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Random musings from a Midwesterner in Beantown.

Monday, February 28, 2005

Meeting postponed again! 

From the Mayor's office and Groundwork Somerville:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Due to the threat of severe weather this evening, the Ozone SIP/ CAT Transit Commitment Re-evaluation Hearing on the Green Line Extension, Red/Blue Connector, and Arborway Restoration scheduled to be held tonight at Somerville High School has been postponed. This hearing, initially scheduled for January 24, 2005, was originally rescheduled due to the January blizzard. Unfortunately, the threat of heavy snow again tonight (2/28/05) has forced another postponement. DEP and EOT have said they will reschedule the hearing in Somerville in the near future. Please let all of your contacts, neighbors, and friends who are planning on attending know that the meeting will NOT be held tonight (Monday, February 28, 2005).


Please contact me with any questions.

Stuart O'Brien
Senior Project Manager
Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning
and Community Development
City of Somerville
617.625.6600 x2526

Snow Emergency in Effect at 3 p.m.

Forecasters are currently predicting 6 - 12 inches of heavy wet snow to fall tonight. A snow emergency will commence at 3 pm. Cars will be subject to ticketing and towing at 7 p.m. Residents are advised to move their cars as soon as possible to the odd side of the street or to a municipal parking lot.

For further information and updates www.ci.somerville.ma.us

Editorial comment: If we already had adequate mass transit, would the snow storm be such a problem?

******************************

Jennifer Hill
Executive Director
Groundwork Somerville
PO Box 441033
408 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02144
617.628.9988 (v)
617.623.5943 (f)
www.GroundworkSomerville.org
Changing Places, Changing Lives

Tonight's the Night 

Barring another snowstorm-based cancellation, the rescheduled Somerville Green Line hearing will take place tonight. According to the Somerville Chamber of Commerce: "February 28, 2005. There has not been a more important date between the Common-wealth of Massachusetts & Somerville in 100 years. State officials come here at 6:30 p.m. to hear the case for Somerville's Green Line. Five new transit stations hang in the balance. Economic development, jobs, housing, open space, an enhanced quality of life & the city's fiscal well-being are in the offing. But, the pivotal test of public policy making is public will -- which puts the matter squarely on each of us. For Somerville, let's stand together. Please join us at the Green Line meeting. -- SVM" The Mayor's office has also chipped in.

The meeting, originally scheduled for last month but postponed due to the blizzard, will be held in the SHS auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting is a follow-up to a State House hearing held on December 14, 2004, where state officials were criticized by some participants for not holding the hearing in the communities affected by possible transportation funding cutbacks.

I've always found it interesting that I've heard so very little from Tufts University on this issue. Tufts would directly benefit from a Green Line expansion. The Tufts Daily ran an editorial on the subject today.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Documenting the commitment 

There is a great collection of documents and articles surrounding the state's commitments to public transportation available on the APT website.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

The Weekly Dig is back and on the MBTA's back 

Boston's Weekly Dig is back after a major refit, and on the MBTA's back again.

Monday, February 07, 2005

Globe article on the Urban Ring and other MBTA projects 

On January 30th, the Boston Globe carried a good article on transit projects.

Friday, February 04, 2005

Public transit commitment meetings rescheduled 

NOTICE OF RESCHEDULED PUBLIC MEETINGS

(These meetings were previously scheduled in January but were cancelled due to snow)

Regarding the joint public meeting held on December 14, 2004 at the State House, Gardner Auditorium, on the three remaining Central Artery/Tunnel project transit commitments, notice is hereby given that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) will extend the comment period until March 4, 2005 and will hold two additional public meetings. The three projects are the Arborway Green Line extension, the Blue Line/Red Line Connector, and the Medford Hills Green Line Extension. The purpose of the public meetings is to inform interested parties about and take public comments on the public process DEP and EOT will conduct to make decisions and, to the extent appropriate, make changes
to the transit regulation (310 CMR 7.36) that provide for air quality improvements.

The additional public meetings are being held to allow additional testimony on these matters. Priority will be given to individuals who were unable to provide testimony at the December 14, 2004 meeting. The public meetings will be held on:

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Agassiz School
20 Child Street, Jamaica Plain

Monday, February 28, 2005 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Somerville Public High School
81 Highland Street, Somerville

Written comments will be welcome at the meeting; written comments will also be accepted until 5 PM on Friday, March 4, 2005. Comments should be sent either by mail or email to:

Robert W. Golledge, Commissioner
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108
robert.golledge@state.ma.us

and

Daniel A. Grabauskas, Secretary
Executive Office of Transportation
Ten Park Plaza
Boston, MA 02116
daniel.grabauskas@mhd.state.ma.us

The public meeting site is wheelchair accessible. This information is available in alternative format upon request by contacting Donald M. Gomes, ADA Coordinator, at 617-556-1057. TDD Service -1-800-298-2207.

Robert W. Golledge Jr., Commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection
Daniel A. Grabauskas, Secretary, Executive Office of Transportation

http://www.hacksaw.org/pipermail/pathfriends/attachments/20050203/f79f8838/rescheduledCATtransitcommitpublicmeetings-0001.doc

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Return of Arborway service will face stiff resistance 

According to the Boston Globe, two new studies "question the wisdom of extending the Green Line into the Jamaica Plain Arborway, prompting the head of the MBTA to seek a meeting with state officials to determine if they want to forge ahead with a project that could cost up to $100 million." Proponents of the return of Green Line service to the Arborway face an uphill battle, and although I hope otherwise, may find that their project becomes the budgetary sacrificial lamb.

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