Meeting minutes from BUMC focus group meeting - Green Line ...

Green Line Extension Project Advisory Group Meeting #8
more equitable distribution of transit services, and support opportunities for sustainable
development.
Introductions and Update from EOT
Nancy Farrell, Regina Villa Associates, opened the meeting at 4:05. She reviewed the
meeting agenda and invited Advisory Group members to introduce themselves (see
Attendance). She then introduced Steve Woelfel, Project Manager for EOT.
Mr. Woelfel said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had recently ruled
on the State Implementation Plan (SIP) substitutions, and the Green Line Extension
project has now formally been incorporated into the SIP as defined to include a Union
Square branch as well as a Main Line branch.
Mr. Woelfel said that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is changing the way it
oversees risk management and project costs. FTA has began a project management
oversight process for the Green Line Extension one month ago, and EOT will be
providing information on cost, schedule, scope, and possible areas of risk.
Mr. Woelfel added that he hopes to have the scoping analysis for the proposed Green
Line support facility and ridership figures posted on the project website prior to the
September Advisory Group meeting. He apologized that the information was not
available for this meeting. [Editor’s Note: EOT is still working to prepare these analyses
and will provide them as soon as they are ready.]
William Wood, Medford, said that in the EPA ruling on the SIP commitments, the
proposal advocated by the Green Line Advisory Group for Medford (GLAM), was
recommended by EPA as an enhancement. [Editor’s Note: the project alternative
proposed by GLAM was mentioned in the EPA SIP ruling without particular
endorsement.]
Ken Krause, Medford, asked if the annual SIP report – due to the Department of
Environmental Protection every June – is available. Kate Fichter, EOT, said that a June
30, 2008 report was filed with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). She
noted that DEP will hold two public meetings to receive public comment, both oral and
written, on the annual update and status report for transit projects. The public meetings
will be held on Monday, September 8, 2008 at 2:00 PM and Monday, September 8, 2008
at 5:00 PM. She invited interested parties to visit the EOT website to learn more. 1
Mimi Graney, Union Square Main Streets, asked when a decision on the Union Square
alignment will be discussed. Mr. Woelfel said he hoped it would be discussed at the
September meeting, but if the information is available earlier, it would be released then.
[Editor’s Note: EOT is still working to prepare this analysis and will provide it as soon as
it is ready.]
Lee Auspitz, Somerville, asked about the number of potential locations that will be
discussed in the maintenance facility scoping document. Mr. Woelfel said the document
will include all of the sites discussed in April 2008 at the Advisory Group meeting as well
as variations, noting there were over 11. Mr. Auspitz asked if these included Yard 7 and
1 http://www.eot.state.ma.us/default.asp?pgid=content/transitCommitment&sid=about
August 4, 2008 3