State will design entire Community Path as part of Green Line Extension

Good news on the Community Path! During Tuesday's station design meeting about Washington St and Union Square, the Green Line Extension design team announced that they will design the entire Community Path extension all the way to NorthPoint in Cambridge. Previously, the State had committed to designing the Path only to Washington St. Keep reading for more details from Friends of the Community Path.

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Notes from Washington St & Union Square stations design meeting

From MGNA...

Here are some notes from Tuesday night's design update meeting for the Washington Street and Union Square stations on the Green Line Extension, attended by about 85 people at the Somerville Holiday Inn.

Representatives from the project management and design teams provided an overview of progress to date toward the 60% station design stage, which they expect to reach by September 1. Read more...

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Union Square properties purchased for Green Line station

Somerville Journal: "Somerville board acquires land for Green Line Extension"
"City officials paid a total of $4.5 million for the North Prospect Block properties, which are bordered by Prospect St. on the west, Somerville Ave. in the north, behind the residential area on Allen St. in the east, and the existing train tracks in the south. Property owners will also be fully reimbursed for relocation costs."

Somerville Journal: Gilman & Lowell St station meetings

"MBTA unveils designs for Gilman and Lowell St. stations in Somerville Green Line expansion"
"We aim to reestablish Gilman Square as a transit-focused civic, residential, and commercial location," Deborah Fennick told meeting attendees. The architect at Fennick & McCreadie Architecture, the firm that designed the station, noted that Gilman Square had a railway service until the 1940s.

Notes from Gilman Square & Lowell St stations design meeting

From MGNA...

Here are some notes from Tuesday night's design update meeting for the Gilman Square and Lowell Street stations on the Green Line Extension, attended by about 90 people at the Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville.

Representatives from the project management and design teams provided and overview of progress to date toward the 60% station design stage, which they expect to reach this fall. Read more...

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Report from Ball Square station design meeting

From MGNA...

Green Line Extension project officials unveiled a slightly relocated and reconfigured Ball Square Station design Monday night in the first of five station design update meetings taking place this month.

A final design consultant team led by AECOM/HNTB has been working to advance the 30% Advanced Conceptual Designs, which it received from project manager HDR/Gilbane last September, to the 60% Advanced Preliminary Engineering stage by this fall. Read more...

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STEP's letter to conference committee on transportation finance

Comments on H.3382, An Act relative to transportation finance

The Honorable Conference Committee Members:

I am writing as a citizen of the Commonwealth and as President of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP) to urge you to provide the full revenue needed to restore the Commonwealth's transportation system to a state of good repair, and to meet the critical maintenance needed on an ongoing basis so we do not face the same funding deficit in a couple of years. We strongly urge ending the practice of using bond funds to pay the salary of operating employees, and support providing sufficient funds for transportation expansion projects. Such projects are needed to maintain a competitive economic climate for the state and to serve our aging population with adequate transportation services.

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Boston Globe: Green Line Extension progress

"Green Line Extension moves toward key milestones"
"Although federal funding remains up in the air, state Transportation Secretary Richard Davey has remained committed to fully funding the entire project....If the state loses out on a federal New Starts grant, then other projects will take a back seat in order to fund the extension of the Green Line."

Happy birthday STEP