Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

Equilibria said:
Correct link: http://greenlineextension.eot.state.ma.us/documents/MVP_NPC_October2017.pdf

p.95 for diagrams.

I hadn't realized until now that this station will technically be in Somerville. Huh.
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Thanks for correcting the link! (I went back to fix it in the original)

And I've always suspected that part of what's kept the MVP station alive is that it sought political asylum on a tiny little peninsula of Somerville (and owned by Tufts) surrounded on 3 sides by a skeptical Medford.
 
I don't think the proposed at-grade station would preclude future extension to West Medford all that much. The major cost will be the new viaduct across the Mystic River and Parkway. The at-grade station will be relatively inexpensive to build and be a small sunk cost in a future extension project.
 
Arlington said:
Thanks for correcting the link! (I went back to fix it in the original)

And I've always suspected that part of what's kept the MVP station alive is that it sought political asylum on a tiny little peninsula of Somerville (and owned by Tufts) surrounded on 3 sides by a skeptical Medford.
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My prediction is by 2026 the new Medford will be pissed at themselves for killing an extension in 2005, in the same way that Arlington feels dumb for turning down the subway. Nevertheless, lots of high-frequency bus feeders to MVP are a pretty huge upgrade over hourly Commuter Rail anyway, and should be a workable solution until Regional Rail.
 
They were never going to cross 60 with the GLX; the plan was to put the station just south of it. I'm glad to see the plan includes a pedestrian walkway to West Medford Square; it's otherwise a long and indirect walk between the two.
 
ceo said:
They were never going to cross 60 with the GLX; the plan was to put the station just south of it. I'm glad to see the plan includes a pedestrian walkway to West Medford Square; it's otherwise a long and indirect walk between the two.
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That's MGNA's Bridge (a neighborhood group), not, so far an official thing (though it should be)

I would say West Medford already regrets not getting the GLX (just like Arlington Center does)

On Railroad.net F-Line discussed possible bus impacts, such as less commitment to CR as Frequencies at MVP beat speed from WMed particularly given GLXs access to the central subway.

A mix of walk/bike locals voting with their feet, and fthe 80 and 94 see an boost, and a new route develops Davis Sq-College Ave-Boston Ave-WMed-Playstead-Winthrop St-WnchCtr.

It would be similar to how the impulse to extend beyond Alewife is lessened by the way the Minuteman and 77 have bloomed into a "good enough" "next stop" solution (and the prospect of nuking the Minuteman at people's back fences in order to tunnel the Red looks like a double loss).

If a bridge and path do connect the MVP to WMed, and the 80, 94 get upgrades, and a new bus runs Davis-GLXWMed-Wegemere, I think folks will be happy enough.
 
ceo said:
They were never going to cross 60 with the GLX; the plan was to put the station just south of it. I'm glad to see the plan includes a pedestrian walkway to West Medford Square; it's otherwise a long and indirect walk between the two.
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The are two existing crossings 500 feet on each side from where the pedestrian crossing would be.
 
FitchburgLine said:
My prediction is by 2026 the new Medford will be pissed at themselves for killing an extension in 2005, in the same way that Arlington feels dumb for turning down the subway. Nevertheless, lots of high-frequency bus feeders to MVP are a pretty huge upgrade over hourly Commuter Rail anyway, and should be a workable solution until Regional Rail.
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I mean growing up there I never felt like Arlingtonians thought it was dumb to stop the Red Line. But keep in mind the Arlington of 1980 and the Arlington of 2000 are very different. Still most people liked the quiet suburban feel with the small town vibe.

West Medford isn't much of a place the same way Medford Center is so I doubt there will be much through given to the loss. And it's not like they are removing the CR station so things will pretty much stay the same... which is probably how they like it.
 
whittle said:
The are two existing crossings 500 feet on each side from where the pedestrian crossing would be.
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Yes, but either one is a much longer walk from West Medford Square, due to the street layout. (I used to live near there.)
 
ryblogs said:
Getting anxious! Hopefully good things this Friday!
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Yup, hopefully.
Seems like the height of shortsightedness not to connect the somerville community path to the top of north point.
How expensive could it be to run a dedicated path along Joy st, from the new East Somerville station. Around the brickbottom artists buildings, bridge the tracks there and back on the ground behind Zinc? Or just run it under the viaduct for the green line in Cambridge.
Seems nuts that theres going to be a huge new employment center in north point which only has Somerville pedestrian/bike access along McGrath highway/McCarthy overpass.
 
