Green Line has Public Seeing Red
by Jesse Kawa, Medford Transcript
2/2/2006
The proposed Green Line extension into Medford and Somerville took center stage last week after state officials went before the City Council to discuss the much anticipated project.
Reps. Paul J. Donato, D-Medford, Carl Sciortino, D-Medford, and Sen. Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, attended the Jan. 24 meeting to discuss plans for the project and what roles they will play.
Although the particulars of the project are still up in the air, the members of the state delegation wanted to let the council, as well as the public, know it is moving forward.
Sciortino said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before this project gets off the ground, but it is a great opportunity to look at how the city can improve its public transit system. He said right now the state Department of Environmental Protection is looking over the project and if it's approved, plans will be sent to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for review.
Sciortino said once the project goes through those channels, planning can really get started. "The Green Line extension presents amazing opportunities as well as challenges," he said. "I would advocate this is really a good opportunity for the community, if done right."
Sciortino added no one wants to take houses by eminent domain or disrupt neighborhoods in any way.
Donato said he, like Sciortino and Jehlen, is concerned about what type of effect this project will have on the West Medford area. He said all are in agreement that this project could have tremendous results, but only if the extension doesn't go any further than Route 16.
Donato said if the extension went through West Medford, he believes the effects to the area would be detrimental.
Jehlen said it's great that state and city officials are finally getting together to discuss the Green Line extension, a project that is so important to the community. She said any funding for the project will have to be appropriated by the state Legislature.
Jehlen said people can rest assure if the proposal is not in the community's best interest, she and her colleagues won't vote for it.
"The state is not going to do anything Medford doesn't want," she said. "We're on your side. We're going to do what the people of Medford want to do."
Jehlen said she just hopes people can keep an open mind and see this project through at least until there is a clear cut plan on the table.
"It's not a good idea to just say no," she said. "No one wants to move forward without a comprehensive plan."
City Councilor Stephanie Muccini Burke said at this time, it is very difficult to form an opinion on the Green Line due to the lack of information. She said she hopes as the project moves forward more details will be readily available.
Councilor Robert Penta added although extending the Green Line into Medford might sound great, he thinks how the project will affect the city's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority assessment, the fee communities pay to receive services from the agency, also needs to be addressed.
Medford resident Ken Krause, who has been involved with this project from the beginning, said there are a lot of concerns that need to be addressed before the project moves forward, but he believes that in the long run, the Green Line will be a great addition to the community.
Krause said one of his main concerns at this junction in the project; however, is why it took so long to hold this type of meeting between city and state officials. He said since this project moved into the forefront nearly two years ago, only two meetings, counting last week's, have been held. Krause said that is a problem in and of itself.
"If this is done right, Medford will be a better place to live, work and visit," said Krause. "I'm not sure what we're waiting for."
City Council President Robert Maiocco ended last week's discussion with the phrase "to be continued."