The bond bill includes over $1.3 billion “for the purpose of implementing the Green Line Extension improvements; provided, that funds may be used for transportation planning, design, permitting and engineering, acquisition of interests in land, vehicle procurement, construction, construction of stations, and right-of-way acquisition.”
Mass.gov: “Governor Patrick Files Transportation Bond Bill”
Included: “$4.4 billion for regional rail projects identified in the Transportation Plan including Green Line expansion, South Coast Rail and South Station expansion”
State House News Service: “Two expansion projects will add $60 million to MBTA budget”
“The fate of both projects is contingent on the state’s ability to finance the construction and operations, a capacity issue that’s at the center of ongoing debate over Patrick’s call to raise taxes and generate $1.9 billion a year in new state revenues….The Federal Transit Administration has required the state to shore up the transit system’s finances in order for the state to qualify for New Starts funding for the Green Line Extension, which could fund half of the $1.3 billion capital cost.”
