Green Line Extension
Green Line Extension (GLX) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Under construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford, Massachusetts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
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Stations | 7 under construction; 1 proposed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Light rail rapid transit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Green Line (MBTA subway) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Planned opening | December 2021 (Union Square Branch) May 2022 (Medford Branch) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 600 V DC overhead catenary[1]: 11.1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 50 miles per hour (80 km/h)[1]: 1–5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Green Line Extension (GLX) is a construction project to extend the light rail Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line northwest into Somerville and Medford, two inner suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The project is expected to open in 2022 at a total cost of $2.28 billion. Total ridership on the 4.3-mile (6.9 km) extension is estimated to reach 45,000 one-way trips in 2030.
The project begins at the north end of the Lechmere Viaduct, where the former ground-level Lechmere station is being replaced by an elevated station on an extended viaduct. The two branches split north of Lechmere, with the Union Square Branch following the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line right of way to Union Square station in Somerville. The Medford Branch follows the Lowell Line right-of-way to Medford/Tufts station with four intermediate stations. A new vehicle maintenance facility and storage yard is located in the Inner Belt District.
An extension of service beyond Lechmere was considered as early as 1922, with the first formal proposal in 1926. Despite appearing in other regional plans throughout the 20th century, the state did not commit to the project until 1990. Planning began in 2006 with a projected completion date of 2014; this was delayed to 2015, then to 2018. A groundbreaking was held in 2012, with several early construction elements over the next two years. The federal government committed $996 million of the $2.2 billion cost in 2014.
In 2015, with projected costs increased to $3.3 billion, the project was placed on hold. A revised plan, with more modest stations and other value engineering, was submitted in 2016 and approved in 2017. The main $1.08 billion design-build contract was issued in November 2017, with several optional items like platform canopies and a larger vehicle maintenance facility included. Construction began in 2018, with the old Lechmere station closed in May 2020. The new station and Union Square Branch are expected to open in December 2021, with all stations open by May 2022.
Route and design
The GLX is primarily located in Somerville, northwest of downtown Boston, with its northernmost portion in Medford and its southernmost portion in the East Cambridge section of Cambridge. The GLX begins at the north end of the Lechmere Viaduct in East Cambridge, where a short elevated section formerly led to the surface-level Lechmere station at Lechmere Square. The new elevated GLX viaduct continues northwest for about 0.6 miles (1.0 km), paralleling the O'Brien Highway. A new elevated Lechmere station is located on the viaduct on the east side of Lechmere Square.[1]: 1–2 Two branches split at an aerial flying junction on the Red Bridge viaduct in the Inner Belt area:
- The Medford Branch continues 3.0 miles (4.8 km) northwest to Medford/Tufts, with intermediate stations at East Somerville, Gilman Square, Magoun Square, and Ball Square. It runs in a below-grade cut along with the two-track Lowell Line and will be operated as part of the E branch.[2][1]: 1–2 An extension of the Somerville Community Path runs along the west side of the Medford Branch south of Lowell Street, with a high bridge carrying it above the Red Bridge viaduct to a new terminus in the Northpoint development. An additional 0.9-mile (1.4 km) extension from Medford/Tufts to Route 16 is proposed, but is not being constructed as part of the main GLX.
