mbta green line extension

For years, MBTA officials have aimed to complete the Green Line Extension to Somerville and Medford by the end of 2021. [158][159] In October 2021, the Union Square Branch opening was delayed to March 2022 due to delays with a substation at Red Bridge, with the Medford Branch opening likely delayed past May 2022. Oak Grove to become a Zone 1A Haverhill Line stop, and nine additional Forest Hills stops will continue. [141] Viaduct spans were being installed by that time, and the commuter rail tracks were shifted to the east side of the cut (allowing construction on the Green Line tracks and stations to proceed) late in 2019. March 21, 2022 / 12:01 PM / CBS Boston. Click on station icon to view more information including: Project area map showing Cambridge, Somerville and Medford, Mon-Fri (6:30am-8pm) and Sat & Sun (8am-4pm). [86], In April 2014, governor Deval Patrick signed a $12.8 billion bonding bill, which included up to $1.3 billion (equivalent to $1 billion in 2020) for the Green Line Extension. Improvements to the Fairmount Line and increased Framingham/Worcester Line service were added; the Red-Blue Connector and Arborway service restoration were removed. [82][83] In September 2013, MassDOT awarded a $393 million (equivalent to $439 million in 2020), 51-month contract for the construction of Phase 2/2A Lechmere station, the Union Square Branch, and the first segment of the Medford Branch to Washington Street station with the stations to open in early 2017. Due to challenges reaching productivity targets for the completion of the project's first traction power substation as well as other key construction and testing activities, the Union Square Branch will . [99][100], That August, the FTA indicated it was "committed in principle" to the project but expressed reservations that any delays to the "optimistic" schedule could increase the project cost. This major project milestone restored Green Line service from North Station, over the newly revitalized East Cambridge Viaduct, to the newly relocated and reconstructed Lechmere Station, then on to the newly constructed terminus at Union Square Station. Work included the reconstruction of the Harvard Street Railroad Bridge in Medford and the Medford Street Railroad Bridge in Somerville as well as the demolition of the MBTA-owned facilities at 21 Water Street in Cambridge. Daily ridership on the extension is projected to be 45,000 by 2030. [132] Viaduct construction, drainage work, and retaining wall and noise wall erection began in the second half of 2018. Your feedback will not receive a response. Overview of current work in the area: The GLX Union Square Branch opened for passenger service on March 21, 2022. [28]:1[29] East Cambridge, Prospect Hill, and the three Fitchburg Cutoff stations closed in 1927. Posted on October 21, 2021. The MBTA today announced that Orange Line and Green Line Union Square service will resume on Monday, September 19, 2022. [5] Construction reached 20% completion in November 2019. The project requires the relocation of existing commuter rail tracks to accommodate the Green Line extension within the same rail corridor. This devotion will continue to drive our focus on quality, accessibility, modernization, and service for years to come.. [65], The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works submitted an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in October 2006. A revised plan, with more modest stations and other value engineering, was submitted in 2016 and approved in 2017. [131], Somerville mayor Joseph Curtatone at the 2012 groundbreaking ceremony, Demolition of the 21 Water Street facility in August 2014, Type 9 LRV on its first day of service in 2018. To report construction issues or noise complaints, please call the project hotline: 617-222-4100. [129][130] The remaining 23 LRVs were delivered in 20182020 and entered service in 20192021. [16]:202 By 1940, six streetcar routes remained in Somerville: route 87 Clarendon HillLechmere via Somerville Avenue, route 88, Clarendon HillLechmere via Highland Avenue, routes 89 Clarendon HillSullivan Square and 101 Salem StreetSullivan Square on Broadway, and two routes on the Fellsway running through East Somerville. [4], Internal cost estimates began to diverge even before funding was arranged. [18]:5[19]:44, In 1907, the BERy proposed a branch of the Charlestown Elevated following Mystic Avenue from Sullivan Square to Medford Square. MBTA Green Line trolley stations and schedules, including maps, real-time updates, parking and accessibility information, and connections. [23] The core recommendation of the report was a conversion of the Tremont Street subway to Maverick SquareWarren Street, Brighton and Lechmere SquareBrigham Circle, Roxbury rapid transit routes. Proposals were required to be below an affordability limit of $1.319 billion in order to keep total project costs below $2.3 billion. [149], The project was over 50% completed by October 2020. [1]:11.5-1 The signal system is designed for 5-minute headways on each branch, with 212-minute headways through Lechmere. Under the FFGA, federal dollars will fund approximately $996 million of the newly revised budget of $2.28 billion. [148] The main section of the viaduct was rehabilitated during the closure under a separate project. [20] 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. The long-term project is closer to nearing completion, and revenue service to Union Square Station will start during the day on March 21, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said, according to Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line Extension project is an extension of the existing Green Line - the oldest light rail system in the U.S. Herzog is part of a fully integrated four-way joint venture team to design, build, and commission two new branches of light rail service for the Boston, MA metropolitan area. [122][125] The 21 Water Street facility was demolished in August 2014. This is because it takes time for the new track and ballast to settle as trains repeatedly run over the areas where the slow zone removal work was done. The project will significantly reduce vehicle trips and related air emissions while increasing access to fast and reliable public transit service in historically underserved areas. The Medford branch of the MBTA's Green Line Extension which includes a stop on College Avenue, adjacent to the Tufts campus is on track to open this summer after a slew of delays. In. [6], The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) opened through South Medford, Somerville, and East Cambridge in 1835. