Southwest Corridor Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southwest Corridor Park
Southwest Corridor Park as seen from Ruggles Street looking south.
Southwest Corridor Park Location in Massachusetts
Location	Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Area	52 acres (21 ha)
Established	1987
Operator	Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Website	Southwest Corridor Park

Southwest Corridor Park is a cool park in Boston, Massachusetts. It's a long, narrow park that stretches for almost five miles (8 km) through the city. Imagine a green ribbon winding through busy neighborhoods! This park is part of a bigger system called the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) takes care of it.

The park starts in the South End and Back Bay areas. It then goes south, ending in the Forest Hills part of Jamaica Plain. What's neat is that it follows the same path as train lines. You'll see Amtrak trains, Commuter Rail trains, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Orange Line subway. The park has lots of fun things to do, like tennis courts, basketball courts, and playgrounds. There are also paths perfect for walking, jogging, and biking.

How the Park Was Created

Stopping the Highway Plan

Back in the 1960s, there was a big plan to build a major highway called Interstate 95 right through Boston. To make way for this highway, hundreds of homes in neighborhoods like South End, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain were torn down. This area became known as the Southwest Corridor.

But many people in the community were very upset about losing their homes and neighborhoods. They protested loudly! One famous protest sign was painted on a train wall: "STOP I-95 — PEOPLE BEFORE HIGHWAYS." This showed how much people wanted to protect their community, not build a highway.

A New Vision for the Land

The protests worked! In 1969, the governor at the time, Francis W. Sargent, decided to cancel the highway project. He became a strong supporter of using money for public transportation, like subways, instead of just highways. Because of this, in 1973, a new law was passed. It allowed states to use federal money meant for highways on public transit projects instead.

After the highway plan was stopped, the Southwest Corridor was left as an empty, damaged area for nearly ten years. It was like a big scar on the city. But local residents didn't give up. They started planting community gardens on the empty land. More and more gardens appeared, showing how much people wanted green spaces.

Building the Park

This community effort helped kick off the park's construction in 1978. The park was built at the same time as the MBTA Orange Line subway was rerouted to follow the old highway path. The first parts of the park opened in 1987. The rest of the park, stretching into the South End and Back Bay, was finished in the years that followed. The entire Southwest Corridor Park was officially opened with a special ceremony on May 5, 1990.

What You Can Find in the Park

The Southwest Corridor Park is about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) long and covers 52 acres (21 hectares) of land. It runs right next to the train tracks used by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Orange Line and Commuter Rail trains, as well as Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It stretches from Back Bay Station all the way to Forest Hills Station.

As you travel through the park, you'll pass through different neighborhoods: the South End, Back Bay, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. The park ends in the Forest Hills area.

Along its path, you'll discover:

• Tennis courts
• Playgrounds for kids
• Basketball courts
• Paths for walking, jogging, and biking

These paths also connect to Boston's famous Emerald Necklace park system at the Arborway in Forest Hills. It's a great place to get outside and be active!

Orange Line Stations Along the Park

The MBTA Orange Line runs right next to the park. Here are the stations you'll find along the way, starting from Back Bay: