Green Line

"Community Paths Scaled Back To Keep Green Line Extension Alive" (CBS Boston) "Will the Community Path Make the Cut?" (Somerville Neighborhood News)

"Conservation Law Foundation Director Insists Law Requires GLX To Go Further" (WBUR) "Foundation Director of Environmental Justice Rafael Mares joined Morning Edition to discuss how he believes the fight over the Green Line Extension project may not be over."

"State to go ahead with scaled-down Green Line extension" (Boston Globe) "State transportation officials voted Monday to move forward with a scaled-back version of the embattled Green Line extension, but they made clear that they could still cancel the project if the state runs into more trouble financing it.... 'We've got a way forward, and let's take that path forward,' said…

The Green Line lives!

It was a meeting that began with passionate comments from the public and elected officials. And hours later, it ended with the right decision.

The state transportation board and the MBTA’s fiscal control board have voted unanimously to move forward with the scaled-back plan for the Green Line Extension and Community Path.

This decision is not a guarantee. There are conditions, and the project could still be canceled down the road. But for today, this is great news.

Here’s what happens next:

• The scaled-back plan needs to go to the Federal Transit Administration for review, to ensure the state doesn’t lose that $1 billion in federal funds.
• Even with the scaled-back plan, there is still a funding gap to address. Finance plans are needed.
• The MBTA needs to build a real team to run this project. They estimate this could take 18 months.
• If the boards aren’t happy with how these things are going, the Green Line could still get canceled.

If everything does work out, construction would then take 43-47 months. All previous completion dates are obsolete.

Today, the Green Line lives!

Keep reading for the text of the motion, drafted by FMCB chair Joseph Aliello, that was passed by both boards.

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After months of work, today the interim Green Line team shared their final report with the two decision-making boards, outlining a plan to bring down the overall cost of the Green Line Extension.  The scaled-back Green Line and Community Path are consistent with plans they've been presenting at recent public meetings. Download the presentation or the full report. Here's what survives in the…

"Warning signs ignored on Green Line extension" (Boston Globe) This article is a must-read. "How did the project go so wildly off the rails? A Globe review of internal e-mails, a consultant’s analysis of the process, and interviews with key players has found that officials were so eager to finish the job quickly that they relied for months on flawed budgets…

On Monday, the state might be making the big decision on whether the Green Line Extension goes forward.

The Fiscal and Management Control Board will be devoting the first 90 minutes of its meeting to listening to public comments on the Green Line Extension and Community Path. This will be your last chance to speak directly to the people who will decide the fate of these vital projects before the Control Board votes on how to proceed.

If you haven’t spoken up already, Monday is your chance, and it may be the last! Even if you don’t speak, it’s important to have a big crowd there to show support. Bring a sign!

It’s Monday, 1pm, at 10 Park Plaza in Boston, Conference Rooms 1, 2 and 3. Please come!

Keep reading for some suggested talking points.

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Read the article on Boston.com... "Eight months after transportation officials revealed the long-awaited Green Line extension into Somerville and Medford was vaulting way, way over its budget, a major project update and a likely decision on its future are slated for Monday at a joint meeting of the boards that separately oversee the MBTA and the state’s Department of Transportation."

"Somerville, Cambridge offer $75m to save Green Line extension" (Boston Globe) "'It became very clear to us that to have any shot of moving the Green Line forward, we’d have to make a significant contribution,' said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, whose city is offering $50 million. 'We didn't come to this decision lightly.' On Monday consultants hired by the Massachusetts Department…

"Residents air disappointment at final GLX meeting" (Somerville Journal) "At the meeting, Cambridge city councilor Leland Cheung said the process has been an 'absolute train wreck of this management,' and instead of going after the contractors who have wasted tax payer dollars, the state has gone after residents to accept a 'bare-bones proposal.' According to Cheung, residents have spent countless hours…