State Unveils Green Line Station Drawings

At right, a Green Line train at Cleveland Circle. Photo by Alexander Svirsky.

The Executive Office of Transportation has revealed preliminary drawings of proposed Green Line station locations in Medford and Somerville.

The stations will be the subject of the next project advisory group meeting, which is taking place from 4PM to 6PM on Monday at St. Clement’s Parish Hall in Medford. The meeting is open to the public.

Ken Krause, one of Medford’s project advisory group members, said the proposed plans for the Medford stations at Ball Square, College Avenue, and Route 16 so far are a step in the right direction.

“I’m eager to hear more detailed explanation of these drawings at Monday’s meeting, but I’m encouraged by the EOT’s efforts to address citizens’ concerns. For example, the College Avenue station is moved away from Brookings Street and homes along Burget Avenue, where it previously was drawn; the Route 16 station shows no parking structure; and the Ball Square station is closer to Broadway than Harvard Street. All these recommendations were made consistently in public meetings and it is good to see them reflected in the EOT’s latest drawings,” said Krause.

In the most recent public meeting for the Green Line, state officials said no homes would need to be taken between College Avenue and Winthrop Street, yet significant property acquisition, mostly commercial, would be necessary if the Green Line is extended all the way to Route 16.

The drawings for the College Avenue and Route 16 stations are consistent with what was said at that meeting, though the College Avenue station drawing appears to show that some land will need to be taken from some of the yards that abut the railroad tracks.

Project officials said more public meetings will be held over the next several months so residents can hear more about the project and provide feedback.

Though three potential station locations have been proposed for Medford, they are not definite and project managers are still examining ridership, cost, and environmental impact, among other factors, before making a decision.

The state said it plans to have the results of its analysis in September.

– InsideMedford.com

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See drawings for each station on the Green Line extension website