- The Union Square Branch continues 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west to Union Square, with no intermediate stations. It runs at grade next to the two-track Fitchburg Line and will be operated as part of the D branch.[2][1]: 1–2
The Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) is located in the Inner Belt area adjacent to the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility. It includes a four-track shop building, ten storage tracks with capacity for about 43 light rail vehicles (LRVs), a loop track, and a building for operator reporting and breaks. Yard leads connect the VMF to both branches near the Red Bridge flyover.[1]: 1–6
The GLX is fully grade separated, with no road grade crossings, though there are level crossings for passengers at East Somerville and Ball Square stations.[3][4] Construction of the project included the replacement or modification of three rail bridges and seven road bridges.[1]: 8.3-2 Maximum speed on the extension is 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), except for 10–20 miles per hour (16–32 km/h) limits for the Union Square Branch at Red Bridge.[1]: 1–5 As with the existing Green Line subway and D branch, the GLX has automatic block signaling with color light signals.[1]: 11.5-1 The signal system is designed for 5-minute headways on each branch, with 21⁄2-minute headways through Lechmere.[1]: 1–4
Stations
The seven GLX stations are accessible; all have elevators between street level and platform level except East Somerville, which has a ramp from street level.[4] The stations have fare vending machines, but not faregates.[1]: 12.3-1 Most of the stations have island platforms 20–22.5 feet (6.1–6.9 m) wide and 225 feet (69 m) long – enough to fit three current LRVs or two future Type 10 LRVs – with provision to extend them to 300 feet (91 m) in the future. The platform at Lechmere is 32–35 feet (9.8–10.7 m) wide and 355 feet (108 m) long – enough to fit two current two-car trains – as it would be difficult to later extend the elevated platform.[4][1]: 12.1-5 The platforms are 8 inches (200 mm) high for accessible boarding on current LRVs, and can be raised to 14 inches (360 mm) for level boarding with Type 9 and Type 10 LRVs.[1]: 12.1-5
City | Neighborhood(s) | Station | Services | Planned opening[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cambridge | Northpoint / East Cambridge | Lechmere | D, E | December 2021 |
Union Square Branch | ||||
Somerville | Union Square / Ward Two | Union Square | D | December 2021 |
Medford Branch | ||||
Somerville | East Somerville | East Somerville | E | May 2022 |
Winter Hill / Gilman Square | Gilman Square | E | May 2022 | |
Magoun Square | Magoun Square | E | May 2022 | |
Somerville / Medford | Ball Square | Ball Square | E | May 2022 |
Medford | South Medford / Tufts University | Medford/Tufts | E | May 2022 |
Somerville | West Somerville | Route 16 | E | Proposed |
Prior proposals
Early transit services
The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) opened through South Medford, Somerville, and East Cambridge in 1835. Local stops were gradually added, beginning with Milk Row in Somerville later that year.[5][6] The Charlestown Branch Railroad opened through Somerville and Charlestown in 1842; it was soon extended as the Fitchburg Railroad.[7]: 87 In 1870, the B&L built a cutoff from Lake Street to Somerville Junction, which allowed Lexington Branch brains to enter Boston on the B&L.[8] The Massachusetts Central Railroad began service in 1881; it used most of the 1870-built cutoff to reach Boston.[9][10]: 216 It was leased in 1886 by the B&L, which was in turn leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) in 1887 as its Southern Division.[7]: 55 The Fitchburg was leased by the B&M in 1900 as the Fitchburg Division.[7]: 88 By the early 20th century, the Southern Division had stations at Medford Hillside and Tufts College in South Medford; North Somerville, Somerville Junction, Winter Hill, and Prospect Hill in Somerville; and East Cambridge. Stations were located on the Lexington Branch at North Cambridge, West Somerville, and Somerville Highlands. The Fitchburg Division had stations at Cambridge, Somerville, and Union Square.[10][7]: 108
Horsecar service by the Cambridge Railroad in Somerville began in 1858 with lines from Union Square to Sullivan Square and to Elm Street (now Davis Square) via Somerville Avenue.[11][12]: 205 The Cambridge Railroad was granted permission in 1860 to run tracks over the Craigie Bridge from East Cambridge to Boston, joining with its existing line on Cambridge Street from Harvard Square, though service did not begin until around 1862.[13][14]: 14 The Somerville Avenue line was extended from Union Square to Boston in 1864, joining the existing line at Lechmere Square in East Cambridge.[12]: 205 The Cambridge Street line was converted to electric streetcar service by Cambridge Railroad successor West End Street Railway in 1891; the Somerville Avenue line and an 1888-built line to Davis Square via Highland Avenue were electrified and extended to Clarendon Hill in 1893–1895.[12]: 202, 205