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Green Line Extension Project (GLX), is, GLX construction activities and traffic updates, 2021 GLX community working group meeting materials, Archive of GLX environmental documents from previous GLX website, GLX community working group meeting materials archive, Call Green Line Extension Project, MBTA Customer Support at, Call Green Line Extension Project, TTY at. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. [162] Total project cost is estimated to be $2.28 billion: $0.996 billion from the federal government and $1.28 billion from state and other sources. 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. A new vehicle maintenance facility and storage yard is located in the Inner Belt District. [92], In August 2015, the MBTA disclosed that projected costs had increased by $700 million1 billion from the previous $1.99 billion figure. 63 talking about this. [154], 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 was planned to open in December 2021, followed by the Medford Branch in May 2022. [1]:12.1-5, Stations will have validators on the fare vending machines, with proof of payment enforcement in effect. These are key milestones toward ensuring continued federal participation in GLX. The MBTA is prepping for a late November opening of the Green Line Extension's Medford branch. Final testing and integration of track switches, power lines, signal equipment, and digital communications between the Green Lines Union Branch, the soon-to-be-operational Medford Branch, and the MBTAs Operations and Control Center. The EENF identified a Green Line extension with Medford and Union Square branches as the preferred alternative, and sought permission to conduction a single environmental impact report. [66] That December, the Secretary of Environmental Affairs issued a certificate that instead required the preparation of separate draft (DEIR) and final (FEIR) environmental impact reports. [103] the MBTA announced a new planned opening date of 2021 for the extension. [4][5] Construction of the project included the replacement or modification of three rail bridges and seven road bridges. [107] In August 2017, construction manager CH2M was removed from the project to avoid a conflict of interest, as it was being acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group, which was also bidding on the construction contract. On January 31, 2017, the MBTA filed a Notice of Project Change (NPC) for the Green Line Extension Project with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). The diversion in service is necessary to allow for continued work at the Government Center parking garage project, MBTA officials said. [56], The 2005 litigation was resolved by a November 2006 court settlement under which the Green Line Extension was to be completed in 2014. Status: Construction. An extension of service beyond Lechmere was considered as early as 1922, with the first formal proposal in 1926. As the project finishes some remaining work within the substation, functional testing of the electrical and communication components of the system is well underway. Local stops were gradually added, beginning with Milk Row in Somerville later that year. [116] In January 2012, MassDOT 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 [State Implementation Plan], including MassDEP. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . [181], Under-construction light rail line extension in Massachusetts, US, A test train on the Red Bridge viaduct in January 2022, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, New Hampshire Division (Southern Division) passenger service, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, "Execution Version: Volume 2: Technical Provisions", "The MBTA is planning to open part of the Green Line Extension this October", "Green Line Extension: Cambridge to Medford, Massachusetts", "The new Green Line will be ready in the fall. [150] Most station platform work took place in the second half of 2020; by the end of the year, steel canopies and other structures were under construction at several stations. Projected completion: November 2022. [72][73], An additional delay, with service beginning between late 2018 and 2020, was announced in August 2011. [69]:7, The FEIR was released in June 2010, with an estimated project cost of $845 million (equivalent to $1011 million in 2020). The Broadway Bridge in Ball Square is expected to reopen shortly thereafter during the first week of June. Location: 1590 Commercial Street. Today the MBTA announced revisions to the opening of the Union Square Branch of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Orange Line and Green Line Extension Service Will Resume on Schedule, Monday, September 19. [1]:14, 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. [1]:12 Two branches split at an aerial flying junction on the Red Bridge viaduct in the Inner Belt area: The Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) is located in the Inner Belt area adjacent to the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility. [160] Train testing on the Union Square Branch began in December 2021. 