By Douglas Yu

It was a dream that the City of Somerville had since the Green Line Extension Project (GLX) was first brought up. After years of city planning and discussion on how it may impact the neighborhoods and residents in the future, the project finally received its funding from the U.S. federal government.

On Monday, approximately 300 people from all over the Bay State attended the public funding announcement, led by Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, at Somerville High School.

The GLX project was initiated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in order to improve the public transit service.

Curtatone explained that the GLX project would not only create jobs, but boost the economy as well. “This is social justice,” he said.

“Today, there is a historic announcement,” Curtatone said. Applause rang across the meeting room, as Curtatone introduced everyone who participated in the GLX project and the elected officials that attended the meeting, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Governor Deval Patrick, and Congressman Michael Capuano.

— Photos by Douglas Yu

The future Green Line will fork from a relocated Lechmere Station, extending northwest to Union Square in Somerville and College Ave. in Medford. Along the way, there will be six new stops. With help from federal government funding, the Union Square station is expected to be completed in 2017, according to the Boston Globe.

The $2.29 billion project would be the “backbone of a resilient, sustainable economy,” according to Curtatone. “We are not just investing in building public transit, we are building the quality of life,” said Curtatone.

Currently, only 15 percent of Somerville is within a half-mile walking or biking distance of a transit station. When the GLX is finished, that will change to 85 percent, Curtatone stated.

The Federal Transit Administration suggested that federal funds cover over 40 percent of the project, as mentioned to the meeting.

“Public transit is not just an option, but it’s absolutely a necessity,” Curtatone added. The necessity of the improved public transportation is highlighted in a report by the MBTA. It estimates that the expansion would create 140 design jobs, 700 construction jobs, and 140 jobs in ongoing operations.

Capuano gave a quick flashback about how the public transportation improved over the years since he started working as an elected official in Somerville. “It’s been a long time coming to this state. We are not done, we need to keep it going,” he said, urging state officials to make sure the state sees the project to completion. “We need to make sure that the government’s commitment doesn’t somehow fall off the table.”