The West End was leased to the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) in 1897.[15]: 35 The three streetcar lines running through Lechmere Square began running into the Tremont Street subway upon its September 3, 1898 opening.[14]: 3 Slow and unreliable service on the surface streetcar lines resulted in congestion in the subway.[14]: 5 The Lechmere Viaduct and Causeway Street elevated opened on July 1, 1912, creating a grade-separated route from Lechmere Square to the subway and bypassing the Cragie Bridge.[14]: 4 However, the surface lines through Somerville continued to be unreliable, and multiple-car trains were needed to increase subway capacity. On July 10, 1922, the BERy opened Lechmere station as a transfer point. Passengers on the Harvard Square and Clarendon Hill surface lines transferred to two-and-three-car subway trains, bringing rapid transit-style service to Lechmere.[14]: 5 [15]: 44
Early proposals
In 1922, with the downtown subway network and several radial lines in service, the BERy indicated plans to built three additional radial subways: one paralleling the Midland Branch through Dorchester, a second branching from the Boylston Street subway to run under Huntington Avenue, and a third extending from Lechmere Square northwest through Somerville.[16] (The Dorchester line was eventually built as an extension of the Cambridge–Dorchester Tunnel later that decade, while a shorter Huntington Avenue subway opened in 1941.)[17]
The Report on Improved Transportation Facilities, published by the Boston Division of Metropolitan Planning in 1926, was the first comprehensive transit plan for the Boston area since the 1890s.[18] The core recommendation of the report was a conversion of the Tremont Street subway to Maverick Square–Warren Street, Brighton and Lechmere Square–Brigham Circle, Roxbury rapid transit routes. Several suburban rapid transit extensions were proposed as secondary priorities; one would run in a dedicated median in the Northern Artery from Lechmere to Winter Hill, alongside the B&M Southern Division tracks to Somerville Junction, then follow the cutoff (by then called the Fitchburg Cutoff) to North Cambridge. Several branches of that line were listed as possible extensions: North Cambridge to Bedford via the Lexington Branch, North Cambridge to Waltham via the Fitchburg mainline, and Somerville Junction to Woburn via the Southern Division and Woburn Branch.[18][19]
Variations on this plan were proposed several times during the 1930s. A 1935 proposal by a citizen's group called for a subway extension from Haymarket or Bowdoin surfacing in the North Station rail yards, then following the Southern Division and the Fitchburg Cutoff to Alewife Brook Parkway in North Cambridge. "High-speed trolley connections" would run to Arlington Heights and Belmont. A new expressway would have taken over the Causeway Street elevated and Lechmere Viaduct, then largely paralleled the new transit line to connect with the existing Mohawk Trail expressway at Alewife Brook Parkway.[20] A 1938 proposal by Somerville mayor John M. Lynch called for an extension of the East Boston Tunnel from Bowdoin to the Lechmere Viaduct, a subway from Lechmere to Washington Street, and use of the Southern Division, Fitchburg Cutoff, and Lexington Branch to reach Arlington Center.[21] A 1939 state resolve directed the Metropolitan District Commission to study that proposal.[22]
Transit service in Somerville declined during this period due to the Great Depression and competition from autos, many using the 1927-completed Northern Artery.[23]: 1 [24] East Cambridge, Prospect Hill, and the three Fitchburg Cutoff stations closed in 1927.[25] Winter Hill closed in the 1930s, Union Square and Somerville in 1938, and Somerville Junction in the 1940s.[26][27] The Harvard Square–Lechmere route (now route 69) was converted to trackless trolley in 1936.[12]: 202 By 1940, six streetcar routes remained in Somerville: route 87 Clarendon Hill–Lechmere via Somerville Avenue, route 88, Clarendon Hill–Lechmere via Highland Avenue, routes 89 Clarendon Hill–Sullivan Square and 101 Salem Street–Sullivan Square on Broadway, and two routes on the Fellsway running through East Somerville.[23]: 134 Routes 87 and 88 were converted to trackless trolley in 1941; following heavy wartime ridership, routes 89 and 101 were converted in 1947.[28] [23]: 139 Service on the Fellsway, which included Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway service to Stoneham until 1946, lasted until 1955.[23]: 148 [29]