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. The federal government committed $996 million of the $2.2 billion cost in 2014. [49] 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. [109]:23 Two of the three proposals were certified in October 2017 as meeting the affordability limit. MBTA officials said Monday that full service on the 4.7-mile project extending the Green Line to Somerville and Medford won . [146] In November 2019, plans were revised to reduce this to 11 months,[147] although the viaduct remained closed until the start of service to Union Square in 2022, a period of 22 months.) Forecast to add 50,000 daily passenger trips to Boston's transit network, the GLX will put the city one step closer to meeting its . A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. [1]:15 As with the existing Green Line subway and D branch, the GLX has automatic block signaling with color light signals. [168][169] Service to Union Square began on March 21 as scheduled. Mon-Fri (6:30am-8pm) and Sat & Sun (8am-4pm). Among these projects was a "Green Line Extension To Ball Square/Tufts University", to be complete by the end of 2011. The new elevated GLX viaduct continues northwest for about 0.6 miles (1.0km), paralleling the O'Brien Highway. Green Line service between Union Square and Government Center stations will also resume at the start of service tomorrow. Installation of the last remaining sound wall panels along the Union Branch and additional work items along the Union and Medford Branches including track, stations, and rights of way. Today the MBTA announced revisions to the opening of the Union Square Branch of the Green Line Extension (GLX). [152] By March 2021, the Union Square Branch was expected to open in October 2021, followed by the Medford Branch in December 2021. Total ridership on the 4.3-mile (6.9km) extension is estimated to reach 45,000 one-way trips per day in 2030. thank you. The Community Path extension will open along with the Medford Branch, as it is used for construction access. [91] The Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) was signed in January 2015. [110] 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. However, delays to the AFC 2.0 system means the GLX opened prior to all-door boarding being implemented. [120][121], Phase 1 consisted of the reconstruction of two railroad bridges (over Harvard Street in Medford and over Medford Street in Somerville) for Green Line tracks, and the demolition of a disused MBTA facility at 21 Water Street in Cambridge to make room for the new Lechmere station. [145] (The work was originally expected to require closing the viaduct for 17 months the third major disruption of Lechmere service since 2004 causing opposition to the closure in Cambridge. [174], The areas around Union Square and East Somerville stations were expected to have the highest rent increases up to 67% in some instances. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Massachusetts Department of Transportation, GLX construction activities and traffic updates. [17][18]:14 The Somerville Avenue line was extended from Union Square to Boston in 1864, joining the existing line at Lechmere Square in East Cambridge. [111][109][112] The contract was awarded on November 20, 2017. The opening of . [1]:16, 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. [76][77] The project received a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the FTA in July 2012. 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. [60] However, the 2009 draft environmental impact report replaced the Medford Hillside station with one slightly to the south at College Avenue, and deferred Mystic Valley Parkway to a future second phase. The years-long wait for the Green Line Extension just got a bit longer. 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. While work has been proceeding, the project encountered productivity challenges in completing the electrical work for GLXs first traction power substation. This includes widening . It will impact . Do not include sensitive information, such as Social Security or bank account numbers. The project begins at the north end of the Lechmere Viaduct, where the former ground-level Lechmere station was replaced by an elevated station on an extended viaduct . West Medford was eliminated as a possible terminus due to the cost of modifying bridges over the Mystic River and Mystic Valley Parkway, as well as safety issues with two grade crossings. The Green Line Extension (GLX) project announced that the Washington Street Bridge / Underpass near McGrath Highway in East Somerville is expected to permanently reopen on May 31. [69]:2 The proposed Medford Hillside station was replaced with College Avenue to improve access from the neighborhood to the north. This delay was due to difficulties with land acquisition due to issues with the Greenbush Line reopening, the state decided to acquire all property before beginning construction and concerns about cost controls and financing. The GLX is expected to have substantial economic benefits for Somerville. . It runs underground through downtown Boston, and on the surface into inner suburbs via four branches on several radial boulevards. [97][98], In May 2016, the MassDOT and MBTA boards approved a modified project that had undergone value engineering to reduce its cost. This historical undertaking would not have been possible without thorough and thoughtful multi-level coordination and collaboration, and I would like to thank MassDOTs Highway Division for all their support, everyone who worked hard and spent countless hours helping to bring this project to fruition, and members of the public for all of their continued patience., The MBTAs Capital Transformation program has successfully applied its experience and lessons learned from previous surges as we brought together multiple other MBTA departments to continue the transformation of the Orange Line, said MBTA Chief of Capital Transformation Angel Pea. But now, almost midway through the year, that target could be in doubt. "High-speed trolley connections" would run to Arlington Heights and Belmont. New granite tiles have also been installed at station entrances along with a new skylight. [180] Somerville was formerly popular with artists due to lower prices than Boston and Cambridge, but artists have reported that affordable studio space is largely nonexistent, in part due to GLX-related gentrification. The project is expected to support increased ridership of more than 50,000 passenger trips per day once completed. Contract awarded: November 2017. We will use this information to improve the site. A new MBTA map installed in the newly-expanded Ruggles commuter rail