Kendall/MIT (MBTA station)

KENDALL
Inbound platform
Station statistics
Address	Intersection of Main, Third Streets and Broadway, Cambridge, MA
Coordinates	42°21′44″N 71°05′10″W / 42.3623°N 71.0862°W / 42.3623; -71.0862Coordinates: 42°21′44″N 71°05′10″W / 42.3623°N 71.0862°W / 42.3623; -71.0862
Lines	Red Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Bicycle facilities	58 spaces
Other information
Opened	March 23, 1912
Accessible
Owned by	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Central toward Alewife Red Line Charles/MGH toward Ashmont or Braintree

Kendall/MIT is a station on the rapid transit Red Line in Kendall Square at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Trains emerge from the Red Line tunnel just east of the station to cross the Charles River via the Longfellow Bridge. The station includes the Kendall Band, a public art installation of hand-operated musical sculptures that hang between the tracks at the station platform level and operated by levers located on the side walls of the two platforms. The Kendall stop also features a prominent timeline detailing the history of the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There is no crossover within fare control; to reverse direction one must exit and re-enter the station, passing through fare gates again.

History

From the early 20th century through the 1970s, the MBTA operated a powerhouse above ground in Kendall Square, including cycloconverters to transform incoming AC electrical power to 600 volts DC power fed to the third rail to run the subway. An old-fashioned cycloconverter consisted of an AC motor coupled to a huge slowly-rotating flywheel coupled to a DC generator, hence the name. With the development of compact modern semiconductor based power rectifiers, the old mechanical technology became obsolete. The MBTA powerhouse was demolished, and replaced with an office building located at the convergence of Broadway and Main Street.

Nearby destinations

Headhouse for inbound trains

• Longfellow Bridge
• Charles River Bike Paths along Memorial Drive
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Cambridge Center commercial buildings
• Kendall Square Cinema
• CambridgeSide Galleria Mall
• Shops, restaurants, and hotels

Bus connections

• CT2 Sullivan Station - Ruggles Station via Kendall/MIT (free transfer)
• 64 Oak Square via North Beacon St. & Central Sq., Cambridge (rush hours only)
• 68 Harvard/Holyoke Gate via Broadway
• 85 Spring Hill via Summer St. & Union Sq.
• Free "Wave" shuttle bus to the CambridgeSide Galleria and Kendall Square Cinema
• EZRide Shuttle to North Station via Cambridgeside Galleria & First Street

Accessibility

See also: MBTA accessibility

Kendall/MIT is wheelchair accessible.

Future plans

Kendall/MIT Station is a proposed stop on the MBTA's planned Urban Ring Project.^[1] The Urban Ring will be a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line designed to connect the current MBTA Lines to reduce strain on the downtown stations.

Kendall Band

"Pythagoras"

Main article: Kendall Band

The Kendall Band is a three part sculpture created between 1986 and 1988 by Paul Matisse; the grandson of Henri Matisse and stepson of Marcel Duchamp.^[2] Located between the inbound and outbound tracks of Kendall Station, the art work is seen by approximately 12,518 riders on an average weekday,^[3] and cost $90,000 to construct.^[4]

The three parts of the interactive work are called “Pythagoras," “Kepler," and “Galileo," and are all controlled by levers located on both subway platforms.^[5] The works fell into disrepair, though in 2010 students from MIT began restoration.

References

1. ^ Urban Ring Phase 2 FACT SHEET^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Christopher Reed. Pure Fabrication. Harvard Magazine. May–June 2002. Accessed May 26, 2010.
3. ^ MBTA Bluebook. MBTA. 2007. Accessed May 26, 2010
4. ^ Daly, Gabriel J. and Velan, Sonam S. T-Riders Ring the Sound of Science. The Harvard Crimson. December 07, 2006 . Accessed May 27, 2010.
5. ^ Grace notes from the underground. The Boston Globe. May 9, 2010. Accessed May 26, 2010.

External links

• MBTA - Kendall Station (Red Line)
• nycsubway.org - MBTA Red Line: Kendall
• west entrance from Google Maps Street View
• east entrance from Google Maps Street View