In 1943, the state legislature appointed a commission headed by Arthur W. Coolidge to plan for the future of transit in the Boston region. In 1945, a preliminary report from the Coolidge Commission recommended nine suburban rapid transit extensions – most similar to the 1926 plan – along existing railroad lines.[23]: 16 [30][31] The proposed extension from Lechmere to Woburn followed the same alignment as the 1926 plan, albeit using an extended elevated structure rather than a subway north of Lechmere.[30] A short subway segment was to be built to avoid the grade crossings at Winchester Center.[32] Annual ridership on the 9.18-mile (14.77 km) extension was estimated to be 11.8 million based on B&M and BERy ridership.[33] The 1947 final report modified some routes; the Woburn route was to be extended an additional 2 miles (3 km) to North Woburn.[34][32]: 18 Cost was estimated at $3.627 million in 1941 dollars (equivalent to $58 million in 2023).[32]: 13 The Coolidge Commission also laid the groundwork for the 1947 transition of the BERy to public ownership as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).[23]: 17
In 1958, the B&M ended service to Medford Hillside, Tufts College, and North Somerville – the last three local stops south of West Medford – due to declining ridership.[35][36] Route 101 was converted from trackless trolley to diesel bus in 1959; routes 69, 80 (not a former streetcar line), 87, 88, and 89 were all converted in 1963, leaving buses as the only remaining transit in Somerville and South Medford.[37] The 1962 North Terminal Area Study, claiming that the 1959 Highland branch conversion showed that PCC streetcars were inadequate for suburban rapid transit service, recommended that the elevated Lechmere–North Station segment be abandoned. The Main Line (now the Orange Line) was to be relocated along the B&M Western Route; it would have a branch to Woburn via the Southern Division, which would in turn have a branch to Arlington.[38]
MBTA era
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964 as an expansion of the MTA to subsidize suburban commuter rail service, as well as to construct rapid transit extensions to replace some commuter rail lines.[7]: 15 In 1965, as part of systemwide rebranding, the Tremont Street subway and its connecting lines became the Green Line.[17] The 1966 Program for Mass Transportation, the MBTA's first long-range plan, listed an approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) extension from Lechmere to Washington Street as an immediate priority. New Hampshire Division (Southern Division) passenger service would be cut back from North Station to a new terminal at Washington Street. A second phase of the project would extend Green Line service from Washington Street to Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16) or West Medford.[39][18]
The 1972 final report of the Boston Transportation Planning Review listed a Green Line extension from Lechmere to Ball Square as a lower priority. The cost of the extension was estimated as $26 million (equivalent to $187 million in 2023).[18][40] Extension past Lechmere was listed as low priority in a 1974 plan due to the addition of Davis station to the planned Red Line Northwest Extension.[18] (Davis opened in 1984 as the first MBTA subway station in Somerville.[17]) An extension to Tufts University was listed as a proposal in the 1978 and 1983 updates to the Program for Mass Transportation.[18]
In 1980, the MBTA began a study of the "Green Line Northwest Corridor" (from Haymarket to Medford) with three area of focus: replacement of the Causeway Street elevated, replacement of Lechmere station, and extension beyond Lechmere.[41]: 293 An evaluation report for the extension was published in 1981 and updated in 1984. Alternatives recommended for further evaluation included a Green Line extension to Tufts, a Green Line extension to Union Square, and a busway to Tufts and Davis.[42][41]: 308 Later in the 1980s, the MBTA made plans to relocate Lechmere station as a precursor to an extension. A new elevated station would be located on the east side of the O'Brien Highway, with a new vehicle storage yard and maintenance facility to the north.[41]: 301 The project was not pursued due to lack of available funding.[43]
Green Line Extension planning
Original plan (2005–2015)
In 1991, the state agreed to built a set of transit projects as part of the settlement of a lawsuit by the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) over auto emissions from the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig). Among these projects was a "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University", to be complete by the end of 2011.[44] While many of the projects were completed over the next 14 years, including the Old Colony Lines restoration and the South Boston Piers Transitway, the Green Line Extension was not advanced into planning. In March 2005, with the extension not in the MBTA's five-year plan, the city of Somerville and the CLF filed a lawsuit against the state for breaching the 1991 agreement.[45][46]
