Op-Ed from Representative Tim Toomey

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that they have shelved a proposal to use the Grand Junction Railroad for Commuter Rail service to North Station. This is truly a victory for our community and proof of the necessity of a public process in transportation planning decisions.

In the summer of 2010, the state purchased a large swath of rail from CSX. This rail included the Grand Junction Railroad, a short stretch of rail that connects the north and south portions of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail network. The Grand Junction includes rail in Cambridgeport, East Cambridge, and East Somerville. Once the acquisition was complete, the state began exploring the possibility of providing direct service from Worcester to North Station with the potential of adding a stop in Kendall Square. At this stage, many feared that the project would happen no matter what. Indeed, the state was moving in a direction and pace that hinted at the inevitability of its proposal.

What quickly took shape, however, was a strong reaction from the community. There was a near universal feeling in the surrounding neighborhoods that using the Grand Junction for Commuter Rail service would have a range of negative impacts for residents and the environment. Increased pollution and noise, and risks to pedestrian safety were feared. Many expressed their frustration at the thought of Grand Junction being suddenly off limits to the construction of a mixed use pathway or urban ring rapid transit, infrastructure improvements that would benefit the community.

In response, residents created and signed petitions, attended and spoke at public meetings, and submitted written protest to MassDOT. As a result, negative community impacts were given weight in the agency’s ridership study, a research study that was used to determine the viability of expanding Worcester line service using Grand Junction. While the study did find that there would be a regional reduction in air pollution due to a small reduction in vehicle traffic on the Mass Pike, they found that air pollution in Cambridge would increase due to diesel exhaust from trains and automobile exhaust from vehicles idling at crossings. Vibration and noise were also considered and found to be negative impacts worth serious consideration.

In the end, MassDOT’s ridership study confirmed the unnecessary nature of Grand Junction Commuter Rail service. Their modeling showed that a $30 million renovation and expansion of the Grand Junction into a Commuter Rail spur of the Worcester line, including the construction of a station at Kendall Square, would only result in a minute increase in ridership. The Grand Junction proposal would increase the number of daily passengers on the line from 9000 to 9300 by 2035—just 3% in 25 years.

This outcome is not only a victory for our community, but a validation and demonstration of the necessity of the public planning process. The decision by MassDOT not to go forward with this project was influenced by a strong showing of community opposition and calls for the potential negative impacts of the proposal to be considered in the feasibility analysis.

As we learned last night, MassDOT’s decision is not necessarily permanent or final. South Station does have capacity issues that must be remediated by costly renovations. If the money for expansion at South Station cannot be obtained, the state may look at Grand Junction as an option again. I will be closely following the South Station expansion’s progress and working with my colleagues in the state legislature to facilitate funding for the project.  Expanding South Station will have far reaching benefits for the transit system as a whole.

If we wish to see Grand Junction put to use as a community path, we must simultaneously redouble our efforts to make the vision of a rail trail a reality. A mixed-use path along Grand Junction would be an excellent, functional addition to our community that would enhance city-wide connectivity and access to open space and parkland—in short, a project that would help Cambridge and Somerville, not hurt them. A mixed-use path is what our community has been demanding for years, and I believe that is vital that transportation projects undertaken in our community are not only undertaken to serve residents of this community, but also reflect our shared ideals regarding alternative transportation and more environmentally conscious living. I am looking forward to continuing to work together with community groups and residents to make our plans for our neighborhood a reality.