by David Dahlbacka in All Ages, Beat Reporter, Commuter Rail, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space
Posted on December 4, 2011 at 6:48 pm
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Grand Junction Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Public Meeting
Thurs. Dec. 8 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Kennedy Longfellow School
158 Spring St.
Cambridge MA (map)
This meeting, hosted by Mass DOT, is called to discuss the potential use of the Grand Junction Railroad for supplemental MBTA Commuter Rail service to Cambridge and North Station.
Light rail mass transit is a good thing, but directing commuter rail trains, including diesel trains, through the middle of Cambridge is controversial.
For more information, see:
- Grand Junction Commuter Rail Project
- Grand Junction Transportation Study
- Opposition expressed to commuter rail proposal
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Beat Report: 12/8/11 Grand Junction Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Public Meeting
Bottom Line on Top
The MBTA will not be pursuing this project at this time. instead they will try to expand South Station. This will involve taking over the South Postal Annex and expanding track, and will require funding in the hundreds of millions. They ask that we help with this effort.
Rough Notes
Arrived late (~7:30)
6 at grade crossings in Cambridge. Max be 12 round trips/day. Now 4-5 /day (CSX freight). At other places with more crossings, not a major issue. Trains required to blow whistles at crossings. Would need a Federal whistle ban, would require significant changes.
Q: How many times per day?
AL At least 24 times.
Wig: Thanks for temporary decision. Don’t think diesel is a good in-city choice. You mean full train meaning in direction of most riders? (Yes) Black carbon should be in models. Consider Wyatt Circle south of South Station for commuter rail maintenance. 2/3 of trains are on south side of Boston. Most of MBTA budget is maintenance. You will have a lot of bus substitution. When that happens, Kendall Square environment is hurt. Takes a lot of buses to replace Red Line. Should put out an annual report with environmental impacts of current projects.
A: One part of South Station project is study of south side layover facility.
Q: I live 40 ft from tracks. Legislature voted for a quiet zone. If city wants a quiet zone, will you help get approval from Federal Gov? Also, re Greenbush Line: in Hingham they put in big tunnel. Why can’t we have one? Also, what were your projections of Greenbush Line ridership and what is the actual? Where is the station in Cambridge going to be located? Near Kendall? What input do you have about that?
A: Don’t know Greenbush Line figures. Don’t know what other improvements could happen in Cambridge. Station would be within walking distance of Kendall Sq. T-station (Main St., Bway, Mass Ave.). Did not look in detail about location. Picked general area within walking distance. Whistle ban: I can’t say Mass DOT will support community on whistle ban. We would need to study effects on safety.
Q: By 2035 you expect 90K taking train. 2/3 going to S. Station, 1/3 to Kendall or N. Station. Take 250 cars off road. What’s environmental impact of idling cars at crossings? Latent desire of people out of town versus bad service provided by train.
A: Point taken, there are impacts to people living in Cambridge. Benefits to people outside. Evaluated benefits. We’re not going to pursue this. Environmental analysis takes into account idling at crossings. Total number of cars small. Moderate amount of time spent. Still have slightly better regional effect.
[COMMENT: Health effects are local, not regional.]
Q: Speeds along Grand Junction railway?
A: Speeds to be the same. Now 10-15 mph. No plan to increase that. Constraint is proximity of neighbors, density of crossings.
Q: Red Line is electric. Urban Ring is gone. At one time were talking about light rail in tunnels. When do you think Urban Ring Phase 2 to start? 2035?
A: Urban Ring Phase 2 (bus rapid transit) Is not on MPO short term plans. Also not on long range plan, going out 25 years. We cannot pay for phase 2 over next 25 years. Phase 3 (rail phase) to happen after phase 2.
Q: What would be source of funding of $13M proposed for safety improvements?
A: Included in maintenance portion of MBTA commuter rail contract with operator. Could be done ad hoc as needed. Passenger service makes them a higher priority.
Q: Troubling that we aren’t pursuing this option, yet we act as if it’s going to happen sometime. You will have diesel engines and car engines being added. That gets lost in the regional measure. Will be a massive increase in local pollutants.
A: I’m sorry you find presentation troubling. This is not a done deal. I’ve come here to present results of analysis. We didn’t look at every single pollution increase. Looked at regional air quality measure. If we pursued this further, we’d have to look at local effects. We’re not actively pursuing this project.
Q: Door 100 ft from tracks. Thanks for presentation.Go on Red Line every day. Would rather have equipment not go by, but I knew about it when I bought. Q2: When trains coming to Kendall and South Station, go around?
A: Will deviate to go thru Cambridge, then to Somerville, and around.
Q: Freight service to continue?
A: Will continue.
Q: So 17 trains per day.
Q: You haven’t talked about effects on people’s homes due to movement of trains. Any consideration of that? Mitigation? Also, what is noise reduction area? Some train drivers lean on horn all the way through. It’s a residential area.
A: Haven’t done detailed analysis of home effects.
Q: Do YOU live near a train?
A: If we were pursuing this, we’d have to do that analysis.
Q: 6 grade crossings is a lot. How does that compare to other areas you know?
A: Is dense, though not extremely dense. Other places are not surrounded by density of people. Other cities have downtown crossings. Seattle, Baltimore have major crossings in downtown area.
Q: Please reference existing crossings.
A: Haven’t done that research. We’d have to do that if we went forward.
Q: Bulk of ridership wants to go to South Station, not North Station. Do safety augments ring closer to Quiet Zone requirements?
A: Don’t know, depends on traffic on roadway.
Q: CSX trains don’t blow horns. What’s difference in accidents?
A: Don’t know. Federal law says you blow the horn.
Q: Note planning go go forward now We don’t want it to ever happen ever. What would bring you to continue? What would be our recourse?
A: If to be passenger rail, need state environmental review, with mandated public participation steps. Public hearings, stenographers, etc. Comments weighed against benefits and impacts.
We need to improve passenger service to Worcester. Need to improve track capacity at S. Station. Postal facility would need to move, take land, expand tracks. In $100s of Ms to expand. If couldn’t do that, use North Station instead with Grand Junction.
Q: How could we help you bring South Station along?
A: Tell your elected representatives. Will be public meetings on S. Station in next half year.
Q: FRA horn ban. Four of our crossings have 4-way gates (ped and car). Is state comfortable with safety there to move forward with ban? And, how to move forward with shared use ban?
A: I didn’t think 4 crossings had 4 way gates. Hate to say without study.
Q: Could certify no accidents last 10 years with those gates.
A: City has to initiate study. Re shared use path, have conversation with MBTA and city about corridor.
Q: Committee excited that commuter rail not actively pursued. Said rail not inconsistent with community path. Alternative 4 is higher speed. Also having station in Kendall Sq. would interrupt shared use path. Has an impact.
A: Max speeds are 15-25 mph.
Q: Track between Binney and Cambridge could have ped crossings.
A: Need permit from MBTA to make crossing.
Q: How to find out what is happenings further?
A: Web site http://www.mass.gov/massdot/grandjunction Will have minutes and presentation there. Will e-mail to mailing list from tonight.
Q: Not getting funding for South Station would be an issue What’s time frame?
A: Sooner the better. Have Federal RailWay Administration grant to do South Station design.
Q: Time to South Coast Rail implementation?
A: No defined time.
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David thanks so much for these great notes.
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