Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

-anarresti- said:
Speaking of "GLX2", obviously it would be satisfying to see the original dream of the GL terminating at Rt 16 or beyond come to fruition, but I really hope that it falls down the totem pole on the list of expansion priorities in favor of BLX to Lynn, Red-Blue, or CR electrification.

I mean, it would have been great had it not been axed from the original GLX but at this point I just don't think it's worth doing in this world we live in where the MBTA can do 1-2 things at a time. At least not for a while. Unless someone can convince me otherwise?

If the GL expands through Somerville and Cambridge ever again I'd much rather see Union<->Porter.
Click to expand...

If you look at the latest Capital Investment Plan (CIP), the MBTA has authorized some money towards the planning of:
After the Green Line extension to Medford/Tufts and South Coast Rail phase 1, these will be the "1-2" expansion projects that the MBTA will be focused on at a time. So, you're right that the Red-Blue Connector is higher on the proverbial totem pole.

The question, discussion, and debate is about what is after that.
 
TrolleybusFoaming said:
That should be covered by a GL extension to Porter, right?
Click to expand...

I've seen this quoted a number of times as a potential follow-up project -- have there been any studies as to project timeline or feasibility for this? From a layman's view the ROW west of Union headed to Porter looks fairly narrow compared to the rest of the line -- is an extension possible without widening the ROW?
 
grand_junction said:
I've seen this quoted a number of times as a potential follow-up project -- have there been any studies as to project timeline or feasibility for this? From a layman's view the ROW west of Union headed to Porter looks fairly narrow compared to the rest of the line -- is an extension possible without widening the ROW?
Click to expand...

I can't comment on the existence of any studies; however, there was a discussion in the Green Line Reconfiguration thread about just this project (I'm sure it has come up in plenty of other threads as well). I believe it began roughly here: https://archboston.com/community/threads/green-line-reconfiguration.5003/page-37#post-402385

Perhaps the Porter discussion should pick back up in that thread, or in Reasonable Transit Pitches, though.
 
grand_junction said:
I've seen this quoted a number of times as a potential follow-up project -- have there been any studies as to project timeline or feasibility for this? From a layman's view the ROW west of Union headed to Porter looks fairly narrow compared to the rest of the line -- is an extension possible without widening the ROW?
Click to expand...
The Fitchburg Line used to be quad-track from BET to Belmont, so the width is there on the ROW. Porter Station would have to be in a duck-under tunnel from Beacon St. because the CR platform eats up the extra track berths. Not a massive production, as the tunnel roof would simply form the new Fitchburg trackbed. The only other place they're constrained is coming right out of Union, where the Eversource substation would have to have its equipment jacked up and moved about 20 ft. back (that's because the GLX tracks won't have completely returned on-alignment from the Union station turnout).
 
-anarresti- said:
Speaking of "GLX2", obviously it would be satisfying to see the original dream of the GL terminating at Rt 16 or beyond come to fruition, but I really hope that it falls down the totem pole on the list of expansion priorities in favor of BLX to Lynn, Red-Blue, or CR electrification.

I mean, it would have been great had it not been axed from the original GLX but at this point I just don't think it's worth doing in this world we live in where the MBTA can do 1-2 things at a time. At least not for a while. Unless someone can convince me otherwise?

If the GL expands through Somerville and Cambridge ever again I'd much rather see Union<->Porter.
Click to expand...

The Route 16 station is going to be extra essential, in being sorely needed to be built, given the MBTA bus network redesign. The Boston Ave. corridor is going to be seeing massively reduced bus service with the 80 and the 94 bus routes outright eliminated and replaced with the 350 bus, renumbered as the 80). Only the Route 16 stop will be able to effectively substitute the 80 and the 94 buses that run along the Boston Ave. corridor today.
 
Brattle Loop said:
On a stop-spacing basis, a GLX infill between Union Square and a Porter extension might make sense, but absent some fairly significant eminent domain takings, there's nowhere readily identifiable to put it.
Click to expand...

