Green Line Extension
Project Background
The idea of extending the Green Line, the nation's first subway, north into Somerville and Medford has been studied since the 1960s. That idea finally became a project with a commitment from the Commonwealth as part of the environmental and traffic mitigation of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. The project aims to improve transit service, mobility and access for residents and visitors of Cambridge, Somerville and Medford, and it enjoys strong supports in those cities.
The proposed extension includes a mainline branch following the existing MBTA Lowell commuter rail right-of-way, beginning at a relocated Lechmere Station and running to College Station near Tufts University in Medford. A future extension would bring the Medford branch out to the Mystic Valley Parkway/Route 16. A spur off the main line would follow the Fitchburg commuter rail right-of-way to Union Square in Somerville. The project would create six new Green Line stations and reconstruct and relocate the existing Lechmere Station.
As of June 2010, MassDOT had filed its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the project and was conducting public sessions to review the document. Certain Massachusetts regulations mandate that the project be completed by the end of 2014, but the state now expects construction to be finished in 2015. The state is also applying for federal funding for the project under the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program.
Why It's Important
The proposed Green Line Extension will provide light rail transit service to a four-mile, densely populated corridor currently underserved by public transportation. According to the FEIR, the extension is projected to generate 7,900 new linked trips throughout the MBTA system and reduce vehicle miles traveled daily by 25,000 in 2030. In addition to transportation and environmental benefits, the Green Line Extension is expected to support municipal plans for smart, sustainable economic growth, create opportunities for transit-oriented development, and to provide residents of environmental justice communities with faster rides to jobs, schools, health care and other destinations.
ABC's Role
The ABC Project Development Committee continues to review and monitor progress on the Green Line extension. As the project advances toward construction, ABC will analyze and prepare comments on related environmental, design, construction, and operational issues, including impact on future land development opportunities in the North Point and Lechmere areas and in Somerville and Medford.
ABC will also work to ensure that the Green Line extension is coordinated with the plans for the Urban Ring, especially where the two services would overlap in the Inner Belt area and at Lechmere. Maintaining continuity of future Bus Rapid Transit operations through Lechmere Station, along the proposed Urban Ring viaduct parallel to the Green Line right-of-way and through the Green Line maintenance facility will be critical to the close coordination of both projects.
