Green line still terminating at Route 16?

[brewso.livejournal.com]

At an open house in East Arlington today, we were speculating that the Green Line terminating at Route 16 could potentially drive up the value of the area within walking distance. The realtor there said that was no longer happening and that the committee in charge of planning the expansion had decided on Tufts as the final stop location. Is this really true? My weak attempts at Google haven't turned up anything backing that statement, but I'm admittedly being lazy about it. Is there a good place to stay abreast of all the latest developments in the Green Line coming to Somerville/Medford?

Comments

Green Line extension

[ursomniac.livejournal.com]

A rumor I heard is that the whole line is in jeopardy, in part because of extreme NIMBYing on the part of Medford residents (first against a West Medford terminus way back, then Route 16, and now Tufts owing to lack of parking). There's talk among insiders that it could be replaced with a bus line (in the way that the E Line was truncated).

Re: Green Line extension

[ron_newman]

It's going as far as College Ave (Tufts) no matter what. The stations do not need any parking since they are designed for people to walk to them. Only the Route 16 section is being delayed a few years -- it will still happen, just later.

Re: Green Line extension

[ceo]

More specifically, the state has funding to build it out to College Ave, but not further, so the current project goes only that far. The plan is to build it out to Rte. 16 as a second phase once funding (likely federal) comes through.

Re: Green Line extension

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

That and Route 16 is not part of the legal settlement, so they are punting it.

There is no way to be both lazy and informed on the Green Line Extension at this stage in the game. You have to subscribe to multiple mailing lists, "like" groups on facebook, attend meetings periodically, read the papers etc. STEP, MGNA, Friends of the Community Path, and the state are the best resources that come to mind at the moment. Even with as much time as I spend following it electronically, I'm often amazed at the new things I learn by attending meetings that I didn't pick up electronically. I imagine once construction starts it will require less time and activism to follow and support it.

Re: Green Line extension

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

any idea when actual construction on actual expansion will begin?

Re: Green Line extension

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

Construction should start 2012-2013, completion 2015ish. Of course many cynical people are going to scoff.

Re: Green Line extension

[tober.livejournal.com]

I'm going to scoff a little. There are a few really big problematic issues that aren't resolved:
- The money to build the infrastructure has been budgeted but the money to operate the extension hasn't and the T is broke. Also, when last I knew, the money to buy more cars still hadn't been budgeted and the extension cannot really be operated without an addition to the Green Line fleet - I mean, technically, yes, it can, but not without a significant and politically unpalatable increase in headways.

- Some takings of property that are going to be required aren't really even underway yet and have the potential to take several years if the property owners are recalcitrant. Almost all of the track can be built without takings but this is not generally true of the stations and the new maintenance facility.

Also, I wouldn't ignore the fact that the lobby that wants to kill the extension entirely has considerable political clout. In the end, I do not think they will prevail but they may be able to stop construction for a while. In summary, though I do think the extension will get built - at least as far as Tufts - in my lifetime, I think start of construction between 2017 and 2020 and opening of service between 2025 and 2030 is far more likely than the dates the EOT is still hopefully batting around.

Re: Green Line extension

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Identify this "considerable political clout". I believe all the state representatives and senators that represent the districts where the GLX would pass through are in support of the project, as well as countless other supporters at the state level.

Re: Green Line extension

[kalimba21.livejournal.com]

Yes I scoff as well. Here's something published in the Tufts paper last week:
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/mbta-grants-one-quarter-of-funds-to-extend-green-line-1.2505302

Re: Green Line extension

[amy-s1.livejournal.com]

Medford should talk to Arlington, who nixed the red line back when they brought it to Davis and Alewife. Evidently they didn't want the riff-raff of Davis connected to Arlington Center. My guess is they are somewhat regretful today...

Re: Green Line extension

[tober.livejournal.com]

The argument of many (though certainly not all) of the objectors in Medford is almost the opposite, though - that having the Green Line in the immediate vicinity will tend to cause property values to go up (disproportionately to other locations) and they don't want that.