In May 2005, the state announced an updated agreement, which revised the set of committed projects. Improvements to the Fairmount Line and increased Framingham/Worcester Line service were added; the Red-Blue Connector and Arborway service restoration were removed. The Green Line Extension was changed to include a branch to Union Square, with the main branch running to Medford Hillside. The project was estimated to cost $559 million (equivalent to $838 million in 2023).[47] While the city of Medford was supportive of an extension as far as Medford Hillside, a potential further terminus at West Medford had less local support.[48]
The Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study, a Major Investment Study/alternatives analysis, was published in 2005. The analysis studied a variety of Green Line extensions (including a West Medford branch, a Union Square branch, both branches, and an extension to West Medford via Union Square and a tunnel under Prospect Hill), bus rapid transit (BRT) to West Medford and/or Union Square, commuter rail shuttles to West Medford or Anderson RTC with additional stops, and combinations of those modes.[49] The highest-rated alternatives were Green Line to West Medford (estimated cost $390 million), Green Line to both West Medford and Union Square ($438 million), and Green Line to Union Square plus BRT to West Medford ($340 million).[50]
The 2005 litigation was resolved by a November 2006 court settlement under which the Green Line Extension was to be completed in 2014.[51][52] This was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2008.[53] Proposed station sites were announced in May 2008: Union Square, Brickbottom, Gilman Square, Lowell Street, Ball Square, Medford Hillside (between College Avenue and Winthrop Street), and Route 16.[54][55][56] The former Yard 8 (located between the GLX tracks and Inner Belt Road) was chosen as the site for a maintenance and storage facility.[55][57]
The draft environmental impact report was released in October 2009. West Medford was eliminated as a possible terminus due to the cost of modifying bridges over the Mystic River and Mystic Valley Parkway, and safety issues with two grade crossings.[58]: 2 The proposed Medford Hillside station was replaced with College Avenue to improve access from the neighborhood to the north.[58]: 5 The preferred alternative had branches to Route 16 and Union Square; however, due to cost constraints, the Route 16 terminus was deferred to a second phase, with the proposed alternative terminating at College Avenue.[58]: 7
In May 2010, MassDOT and the City of Somerville reached an agreement to build a planned maintenance facility.[59] In July 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that the new service was expected to be operational in October 2015.[60]
In May 2011, the MBTA acquired the property and trackage rights for the relocated Lechmere station from Pan Am Railways;[61] in return, Pan Am received the existing station for future development.[62] An extension of the Union Square branch to Porter was also proposed.[63] In August 2011, MassDOT announced that the opening of the Extension would be postponed to fall 2018.[61] Completion of the Extension to College Avenue near Tufts University would be delayed to 2020, and the start date to work on a terminus at Mystic Valley Parkway was deferred until 2018.[61][64] The delays were due to difficulties with land acquisition and concerns about cost controls and financing.[65]
On June 11, 2012, the Federal Transit Administration gave approval to the Green line extensions.[66] In August 2012, the City of Somerville, MassDOT, and the MBTA reached an agreement about the Union Square station.[67] Through the Somerville Redevelopment Authority, the City acquired $8 million worth of land for the station and granted the MBTA a permanent easement.[67] In return, the MBTA and MassDOT agreed to pay for cleanup costs at the site, begin construction by the spring of 2014 and open the station no later than early 2017.[67] In October 2012, the Somerville Board of Aldermen approved the Union Square Redevelopment Plan and authorized an $8 million bond, including $6 million to purchase the land and $2 million for cleanup and station planning.[68]
In September 2013, the state secured funding to move forward on the construction of two new Green Line stations in Somerville and a new Lechmere station.[69] Construction was expected to begin in 2014.[69] In 2013, the MBTA awarded the contract to White Skanska Kiewit (WSK).[70][71] Later phases included the construction of a new Green Line maintenance facility and[72] the remainder of the Medford Branch.[73][74] Plans also included retaining and noise abatement walls, as well as more bridge, signal, and utility work.[75][76] The state intended to seek $557 million in federal New Starts money for later phases.[77]
