Proposed location of Green Line support facility under fire

On Monday, the state announced its recommendation for the location of a 10- to 12-acre maintenance facility to support the future extended Green Line: on Yard 8 in the Inner Belt area. Since then, Somerville officials and residents (including STEP) have criticized the proposal, saying it would thwart plans to commercially develop the area.

Boston Globe: "In Medford, Somerville, gripes over Green Line plans"

Somerville News: "'Prime developable land' may be lost to Green Line"

Somerville Journal: "City, state officials want proposed Green Line maintenance facility moved"

Updated map of Green Line stops

STEP's interactive map has been updated to reflect the recent recommendations by the state and its consultant VHB. The proposed Green Line stops are there, and if you zoom in you'll see the potential platform location for each stop on the Lowell Line (based on platform locations shown in the community workshops a few months ago). Also shown is the proposed location at Yard 8 of the Green Line support facility. There are also aerial photos of each point of interest.

None of these locations are final, of course, since the public feedback process is ongoing. We'll update the map regularly as things evolve.

Press coverage of Green Line stops

Boston Globe: "Potential Green Line stops announced in Somerville, Medford"

Medford Transcript: "Green Line stops announced for Hillside, Route 16"

Green Line stop locations proposed by state

At the Green Line Advisory Group meeting today, the state and its consultant Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) announced their recommendations for most of the stops along the new Green Line extensions. The stops are not final yet; some locations (such as the Lowell Line terminus and the Union Square stop) are still under discussion, and all will be open for public feedback at meetings that have yet to be announced.

The stops discussed at the meeting are listed below. STEP will publish an updated map in the coming days.

Brickbottom at Washington Street (formerly referred to as a Washington Street or Cobble Hill stop)

Gilman Square at Medford Street (near the Homans Building)

Lowell Street across from the Maxpak property

Ball Square just north of Broadway near Boston Avenue

Hillside between College Avenue and Winthrop Street in Medford (north of the Tufts University parking garage)

Route 16 / Mystic Valley adjacent to the UHaul on the Mystic Valley Parkway

Union Square was not discussed but will be at a later meeting

In addition, the state proposes building an MBTA maintenance facility on Yard 8 in the Inner Belt area.

Meeting handouts can be downloaded from the official project site.

Somerville Journal: "Plan is now for seven new Green Line stops through Somerville"
The article includes video clips from the meeting as well as a general map that doesn't point out exact station locations.

More coverage of Green Line funding

Somerville News: "State fully funds Green Line extension"
“This is a landmark step toward realizing the long awaited goal of extending Green Line trolley service through Somerville and into Medford,” Mayor Curtatone said.

Tufts Daily: "Governor Patrick approves funding for Green Line extension"

Gov. Patrick signs transportation bond bill - with Green Line funding!

Good news about the Green Line! Governor Deval Patrick today signed the $3.5 billion transportation bond bill to invest in road and bridge projects across the Commonwealth, including $700 million for State Improvement Plan commitments to increase transit access across eastern Massachusetts on three projects, including the Green Line extension to Somerville and Medford. This is a critical step forward for the Green Line extensions. It authorizes specific funding for the project and also should allow Federal approval (FHWA, FTA, EPA) of the State Transportation Improvement Program and EPA approval of the revised State Implementation Plan, with the two Green Line branches embedded.

The list of thank yous for this progress is long indeed - the terrific work of the state delegation, city government, our Congressman, the state transportation agencies, hard-working friends at MAPC, CLF, the MPO, and elsewhere. It is a very long list indeed and really has as its foundation all of those small groups and countless individuals who took time to advocate every single time it was important.

"Our residents and businesses have waited far too long for this," Mayor Curtatone said in a written statement. "This is a landmark step."

Somerville Journal: "Gov. OKs funding for Green Line Extension"

Transportation Bond Bill (including Green Line) passes Senate

Somerville gets $857,549 in transportation projects, including the Green Line extensions, assuming the bill that just passed the Senate makes it through conference committee.

Somerville Journal: "Somerville's delegation hails transportation money"

House approves bond bill with Green Line extension funds

Excellent news today as the $1.6 billion Transportation Bond Bill passed in the House of Representatives. It includes $700 million for the Green Line extension. “This should be a big hurrah for the Green Line funding,” State Rep. Carl Sciortino said. “This is a big win for us.”

Two things in the bill also help to streamline the Green Line project:
- An amendment would cut down on the number of times the project has to go out to bid
- The bill asks that Federal and State engineering and environmental reviews occur simultaneously

Next the bill goes to the State Senate.

Somerville Journal: "State Green Line extension funds a “big win,” Sciortino says"

Arlington Advocate: Green Line supported

"Going Green?"
“Arlington has a great deal of interest in public transportation,” Town Manager Brian Sullivan said in his introductory remarks at the March 26 meeting. “We’re very supportive of it. [The Green Line extension] is a win-win situation.”

"[Kristine Wickham Zimmerman, a consultant with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.,] said she expects the EOTPW will come back to affected communities in the summer to present its analyses, with an eye toward applying for Federal Transit Administration funds in the fall."