Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

[Jake_Jarmel]

What are those vertical corrugated things? I assume they're part of the foundation for the bike path, or are they part of the support for the retaining wall?

Those are inverted T-Walls. The "corrugated things" are the stems for each T-Wall block and they interact with the (future) backfill through friction to produce a resistance to the earth pressure that's on the back face of the panel. It's the same concept as other mechanically stabilized earth walls that use other anchor systems to interact with the backfill.

Where this really differs is that the stems get longer as you go up in elevation which is the opposite of conventional T-Walls, modular block walls, and gravity walls. The advantage of this system is that you can practically eliminate the need for excavation to install the wall because the panel stems are following the existing slope as they stack. If you're familiar with retaining wall design this also reduces the active wedge behind the wall.

With such a narrow corridor in some areas this a good system to use. The alternative wall type to use when you're so close to an existing right-of-way is soldier pile and lagging, which you also see all over this project corridor, but is more expensive.

 

[Ruairi]

Looks like Somerville might be released from its obligation to pay $50m towards the GLX. Good news if true as it set a dangerous precedent!

 

[stick n move]

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Thank you! I click on this thread everyday hoping to see some new pictures.

 

[Javier]

 

[shmessy]

Looks like Somerville might be released from its obligation to pay $50m towards the GLX. Good news if true as it set a dangerous precedent!

Where'd you hear that?

 

[millerm277]

Where'd you hear that?

I see this: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2021/0...p-green-line-extension-project-alive-in-2016/

Brief quote:

There may be a decision by early summer on whether Somerville will be absolved of its $50 million liability for the MBTA green line extension, said Edward Bean, finance director and auditor for the City of Somerville, during a Tuesday meeting.

 

[shmessy]

I see this: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2021/0...p-green-line-extension-project-alive-in-2016/

Brief quote:

Thank you!

That being said, the "possibility", at this point, seems to be in the eyes of Somerville.


".....With the green line “in a very, very healthy state,” Bean told Somerville city councilors at a meeting of their finance committee, Curtatone “has been lobbying hard with the state to try to get the city absolved.”

Somerville had already borrowed $30 million on a short-term basis and would hope to claw back that money plus any interest it had paid. “We also have $7.1 million built up in our green line stabilization fund,” Bean said. “So that money would be available to use for other capital projects’” debt service.

“The mayor is very optimistic,” Bean said.

Cambridge has already paid $15 million of its green line extension commitment and has not asked for any of its $25 million contribution to be canceled, said Lee Gianetti, the city’s director of communications and community relations, on Monday."

 

[ra84970]

Circling back to the future MVP station and the consideration of bus routing changes with a future Route 16/MVP station.

I'm imagining the bus destinations from here to the west are:

West Medford - Arlington Center (80/94/95+)
West Medford - Winchester - Woburn (134)

West Medford - Arlington Center - Heights - Lexington (77/79/62/76 Corridor) - New Routing
West Medford - Arlington Center - Alewife or Waverly - New routing

Meanwhile, to the east, the most common destinations would take you through Medford Center

Via. High St/ Medford Center - Malden Center (95/101)
Via. Boston Ave/Medford Center - Wellington (101/134/95)

The question is whether all of these are through-routed in the future MVP station.

 

[Javier]

 

[RandomWalk]

Between USQ and the high school, there’s a lot of large scale soil remediation going on in Somerville these days.

 

[Texasian]

Between USQ and the high school, there’s a lot of large scale soil remediation going on in Somerville these days.

Remediation work at Conway Park just kicked off too.

 

[fatnoah]

Circling back to the future MVP station and the consideration of bus routing changes with a future Route 16/MVP station.

I'm imagining the bus destinations from here to the west are:

West Medford - Arlington Center (80/94/95+)
West Medford - Winchester - Woburn (134)

West Medford - Arlington Center - Heights - Lexington (77/79/62/76 Corridor) - New Routing
West Medford - Arlington Center - Alewife or Waverly - New routing

Meanwhile, to the east, the most common destinations would take you through Medford Center

Via. High St/ Medford Center - Malden Center (95/101)
Via. Boston Ave/Medford Center - Wellington (101/134/95)

The question is whether all of these are through-routed in the future MVP station.

I think it makes sense to connect as many as possible to a GL station, especially since several already travel on or near the corridor. That said, I think that's too big a detour or gets away from the core markets of several of the routes, especially the 134 which seems to have decent Medford High ridership and the Mass. Ave corridor buses which connect to Alewife, Porter, and/or Harvard. A West Medford detour doesn't seem to make much sense for those, at least IMHO.

 

[Javier]

 

[Jahvon09]

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Looks like some great "artist" has come back & painted the wall with their marvelous graffiti. Again!! Hah!!

 

[reno]

The MBTA needs videos like this one from Network Rail in England that just came out today.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Arlington]

View of Ball Sq platform showing the outer end. Includes full depth ballast on the outbound side and track laying equipment parked at what appears to be finished level.

Inbound side is still a very deep foundation trench (no sign of sub ballast)

 

[Jahvon09]

I figure that none of you ride Amtrak. Just before NYC, Philly & Baltimore, even in Washington, DC, some of the walls lining the railway is covered with graffiti!! Bad people make a grave habit of doing that. It's done mainly at night, so that people can't see them doing it.

 

[Jahvon09]

Remember THIS? I'm sure that you do. Such marvelous work from vandals who have nothing else better to do. Hah!!

 

[Wash]

Picture one: Taken from the Ball Square Bridge looking inbound along the line. They've certainly laid a lot of track since I was here last.

Picture Two: Looking outbound along the platform. Presumably, the gap in the laid track here (along the inbound side of the platform) is there to allow construction access to the platform and area under the bridge. I'd expect this to be one of the last "gaps" closed before completion of the project.

 

[Wash]

Picture three: What looks to be the base for a flight of stairs/an elevator at the far edge of the platform near the bridge.