Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

The other stations won't open at all if they don't design and build the yard...
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

3 years for construction is pretty much the going rate for 3 stations, 2 miles of track, and flyover + viaduct modification construction. Blame the incredibly late Phase I for pushing all that back. 100% station designs are due in about 6 weeks, so there really isn't a whole lot more nasty surprises that could sack those schedules by any more than 6-12 months. I'd be wearily optimistic that it's finally gonna happen at something loosely resembling when they say it will.



The rest of it to College Ave. is what's totally fucked. Maint facility construction starting Feb. 2016, ending Jan. 2019. You're gonna hit a shovels-in-ground start in only 16 months when the design isn't finished and funding hasn't been fully secured??? Pfffft! No effing way are they ready to open to College Ave. Summer 2020 with that prognosis.

8 years...that's my prediction.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Where is Phase 3?!
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

datadyne007 said:
Where is Phase 3?!
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Profit?

Gnomes_plan.png
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Phase 4? What happened to Phase 3?!

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Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

So, at what point is there any political backlash for pushing the date? It doesn't really seem like anyone, STEP, Mayor Curtatone, the CLF, average Somerville residents, etc., are really complaining about it at all, and we're WELL past the point of absurdity.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Okay, sorry for letting this slip, but today (5pm) is the deadline for submitting comments about the Green Line delay and what mitigation steps should be taken.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/public/hearings/transit-mtgs.pdf

The public meetings will be conducted to receive public comment, both oral and written, on the
annual update and status report for transit projects required by 310 CMR 7.36 (2) (f) through (j) and
on the petition to delay the Green Line Extension Project pursuant to 310 CMR 7.36(4). The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) submitted the update, status report and
petition to MassDEP on July 22, 2014.
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Testimony may be presented orally and/or in writing at the public meetings. Written testimony will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. Written testimony must be submitted to: Sreelatha Allam at MassDOT, Office of Transportation Planning, Room 4150, Ten Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116 or sreelatha.allam@dot.ma.us and Jerome Grafe at MassDEP, Bureau of Waste Prevention, One Winter Street, Boston, MA 02018 or jerome.grafe@state.ma.us
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The CLF actually wrote a very fine letter and I think I may submit some additional comments supporting their assertions. Essentially, DOT is trying to pull a fast one on the GLX here by counting the idiotic parking garage at Beverly as "mitigation" and the CLF is calling them out on it.

If you have any time today, and if you care about reducing air pollution, please consider sending at least a quick note.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

winstonoboogie said:
MassDOT has their annual SIP commitment report update posted
https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/17/docs/sip/2014 SIP Annual Report_final.pdf

Looks like the mitigation for GLX delays will be improved off-peak service on the 80, 88, 91, 94, and 96 buses, improved off-peak Green Line service, buying hybrid-electric vans for the Ride, and expanding parking in Salem and beverly (already underway)
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So, can we assume that the state is going ahead with this "as described" since basically the bus plan has to be locked down now so drivers can pick their shifts whatever route/shift changes are required for Jan 1st 2015 implementation
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Arlington said:
So, can we assume that the state is going ahead with this "as described" since basically the bus plan has to be locked down now so drivers can pick their shifts whatever route/shift changes are required for Jan 1st 2015 implementation
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I have heard they are going ahead with weekday off-peak improvements to the 80/88/91/94/96 and Green Line for the Winter schedule that starts very end of December. I think the Green Line employees may have already started picking their Winter schedule work, and bus should be starting picks soon.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

What the f- do the Beverly and Salem garages have to do with transit in Somerville and Medford?!

Edit: I went and read the full CLF letter. Very well written and rightly points out they were well under construction before MassDOT decided to pull a fast one and use them as a cop-out.
 
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Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

datadyne007 said:
What the f- do the Beverly and Salem garages have to do with transit in Somerville and Medford
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The whole CLF settlement was made in a fact-free environment, so these things will always be legal-political-engineering Kabuki, so don't expect to hold either side to something that makes sense in all three spheres.

The original CLF "complaint" about the Big Dig had to do with car-emissions on 93. The reality is that cars have cleaned themselves up since 1990 far beyond the targets of traffic reduction--I93 and our roads are already emitting less tha any pre-Big Dig targets could have dreamed (so the CLF stopped talking about emissions and focuses instead on the projects it was promised)

Meanwhile the State has sucked at delivering projects, and so talks about emissions.

In this crazy mix, the state can note that cars parked in Salem and Beverly are not on 93 at rush hour and are therefore point sources that are not driving past St Polycarp Village at rush hour. QED.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

^^Gorgeous. Let's get building!
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

FYI...Pan Am is footing the bill for the Lechmere Sq. streetscaping as part of all the Northpoint/GLX land-swappy deals from years ago. So some of that ground-level extravagance is being underwritten.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

I am curious if some modern elevated light rail as opposed to the older, street covering kind will spark a new interest in other areas that used to have an El after they see how much less intrusive it is today.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Why aren't the platforms enclosed? Would it be so cost prohibitive to actually shelter waiting passengers from the elements?
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

F-Line to Dudley said:
FYI...Pan Am is footing the bill for the Lechmere Sq. streetscaping as part of all the Northpoint/GLX land-swappy deals from years ago. So some of that ground-level extravagance is being underwritten.
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Dude, I know you lean toward the most spartan possible stations, but I don't think granite planters with benches is "extravagance" in any sense. I am happy to hear that it's being underwritten, but I'd still want the T to make space in front of stations welcoming even if it weren't.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Equilibria said:
Dude, I know you lean toward the most spartan possible stations, but I don't think granite planters with benches is "extravagance" in any sense. I am happy to hear that it's being underwritten, but I'd still want the T to make space in front of stations welcoming even if it weren't.
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Also, using quality building materials, like granite and stainless steel SAVES MONEY in the long run, because of reduced wear and tear and maintenance.

All you need to look at is the cheap ceramic tile flooring in the North Station Green and Orange Line Station (which started breaking loose shortly after opening and is a disaster today) to see what happens when the T cheaps out on materials.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

Equilibria said:
Dude, I know you lean toward the most spartan possible stations, but I don't think granite planters with benches is "extravagance" in any sense. I am happy to hear that it's being underwritten, but I'd still want the T to make space in front of stations welcoming even if it weren't.
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I said underwritten, not implemented. Pan Am isn't a developer, it's a landowner and rent-collector that committed to writing an $X check for the streetscaping bill. You want to critique the design, absolutely go take it to the state and the Northpoint developers who have the biggest seat at the table at what that design is.

But save your energy...you're responding to something I never said or implied.
 
Re: Green Line to Medford to start in 2011

elemenoh said:
Why aren't the platforms enclosed? Would it be so cost prohibitive to actually shelter waiting passengers from the elements?
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It's an El. Els aren't climate-controlled. And enclosures on the surface are goddamn expensive. And largely futile with the sun doing what the sun does and earth's axial tilt doing what it does from December to March and June to September. Nobody has that expectation with Science Park and Lechmere being outdoors since 1912. Not one rider is going to go there thinking "why the @#$% isn't there an enclosed waiting room?"
 
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