Politics & Government

Medford Residents File Complaint on Green Line Extension

Two Medford residents claim project hasn't taken environmental, social aspects into account.

Medford residents Carolyn Rosen and Dr. William Wood have filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Boston against the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration regarding the MBTA Green Line extension.

The complaint, filed Jan. 18, alleges those two entities "failed to adequately address environmental issues pertaining to the human environment and its natural resources in the city of Medford" in formulating the plans for the Green Line extension, according to a statment from Rosen and Wood.

In addition, the complaint "contends that civil rights of the environmental justice community and disability population of Medford have been violated throughout the Green Line Extension process," they said.

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Speaking to Patch Monday, Wood said the seeds of this complaint go back many years, but ultimately felt the state and federal entities have not gone about trying to implement the extension correctly.

"We're not going to back down on it," Wood said.

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Phase I of the Green Line Extension is the first step in a $1.3 billion project that, when complete, would add six new Green Line stations to the MBTA's light-rail line, extending it through Somerville to near Tufts University in Medford.

The first trains aren't expected to roll into Somerville until the completion of phase two, which will bring the Green Line to Union Square and Washington Street. That's expected to be complete by the end of 2017.

Wood said he would not consider himself an opponent of the Green Line extension. He just wants to ensure people are held accountable to it's done correctly with all concerns of those locally taken into account.

"We don't want to see our friends hurt this way," Wood said.


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