Aldermen reject possible Green Line delay
By Catherine Rogers

On top of proposed delays to the Green Line extension project, Somerville and Medford residents will wait for action as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection compiles input from a public discussion period regarding changes to public transit.

At their Jan. 12 meeting, the Board of Aldermen unanimously endorsed a resolution expressing their discontent with the language in the State Implementation Plan (SIP) outline of proposed transit projects in Massachusetts. Without a plan for mitigation during postponement from 2011-2014, the board could not accept the proposed SIP, said Alderman-at-Large William A. White Jr., also a co-sponsor of the resolution.

The board also rejected the possibility of substituting another project for the Green Line extension.
“We object to that as well because the state is changing what it plans to do,” said White, adding that this built-in provision provides an “escape hatch” that would allow the state to skirt holding public hearings before changing the regulation. “I don’t even know how legal that is,” he said.

The DEP hosted a series of open forums and accepted written testimony over the last six weeks as residents reacted to various proposed projects, including the Green Line extension,  outlined in the new SIP.

The Green Line extension to Somerville was introduced in the 1990s as a remediation project after the Big Dig’s far-reaching negative impacts on the already substandard air quality. Since then Somerville officials have grown frustrated with the state’s foot-dragging.

“The state made a commitment to Somerville, a promise that it would happen. I want to see that this commitment is honored,” said Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gerwitz.

Gewirtz pointed out that Somerville qualifies as an environmental justice community because of residents’ proximity to Route 93. With eight lines and only one stop, she said, the city is underserved and should be recognized as such in the state’s future actions regarding the Mass Bay Transit Authority.