Any Porter extension is surely going to have at least one intermediate station. Park Street (probably called Spring Hill) is the likely candidate - it's almost exactly at the halfway point, Scott and Central provide good north/south circulation, it hits the 83 bus transfer, and the location will require reworking for an overpass anyway. Ideally the station would also have access from Dane Street - that Market Basket badly needs better transit.
 
I vaguely recall they said Route 16 was cut to make sure there's enough money to complete the other portions of GLX but if they don't need it then they would continue GLX to Route 16 (along with returning money Cambridge and Somerville offered - which I do know that happened). But I can't find a post that actually says that. But I do know they did proceeded with the environmental review that I believe also hinge on staying on budget back in 2017.

Also, a 1 stop extension is so small that it should be like the Assembly project - as in not occupying a whole "slot" of the 1-big-project-at-a-time. If we are actually decision-makers and have to make a choice, that's one thing, but as an enthusiast board with some of us in activist roles for influencing policy, then there's no reason to not advocate to do something like build Route 16, Porter Sq, and BLX at the same time.
 
The EGE said:
I've also heard (fairly reliably) that the rapid transit map is in error and soon to be corrected - i.e, that the E Branch will indeed go to Medford/Tufts. That means that in a week's time, Heath Street will technically be the eastern terminus of E Branch service.
Click to expand...
The E-Line, in essence, will be a North/South line, once the Medford branch opens.
 
MBTA website now shows the Medford Branch stops, though the PDF map hasn't yet been corrected:

Green Line E | Subway | MBTA

MBTA Green Line E Subway stations and schedules, including maps, real-time updates, parking and accessibility information, and connections.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
 
MBTA GTFS data now includes GLX Medford Branch schedule data for December 12 - 17th. Winter 2023 schedules to be posted in GTFS later.

Route 80 bus service, which parallels the GLX; will decrease during rush hours beginning December 18th. Current rush hour frequencies of 23 minutes AM peak and 26 minutes PM peak will decrease to 30 minutes for both AM and PM peaks, eliminating 4 out of 36 round trips from weekdays (11% service reduction)
 
Last edited:
So I am considering riding on the first inbound train Monday morning, which would mean biking to Tufts, locking up somewhere, riding in to Government Center, then taking the first outbound train available. I'm not that familiar with the area, am I likely to find a decent place to lock my bike?
 
HenryAlan said:
So I am considering riding on the first inbound train Monday morning, which would mean biking to Tufts, locking up somewhere, riding in to Government Center, then taking the first outbound train available. I'm not that familiar with the area, am I likely to find a decent place to lock my bike?
Click to expand...

There are pretty extensive bike facilities at the station itself, and if those aren't open on Monday there are lots of suitable fences, telephone poles and even a few bike racks in the vicinity of the station.
 
The first outbound (northbound) train doesn't arrive for quite a while. It is possible to ride the first inbound (southbound) train all the way to Arlington station (or Copley), long before the first outbound train will arrive.

The first southbound train schedule:
Lechmere: 5:02a
Gov't Ctr: 5:10a
Arlington: 5:16a
Copley: 5:18a

The first northbound train schedule:
Riverside: 4:52a
Copley: 5:27a
Arlington: 5:29a
Gov't Ctr: 5:35a
Lechmere 5:45a
NOTE: First outbound train arrives from Riverside.

If turning around at Lechmere, it will be a 40+ minute layover. It'll be ~25 minutes of layover at Gov't Ctr. At Arlington station, it will be about ~12 minutes of layover, and just under 10 at Copley.

I think Arlington station is probably the best spot to turn around back to Medford, since IIRC, one can reverse platforms to the other direction there. As such, I think Gov't Ctr is probably a little bit too early to disembark to reverse direction, unless desiring a longer layover time.
 
Last edited:
Running a street sweeper over the School St bridge this morning. I’m guessing it’s open today or tomorrow.
 
1670603078368.png
 
ceo said:
That's GLXX. Get it right. :)
Click to expand...
Well, MVP was officially the only station put into "Green Extension Phase 2" and, as noted, they diverted the CMAQ funds from GLX2 to pay for the (expected) overruns in Phase 1 and then never programmed them back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top