Somerville Journal: “Angry Somerville residents rail against Green Line extension delays”
Boston Herald: “Somerville fumes at Patrick for Green Line extend stall”
âTens of thousands of residents of Somerville and Medford are tired of minced words and broken promises,â Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said yesterday. âOur patience is at an end.â
Weekly Dig: “Green Line extension hearing obstacle course”
Tufts Daily: “Possible delays in Green Line extension irk local officials”
Excerpts from the Somerville Journal…
The Patrick administration is seeking $300 million in federal funding for the project, which could push its completion date two years back to 2016.
Residents and lawmakers called on the state Department of Environmental Protection to force transportation officials to stick to the schedule.
“We’re going to hold their feet to the fire,” Mayor Joe Curtatone.
“They have been unyielding and it’s painful to me that the Democratic administration for which I had high hopes is proposing delays even the Romney administration did not suggest,” said Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville).
Carrie Russell, staff attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation, said the group is ready to take the state back to court to stop the delay. “The case hasn’t gone away,” she said.
Mohler said the delay is allowable as long as the state maintains air quality benefits to the area as part of the mitigation. That could be achieved through additional bus service, improvements to transit operations or building a commuter rail station, he said.