A Boston subway station has been renamed after former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D).
The transit center, formerly known as South Station on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) “T” subway system, was rededicated on Tuesday in honor of the unsuccessful 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, the agency announced.
MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said it was fitting to name a station on the Boston subway system after Dukakis because the former Massachusetts governor supported public transit when he was in office.
{mosads}“Gov. Dukakis is not just a proponent of public transportation, he is one of the MBTA’s best customers,” Scott said in a statement. “I am thrilled to be able to be here today to honor the work of someone so dedicated to growth and improvement of public transportation here in Massachusetts.”
Dukakis is most known nationally for his lopsided loss to former President George H. W. Bush in the 1988.
Dukakis lost 40 states to Bush after he defeated a large group of candidates for the Democratic nomination that included Vice President Biden, former Vice President Gore and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Dukakis was Massachusetts governor from 1975 to 1979 and 1983 to 1991, having returned to complete his final term after his unsuccessful presidential bid.
Current Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) said Tuesday that Dukakis was a champion of public transit during his entire political career.
“Gov. Dukakis has been a tireless and effective advocate for public transportation for decades,” Patrick said in a statement. “On behalf of the people of the Commonwealth, I am honored to rename South Station as ‘The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station’ to celebrate his lasting work to improve public transportation and through it the economy and quality of life in the Commonwealth.”