RAGE against the Green Line
By Matthew Keough/
mkeough@cnc.com
Thursday, October 26, 2006
When Jim Morse first got wind of the MBTA?s plans to extend the Green Line into the city, the retired Medford firefighter decided he would attend all of the exploratory meetings, even though he was no fan of the proposed expansion.
But Morse noticed that only a small number of Medford residents were even aware of a meeting held in Somerville on Oct. 16 and then he became concerned. Later, when Morse read online that just about everybody seemed to support a plan by the Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance (MGNA) to put a station Route 16 by Wild Oats, he got mad.
"I read a story about there being no dissent over the plans at the Somerville meeting," Morse said, adding he became discouraged when he did not read the opinion of dissenters present at the meeting.
But rather than simply fire off an angry e-mail or letter, Morse decided to focus his rage, literally, by forming a group called Medford Residents Against the Green Line Extension (RAGE), which posits a contrary opinion to that of the MGNA.
Although RAGE counts only one member so far, Morse himself, the name is most likely well known to abutters of the opposed expansion sites, where he personally distributed hundreds of fliers.
Morse is against bringing a station to Rte. 16, which would cause what he calls "Wellington Circle/Station Landing at Rte. 16." Morse is also against illegal parking, eminent domain and the drastic facelift to neighborhoods that could occur as a result of a new T station.
Although Morse?s group is something of a response to the MGNA, that group?s founder, Ken Krause, said the Green Line debate is not a battle.
"I think it?s really important that the community work together," said Krause, who will be filming a televised debate with Morse this week. "I applaud Jim Morse for taking the initiative to get more people involved. I spoke with Jim and we share a lot of concerns about the potential impact."
But RAGE?s biggest talking point so far has been Morse?s disapproval of plans to extend the Green Line to Rte. 16.
"My biggest contention is extending it to Wild Oats," Morse said, adding he has asked local officials to weigh in on potential parking and traffic problems. "But we do agree that we need to push for access for the disabled and making sure the stations are manned."
Although Morse may be opposed to a stop at Rte. 16, he has come up with a few alternative ideas on his own, chief among them being an underground stop in Medford Square.
"It would really be a proposal for smart growth," Morse said. "If we had an underground stop, that would liven up the square with the kind of things we want."
Krause, however, doubted if such a plan would either be economically or practically feasible. But Morse said there is little that can be planned at this stage, especially with the information provided by MBTA officials.
"Do we have the money to really do this project? How much will electricity cost? How much will the city have to pay the MBTA?" Morse said. "Cost is always a factor. This isn?t like putting in a bus stop, and I don?t think the costs have all been factored yet."
And much of that money, Morse said, could be better put to use in a variety of ways. As an avid runner, Morse has noted a dangerous increase in the wild geese population in Medford, which he said poses a health risk that should take precedence over MBTA expansion plans.
"In those germs are e-coli, West Nile and everything else," Morse said. "And as a former firefighter, I?m concerned about people?s safety first. I think that has priority over the MBTA."
But for now, both Morse and Krause say they are looking to forward to working with one another, or at least alongside one another, for a common goal: to get the best for Medford.
"The most important thing any of us can do is get input from a variety of people," Morse said. "I don?t care if it?s pro or con. Let?s just educate the public and hear from the people who are going to be affected by this."
