The Executive Office of Transportation has released its responses to public comments on its July 1, 2008 Annual Status Report on the Green Line extension filed with the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection.
Prefacing the responses was a section describing âProject Critical Path Issuesâ that EOT says have arisen since the submission of the Status Report. The report states, âWhile we are not yet at the point at which we need to consider interim emission reduction offset projects, in the interests of transparency we wanted to notify DEP and the general public of the following schedule-related concernsâ:
+ The challenge of siting a northside support facility for the storage and maintenance of Green Line vehicles â a facility integral to the implementation of the Green Line Extension as a whole â has proven formidable. Despite months of work, EOT has not been able to identify a location that is both technically and financially viable for the Project and acceptable to the City of Somerville.
+ The delayed implementation of the NorthPoint development project has forced the Green Line Extension project to absorb responsibility for the design of the relocated Lechmere Station, and has left the funding â and, to a lesser extent, the timing â of the relocation uncertain.
+ The process of determining an appropriate terminus for the Green Line Extension â whether at College Avenue or at Mystic Valley Parkway/Route 16 â has been lengthy, with strong arguments in favor of both locations. While EOT continues to work toward a resolution, the exact timeframe within which the decision will be made cannot be guaranteed at this point.
+ The most time-consuming single component of the overall Green Line Extension project is the design, procurement, and receipt of new Green Line vehicles to be used to service the line. The process of retaining a design consultant has been lengthy and the exact timeframe for the completion of this effort is subject to variables outside the control of EOT.
Read the EOT responses (PDF).
