Many Somerville residents feel caught up in a web of never ending efforts to rid their neighborhoods of rodent infestation with all the construction going on. — Photos by Bobbie Toner

By NaBeela Washington

For many the Green Line construction in Somerville is a blessing. It brings increased opportunities for navigation and accessibility to Boston for residents and commuters. But for some, the changes have caused a stir for those living in close proximity to construction: major rat problems.

Buddy, a resident of Somerville, has a house on Gilman St. along the tracks where much of the construction is going on and has been a resident in Somerville for 16 years. This small community includes other longtime residents, some of which have lived in their homes for over 60 years and have seen many generations come and go. Buddy spearheads much of the communications between this community, the city, and Green Line Extension (GLX) crew.

Buddy and other residents are fed up with the rat problem. “Residents are having to come out of pocket for exterminator services and methods to get rid of rats. We’ve got nothing. They gave us one bait box. Enough’s enough.” In a meeting with State Reps and GLX on November 9, 2018, the residents received an overview of actions the city would be taking to hopefully provide a solution to the growing rat situation including: pulling out steel girders, a temporary chain link fence, and pest control. “We’re paying to control the rats while MBTA is doing the work and that’s not fair. We need some relief with these goddamn rats! You gotta be fair!”

Despite small efforts by the city, there is still an increasing number of rats on residential properties. According to Buddy, when trees across from Gilman St. came down, there was an abundance of trash and an exposure of burrows. This subsequently led to an abundance of rats. “I have eight cameras on my property, I see it. The rats are running up the steps of our back porch.” According to residents, rats are being picked up by red tail hawks, with some then falling on rooftops of their homes. There are also feral cats running around picking off rats. “Rats are there no matter the weather. Rats run across the street to Gilman. Rats are running around on our property and we are paying $130 a month for bait boxes.”

According to mbta.com, the Green Line Extension (GLX) will extend the northern end of the Green Line from Lechmere to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford.

Some project features include:

• A new Green Line branch on existing Lowell Commuter Rail tracks, from Lechmere to Medford
• A new Green Line branch on existing Fitchburg Commuter Rail tracks, from Lechmere to Union Square in Somerville
• The relocation of Lechmere Station in Cambridge
• 7 new T stations
• A new vehicle storage and maintenance facility

Despite ongoing issues with the rats, residents are delighted to have a stopover at Gilman Station, and are also excited about upcoming developments for a new bike path. Residents would like to see a better method for reporting rat sightings and have suggested having a digital method to report rats on the City of Somerville’s website, versus phoning in rat reports. “The more that we can give in rat sightings and hot spots, the more we can control the rat population,” says Buddy.