At the MPO meeting, Tom Bent, who represents Somerville on the MPO, read the following statement:
This Long Range Transportation Plan is not in compliance with the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The current SIP clearly states that the GLX must be open and operating by Dec. 31, 2014. Somerville concedes that this is an improbability considering the complexity of this project and they are truly disappointed by this.
That being said, Somerville will be endorsing this TIP and Plan as it represents important transportation investments in Somerville and the Region:
Somerville is very grateful for this investment:
– $490.4.2M GLX
– $1.9M CPX
– $3.9M Beacon St.
– 24 new Green Line Cars
– resurfacing on I-93 around Sullivan Square/Assembly Square
As well as:
– the Belmont Trapelo Road project
– the intersection improvements on Route 129 in Lynn
– the Mass Ave project in Arlington
– the South Bay Harbor Trail project in Boston
– and the Route 9 at Oak St project in Natick
All of these projects are not only important to their communities, but the Region and are all highly rated projects against the MPO endorsed TIP evaluation criteria.
Even though Somerville is voting in favor of these documents, we do request that MassDOT formally petition MassDEP for an adjustment to the current SIP schedule for the GLX that is AGGRESSIVE AND REASONABLE. Somerville strongly believes that that would include opening stations in Union Square and Washington St. in 2016 and getting to College Ave by 2017.