On April 18, 2014, Governor Patrick signed a $12.7 billion bonding bill, which included $1.3 billion for the Green Line Extension, as well as $2.3 billion for South Coast Rail and $325 million for South Station expansion.[78][79] In December 2014, the FTA said it intended to pay $996 million of the extension's $2.2 billion costs. The remainder of expenses would be paid by the state.[80]
In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed that the project would cost approximately $3 billion, a $1.08 billion increase from previous estimates.[81] In December 2015, the MBTA ended its contracts with the project's general contractor, project manager, and designer, among others, and announced that while components of the project under construction would continue, no further work would be awarded or started.[82]
Revised plan (2016–2017)
In May 2016, the Interim Project Management Team submitted a redesigned project to the MassDOT Board of Directors and the MBTA Fiscal & Management Control Board, which then voted to advance the Green Line Extension Project and got Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval of the redesigned project.[83][84]
The new plan included cost saving elements, including stations having open platforms with several shelters, the elimination of escalators, redundant elevators, fare gates and other additions were to be eliminated at most stations.[83][85] The Vehicle Maintenance Facility was reduced by half.[85] Three bridges, at Lowell, Medford and School Streets, that were to be replaced were retained and the College Avenue Bridge wouldn't be widened.[85]
The extension of the Somerville Community Path was to be trimmed back to terminate at Washington Street, Somerville, instead of Water Street in Cambridge. The new path design shifts from the west side of the track to the east side and then back again between Central Street and School Street and has fewer entrances from cross streets. South of Washington Street, bike commuters would have to use city streets, including the McGrath Highway, to reach the Charles River bike path network and downtown Boston.[86]
Contract award
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the modified $2.3 billion plan on April 4, 2017.[87] The first federal funds for the project were received in July 2017.[88]
The contact was rebid with a provision for the optional restoration of six of the elements deleted in the 2016 plan. On November 17, 2017, the MBTA selected GLX Constructors (a consortium of Fluor Enterprises, the Middlesex Corporation, Herzog Contracting Corporation, and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure) to build the project. The consortium's base bid was $954 million—well below the state "affordability limit" of $1.319 billion. The total project cost will be $1.08 billion from the state, $996 million from the federal New Starts program, and several contingency items; resulting in a project hovering between $2.2 billion and $2.3 billion. The total cost encompasses all six optional elements, including canopies and additional elevators at stations, public art, a full-size vehicle maintenance facility, and the full extension of the Somerville Community Path to Cambridge, but at a narrower, 10-foot, width..[89][90][91]
Construction
Early work
Phase I consisted of the $15.3 million reconstruction of two railroad bridges (over Harvard Street in Medford and over Medford Street in Somerville) as well as the $3 million demolition of a disused MBTA facility at 21 Water Street in Cambridge to make room for the new Lechmere station. The MBTA opened bid solicitations for Phase I construction elements, which represented preliminary work that could be done while the main project was in final design, in July 2012.[92][93][94] Phase I work was to last until early 2015.[95][96]
Construction on Phase I began with a groundbreaking ceremony held at the Medford Street bridge on December 11, 2012.[97][98] A Notice to Proceed was issued to the contractor, Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., on January 31, 2013. Surveying began in February, while construction started in March 2013.[99][100] The 21 Water Street facility was demolished in August 2014.[101]
Main project
On December 21, 2018, the first of 24 new Green Line vehicles, purchased as part of the GLX project, went into regular passenger service. The shells and frames for the low-floor CAF cars are fabricated in Spain, with final assembly in Elmira, NY.[102]
Construction reached 20% completion in November 2019; it was over 50% completed by October 2020.[103][104] Plans prior to construction called for the Union Square Branch to be through-routed with the E Branch, and the Medford Branch to be through-routed with the D Branch.[105][106] However, in April 2021, the MBTA indicated that these would be reversed, with the D going to Union Square and the E to Medford/Tufts.[2]
