Green Line Extension Planning Moves Ahead

News last year that the long-awaited Green Line extension, once expected to be complete by October, 2015, , with a completion date now set for 2018 or 2020, raised questions about the state's commitment to the project.

In the past two months, regional transportation planners have continued moving forward with the project, and there's been a round of relatively good news for advocates.

Here are some quick updates about the Green Line Extension:

Important report commits to project

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is responsible for mapping out transportation projects in the region, has included the Green Line Extension project in a draft report, giving the project, for now, its blessing.

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MBTA takes over

The draft report notes the state "has transitioned the project from the planning and environmental review phases to design, engineering, and eventual construction, coupled with the tasks associated with applying for New Starts funding. As part of this transition, the MBTA assumed the lead project management responsibility."

New Starts is a federal funding program.

This transition "represents the achievement of a crucial and exciting milestone for the Green Line Extension project, which has now progressed farther and closer to implementation," the report says.

Project management team gets extension

Gilbane Building Company/HDR Engineering Inc., a joint-venture project management group, will continue to work on the Green Line Extension. At a May 2 meeting, the  MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors approved an extension of the contract with Gilbane through August 15, 2013.

Gilbane will work to further the design of the project, find a contractor and prepare documents for the New Starts federal funding process, among other things. The extended contract with Gilbane is worth $19 million, according to notes from the board meeting provided by the MBTA.

Extension to Route 16 gets some planning funds

The Transportation Improvement Program report also accounts for $8.1 million to be spent planning "Phase II" of the Green Line Extension, which would bring the rail line out to Route 16. (Phase I of the project stops at College Avenue in Medford.)

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, in an announcement released May 10, said it was a "wise and visionary" decision. Speaking at a neighborhood meeting May 14, he explained that spending money on that part of the Green Line Extension furthers the state's commitment to the project.

Phased timeline

Discussions floated around last year about phasing the Green Line Extension project—completing some stations before others. That appears to be the course the project is taking.

"MassDOT and the MBTA continue to seek ways to accelerate the project time line where possible, and have met with legislative and municipal leaders to evaluate strategies to incrementally construct and open portions of the project," the Transportation Improvement Program report says.

At the May 14 ResiStat meeting, Somerville officials presented a timeline in which construction on the Lechmere, Union Square and Washington Street stations would begin in the summer of 2013, and Union Square and Washington Street stations would open in late 2016. In that timeline, the other four stations, to College Avenue, would be complete in June of 2018.

That said, MassDOT has said there's only a 10 percent chance the whole project would be finished by 2018. It says there's a 90 percent chance it will be done by 2020.

Move to get shovels in the ground while Deval Patrick is in office

Curtatone, Rep. Michael Capuano and others advocate getting shovels in the ground as fast as possible while Gov. Deval Patrick, who supports the project, is still in office.

Finding money

The state is hoping to get New Starts federal funding for the project, which is estimated to cost about $1 billion.

The draft Transportation Improvement Report says of this:

"The Green Line Extension project is currently in the New Starts pipeline and the Commonwealth anticipates a decision in a Full Funding Grant Agreement in FFY (federal fiscal year) 2015. The cash flows for the project, therefore, provide 100% bond funding for FFY 2013-14 and begin programming New Starts funding in FFY 2015. The Commonwealth is committed to fully funding this project with bond funds if New Starts is not awarded."