Recent Posts

This new MassDOT assessment goes into more detail on the impacts of the Green Line maintenance facility site. Download the report (PDF)

"Eminent domain threatens Somerville businesses"

Download the report (PDF) that summarizes the output of the community workshops on the future Green Line stations. Residents and professional designers and planners produced some fantastic ideas that will be presented to the State. You can also watch a video of the presentations or see some sketches.

Got an opinion about Green Line station locations, the maintenance facility, the Community Path, or noise and vibration? The State wants your feedback on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). Read about the FEIR and see STEP's talking points. Then send written comments by 5 pm July 23 to: Ian Bowles, Secretary Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs MEPA Office,…

Somerville News: "The importance of the community path extension in Somerville" At the heart of reintroducing mass transit to our city is quality of life and the Community Path only enhances the quality of life bona fides of this project.

Dear Secretary Bowles:
The East Arlington Livable Streets (EALS) Coalition is a neighborhood-based advocacy organization founded in 2008. EALS has over 170 supporters on our e-mail list, over 400 fans on our Facebook page and we aspire to become the neighborhood’s voice on transportation and livability-related issues. Residents throughout East Arlington have been strong supporters of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project through Somerville.

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The Annual Report on the SIP projects has been posted online. MassDOT will be filing an “Interim Emission Offset Project” to mitigate for missing the Green Line completion deadline (as well as one for missing the Dec. 31, 2011 deadline for the Fairmount Line improvements). Keep reading for what this report says about the Green Line extension.

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As many STEP readers know, the main section of the Community Path extension from Lowell St. to Washington St/Brickbottom/Inner Belt must be designed and built with the Green Line Extension (GLX) because the Path has a shared infrastructure with the GLX. To date, MassDOT has committed to design the Path along the GLX to Inner Belt but not to include funding for the Path as part of the GLX Federal New Starts application or to apply for other federal funding that would require a State match (even if the match is 80% federal and 20% state).
The Friends of the Community Path, STEP and other advocates for active transportation in the region believe strongly that this approach is “penny-wise and pound-foolish” considering that the additional infrastructure needed for the Path represents only about 2% of the GLX cost – a figure well within the uncertainty of the costs. The Path is not just a nice amenity for Somerville, it will provide the most cost-effective way to increase Green Line ridership and will be a critical regional transportation link that will offer great transportation, safety, environmental, health, noise-reduction, and benefits to Somerville and to the region.

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The State is finally admitting what STEP has long feared: It will be unable to meet the 2014 deadline for the Green Line extension opening. The State is now aiming for October 2015, claiming a variety of reasons for the delay. STEP is very disappointed to hear that the State will not keep its commitment. Boston Globe: "Long-awaited Green Line extension…