MBTA Construction Projects

Re: T construction news

There are about three different threads this could have gone into.

Malden Patch
- May 24, 2012
Bus Diversions on Orange Line to Begin in June
Construction on the new Assembly Square Orange Line station will lead to replacement bus service, off and on, through 2014
.

By Chris Orchard

Construction on the new Assembly Square Orange Line stop, which has already begun, will lead to periodic bus diversions on the subway line beginning in June - including some at Malden Center and Oak Grove - and lasting until the station is complete in fall of 2014.

Most bus diversions will take place on weekends or at night, according to a presentation given by MBTA officials at a community meeting in Somerville Wednesday night.

Community College, Sullivan Square, Wellington, Malden Center and Oak Grove stations will all see bus diversions at some point during construction.

Terry McCarthy, a project manager with the MBTA, said the first weekend bus diversion is tentatively scheduled for June 9, although that date is not yet set in stone.

In the beginning, diversions will be "sporadic," McCarthy said, but by late summer and early fall they'll be more regular.

Orange Line passengers should expect two types of bus diversions: Weekend diversions, which will start at 9 p.m. on Fridays, and "early access" diversions, which will take place between 9 p.m. and the end of service on weeknights.

During these diversions, buses will replace Orange Line trains between various stations. McCarthy said the diversions will affect different stations at different times depending on the work being done.
A new station

The MBTA is in the process of building the Orange Line station—the first new MBTA rapid transit station to be built since 1987—in the Assembly Square area of Somerville. It will be between Wellington and Sullivan Square stations, and it will serve the new Assembly Row development, which is also under construction.

Construction on the station is expected to take 33 months, and the station is projected to be open by fall of 2014, according to Wednesday's presentation (Workers will still be putting finishing touches on the station after it opens.)

The project will begin with moving the southbound track out of the way in order to build the center platform, according to Wednesday's presentation. Workers will then construct platforms and station structures before laying down a new southbound track. They'll complete work by putting finishing touches on the station.

According to Wednesday's presentation, held at the Capuano Early Childhood Center, the MBTA will notify riders the Monday before weekend diversions, and they'll post notices in stations and leave "seat drops" on trains. Riders can also learn about diversions on mbta.com.
Related Topics: MBTA
 
Re: T construction news

Sorry if this has already been answered, but is IKEA still paying the bill? I think I remember that being the plan, but I've also heard that they're thinking of pulling out of Assembly Sq.
 
Re: T construction news

I'm not sure why they would need to bus all the way from Community College when the plans call for a crossover at Sullivan Square (at least for the duration of construction). Can't they pop in some switches during night time maintenance hours?


Sorry if this has already been answered, but is IKEA still paying the bill? I think I remember that being the plan, but I've also heard that they're thinking of pulling out of Assembly Sq.

IKEA hasn't shown any signs of continued commitment in ages.

Which is fine with me. I'd rather see someone utilize freight rail potential. Too bad Home Depot is already there but inaccessible to rail, I think there's a couple Home Depots which do use rail.
 
Re: T construction news

The MBTA is in the process of building the Orange Line station—the first new MBTA rapid transit station to be built since 1987—in the Assembly Square area of Somerville. It will be between Wellington and Sullivan Square stations, and it will serve the new Assembly Row development, which is also under construction.

Is this correct? I realize there is a meaningful distinction between rehab and new, but I'd say the current airport station is new, rather than a rehab. It's not even at the same location as the old.
 
Re: T construction news

They must mean in a completely new spot not replacing an old spot. Just thinking off the top of my head, Charles/MGH is a more or less completely new structure.
 
Re: T construction news

There are also three completely new RT stations in the SPID.
 
Re: T construction news

Even the MBTA doesn't think the Silver Line is RT LOL!
 
Re: T construction news

I'm not sure why they would need to bus all the way from Community College when the plans call for a crossover at Sullivan Square (at least for the duration of construction). Can't they pop in some switches during night time maintenance hours?

