Next Steps for Green Line Extension

– Allison Goldsberry

On Wednesday MassDOT released a statement following a vote by the MassDOT Board of Directors and the MBTA Fiscal & Management Control Board to move forward with a scaled back and less expensive Green Line extension project.

A ninety day evaluation of the project, triggered by concerns of a $1 billion cost over-run, was compiled into a report that the fiscal management control board and the MassDOT board considered at a May 9 meeting. According to MassDOT, the report focused on seven key areas, including project redesign, a new cost estimate, the potential completion date, competitive procurement, future management of the project, funding sources and uses, and risk management.

The full report and presentation from the May 9 meeting are available on the MBTA’s website.

On Monday the fiscal management control board and the MassDOT board unanimously voted to move forward with the Green Line extension and to send the redesign plans to the Federal Transit Administration for review and approval.

“The MassDOT Board and FMCB are confident that the Interim Project Management Team (‘IPMT’) package as presented provides the full functionality and benefits of the GLX Project and that the proposed procurement method and program management structure will enable the MBTA to deliver the project successfully,” said a MassDOT statement.

MassDOT, the MBTA, and the interim project management team are also working on a revised project finance plan that will be submitted to the FTA. They will also provide a regular report to both boards on the project status.

State transportation staff and the interim project management team have also been asked to report to the next joint board meeting on plans to reduce costs, potential checkpoints for both boards to assist with moving the project forward, and project management strategies that reflect the scaled back plans.