"Green Line extension funding in question" "The Green Line expansion, estimated to cost $600 million in recent years, is now listed by the Patrick administration at $934 million, with hopes that the federal government will pay half the costs. And that money will build tracks and stations only to Union Square and Tufts University by 2014, a legal deadline set to…
Although the State still expresses support for a Route 16 terminus for the Green Line, ongoing funding problems have changed the plan. Now there will be a two-phase build, with Phase 1 including the Lowell Line branch to College Ave and the Union Square branch. Phase 2 will extend the Green Line to Route 16 “shortly after” Phase 1, using “flex” funding recently voted on by the Boston Region MPO.
Next steps:
– The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (DEIR/EA) will be submitted in August.
– There will be a public hearing and comment period about this important report.
– The State will apply for federal New Starts funding this fall.
Keep reading for the full letter from the State to the members of the Green Line Extension Advisory Group.
"Residents gather to discuss Green Line changes "
Banker & Tradesman: “Call It âNoPoint’: New Lechmere Station Is The Least Of Troubled NorthPoint Project’s Woes”
Forget that $70 million MBTA station. When it comes to building out Cambridge’s troubled NorthPoint project, relocating Lechmere Station won’t be the half of any developer’s worries. That’s because new internal documents show the public infrastructure tab on the project is a staggering $257 million.
Every year, the State files an Annual Status Report for the SIP commitments, which include the Green Line extension. This year's report includes the following updates: - The project has been included in all relevant state transportation planning documents, including the RTP. - The State officially recommends the Route 16 terminus for the extension. - Regarding the maintenance facility at Yard…
The following letter and analysis were sent from STEP to the Executive Office of Transportation.
Dear Secretary Aloisi,
STEP has carefully reviewed the EOT report on locations for the maintenance facility. We found that the state’s decision in favor of Yard 8 failed to account for key operational issues. In other words, there are design problems in the track design for the Yard 8 design. The state’s critique of other locations in the report did not take into account the operational design flaws of the Yard 8 plan.
Concerned that the criteria for evaluating the locations was not consistent, STEP requested that Mr. Stephen Kaiser review and evaluate the operational issues for both Yard 8 and Mirror Scheme H. Mr. Kaiser is a Cambridge engineer who formerly worked for 15 years with the state on matters of transportation and environmental review. Download his summary report of June 26 (PDF).
"East Cambridge residents voice concern about Green Line changes" While most attendees were in agreement that the Green Line expansion is a positive endeavor, the modest crowd of approximately 60 people were unanimously concerned about pedestrian access across O'Brien Highway, the newly scaled-down design of the station in comparison to that of the previously grandiose North Point Development Designs, better signage…
"Green Line extension plans excite neighbors worried about change" âWe want to amplify community input with an organized community process so that when we give our input to the city, we have a stronger voice,â said Meredith Levy from the Somerville Community Corporation. âIt's important for all of us to help plan for the future.â
The EOT has published computer-generated animations of what the Green Line stops could look like, including trains arriving and departing. Check them out. You might also want to read various comments on the station designs over at Universal Hub.
Our interactive Google map of the Green Line extension has been updated with the latest information on the locations of the planned stops, as well as early architectural drawings of the station designs. Check it out.