No runaway train
News last year that the MBTA’s Green Line expansion project was running $1 billion over budget forced state transportation planners back to the drawing board, to remove some of the bells and whistles that had been tacked on unwisely by the Patrick administration. So local politicians and transportation advocates should think long and hard before they try to restore the project to its expensive, outsized glory.
The Trump administration last week gave its blessing to the scaled-back version of the project, which will extend Green Line service through Somerville to Medford. The approval preserves $1 billion in federal funds needed to advance the project.
But some folks still seem put out that certain elements have been jettisoned to bring down the cost.
That darned “community path,” for example. The Baker administration saw that construction of a costly pedestrian path wasn’t vital to the success of trolley service — and cut it way back. But Rafael Mares, a vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation (which years ago sued to force construction of the expansion project) told The Boston Globe he still wants to see the full path built, as well as an additional station on Route 16.
“I do firmly believe that’s what the full Green Line extension should look like, and it would be a huge missed opportunity if that didn’t get completed,” he said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano told the State House News Service last month that he’s hopeful President Trump’s planned infrastructure bill will boost federal transportation spending in Massachusetts and allow for construction of the Green Line extension “we all wanted.” Uh, who’s “we,” Congressman? Gov. Charlie Baker’s transportation team realized that the goal of this project — to provide more transportation options to residents of Somerville and Medford (who already have a number of options, it should be noted) — didn’t require elaborate, sun-filled stations and multimillion dollar public art projects. That message apparently hasn’t reached everyone.