station reveals how the Green Line Extension will operate when it opens later this year. The Green Line Extension is pictured on a new MBTA map at Ruggles station in April 2021, several months before the line's opening. That month, MassDOT moved to return the contributions from Cambridge and Somerville, as the combination of construction being under budget and American Rescue Plan Act funds being received meant the municipal monies were not needed. The new Lechmere station and Union Square Branch opened on March 21, 2022, with the Medford Branch expected to open in November 2022. [144] Green Line service was cut back from Lechmere to North Station effective May 24, 2020, to permit connection of the Lechmere Viaduct to the new GLX viaduct. [75], In June 2012, the project was accepted into the preliminary engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts program a requirement to access federal funding. The majority of those trips will be made beginning in the first year of service on the Green Line Extension. [37] Annual ridership on the 9.18-mile (14.77km) extension was estimated to be 11.8 million based on B&M and BERy ridership. A new elevated Lechmere station is located on the viaduct on the east side of Lechmere Square. Nine train stops at Forest Hills station that were added during the Orange Line shutdown will also continue on the Franklin and Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail Lines, ensuring two trains an hour in the weekday morning inbound peak at that station. "[117], Construction of the Mystic Valley Parkway station was later planned from Boston MPO funds for 20162020 after the rest of the line was to be complete; however, this funding was reallocated to the main project after the cost overruns. & M. Stations Will Be Abandoned", "Winter Hill station being razed - once pride of the B. The Orange Line and Green Line Extension will reopen Monday following the longest service closure on a rail line, Massachusetts Gov. Some page levels are currently hidden. In fact, MBTA officials had planned to extend the Red Line to Route 128 via Arlington Heights when they were working on the subway line's last extension in the 1970s and 1980s (at the time, the . On January 5, 2015 a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), between the MBTA and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was signed that establishes the scope of federal participation in the GLX project. Patrick signs transportation funding bill", "Green Line Extension: Community Path Funding", "Board Approves Purchase of New Green Line Cars and Buses", "Green Line Extension Cost Rises To $2 Billion", "Government Will Pay for Nearly Half of the MBTA's Green Line Extension Project", "Report: Green Line extension budget issues brewed long before crisis", "Green Line extension could cost another $1 billion", "Ballooning Cost Throws Future Of Green Line Extension Into Question", "Process blamed for Green Line project's soaring cost", "MBTA Ending Several Contracts Associated With Green Line Extension Project", "Axing Green Line Extension Still On The Table, Pollack Says", "State OK's a cut-down Green Line extension", "Feds have reservations about Green Line, but encourage state to move forward", "New manager named to lead Green Line extension project", "New Green Line stations are delayed until 2021", "Green Line extension gets back on track", "Federal officials fork over cash for Green Line extension", "MBTA Green Line Extension: Final Request for Proposal for Design-Build Contract", "Major contractor on Green Line extension removed from project", "MBTA Green Line Extension Project Receives Affordability Limit Certifications from Design Build Teams", "Green Line Extension Project Design-Build Team Firm Selected", "Green Line extension contract officially approved", "Anger grows over design of green line stations that limit access and add distance for disabled", "Somerville's getting a brand new bike path with the Green Line extension. [14][11]: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. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Parking Spaces: 335. Is it wide enough? Elimination of six slow zones to allow for faster service at Jackson Square and Stony Brook, State and Downtown Crossing, Tufts Medical Center and Back Bay, Community College and North Station, and two slow zones between Assembly and Wellington along Dana Bridge. [88] In May, MassDOT approved a $118 million contract with CAF USA to build 24 Type 9 LRVs to expand the Green Line fleet for GLX service. [9][10] The Charlestown Branch Railroad opened through Somerville and Charlestown in 1842; it was soon extended as the Fitchburg Railroad. [170] Transit construction can result in gentrification and displacement in turn as wealthier residents seek to live close to stations, though this varies substantially depending on other factors like development planning. Travel Time to Boston: 35 minutes - South Station. The GLX Union Branch opened for passenger service on March 21, 2022 and the Medford Branch is expected to begin passenger service by late November of 2022. Music: ventyr - Rigel Theatre ()#MBTA #Subway #Rail #Transportation #POVMBTA Green Line is the first city railway line opened in North America. [71], In November 2010, the MBTA reached an agreement with Pan Am Railways and the NorthPoint developers under which the MBTA would receive property on the east side of O'Brien Highway needed for the new Lechmere station; in return, Pan Am would receive the existing Lechmere station site for redevelopment. The MBTA initiated the 30-day full closure of the Orange Line on August 19 to complete five years of improvements in 30 days and bring track and signal infrastructure into a state of good repair, while also addressing safety actions identified by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Darryl C. Murphy. 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. On April 3, 2017 the FTA issued a report that provided concurrence on the MBTA's revised cost and schedule estimate for the GLX program. [104] The FTA approved the revised cost estimate in April 2017. 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