped a lead weight, so that the work had to be removed.