State Answers Questions at Green Line Meeting
Green Line supporters donned green at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Photo by Matthew Haberstroh.
Story Updated 8:55PM Wednesday, May 14, 2008
– Allison Goldsberry
It was standing room only in the Council Chambers at City Hall Tuesday night as residents packed in to hear from the state about the Green Line extension to Medford.
Well over one hundred residents attended the meeting, and according to City Councilor Fred Dello Russo, Jr., forty-one spoke before the Council.
The majority of the residents who spoke publicly expressed their support for the project, including several abutters to the potential right of way for the train. Many supporters donned green clothing, some even sporting glowing green rings around their arms, heads, and necks.
“The Green Line is an opportunity for us to go into the future. We better take it,” said Brian Christiansen, an Orchard Street resident who is a direct abutter to the train tracks.
State transportation officials answered questions from residents as well as City Councilors after making a presentation with the latest project details.
Officials addressed two major areas of concern for residents- potential property acquisition and a maintenance facility in Medford. Project engineer Mike McArdle said no homes in Medford so far need to be taken, and likely no property will need to be taken between College Avenue and Winthrop Street.
McArdle did say if the Green Line goes all the way to Route 16, several commercial properties will have to be taken.
In addition, plans for the maintenance facility are currently underway for Somerville, as Medford lacks the land necessary for the facility.
Ken Krause, one of Medford’s representatives to the Green Line Project Advisory Group, said the meeting helped clear up some misconceptions about the project.
“Clearly there are many issues that remain to be resolved in Medford, but it’s also clear that these are being addressed by the project team and by city officials with the best interests of the community in mind. I think that, and the fact that important details about the project are starting to emerge, has to a certain degree helped reduce the general anxiety level about the project and clarify the aspects of it that require the most attention,” said Krause.
Some residents, including some abutters, expressed their reservations about the project and their fear it would just bring more cars and congestion into Medford as out-of-towners come in to park and commute.
“I love West Medford. I do not want it to turn into another Davis Square,” said Judy Kaplan, a Boston Avenue resident.
Project officials said more public meetings will be held over the next several months so residents can hear more about the project and provide feedback.
Though three potential station locations have been proposed for Medford, they are not definite and project managers are still examining ridership, cost, and environmental impact, among other factors, before making a decision.
McArdle said they plan to have the results of their analysis in September.
Potential station locations, which were unveiled in a meeting last week, include just over the Medford/Somerville line near Broadway by Ball Square, somewhere between College Avenue and Winthrop Street adjacent to Boston Avenue, and at Route 16 by the UHaul and Cummings Park properties.
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Hey! Watch that, I live in Davis Sq. and have for 30+ years (before and after) and believe me the changes, with a couple of exceptions, have been all for the best. “I’m a Somerville resident, and I approve this message!” 😉
I can understand why the locals in W Medford would be concerned about traffic. It is slow there as it is now. Davis Square is almost as bad as Medford Square to drive through. But they are both so walkable with so many businesses close at hand. Davis Square got a lot safer with the Red Line extension. I used to hear the stories about the Store 24 getting hit (robbed) all the time in the bad old days. Occupied streets are safe streets.
And a second comment: I wonder why no one ever considers putting the Green Line all way up to where the commuter rail station is. There’s that parking lot to take for the head house, station lobby, etc. But I bet the sticking point is that awful grade crossing, and that takes us back to the traffic problem again! And, though, taking away some of the lot may discourage some drivers, some would park all over the neighborhood, like I used to see in Waverly Square, Belmont, when I lived there. It is probably big bucks to separate the grades there. Too bad. I feel that would help make the commercial area of West Medford more a destination than taking the U-Haul property.