MBTA Construction Projects

MBTA Projects Get A $850 Million Boost From Fair Share Funds​

The new funding will pay for backlogged "state of good repair" projects, accessibility improvements, and new maintenance facilities for electric buses and trains.


ArborwayGarageWithHousingPlansOctober2023.png


“This week, MassDOT's Board of Directors approved an $850 million transfer from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund to the MBTA to finance new regional rail equipment and facilities, Green Line accessibility improvements, and a new battery-electric bus garage at the Arborway.

The funding will come from the state's new "Fair Share" tax surcharge on high-income households. The Legislature's 2026 budget sent $550 million in Fair Share funding to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF), which helps finance MBTA operations and also pays down the state's transportation debts…..”

“"Last year, during our capital investment plan, there were some major projects that were critical to the T that we still could not fund," said Malia. "This $850 million will be incredibly impactful."…..”


mass.streetsblog.org

MBTA Projects Get A $850 Million Boost From Fair Share Funds - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The new funding will pay for backlogged "state of good repair" projects, accessibility improvements, and new maintenance facilities for electric buses and trains.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
 
stick n move said:
ArborwayGarageWithHousingPlansOctober2023.png
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That infill seems like it could be pretty transformative for making that corridor feel more connected, hope it's not cut down. (And hope there's a bit of ground floor activation - more than the developments across the street have managed so far, although I recognize it looks like there may be a space or two in those that just doesn't have a tenant yet). Getting that east side filled in up to Rossmore would be pretty great for the area.
 
Is there any kind of timeline on getting the third track in use through there? Do they still need to make west natick and the wellesley stations full highs first?
 
GreenLineEnthusiast said:
Is there any kind of timeline on getting the third track in use through there? Do they still need to make west natick and the wellesley stations full highs first?
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Completion isn't expected until 2030, although that's probably going to be a bit late because prelim work was expected to start this year and obviously hasn't. They would need to rebuild Wellesley Farms, Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills, and West Natick stations as part of the project, so there's a lot of moving parts to it.
 
It’s too bad they didn’t at least install a short segment of the future third track through the immediate station area while it was being rebuilt. Assuming they intend to lay it between the two platform tracks, I imagine that work will cause some operational disruption, like closing one of the tracks/platforms.
 
riptide said:
It’s too bad they didn’t at least install a short segment of the future third track through the immediate station area while it was being rebuilt. Assuming they intend to lay it between the two platform tracks, I imagine that work will cause some operational disruption, like closing one of the tracks/platforms.
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I can't imagine it being too disruptive. Something like panel track would probably take all of a night to install through the platform area. That said, I'd imagine they pull out something like a track laying machine for this and do it in one shot - absent installing switches, signal etc, something like the one they used to build the Hartford Line can build ~1000ft an hour. Over the 10 mile corridor, call it an mile a shift... thats only actually about 2 weeks worth of overnights.
 
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“As of November 21, 2025, the South Elm Bridge Replacement Project is complete.

Crews have completed the final roadway, sidewalk, and drainage work around the newly installed bridge. With the City of Haverhill, we reconstructed the roadways and sidewalks underneath the bridge with new lane markings and bicycle accommodations.

Haverhill Line passengers now have access to a safer, more resilient, and more reliable ride with fewer service disruptions.”

South Elm Bridge Update | Project Completed | Updates | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
 
Funny how that bridge took a year, but the high line bridge took five years.
 
stick n move said:
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“As of November 21, 2025, the South Elm Bridge Replacement Project is complete.

Crews have completed the final roadway, sidewalk, and drainage work around the newly installed bridge. With the City of Haverhill, we reconstructed the roadways and sidewalks underneath the bridge with new lane markings and bicycle accommodations.

Haverhill Line passengers now have access to a safer, more resilient, and more reliable ride with fewer service disruptions.”

South Elm Bridge Update | Project Completed | Updates | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
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Well, the MBTA portion of this project is complete.
We're turning on the traffic signals on either side of the bridge from flashing to fully operational on Monday 12/1 (and taking down the extraneous "No Turn on Red" sign you see in that photo as well).
 
There's a public meeting on December 11 about the Newtonville station rebuild.
www.newtonbeacon.org

With Newtonville Station renovations near, commuters unsure of how construction may impact their rides - Newton Beacon

The Newtonville MBTA station will undergo long-awaited renovations in the spring, but people who rely on the rail are still waiting to hear how the work will affect their commutes. The MBTA announced in November [...]
www.newtonbeacon.org www.newtonbeacon.org
The project website was updated last week to say that early construction work will start in spring 2026, after the Newton Beacon began inquiring into the progress. The most recent event listed on the site is from April 2024.
The transit authority hasn’t figured out whether it can keep the station open during construction, according to an MBTA spokesperson. The project schedule is still in development, so it’s not clear how long construction will take. Meanwhile, the MBTA has scheduled a public meeting about the project at Newton City Hall on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.
[...]
Upgrades to the Newtonville station have been decades in the making, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in an interview, and the renovation will be a “game-changer for the city of Newton.” Fuller said it’s too early to know the exact construction management plan, but the MTBA is “very serious” about providing buses when train service is impacted.
“We’ll stay on top of that the next few years and make sure that people can continue to use the service, even if the station requires it to be shut down during the construction,” Fuller said.
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themissinglink said:
There's a public meeting on December 11 about the Newtonville station rebuild.
www.newtonbeacon.org

With Newtonville Station renovations near, commuters unsure of how construction may impact their rides - Newton Beacon

The Newtonville MBTA station will undergo long-awaited renovations in the spring, but people who rely on the rail are still waiting to hear how the work will affect their commutes. The MBTA announced in November [...]
www.newtonbeacon.org www.newtonbeacon.org
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The project was awarded to Consigli on Monday.

 
www.bostonglobe.com

MBTA violated state bidding laws to complete Foxboro station improvements in time for World Cup, state AG says - The Boston Globe

Gillette Stadium will host seven World Cup games next summer, starting June 13.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
In a Dec. 10 letter to the MBTA’s chief legal counsel that was obtained by the Globe, assistant attorney general Justin Polk said the MBTA sidestepped state bidding laws by adding the ongoing Foxboro station improvements to an existing contract for an unrelated project instead of hiring a contractor through a separate bidding process.
“Neither this Office nor any court has ruled that an awarding authority’s interest in meeting an external deadline for a non-essential, major sporting event outweighs an eligible contractor’s legal right to bid on public work, or taxpayers’ rights to have their money spent expeditiously,” Polk wrote.
The state’s construction bidding laws are designed to nurture “open competition” between prospective contractors, ensuring the public gets the best deal possible, according to the letter.
Despite determining that the MBTA violated the law, the attorney general’s office did not stop or terminate the Foxboro project. The office agreed with the MBTA that successfully transporting droves of fans to and from Gillette Stadium served the “public interest,” and depended on the project’s timely completion.
The attorney general’s office would not say if the MBTA will face any consequences for the violation.
The MBTA did not say whether it disputed the findings from the attorney general’s office, but said it was “pleased that the AG’s Office recognizes the MBTA’s argument that the public interest would be best served by allowing the change order to stand and the work on the project to continue.”
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  • Haha
Reactions: HBH
When has anyone in the government ever been concerned with reining in transit costs? If the AG wants to grandstand about this they should figure out why we have to pay significantly more than peers for the same work
 
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