Re: Final Environmental Impact Report on Green Line Extension, EEA #13886

Dear Ms. Johnson:

This note is, first of all, to thank the Executive Office of Transportation, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the MBTA for their efforts in extending the Green Line to Somerville and Medford. This project will help Somerville, Medford, and Cambridge for generations to come. In particular, thank you for embracing Option L for the Maintenance Facility.

I offer the following comments on the FEIR:

1. I noted that the updated conceptual design for the new Lechmere station included means of accessing the station from both sides of the cross street. This is the correct approach, and I ask that you keep this concept in mind when designing all the other stations. Providing a rich set of neighborhood connections will improve ridership and usability.

2. When designing stations, please provide convenient access for disabled citizens, including elevators, lowering platforms, and Braille and auditory displays in convenient locations. Again, this will improve ridership and usability.

3. Where choices must be made, please emphasize pedestrian, bike, and bus connections over automobile connections. In particular, include the Somerville Community Path early in your designs, and continue to work to fund it. Somerville and Medford are both far too compact and crowded to encourage parking on neighborhood streets.

4. Please include in the Union Square station design a placeholder for a later extension of the Union Square spur to Porter Square. Providing this extension would place almost all of Somerville and much of Cambridge within 1/4 mile of public transportation and would transform south Somerville.

5. Please design the tracks and catenaries to allow easy electrification of the Commuter Rail. This would do a great deal to lessen the air pollution burden on local citizens caused by diesel exhaust, and minimize noise pollution as well.

6. When designing the Maintenance Facility, please consider providing some kind of public amenity at the boundary, such as a lookout floor in a control tower or a display on the history of the MBTA.

7. Finally, but not least, please include the Route 16 extension in your plans early and continue to seek funding. Connecting the Green Line near the boundaries of Somerville, Medford, and Arlington will help fulfill the mitigation required by the Ozone SIP and transform those neighborhoods.

Thank you for your attention.

David Dahlbacka
http://www.whyisthisimportant.net