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

I'M regretful. Now I can't get on the 87 bus by my house in the morning to take my kindergartener to school, because both the 7:25 and 7:45 busses are packed full of people from Arlington riding in to Davis.

Not that I'm against y'all taking public transportation, but, c'mon people, if you're just going to Davis, have the courtesy to wait five more minutes and take the Arlington-Davis shuttle. (I'm not holding out hope for the T to run more service.)

Re: Green Line extension

[ron_newman]

Arlington-Davis shuttle? What is this?

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

In the morning, some of the 88 buses *just* go from Arlington to Davis and back again. I'm not sure exactly which ones, but there's definitely one that comes by a few minutes after the stuffed-full 87 bypasses us.

I'm not sure why these aren't designated 88A or something, but they do say "Davis Square" instead of "Highland Ave".

Re: Green Line extension

[ron_newman]

I didn't know any 88 buses started in Arlington Center. I don't see these short-turn runs listed on either the 87 or 88 printed schedules.

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Check the schedule here http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=88 -- it's the runs that have blank spaces in the times and then end up in Davis Square all the way in the right column. (7:16, 7:32, 7:50, 8:07, 8:30)

But I admit I never paid attention to the outbound terminus of the line -- I rarely go that far. That explains the problem better! Why didn't they use the 87 and go all the way? Grrrr.

Re: Green Line extension

[janusirsasana.livejournal.com]

I thought that shuttle was only Clarendon Hill to Davis Sq.

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

It turns out you are right! That is Really Dumb.

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

So, I take back my ire at _you_, Arlington Commuters, and put it back on the MBTA, where it clearly belongs.

Re: Green Line extension

[matthias siebler (from livejournal.com)]

Its not dumb; its just meant to be a Tufts shuttle thats all.

Re: Green Line extension

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

At that time of day? When they introduced it, the MBTA definitely said it was for commuter traffic.

Re: Green Line extension

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

You can't expect people to pass up a bus that goes where they're going just because theoretical people down the line who need that specific bus wouldn't be able to fit. That's just not how public transportation works.

Could you take the 88 Clarendon-Davis shuttle to Davis, and then transfer to the next 87 after it empties out at Davis?

It would be nice if the fareboxes allowed a free transfer from the 88 shuttle to the regular 88, or wouldn't lock out a pass for 15 minutes because it's the same route.

[alphacygni]

STEP is keeping a good log of things on their site.

[djdreilinger.livejournal.com]

Agreed, and the state posts everything sooner or later at greenlineextension.org.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

Yep, College Ave now, Rt. 16 maybe later. There is a study about the Rt. 16 portion under way but the section to College Ave is actually being designed now. The state has committed to the College Ave portion as mitigation for the Big Dig.

[gingernoname.livejournal.com]

There's a Route 16 Station public input meeting at Tufts on March 30th.

http://insidemedford.com/2011/03/09/route-16-station-meeting-at-tufts-march-30/

Green Line to Route 16

[amantone.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,

I'm a Winter Hill resident for 4 1/2 years and a frequent poster here -- I am also the Communications Manager for MAPC, the regional planning agency working with MassDOT and the MBTA on gathering public input about extending the Green Line to Route 16 ("Mystic Valley Parkway").

You can feel free to message me directly for any information, or please don't hesitate to check our website for information: http://mapc.org/smart-growth/green-line-extension

I'm working really hard to make sure all the local papers, blogs and cable stations have the most updated information. If you think I'm missing someone, please let me know! Amanda Linehan, alinehan@mapc.org.

[kenmedford.livejournal.com]

The current plan is to build the extension in two phases -- to College Avenue by October 1, 2015 in Phase 1, and the continuing to Mystic Valley Parkway/Route 16 in Phase 2 in the 2016-2020 time frame. Planning is ongoing on each phase concurrently. You can be kept informed at the Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance website, www.medfordgreenline.org; the project website, www.greenlineextension.org; or the website for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which is currently conducting a year-long Route 16 station planning study (the next meeting is March 30), http://www.mapc.org/smart-growth/green-line-extension

- Ken Krause, MGNA