Green Line

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne  and some very happy advocates and citizens gathered this morning at Somerville Junction Park to celebrate the opening.

Somerville High School was full of joy and gratitude yesterday as the community celebrated the opening of the full Green Line Extension!

If you missed Monday’s festivities, you can watch above. Below are clips from Ball Square the same morning.

Here is how Arlington author and illustrator A.J.B. Lane commemorated the Green Line Extension opening in the Ideas section of the Boston Sunday Globe.

Hundreds rode the first trains, music was played, mayors (current and former) danced, speeches were given, and Somerville became an even better place to live on this fine December day! Keep reading for more photos from Karen Molloy.

December 12 is the first day of service of the Medford branch of the Green Line Extension. It's been a long journey and Somerville is ready to celebrate. Here are upcoming events: Monday, Dec 12 4:30 am: Meet the MBTA General Manager at the new Medford/Tufts station.4:45 am: Ride the first train from the same station.7-8 am: Celebrate with Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne (and live music) at the Ball Square station.10 am: Ribbon cutting ceremony at the Medford/Tufts station, followed by a ceremony at Tufts Joyce Cummings Center (177 College Ave). Space is limited, masks encouraged. Saturday, Dec 172-4 pm: Community celebration at Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave), with a kid's choo-choo train, live music, food, GLX oral history project, crafts, and more.

"The Green Line’s Medford extension has an opening date at long last" (Boston.com) “We’re really pleased to be able to share this news,” [T General Manager Steve Poftak] told the MBTA Board of Directors, noting that T leadership has been “eagerly awaiting” the announcement for years. 

It hasn't been a good summer for the MBTA -- and certainly not for its riders. The T announced two pieces of bad news: Starting Aug 22, the Green Line will close between Government Center and Union Square for four weeks. They say the closure is necessary to complete the Medford branch work, as well as work on the Government Center Garage. Very disappointing. There will be shuttle buses offered. Phase 2 of the Green Line Extension, originally supposed to open last December, then May, then late summer, is now planned for late November. Reasons include work and re-testing of the power systems and availability of Safety and Operational support crews. Also very disappointing. MBTA Press Release "MBTA to close Green Line north of Government Center for 4 weeks" (Boston Globe) "MBTA will…

"Green Line Extension to Medford was set to start service in December, then May, then this summer. Now? ‘Tracking for late summer,’ T says." (Boston Globe) Slated to start carrying passengers in December, then May, then this summer, the branch and its five new stations are now scheduled to open for business in “late summer,” said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo via e-mail.... Laurel Ruma is a Green Line Extension citizen representative charged with communicating with the communities around the Medford branch’s northern stops and the MBTA about the project. She said people are anxious to see the stations open after enduring years of construction in their backyards. “Whether it’s late summer or early fall, we know it’s within sight,” she said. “You can see the stations are built, bike racks are in, it…

"Decades in the making, Green Line Extension to Somerville’s Union Square finally opens for passengers" (Boston Globe) "GLX opening a major achievement for the T" (CommonWealth Magazine) "The MBTA's Green Line finally goes all the way to Somerville" (WBUR) "Green Line Extension pulls into the Somerville’s Union Square … finally!" (Boston Herald) "Somerville, Cambridge celebrate GLX opening" (Somerville Times) "At last: the trains have come to Somerville; first new Green Line Station opens" (Wicked Local) "Green Line service to Somerville starts with new branch of GLX" (WCVB) "Green Line Extension Service to Union Square in Somerville Begins Monday" (NBC Boston) "MBTA’s Green Line Extension Opens With 2 New Stations" (CBS Boston) "Photos: The Green Line Extension’s Opening Day" (StreetsBlog)