Part 6/14:
As the 1800s arrived, Boston’s population surged, and neighborhoods like Back Bay, Dorchester, and Cambridge expanded rapidly. The surface streets buckled under increased traffic, and congestion became a pressing problem. To mitigate this, private companies introduced horse-drawn omnibuses, which offered scheduled, if bumpy, transit but couldn’t keep pace with the city’s growth. This instigated a push towards underground solutions.