Green Line

Union Square station to open in October, Medford line in December

Good news from the MBTA: General Manager Steve Poftak revealed at the March 29 MBTA board meeting that the Green Line construction is on schedule and that the Union Square branch will likely open in October, with the other stations along the Medford line opening in December.

Edward Orde on Twitter noticed that the MBTA map at the Ruggles station already includes the Green Line Extension:

The new map also shows that the Riverside “D” branch will run to Union Square and the Heath Street “E” branch will run to Medford.

It’s coming!

Public art coming to the Green Line Extension

New Green Line Stops Bring New Public Art to Medford, Somerville, and Cambridge (StreetsBlog)

In a statement, MBTA officials wrote that “this GLX Art Enrichment Program seeks to contribute to the vibrancy of the GLX communities by investing in the success of local artists… The goal is to enhance existing station elements to create a warm and welcoming environment in key areas experienced by the riding public, to both unify and differentiate stations, and to enhance the connection between the station and the community.”

Watch Green Line construction on these live cameras

Can’t wait for the Green Line Extension to open? Curious how the construction is going? Now you can watch via several live cameras positioned along the line.

Here’s a camera near Ball Square:

View more live cameras

Dec 9 Green Line public meeting

If you missed the official Green Line Extension construction update, you can watch it here or view the slides.

STEP letter to MBTA on proposed cuts

We in Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP) can appreciate that the MBTA is going through difficult financial stresses due to the loss of ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. And, that like other transit systems across the US, the agency is trying to find ways to stem the continuing loss in revenue through the proposed Forging Ahead plan. However, we are alarmed about the harm those cuts will do regionally both during the pandemic and long term.

The current challenges transit-dependent front-line workers face are enormous and must be met. In the near term, front line workers throughout the metro area who rely on the MBTA to get to work, already commute in a stressful, potentially hazardous environment, often working late hours and taking multiple modes of transit. The proposed service cuts will disproportionately affect those workers, who don’t have jobs that can be done from home. The fact that the buses and subway cars aren’t crowded currently is a good thing to minimize the spread of the virus.

Green Line progress at Lechmere

While we’re all still stuck at home, construction continues on the Green Line Extension. Thanks to Richard McKinnon of East Cambridge for this photo overlooking the coming Lechmere station.

Remembering Lechmere station

The Lechmere Green Line station vanished practically overnight as GLX construction continues. Thanks to the Cambridge Historical Commission, we can step back in time to 1922 and imagine what it felt like back then…

People of color more likely to live near high-polluting roads

A new study from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) found that 45% of the greater Boston area’s Black residents, 47% of the region’s Asian residents, and 54% of the region’s Latino residents live in the highest-pollution areas, compared to only 29% of the region’s white residents. Exposure to vehicle air pollution increases the risk of heart and lung diseases, which have been associated with higher death rates for patients suffering from COVID-19.

Feasibility studies for future Community Path connections

The Friends of the Community Path and the Friends of the Mystic to Charles Connector released this Joint Report on two feasibility studies of regional trail linkage to the Community Path extension:

Study A: Connection to the Grand Junction Path
Study B: Connection to the Mystic River Greenways at Assembly Square

Low Resolution File
http://pathfriends.org/scp/FinalStudy/CPX_Connection_Study_200601_Report-small.pdf

High Resolution file
http://pathfriends.org/scp/FinalStudy/CPX_Connection_Study_200601_Report%20-full.pdf

Detailed Survey Results:
http://pathfriends.org/scp/FinalStudy/CPX_Connection_Study_200601_SurveyData.pdf

Thanks to:
– MassTrails for co-funding these Feasibility Studies with the Friends of the Community Path and the Friends of the Mystic River Connector
– Alta Planning + Design the contractor we selected to perform the Feasibility Studies
– Our non-profit fiscal sponsors for this MassTrails grant: Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) and Mystic River Watershed Association
– Friends of the Grand Junction Path for their assistance with this project
– The 650+ community members who participated in the Feasibility Study Survey

These feasibility studies allow us to pursue the next the step – project design, which may occur in stages for different areas.

We hope these proposed bike-ped connections will someday benefit people of all ages, abilities, and walks of life, by creating healthy, enjoyable active transportation and recreational opportunities with connections to public transit.

Two Somerville bridges reopening

The Washington Street bridge/underpass near McGrath Highway reopens today after a long closure for Green Line construction. There will be one travel lane and one shared bus/bike lane in each direction. A temporary pedestrian sidewalk will be open on one side of the roadway until final surface restoration is complete. Work will continue overhead on the elevated track level during this phase. Permanent pavement, finished sidewalks on both sides, lighting, and street markings will be completed this summer.

Later this week, the Broadway Bridge in Ball Square reopens as well. It will initially reopen with one travel lane in each direction. During this early stage, temporary accessible sidewalks and bike lanes will be installed on one side of the bridge allowing ped/bike travel in both directions at all times. Final surface restorations are expected to be completed this summer. At that time, the bridge will include permanent pavement markings with two travel lanes in each direction in addition to finished sidewalks and bike lanes on each side of the bridge. When the future Ball Square Station now under construction is complete, the bridge will feature a fully accessible entrance to the station platform from the bridge sidewalk via an elevator and staircase. A second at-grade entrance will be constructed from Boston Ave.

Other bridge updates:

Work on the Medford Street Bridge in Gilman Square is progressing with completion scheduled for fall of 2020. The new design for this bridge calls for an additional span to be added at the south abutment in order to accommodate new Green Line tracks below.

School Street Bridge in Somerville’s Gilman Square will remain closed until spring of 2021. This long-planned closure will facilitate the widening of the rail corridor beneath the bridge to accommodate GLX tracks and the construction of a future Gilman Square Station entrance to be located along the bridge span.