Federal official gives Green Line extension redesign initial OK
The MBTA’s reworked design of the beleaguered Green Line extension to Medford got a cursory thumbs up Friday from a federal transit official.
Related Links
-
Local News
What a scaled-down Green Line extension would look like
-
Local News
The Green Line extension is moving forward, but the saga is far from over
-
Local News
Why Medford isn’t helping to pay for the Green Line extension
-
Local News
Somerville mayor: $50M for Green Line extension ‘necessary,’ ‘frustrating’
But the Federal Transit Administration must still conduct a more thorough analysis of the project’s new form before its federal funding is considered a sure thing, Mary Beth Mello, the FTA’s New England administrator, wrote in a letter to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack.
Mello wrote that it is “the preliminary view” of the FTA that the scaled-down project would still provide the same benefits that had been expected under the prior, more elaborate design.
The FTA agreed to half-fund the prior $2 billion version of the project with a $1 billion grant. But the T has since cut back on parts of the project in order to save money, after the extension’s budget spiraled out of control to as high as $3 billion last year.
Before unveiling the new designs earlier this month, the project management team leading the reboot said its goal was to find ways to save without changing the extension’s core functionality, because eliminating stations or a bicycle path could threaten the federal funding that was pledged based on the previous design.
The redesign kept the basics in place, but saved money by trimming down on station designs, a planned maintenance facility, and aspects of the bike path.
The project management team also said the MBTA would need to hire a team of dozens of specialists to properly manage the extension.
Two state transportation boards voted on May 9 to continue with the project, with a number of conditions. And Pollack said the project still needed federal approval — including a thorough vetting of its slimmer $2.3 billion budget — to move forward.
In Friday’s letter, Mello detailed what the FTA will review.
“FTA must now undertake a comprehensive review of the revised costs, schedule, project management plan, and financial plans, the risks inherent in the redesigned project, and the technical capacity of the MBTA project management team,” Mello wrote, adding that the agency would also examine the new stations’ accessibility for people with disabilities.
The timing of the review “will depend on the level of design and detail you make available, the onboarding of your new project management team, and any questions that may arise in our reviews,” according to the letter.
If the state receives the federal money, it will have accounted for most of the extension’s costs. However, according to the state’s new estimate, it would still face a funding gap of $73 million.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com