Ruairi said:
Yup, hopefully.
Seems like the height of shortsightedness not to connect the somerville community path to the top of north point.
How expensive could it be to run a dedicated path along Joy st, from the new East Somerville station. Around the brickbottom artists buildings, bridge the tracks there and back on the ground behind Zinc? Or just run it under the viaduct for the green line in Cambridge.
Seems nuts that theres going to be a huge new employment center in north point which only has Somerville pedestrian/bike access along McGrath highway/McCarthy overpass.
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I personally think it seems nuts to lump in community path/etc costs in with the GLX at all. I agree it should be connected, but don't think it should be on the GLX books to fund it.
 
bakgwailo said:
I personally think it seems nuts to lump in community path/etc costs in with the GLX at all. I agree it should be connected, but don't think it should be on the GLX books to fund it.
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Yea, it is strange but far stranger tying 80% of it to the GLX project, the only section missing would link a few major community paths.
 
Ruairi said:
Yup, hopefully.
Seems like the height of shortsightedness not to connect the somerville community path to the top of north point.
How expensive could it be to run a dedicated path along Joy st, from the new East Somerville station. Around the brickbottom artists buildings, bridge the tracks there and back on the ground behind Zinc? Or just run it under the viaduct for the green line in Cambridge.
Seems nuts that theres going to be a huge new employment center in north point which only has Somerville pedestrian/bike access along McGrath highway/McCarthy overpass.
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It seems like such a no brainer to close this link, that I feel it will get funded one way or another, if not included in the GLX. However, stupider things have happened...
 
bakgwailo said:
I personally think it seems nuts to lump in community path/etc costs in with the GLX at all. I agree it should be connected, but don't think it should be on the GLX books to fund it.
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It's a path alongside the tracks... That's like saying the MBTA shouldn't be fixing any of the roads that its construction impacts.
 
sm89 said:
It's a path alongside the tracks... That's like saying the MBTA shouldn't be fixing any of the roads that its construction impacts.
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In this case, though, the segment in question does not exist and never has, so there's not a path being impacted, only a Crazy Bike Pitch being deferred (similar to MVP terminus being deferred)

It really (for those 1000' or so of path that the T does not want to build) is asking the MBTA to build something entirely new, not to restore a thing that they've impacted.

Don't get me wrong: I think a continuous path is a great idea and would be of huge use to me and many, many people. But the GLX and a mostly-continuous path are both a huge boon in an of themselves, and suspect that someplace else in the state there's a bike facility (Mass Central Rail Trail? Bike to the Sea?) that would deliver a better bang for the same buck. that some want spent in Somerville.

I don't see that building this as part of the GLX is good and fair, especially since McGrath will soon be grounded and pathed along a similar route.
 
Arlington said:
In this case, though, the segment in question does not exist and never has, so there's not a path being impacted, only a Crazy Bike Pitch being deferred (similar to MVP terminus being deferred)

It really (for those 1000' or so of path that the T does not want to build) is asking the MBTA to build something entirely new, not to restore a thing that they've impacted.

Don't get me wrong: I think a continuous path is a great idea and would be of huge use to me and many, many people. But the GLX and a mostly-continuous path are both a huge boon in an of themselves, and suspect that someplace else in the state there's a bike facility (Mass Central Rail Trail? Bike to the Sea?) that would deliver a better bang for the same buck. that some want spent in Somerville.

I don't see that building this as part of the GLX is good and fair, especially since McGrath will soon be grounded and pathed along a similar route.
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McGrath soon grounded?

Isn't that scheduled for 2026 - 2029?

I'd hardly call that "soon".
 
ryblogs said:
McGrath soon grounded?

Isn't that scheduled for 2026 - 2029?

I'd hardly call that "soon".
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My pet part of the GLX (the MVP station) has also been pushed back to that timeframe. It happens. It's not a violation of anybody's intrinsic rights, it is a balancing of money and time.

If the neighbors in Somerville consider this an indispensable thing, they're free to fix it with takings or an on-street re-route. As good as the idea is, nobody owes it to them *now*.
 
The point of including the Community Path Extension with the GLX was that building it after the fact would have added hugely to its construction cost. And the Friends of the Community Path have a design for it that's significantly cheaper than the T's; I can't find a link at the moment, but it involves a prefab bridge over the Fitchburg Line.
The thing that really annoys me is the priority assigned to the CPX in the bidding requirements; platform canopies and more elevators are well and good, but public art? Public art is a fine thing but let's address functionality first, please.
 
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