Here’s what the Green Line Extension means for Boston.com readers
"I’m excited to be a two-minute walk away from the Green Line, but I’m worried about my rent going up."
The first part of the Green Line Extension has been up and running for nearly a month with a remodeled Lechmere station, a reopened Science Park/West End stop, and a brand new Union Square station.
The extension has brought long expected Green Line service to Somerville, and will continue to Medford later this year. So we asked Boston.com readers if they would use the the new line and what expansion of the T means to them.
Most readers said that they didn’t see the the Green Line Extension as a part of their daily lives, with many stating that they would be infrequent riders, if they even rode at all. Despite anticipated frequency of use, many readers mentioned a concern of increases to rent and housing prices.
Ahead, we rounded up a sampling of how readers will use the new GLX and what it means to them below.
Reader responses are lightly edited for clarity.
Many are ‘excited,’ but access and getting ‘priced out’ is still a concern
Most readers said that they would occasionally use the Green Line Extension, but had concerns about who can access the new line going forward.
“The Union Square area is already experiencing gentrification, however as the GLX is extended, efforts should be made to maintain/expand affordable house in the area. Overall, I see the GLX as a benefit due to the high volume of personal vehicles that currently exist. It would make car-free living more attainable,” Abigael from Inman Square said.
“I’ve lived in Somerville as a renter since 2008. I’m about to be priced out of my neighborhood. I’m pleased there are more viable public transit options, but only the wealthy are able to live walking-distance to the T,” said a Boston.com reader from Somerville.
“I am a resident of East Somerville, and cannot wait for the Medford extension to open! East Somerville is a great community, but somewhat disconnected from the city if you do not live close to Sullivan Square,” Morgan from East Somerville said.
“I live near Union Square and am quite excited to have the D and E lines in our city. The principal gain for me is that I will be able to travel directly to the Longwood Medical area and Kenmore where I have doctor appointments. The large increase in property prices in Somerville long predated the completion of the GLX. I think the new trolleys make the city more attractive and have some effect on raising prices, but it’s not the dominant one,” said E. Fay from East Somerville.
‘Much faster commute!’
Of the readers who said they’d use the GLX most days said they would use the new access to the T as an essential part of their lifestyle.
“I am excited about it, yet disappointed because it should run at street level. I am also disappointed on how long it took for what should have been a simple project to be built. In our modern times we should be developing these not so revolutionary transit projects continuously,” said Cullen E. from Charlestown.
“I’m excited to be a two-minute walk away from the Green Line, but I’m worried about my rent going up,” said Ryan H. from East Somerville.
“I now have a one seat ride to work instead of 3 transfers. Much faster commute! I tested it out on the first day Union Square opened. I work in Back Bay and live in Somerville. I am worried about housing costs going up. You see a flurry of development and investment and that means steep prices coming to the neighborhoods,” Kevin from Spring Hill said.
‘Horrible experience’
Other readers who do not plan to use GLX thought the project was misguided and ineffective, if not long overdue.
“I took the green line from Fenway to Science Park the other day and already had a horrible experience,” Isabelle from Fenway said. “All of the green line trains were leaving people off at North Station, and it was another 10 minute wait there to get the Union Square train. It took an hour to get from Fenway to the Science Park stop, which is absolutely crazy. We had timed tickets to a show and we missed it due to the Green Line, even though we left early so we would have enough time to get there. Such a poor and frustrating experience has already completely turned me off to trying to use any of the new stops, so I’m planning on avoiding it as much as possible.”
“I moved to the Union Square in 1990 when the project was first announced. [Union Square] is overrun with cars and desperately needs more public transit. I moved out of Union Square in 2015 after 25 years of broken promises, delays and endless neighborhood meetings, but still no train! Now, 32 years since it was proposed and then legally mandated, the modest train is finally running. A generation of people have already moved out. A terrible example of public transit building!” Jeff M. from Providence said.
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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