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May 18, 2005
Curtatone Hails State's Historic Green Line Decision
Mayor Says Extension Will Revitalize Union Square, East Somerville, Give Residents the Transit Service They Deserve
SOMERVILLE – Mayor Joe Curtatone lauded the state’s decision to extend the Green Line into Somerville, saying the move was long overdue for Somerville residents and predicting dramatic economic growth for the entire East Somerville/East Cambridge region.
“This is a truly historic day for the city of Somerville,” said Curtatone. “Most of us are Red Sox fans so we’re used to waiting. Like Red Sox fans, we’ve waited decades for a return to past glory, in this case the streetcar days of Union Square. And like Red Sox fans, we can’t quite believe we’ve finally won.”
Curtatone made his remarks at a press conference held in Union Square by state officials to announce the state had decided to move forward with the Green Line extension and several other transit projects. Lt. Governor Kerry Healy, Commonwealth Development Secretary Douglas Foy, and State Transportation Secretary John Cogliano attended the event. State Senator Jarret Barrios, Representative Tim Toomey, Representative Patricia Jehlen, and several members of the Somerville Board of Aldermen also attended, as did Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn and members of the Medford City Council. Congressman Michael Capuano could not attend due to votes in Washington but sent comments read by Curtatone.
“More than half a century after the state tore up our streetcar tracks and built highways through our neighborhoods, we’re getting back the rail service we deserve,” said Curtatone. “Union Square can again become the bustling commercial area it once was and East Somerville can become an engine of economic growth for the Metro Boston region.”
Four different sets of train tracks carrying eight different rail lines slice through Somerville neighborhoods but the city has only one stop – the Red Line station in Davis Square. The state agreed to extend the Green Line to Somerville and Medford as part of a Big Dig-related agreement made with environmentalists in the 1980’s. Recently, state officials, citing cost considerations, re-assessed each of the remaining projects to ascertain which were cost-efficient and which would yield the clean air benefits necessary under the agreements and under federal law. It also took into consideration the economic development potential of each project.
A report released earlier this month by the MBTA’s own consultants revealed that the Green Line extension would yield 30,000 more transit trips per day and would cut vehicle miles by 64,000 per day. It also showed the extension, which would begin at Lechmere station and would run along only about four miles of existing lines to West Medford, would have extremely low costs per mile.
“The MBTA’s report showed this project delivered a lot of bang for very little buck,” said Curtatone. “Add to that the tremendous economic potential of the underutilized industrial land in this area, and you have a real win-win for the state and the city.”
The Somerville Chamber of Commerce has estimated the Green Line extension would create three billion dollars in economic activity.
Curtatone singled out Healy and Foy for being particularly helpful throughout the process.
“We in Somerville want to thank Governor Romney for his support and we want to particularly show our appreciation to Lt. Governor Healy, who has helped us on this and on a wide array of projects this year,” Curtatone said. “We’ve also been pleased to work with Doug Foy on pursuing smart growth initiatives in Assembly Square, North Point, and now Union Square and the Brickbottom-InnerBelt area.”
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