ABC’s Perspective: Green Line Extension
September 15, 2015
ABC finds the recent reports of the project’s cost overruns, of up to $1 billion, is deeply troubling. We have expressed our support of a full investigation into what transpired to get us to this place, including the hiring of a third party. We also support fully exploring the options that have been put on the table to fill the gap in project funding, including the potential rebid of pieces of the project and scaling back the design for the new stations. We also need to take a deep dive into the overall procurement, design and construction process at the T to ensure that we prevent this kind of occurrence on future transportation projects. We know that is part of the Control Board’s scope of work and fully support that initiative.
The bottom line, though, is that this project must proceed. It is critical for the region’s economy and has the potential to significantly reduce travel times (by as much as 75%) in the area. Moreover, the project will ensure that over 70% of residents in the area are within walking distance of a transit station, up from less than 20% today. If this project is put back on the shelf, we also risk sending a horrible signal to the federal government regarding future funding opportunities. This project leverages significant New Starts funding, and those resources are not something we can afford to throw away. The Commonwealth, working with all partners who have a stake in this project, needs to do what it can to reduce the project costs. However, we then must identify funding to cover the remaining gap to move forward with this critical transportation improvement.
Finally, some stakeholders have used these recent developments to suggest that we hit the pause button on ambitious transportation projects. We can’t let this mindset prevail, limit conversation, and dim our vision for a better transportation future. The region is growing and we need to invest accordingly to remain competitive. According to our research in The Cost of Doing Nothing, transportation is one of the top three factors considered when companies make location decisions and we risk losing business to our peer states if we sit on our hands. Projects like South Station expansion and the modernization of the MBTA’s power and signal systems need to be advanced. We also need to consider our statewide needs and invest in cost-effective projects that will increase access to housing and jobs for residents outside of Boston.
By 2035, economic centers in the urban core such as the South Boston Waterfront, Kendall Square, and the Longwood Medical Area are expected to generate over 30 million square feet of new development, and thousands of new jobs along with it. This will generate even more capacity constraints for the T. We need to make significant reforms to prevent the issues currently confronting the GLX project from happening again, but we can’t let these developments prevent us from considering the bold investments that our transportation system needs for the region to remain competitive and continue to grow.
