The Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP) and the Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance (MGNA) are jointly hosting a community meeting to discuss the proposed extension of the Green Line service to the Medford/Somerville line at Mystic Valley Parkway.

The meeting, will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24 in the multipurpose room at Sophia Gordon Hall, at15 Talbot Ave., Medford, on the Tufts University campus.

The purpose of the meeting is to present the latest information regarding the planning for the Green Line project and discuss the issues relating to the Mystic Valley Parkway area as a terminus station. The state’s Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) is currently evaluating whether to extend Green Line service to Mystic Valley Parkway/Boston Avenue, or to end service at College Avenue/Boston Avenue. EOT is planning to report on its evaluation of the two terminus options in January at a Green Line Community Advisory Committee meeting.    EOT released its current ridership projections for the Green Line (available on www.greenlineextension.org) and they have reduced their estimates of ridership from their original feasibility study for the project several years ago despite the fact that ridership on the MBTA has been rising steadily since last year.

STEP and MGNA are concerned that EOT may recommend terminating the Green Line at College Avenue and this would mean that 10,000 residents living within a half mile from the proposed location at Route 16 would not have easy access to the Green Line.  The fact is that this station location would serve both Somerville and Medford environmental justice neighborhoods as well as providing access for residents of East Arlington.

Background information on the Green Line extension project from EOT can be found on the project website, www.greenlineextension.org.

More information on the Green Line is available from the STEP and MGNA  websites, www.somervillestep.org and www.medfordgreenline.org.

Contacts:

Ellin Reisner (STEP) 617-776-1987

Ken Krause MGNA (781) 874-0920