That was the burning question during the overbudget/behind-schedule OL signal replacement saga from hell of a few years ago. Bustitutions every weekend despite no more than segment of 1 track being out of service at any given time.

Cue "But we've always done it this way. . ."
 
Re: T construction news

Even the MBTA doesn't think the Silver Line is RT LOL!

Those are perfectly nice rapid transit stations, just not currently serviced by the right equipment. Maybe they are therefore incomplete, awaiting a track bed.
 
Re: T construction news

I believe this weekend is the first weekend of Orange Line shuttles for Assembly Square construction.
 
Re: T construction news

The should really electrify part of that corridor out to Newton and use Budd M3 style trains like the long island railway
 
Re: T construction news


RD-- Not quite -- there are some interesting developments in the article -- highlights follow:

Green Line Extension Takes Step Forward With Feds

By Chris Orchard
June 11, 2012

The Green Line Extension moved one step closer Monday toward the goal of federal funding, though there is no guarantee the federal government will eventually cough up money to help pay for the project.

According to a letter sent Monday by the Federal Transit Administration to Richard Davey, secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Green Line Extension {GLX} has been added to the pipeline of projects in the federal administration's New Starts program {NSP}.[my numbering in brackets] {with editorial comments in braces}:

[1] the Green Line Extension has permission from the administration to enter the "preliminary engineering" phase of planning:

[a] This puts the proposed Green Line Extension on a master list of transportation projects across the country the Federal Transit Administration is considering for federal funding.
It is not a guarantee the project will get federal assistance, but it's a necessary step for all projects seeking NSP funding.
[c] Projects begin their life in the "preliminary engineering" phase
[d] {they may} move to the "final design" phase
[e] ultimately, if the Federal Transit Administration {FTA} decides to award money -- to the "full funding grant agreement" phase.

[2] The Green Line Extension, which would extend the MBTA's light rail subway line into Somerville and Medford, has a long way to go before it reaches that point.

[3] Estimated cost of the Green Line Extension is $1.3 billion, and Massachusetts is asking NSP to pay for $557 million of that, about 41.7 percent of the total cost.

[4] The letter, while accepting the GLX into NSP, does express concern about the project and the MBTA's financial situation.

[5] The state's financial plan for the MBTA includes:
[a] transferring $1.6 billion of MBTA debt to the state,
implementing a $0.01 per mile statewide tax on vehicle miles
[c] allocating casino gaming revenues to the MBTA,

measures the letter calls "large new, uncommitted fudning sources."



That was the first time I heard of the $0.01 per mile vehicle mile tax -- I think that this is a non-starter as it is impossible to collect without monitoring each vehicle in real-time -- and quite possibly inviolation of Interstate Commerce Clause as -- if I begin a drive in Lowell drive through Salem NH and end in Haverhill -- only the Mass portion can be taxed by Mass.

But anyways -- this kind of exposition of the bureauKrapsy of the process should tell us that the Feds should not be involved in a project like this at all -- let Massachusetts pay for 100% if it taxpayers want the extension

Once the new Congress is in-place these kinds of spending will be very carefully scrutinized

based on this article -- I wouldn't start planning my trips on the GLX
 
Re: T construction news

Are you prepared to agree that Massachusetts should pay for 100% of all highway projects too?

What makes you think "the new Congress" will be any different? Because if republicans take over both houses, they will cut all funding for transit and direct all subsidies towards highways and overseas wars?
 
Re: T construction news

I have very little faith in any major MBTA project being completed on budget and on time. We only need to look at the Park Street elevator project which has been ongoing for well over 2 years. It has to be approaching 3 years and it's still not done.

Look at the Neponsett Bridge on the Dorchester/Quincy line. That has been ongoing for about 3 years and the bridges have 2013 markings which tells me we still have another 6-9 months to go before traffic can finally get back to normal flows. Between rehabbing the support columns and the bridge itself, we are talking 4 plus years to take care of.

