Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

You know, the funny thing is one would like to think this project had the best chance. After all, it seems the few projects that are not the South Coast Rail that made any real projects are projects that the universities weight in. It seems not even Tufts can make this state do something beneficial within the 128 belt.

And more Environmental Reports... then after that more delays... than another environmental reports.... it's another Blue Line. Won't get built until every person within the 128 belt alive now are in their 90's or dead. Only a new generation long removed from us will see things happen. That's assuming Boston is still a city that have the potential anymore. For us, if we ever want to see a thriving city that wants to see new things built, we have to move.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

jass said:
LA is about to become the 2nd most ridden light rail system in the country.

If the GL extension doesnt open soon...theyre going to pass us.
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While things here in LA (bailed on Boston after film jobs dried up last year) aren't as nice and walkable as Boston, we're spending money on actually building things. Not on thinking about maybe someday possibly you know, considering what it would take to make that happen. Only to do nothing and then pay someone tens of millions of dollars a few years later to answer the same question.

And the biggest complaints now are that a new line they've juuuuuuuust started working on won't open until... 2015! The horror!

The city blew a lot of chances to save what it had and build things back in the '80s and early '90s when it would have been cheaper. Despite that, things are moving forward.

Boston just can't get things done anymore, and the leadership simply doesn't care about how utterly ineffective it has become, as the needs of transit-using urban commuters simply don't register as being remotely important. At all.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Who wants to bet on which is completed first:

1) Green Line to Tufts, or
2) Westside heavy rail to UCLA

?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

The LA project hands down.

This is such an utter embarrassment for Boston. Cities in Europe like Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona have similar metropolitan area populations and half the GDP that Boston has. Yet their public transportation systems dwarf the MBTA in size, scope and quality. Where the hell are our priorities?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

blade_bltz said:
Who wants to bet on which is completed first:

1) Green Line to Tufts, or
2) Westside heavy rail to UCLA

?
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I'll bring a copy of the unchanged MBTA transit map on my first subway trip to the LACMA.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Signed it.

My bottom line with this is that it's time for the people making the laws to stop breaking their own laws.

How can we get this petition to Adam at UniversalHub?
 
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Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

There's now over 1000 signatures. (1030+)
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Ive shared it w all my friends on Facebook and some community chats I use.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

omaja said:
The LA project hands down.

This is such an utter embarrassment for Boston. Cities in Europe like Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona have similar metropolitan area populations and half the GDP that Boston has. Yet their public transportation systems dwarf the MBTA in size, scope and quality. Where the hell are our priorities?
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How are European subway expansions funded? To the extent they are funded by national governments, my guess is the governments of Germany and Spain are not as dominated by representatives of regions for whom transit service is a foreign concept. How many members of the US Congress represent districts where transit is a viable option?

And isn't LA 3 or 4 times the size of Boston, but has only 1/3 the subway ridership of Boston?

It seems like Boston's system fares pretty well in comparison with the only metro areas it is fair to compare it with: Similiar sized metro areas relying at least in part on US government funding of public transit expansion : Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, SF, DC.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I compare the Green Line situation to Ontario's transit plans.

Canada happens to be a country where the Federal government barely provides funding for transit. Most of the funding is borne by the Provinces and municipalities.

Kitchener-Waterloo expects to open its light rail service in 2017, but it isn't beginning construction until 2014.

Ottawa plans to complete its light rail between 2017 and 2019, with construction beginning in 2013.

In Toronto, the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown light rail line is in a bit of a mess due to local politics, but it's still slated to be completed in 2020, with construction beginning this summer.

Meanwhile, Boston is only extending a single branch of the Green line to Medford, something that has been planned since 2006.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

manrush said:
Canada happens to be a country where the Federal government barely provides funding for transit. Most of the funding is borne by the Provinces and municipalities.
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Still not a fair comparison. Ontario charges the equivalent of a 55 cents/gallon gas tax. The high Ontario gas tax serves to 1) encourage more people to use public transportation by making driving more expensive, and 2) generates revenue that the province can use to expand public transportation in places like Ottawa, Kitchener and Toronto.

A recent proposal in Massachusetts to raise its state gas tax from 21 to 40 cents was dead on arrival.

As for municipal funding, is the argument that the city of Somerville should be footing the bill for the Green Line extension? Good luck with that one.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

belmont square said:
And isn't LA 3 or 4 times the size of Boston, but has only 1/3 the subway ridership of Boston?

It seems like Boston's system fares pretty well in comparison with the only metro areas it is fair to compare it with: Similiar sized metro areas relying at least in part on US government funding of public transit expansion : Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, SF, DC.
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That's exactly the point--these metropolitan areas are getting significantly more funding and have rapidly expanding networks while Boston's proven network is left to die because of inferior and failing infrastructure. For example, Dallas has a light rail network that is 5 percent larger than Boston's entire rapid transit network (with 60 percent less traffic) and DC's Metro is 40 percent larger (with only marginally more passengers per day).
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Only reason for South Coast rail project is to try to save the overly endowed buttocks of Mr. Frank -- as the South Coast is where is his gerymandered district that begins inside Rt-128 ends

But I don't think any of this matters -- in the next few decades cities, states and private enterprise will have to fund their own projects --the era of asking Uncle Sugar is Histoire!!

Best best is to share costs for mutually beneficial projcts (e.g. TF Green and possibly the Downeaster) with our natural partnerrs in New Engalnd, NY State and the bordering Canadian Provinces -- the rest will have to come from private investors
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

PaulC said:
You really think is choice of words is a coincidence?
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I saw it as neither coincidence nor related to his sexual orientation. Most politicians have either literal or figurative fat asses. In Mr. Frank's case, I'd say it's only literal, and I also disagree that SE Coastal rail has much to do with him, whereas it has everything to do with the Governor.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I've seen Barney Frank on the streets of Provincetown with his shirt off. Whighlander was being too kind ...
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

PaulC said:
You really think is choice of words is a coincidence?
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Paul -- a bit off topic -- I used to make the same kind of comments about our bloated and oftern inebrieated former senior senator -- however he's achieved room termperature and his conduct and positions are no longer an issue (other than the offensive monument being planned for construction adjacent to his brother's Presidential Library)

Unfortuantely, we are "Represented" by some of the worst, least cognizant of the issues folks in the Congress -- to a certain extent rather than having 10 fighting for 9 remaining districts -- it would better for the public if 10 were fighting for 1 district and we could pick from scratch 8 others

Bill Buckley once said he'd rather be governed by the first 400 names in the Boston phone directory than the Haaaaaahvd faculty -- today I'd pick 9 names at random rather than Mssrs Frank, Markey, Capuano, etc

back on topic -- Governor Patrick is not running for re-election and the South Coast Rail Project is not likely to produce anything other than paper before he leaves office -- so who else benefits -- my assessment is the congressman whose district encompases much of the route -- that would be Mr Frank
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I was hoping someone would turn this into a political discussion!

Is Frank actually in trouble of losing his seat? Is he in need of saving?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Justin7 said:
I was hoping someone would turn this into a political discussion!

Is Frank actually in trouble of losing his seat? Is he in need of saving?
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No, he's in good shape (in that regard, at least).
 
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