by David Dahlbacka in All Ages, Beat Reporter, Environment and Open Space, Events, Neighborhoods and Squares, Trains, Transportation Projects, Union Square
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:12 pm
| December 15, 2010 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
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Informational Meeting on Grand Junction Tracks
Wed. Dec. 15 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Brickbottom Artists Building
1 Fitchburg St.
Somerville MA (map)
The Brickbottom Artist’s Community is hosting an informational meeting on MassDOT’s plans to use the Grand Junction rail line for limited commuter rail use. The Grand Junction line passes behind Brickbottom, curves around the back of the Twin Cities Plaza, runs through eastern Cambridge and the MIT campus, and crosses the Charles under the BU Bridge.
Putting the Grand Junction in use will increase rail traffic next to Brickbottom, which already lives with existing Commuter Rail service and shortly will live with the Green Line extension.
For more information, see Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP).
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There were 4 Mass DOT representatives at the Grand Junction Tracks meeting that was attended by over 50 people at Brickbottom. The Mass DOT speakers gave a brief summary of the proposed plan to run Worcester commuter trains to North Station via the Grand Junction rail line (where only non- revenue passenger trains presently operate). The State recently acquired the right of way from CSX thru Cambridge and Somerville.
There were many people speaking in opposition (including Rep. Toomey who has made his opposition clear in the past and at the meeting). There was no one in the audience voicing support for the project and a lot of questions were raised.
Among the major concerns would be increased noise to Brickbottom and adjacent residential areas in Cambridge, safety and traffic bottlenecks at grade crossings throughout the route in Cambridge, increased air pollution from the diesel trains for the area, possible impact on GLX tracks, and no (perceived) benefits for Cambridge or Somerville residents.
It did not appear that any significant engineering analysis has been done by MassDOT. They reported that they are only having the state’s Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) do a ridership analysis. When asked they did not respond to questions about:
• whether they would add a track or use only the existing single track,
• how many trains would run each day (“not many”),
• how fast the trains would travel (not “high speed” as reported in a newspaper article),
• whether they would be doing an environmental impact or estimate air emissions impacts on residents
• how it would impact the planned Grant Junction rail-with-trail multi-use path or the Urban Ring if it becomes a financially viable project.
In doing the ridership analysis they were asked if they would study alternatives such as exiting current South Station bound trains at Back Bay to access all stations on the Orange Line extension. They said the study would look at this but not conduct an analysis of environmental impacts.
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Thanks very much for the report!
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