“Somerville, Cambridge offer $75m to save Green Line extension” (Boston Globe)
“‘It became very clear to us that to have any shot of moving the Green Line forward, we’d have to make a significant contribution,’ said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, whose city is offering $50 million. ‘We didn’t come to this decision lightly.’
On Monday consultants hired by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation are set to present redesigned, scaled-down stations, contracting changes, and other plans aimed at reducing the cost of the now-$3 billion project. The boards of MassDOT and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s fiscal control board could then vote to approve the revised plan – or to kill the project altogether – perhaps as soon as Monday.”
“Somerville, Cambridge Plan To Deliver $75 Million With Hopes Of Advancing Green Line Project” (WBUR)
“Despite the fact that our cities bear no responsibility for the cost overruns that brought the GLX to this moment of crisis, we will seek to support the Commonwealth by expanding our cost-sharing role. The Green Line is that important to our communities, our region, and our state.”
“Somerville, Cambridge leaders to push for city funding for Green Line extension” (Boston.com)
“Curtatone and Rossi said without the financial commitments from their cities, they believed the extension would be canceled and the state would forfeit a near-billion dollar federal grant, as well as an estimated $700 million in ‘sunk costs’ already spent by the state.”
“Somerville, Cambridge pledge a total of $75M to the Green Line Extension” (Cambridge Chronicle)