Michigander in Mass

BOSTON -- The Romney administration's plans to drop several Boston mass transit projects that were required under the Big Dig -- and substitute several new ones -- has SouthCoast officials hoping the state will finally extend commuter rail to Fall River and New Bedford.

So far, however, Gov. Mitt Romney is looking elsewhere.

He is proposing to extend the Green Line to Medford beyond what was promised in a 1991 Big Dig settlement, add a Green Line spur to Union Square in Somerville, and add capacity to the commuter rail line to Worcester.

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The urban projects were promised under a 1991 legal settlement with the Conservation Law Foundation that cleared the way for the construction of the $14.6 billion Central Artery tunnel through Boston.

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[C]ommuter rail to SouthCoast was not being considered as a substitute, because it could not be completed in time to meet the state's 1991 settlement under the Clean Air Act.

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Under pressure from SouthCoast lawmakers, Gov. Romney announced this month he would release funding for a study to determine what permits would be required for commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River. The initial planning could cost as much as $6.6 million.