In Boston, where Summer Street and Atlantic Street intersect, is the Michael S. Dukakis South Station Transportation Center.
THE BUILDING:The station is an easy landmark to see at this intersection. It is a stone faced structure with a rounded corner and a clock over the entrance. On the left side of the entrance doors is a plaque that states that this is the Michael S. Dukakis South Station Transportation Center. On the Atlantic Street side entrance, the name, "Michael S. Dukakis" has been engraved above "South Station Transportation Center."
Currently, South Station is a major public transportation hub. According to Wikipedia, it is the second largest in New England (after Logan International Airport), and the largest railroad and bus terminal in Greater Boston. The terminal has currently 13 platforms for the southern routes of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail. A tunnel from inside the building leads to the Red Line and Silver Line MBTA transit lines. Over the rails is the intercity bus terminal. Most of the time, it is a busy place. But, it was almost lost.
The railroad terminal was built in 1899 to replace several smaller railroad stations run by individual railroads. After World War II, passenger railroad use declined. The Old Colony Railroad stopped passenger service to Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod. Another railroad, the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, went bankrupt in 1961. The railroad station then was sold in 1965 to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). The BRA then demolished a portion of the station, where the South Boston Postal Annex and the Stone and Webster building is today. The future of the rest of the station was uncertain.
In 1978, the remains of the station was sold to the MBTA. By this time, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovations began and were completed in 1989. Presently [2015], there are plans to expand the number of tracks to the terminal, effectively reversing the downsizing done years ago.
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THE PERSON:"Michael S. Dukakis
South Station Transportation Center
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving Governor in Massachusetts history. He was the Democratic Party Nominee for President of the United States in 1988 and is a distinguished Professor of political science at Northeastern University.
He has been a tireless supporter of public transportation, and served as a member of the Amtrak Board from 1998 to 2003.
'I'm proud of the fact that I ride a public transportation system that nine years ago shut down in the middle of the Christmas season and today is well on its way to becoming one of the best in the nation, and I hope you are too.
State of the State Address on January 16, 1990"
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The plaque by the entrance has a nice summary of the person the station was rededicated to:
Below that are the Governor and MBTA heads at the time of the plaque dedication. THE DEDICATION A Boston Globe article documented the ceremonies. Then the present Governor, Deval Patrick, attended the ceremonies and spoke. Former Gov. Dukakis was also present.
"The 81-year-old Dukakis, who served as governor from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991 said he is typically opposed to naming buildings after politicians but said he was thankful.
“I don’t think anybody will stop calling this South Station, quite frankly,” he told the crowd. “How many different names have we had for the Boston Garden? It’s still the Boston Garden. But I really am grateful.”"
More:"But Frederick P. Salvucci, the transportation secretary under Dukakis who helped engineer the Big Dig, said naming the station after Dukakis was fitting: Dukakis helped save it from demolition in the 1970s, when the Boston Redevelopment Authority had plans to build an office tower and hotels in the area. Dukakis then helped oversee major renovations at the station before it reopened in 1989.
“This literally would be a parking garage without him,” Salvucci said."
I remember near Christmas in 1974 (I was heading out on a train trip to see relatives when I saw South Station - and a crane next to it. Part of the building was gone. I remember the lobby area was hardly the expansive, inviting space it is, today. Now, I walk through the station almost every day. There are always people here. Though not particularly inventive, there are several food places to choose from. I have even seen concerts in this space. It's hard to believe that it was so close to being lost.
SOURCE:Boston Globe (South Station Renamed to Honor Form Gov. Dukakis):
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Wikipedia (South Station):
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