The Central Transportation Planning Staff released a document presenting the supporting material associated with the reevaluation of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) transit commitments. It includes background of the process, history of the analysis, transportation network assumptions, modeling methodology, and the results of the analysis that were used in this reevaluation. Download the SIP supporting material (PDF)
TransReport, the newsletter of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, contains two articles covering the Green Line extensions, basically reiterating what's already been covered here. Download the newsletter (PDF)
Topics included the MetroFutures Visioning workshop, the bus survey, the Medford Green Line group, and Assembly and Union Squares. Meeting notes (PDF)
This summer and fall, STEP conducted a survey of Somerville residents to gather information on current MBTA bus service. The results are in:
– Many Somerville residents depend on bus service for a variety of needs.
– Though satisfied overall with bus routes and stop locations, people are generally dissatisfied with frequency of service.
– Bus routes with the highest satisfaction include the 88, 87, and 80.
– Bus routes with the lowest satisfaction include the 95, 90, and 92.
– The most important improvements are better adherence to schedule, more trips, and bus schedules posted at stops.
– Reliability is the top reason for those who don’t use buses.
Keep reading for more details on the survey findings. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation.
The State's Executive Office of Environmental Affairs has called for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Green Line extensions, which is a normal step in a project such as this. The plan calls for Draft and Final versions of the EIR, rather than just one Single EIR, which means there will be adequate time to study questions such as where…
Boston Herald: "State agrees to extend Green Line, funding shaky" "A legal agreement to extend the MBTA's Green Line to Somerville and Medford and enhance regional transit services will alleviate pollution and traffic backups, but it could also plunge the state deeper into a financial quagmire, officials say." Boston Globe: "State agrees to design link between Red and Blue lines"
Last year the Conservation Law Foundation sued the state for not keeping its transportation commitments, and today a settlement was announced in which the state confirmed its commitment to extend the Green Line in two spurs to Medford and to Union Square by 2014. Other projects were announced or confirmed as well, including the completion of the Greenbush commuter line, improvements…
To see what our light rail stops could feel like, come along on a photographic tour of a few other Green Line stops!
Beaconsfield
“Getting the facts”
While there was hardly a consensus reached for a concrete plan among the 100-plus residents who gathered at the McGlynn Elementary School on Nov. 15 for an informational meeting on the proposed Green Line Extension, most of the city’s officials agreed the gathering was an important first step.
The deadline for submitting comments on the Green Line Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) has been extended to Friday, November 24. Please take a moment to send your feedback on this important planning period. Learn more about the issues and where to send emails or letters.