When the station designs were simplified in 2016–17, faregates were removed from the plans. The MBTA expected AFC 2.0 (the Charliecard replacement system) to be fully in place by the time the GLX opened, with passengers able to board and tap their farecards at any door on trains. However, delays to the AFC 2.0 system means the GLX will open prior to all-door boarding being implemented. In April 2021, the MBTA indicated that the stations would have validators on the fare vending machines, with proof of payment enforcement in effect.[107]
By March 2021, the Union Square Branch was expected to open in October 2021, followed by the Medford Branch in December 2021.[108] By the beginning of June 2021, 65% of track was in place, as were 8 of 9 signal houses.[109] Total project cost is estimated to be $2.28 billion: $0.996 billion from the federal government and $1.28 billion from the state. Daily ridership on the extension is projected to be 45,000 by 2030.[110]
In June 2021, the MBTA indicated an additional delay, due in part to effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, under which the Union Square Branch is planned to open in December 2021, but the Medford Branch will not open until May 2022.[111] [112] The first test train was moved to the new VMF in August 2021 to begin testing of the Union Square Branch. Medford Branch testing is expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022. The Community Path extension will open along with the Medford Branch in May 2022, as it is used for construction access.[113]
Criticism
Terminus location
In 2008, the EPA ratified the Massachusetts State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include an amendment to the 1994 agreement that substituted the planned "the Green Line extension to Ball Square/Tufts University" with an "extension to Medford Hillside...[and] spur to Union Square".[114] Accordingly, the MBTA and MassDOT surveyed potential termini at the intersection of Winthrop Street and Boston Avenue, and also at Route 16 (Mystic Valley Parkway), but these locations were abandoned by the agencies, citing budgetary limitations. Instead, the Green Line Extension was retracted by a mile to College Avenue, which is encompassed by Tufts University.[115]
The plan to terminate the GLX at College Avenue drew criticism from residents in Medford and Somerville, who questioned the advantages and legality of the move.[116] A petition by the Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance to extend the Green Line argued that a Route 16 terminus would "provide Green Line access to thousands of people within a 10-minute walk," be "conveniently located on two major thoroughfares with existing bus connections," and "serve two large portions of Medford and Somerville designated as Environmental Justice Communities".[117]
In January 2012, the MBTA and MassDOT issued a response to questions from the public. The document stated that "the position of MassDOT and the MBTA on the configuration of the Green Line Extension is supported and has been reinforced by multiple regulatory agencies overseeing the SIP, including MassDEP." In concluding these comments, the MBTA stated that it would not respond to any further questions regarding College Avenue satisfying the Medford Hillside requirements of the SIP.[118]
Construction of the Route 16 station was planned from Boston MPO funds for 2016–2020 after the rest of the line was complete. However, after the cost overrun this funding was reallocated to the main project. Route 16 is still in the state's plan, with environmental review proceeding, as of 2017.[119][120]
Lechmere closure
During construction, the northern section of the Lechmere Viaduct is being removed and the elevated section of the line extended to a large flyover bridge crossing the Fitchburg Line tracks. The 1922-built Lechmere station is being replaced with an elevated station across the street. The work was expected to require closing the viaduct (and thus cutting service back to North Station) for 17 months—the third major disruption of Lechmere service since 2004—causing opposition to the closure in Cambridge.[121] In November 2019, plans were revised to reduce this to 11 months.[122] Lechmere station closed for Green Line service on May 24, 2020; it continues to be used as a transfer point between MBTA bus routes and the Lechmere–North Station shuttle buses.[123] Demolition of the northern section of the Lechmere Viaduct began on June 6, 2020.[124]
Gentrification
Rents and property prices began to increase in the mid-2010s – before full construction even began – leading to concerns about gentrification and displacement.[125][126]
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