The Fast 14 on 93 appears to be an anomaly for infrastructure projects in this state.
 
Re: T construction news

... you were saying?

More on GLX -- excerpts from the letter to MassDOT from FRA found on the GLX project website -- some significant caveats are given concerning schedules, cost escalation and funding -- i.e. "what else is new"

FTA is required by law to evaluate a proposed project against a number of New Starts criteria and ensure that prospective grant recipients demonstrate the technical, legal, and financial capability to implement the project.

Based on an evaluation of the GLX against these criteria, FTA has assigned the project an overall rating of ----- Medium.

Project Scope, Schedule, Cost and Technical Capacity:

FTA and its Project Management Oversight Contractor (PMOC) conducted a pre-PE risk assessment of the project in March 2011.....

In response... MassDOT updated:
the project schedule to show completion by June 2019....
from $953.74 million to $1,334.62 million....

FTA has determined that the revised cost and schedule are reasonable for this phase of the project and that MassDOT/MBTA possess the technical capacity and capability to implement the project.

Project Funding:

MassDOT is seeking $557.06 million (YOE) in New Starts funds (41.7 percent) for the project.

The remaining $777.55 million in funding is proposed to come from Massachusetts Commonwealth funding.

Commonwealth bond funds of $558.75 million (41.9 percent) are proposed for direct capital construction costs, and Massachusetts general funds of $218.80 million (16.4 percent) are proposed to pay for project finance charges.

FTA ...reviewed the reasonableness of MassDOT's financial plan and cash flow analysis and its underlying assumptions.

The review determined that MassDOT has demonstrated sufficient local financial commitment to enter PE.

FTA understands the importance of the GLX to the Boston region and the commitment made locally to implementing it and other transit improvements as part of the State Implementation Plan....

PTA's standards for developing financial ratings become more stringent as a project moves from PE to FD.

While the GLX project has obtained a satisfactory financial rating for entry into PE due primarily to the level of committed capital funds to build the project, the current financial plan assumes several large new, uncommitted funding sources to address MBTA's state of good repair needs and ongoing operations.

The new sources include:
1) transferring $1.6 billion of prior MBTA debt obligations to the Commonwealth,
2) implementing a new $0.01 per mile statewide tax on vehicle miles traveled dedicated to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund,
3) and allocating casino gaming revenues to MBTA.

Other options were also listed in the financial plan as potential new sources if the anticipated funding approaches mentioned above are insufficient or infeasible. These include:
1) increasing fares, increasing the motor vehicle registration renewal fee,
2) indexing the $160 million annual contract assistance from the Commonwealth to growth in sales tax revenue,
3) dedicating a portion of the state motor vehicle sales tax revenue to MBTA,
4) increasing MBTA parking fees,
5) implementing a commercial parking tax
6) and indexing the fuel tax to inflation.

Without new sources of revenues, significant negative annual balances in the financial plan would result and the state of good repair backlog would increase.

Considerable progress on gaining commitment of new sources of funding will be necessary before FTA will contemplate approval of the project into FD.

Continued development and strengthening of the financial plan will be a crucial part of the PE effort.

So -- given that real money is not going to be demanded for the GLX until the new financial realities are in effect in DC -- I wouldn't plan for the 2019 opening ceremony
 
Re: T construction news

I noticed you conveniently ignored my question.
 
Re: T construction news

More on GLX -- excerpts from the letter to MassDOT from FRA found on the GLX project website -- some significant caveats are given concerning schedules, cost escalation and funding -- i.e. "what else is new"



So -- given that real money is not going to be demanded for the GLX until the new financial realities are in effect in DC -- I wouldn't plan for the 2019 opening ceremony

It's the same old delayed-into-oblivion story we've been hearing all along. Sure they're going to make it sound like there was an inch of progress, but the underlying message remains the same as always.
 

Back
Top