News on Green Line to Somerville

How often do you get this kind of support for a transportation project? With this kind of support, the T and the state would be stupid not to make it a high-priority project (then again, this is Massachusetts we're talking about here, lol) and as an extension of the Green Line (not BRT or CR shuttle).

I received this message from Mayor Curtatone's office this afternoon:

Subject: Important Green Line Event
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 14:09:27 -0400
From: [email protected]

Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. there will be a press conference in Union Square
regarding the Green Line. The event will take place in the parking lot next
to the SCAT building, at the far end near the monument, next to The
Independent. Everyone is invited.

Lucy A. Warsh
Public Information Officer
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone
City Of Somerville
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
617-625-6600 ext. 2614
617-625-3434 fax

Damn! I gotta be at work tomorrow so I'll have to miss it. But I hope it gets some good press coverage. It sounds like we're gonna be hearing a lot more about the Somerville GL extension in the near future. It could very well speed to the front of the transportation projects list (though I don't think we should forget about the Lynn BL extension).

Hmmm. I have an errand to run in Union Square anyway; think I may time it for that.

I can understand Medford's qualms re this project; Rte 60 in West Medford is enough of a mess at rush hour without tons of commuters trying to park for the Green Line. It would probably make the most sense to a) not build a garage, b) make the streets resident-parking-only for about a half-mile radius, and c) vigorously enforce b).

Wonder how they'll handle the Rte. 60 grade crossing. Doesn't make sense to use the gates for Green Line trains.

Well, the best way to deal with Route 60 is not to cross it at all, but end the line immediately south of it.

I went to the press conference, with Mayor Curtatone, Mayor McGlynn of Medford, Lt. Gov. Healey, Doug Foy, John Cogliano and various other officials.

The state will build the Green Line extension, not just to Medford Hillside as originally committed for Big Dig mitigation, but all the way to West Medford. They will also build a second branch to Union Square.

The state will also add four new commuter rail stations on the Fairmount Line, at Newmarket, Mt. Bowdoin, Talbot Ave, and Blue Hill Avenue.

These projects will substitute for the Arborway restoration and Red/Blue connector, which now appear to be dead.

That's great news. Good to hear that they're going to build the Somerville/Medford line as an extension of the Green Line and that it's going all the way to West Medford. I'm also happy to hear that the state is going to add the four stations to the Fairmount Line. However, they should run the Fairmount Line longer and more frequently and for seven days a week in order to get the most benefit out of adding the new stops.

But what seemed a little troubling to me was that these two projects will "substitute" for the Red/Blue connection at Charles/MGH and the Arborway restoration. I don't really see how either of these projects have anything to do with the Blue/Red Connection or Arborway. And if JP residents find out that Arborway restoration is in jeopardy, a huge number of them will raise holy hell over it. As for Blue/Red, I can see that not being the most important thing now, especially with the Silver Line Branch 1 coming on line next month which will allow RL passengers to transfer to the SL for the Airport. But I can see the controversy over Arborway get ugly if that gets taken off the table.

They meant "substitute" in terms of what projects will produce the greatest reduction in air pollution. This was the original basis for the Big Dig mitigation commitments.

I believe the intent is to run the Fairmount Line much more frequently, including weekends, once the additional stations are built. Adding frequency right now probably won't accomplish that much.

I see what you mean by "substitute". Then it makes more sense for Fairmount and Somerville to be built.


Yes, to increase Fairmount frequency right now doesn't make much sense because it still wouldn't be convenient for all the people who live near the line, but nowhere near one of its existing stations. Better to wait till all four of the new stations are built before increasing service. They may also want to consider purchasing multiple-unit trains for the route in the long term.

Press Release from the City of Somerville today:

http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/NewsDeta ... 676&pv=Yes

That's Excellent! It looks like this is really going to happen now, and relatively soon too!

I wouldn't say relatively soon, maybe about 5-6 years,
but it definitely appears to have gotten over the hump
from being a good proposal to being something that
people will pay to build. Good days ahead for Somerville; buy your real estate now!

by soon i mean within the next few years, as opposed to the 10-20+ i estimated earlier

I'm sure this success is going to be a success from the word "go". It was a good proposal from the start with great ridership potential and the people of Somerville and Medford deserve to have it.

wait a minute, lets not go flyin off the handle here, this is the T, and Massachusetts were talking about, ther WILL be delays, issues, etc. let's take this step by step ok?