"T board OKs $15m more for Green Line ext." (CommonWealth Magazine) "[T]he T has spent $4.5 million of a $6 million authorization and needs up to $15 million more to move ahead with developing specifications for a future construction contract....Federal officials are coming into town this week for meetings where they are expected to say how they view the T's redesign.…
"How will Cambridge and Somerville pay for the Green Line extension, anyway?" (Boston.com) "In Somerville, Curtatone has described the planned $50 million contribution as 'frustrating' but 'necessary.' State Rep. Denise Provost compared state transportation leaders to 'Somali pirates' because of the municipal funding requirement. And while aldermen have said they will likely approve the spending, they have done so begrudgingly."
"T contracting process for Green Line isn't a sure bet" (Boston Globe) "As the agency now continues to debate a $2.3 billion Green Line extension into Somerville and Medford, consultants hired by the MBTA say it should again use that contracting method - called design-build - to construct a new, scaled-down version of the project.... In the design-build model, firms join…
Good news: the Federal Transit Administration's regional administrator has expressed support for the scaled-down version of the Green Line Extension that the state has tentatively approved. This is critical, since the project won't move forward without FTA approval and the $1 billion in federal funds previously promised. "Key federal official supports redesigned Green Line project" (Boston Globe) "Mary Beth Mello, the Federal…
"After Green Line extension, Mass. needs a new policy" (Boston Globe opinion) "When the Commonwealth makes a significant investment that will benefit one or two communities more than the state as a whole, it is fair to ask them to contribute....This approach, however, should not begin and end with the Green Line extension. When the state expands our transportation system by…
"Before The GLX, There Was I-93" "When they did the studies for I-93, they knew that the lead would go up by a factor of four in the neighborhoods along I-93, to way above any reasonable level," says Wig Zamore, who works with STEP to advocate for air quality issues. By the time it was built, the state was moving funds…
Are you as concerned as we are by the state's ideas for a cheaper Community Path? The smart people at Friends of the Community Path have some great ideas for a better alternative that still brings down the cost. View their proposal and also check out their budget.
"GLX and Statewide Vision" "The real choice is not between maintenance and expansion, but whether or not we will make the comprehensive investments needed to secure our future....What we can afford today is just not sufficient for the state’s future. We - all of us - are building our legacy, and it is past time for a unifying vision of transportation…
"What a scaled-down Green Line extension would look like" (Boston.com)
"All aboard for the Green Line expansion" (Editorial) "Now that the control board got what it wanted from Cambridge and Somerville, it’s especially important for Baker and Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack to live up to their end of the bargain. It’s time to drop the conditional: Their job is to figure out how to finish the extension, not whether. The control…