Babcock Street and Packards Corner

Finally we've left Boston University! My gosh, so much of the "straight" section of the B Line is in the shadow of BU! But now, we're departing both the university and the "straight" section of the line as it takes a left onto the much more curvy part of Comm Ave. But first, we need to look at the final stations on this inner section of the line: Babcock Street and Packards Corner.

The shelter at Babcock Street.

Okay, one thing I can say about the shelters at the previous stations is that at least they were somewhat modern. Sure, they were benchless and horrible, but at least they looked decent. Welp, that's been thrown out the window at these stations, where now we have these really ugly old shelters. And guess what? Still no benches!

Packards Corner's platform.

Packards Corner is noteworthy because it's where the B takes a left and leaves the 57 once and for all. And of course, I'm sure many of you know that Packards Corner has a track stub where the former A Branch to Watertown used to split off! It's not much, but it's cool to see. But...nah, the station itself is still terrible.

A train rounding the curve!

Stations: Babcock Street and Packards Corner

Ridership: Babcock Street has pretty average ridership, with 1,387 riders per weekday. Packards Corner, on the other hand, is one of the busiest stations on the Green Line! It gets 2,654 riders per weekday, and boasts the second-highest ridership on the B and the ninth-highest ridership for the Green Line branches.

Pros: Well, there's a shelter on both inbound sides. That's...nice. Packards Corner has a somewhat decently-sized barrier on its inbound platform.

Cons: Basically the same problems as before. These stations still don't have benches under their shelters, and the platforms are in terrible condition.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There are a few final outposts of Boston University near here, but by this point, Comm Ave is mostly dominated by businesses and apartments. Also, check out the A Line stub at Packards Corner if you're interested!

Final Verdict: 3/10
Meh. These stations aren't at all noteworthy by themselves, aside from the stub at Packards Corner. The B Line still has no idea where to put its benches at stations, so sheltered seating is still out of the question. So yeah...nothing to see here.

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