What went wrong with the Green Line? Major factors were the flawed CM/GC procurement structure and implementation, as well as lack of capable oversight to prevent the contractor from price gouging.
“Consultant: T got snookered on Green Line” (CommonWealth Magazine)
The state enabled a major contractor group to take advantage of it, leading to ballooning Green Line Extension costs, according to a consultant brought in to assess what went wrong.
“We allowed them to work the system,” said Brian Lang, a member of the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board, summarizing the consultant’s report to the board.
“MBTA’s Green Line Extension Project Plagued With Problems From The Outset, Firm Says” (WBUR)
BRG’s analysis emphasized that there was no “silver bullet” problem with the project, but that several longstanding and connected issues at the T led the project to this point.
“It seems that many parties failed to undertake actions that would have helped us much better understand the cost of this project,” Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said after the meeting. “The cumulative result is that we are standing here having already [approved] four construction contracts without actually understanding what it’s going to cost to get to the end of the project.”
“How the Green Line extension got so expensive” (Boston.com)
Possible options are expected to be discussed at a Dec. 9 meeting, where she said officials hope to answer four questions: “What do we think the project will cost? What do we think the best procurement method is? Who do we think should be managing the project? And how are we going to pay for it?” Pollack said.