Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Office of Transportation Planning
10 Park Plaza, Room 4150
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
planning@state.ma.us
(857) 368-8855
This report is being submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to provide an update on the status of the four outstanding State Implementation Plan (SIP) transportation control measure (TCM) projects: (1) improvements to the Fairmount Line, (2) the siting and construction of 1,000 new commuter parking spaces, (3) the design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector, and (4) the construction of the Green Line Extension to College Avenue (Medford) and Union Square (Somerville). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the projects as part of the SIP on July 31, 2008. A complete description of the process by which those projects were included in the SIP is provided in the Boston Region MPO’s long-range transportation plan – JOURNEY to 2030 Amendment adopted on September 24, 2009 and amended on November 19, 2009. As part of the approval of the JOURNEY to 2030 Amendment, FHWA and FTA stated:
“The demonstration of timely implementation of TCMs in the SIP is required for a conformity determination. In order to ensure that the TCMs are completed as scheduled, the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works shall prepare monthly progress reports to FTA, FHWA, and EPA. In addition to these progress reports EOT [MassDOT after November 1, 2009] shall convene monthly meetings with all interested parties to discuss the status of each TCM. This reporting requirement will be effective staring November 2009.”
This is the forty-sixth update of the required monthly status reports, to be presented to the Boston Region MPO at their October 16, 2014 meeting. This report builds on the State Implementation Plan Transit Commitments 2014 Status Report, submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on July 22, 2014. This report will be posted on the website of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Following the submittal of the 2012 Agency Response to Public Comments, MassDOT is no longer reporting on the 1,000 Parking Space requirement, as that project is complete.
Project Description
The 9.2-mile Fairmount commuter rail line runs from South Station, previously served four stations (Uphams Corner, Morton Street, Fairmount, and Readville) in the communities of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park, and terminates in the Readville section of Boston. The line, which uses right-of-way entirely owned by the MBTA, also includes 41 bridges. It is the only commuter rail line that exclusively serves neighborhoods within the City of Boston, but ridership has historically been low.
The Fairmount Line Improvement Project involves the rehabilitation of the existing Uphams Corner and Morton Street Stations; construction of four new stations (Newmarket, Four Corners, Talbot Avenue, and Blue Hill Avenue); reconstruction of six existing railroad bridges (located over Columbia Road, Quincy Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Talbot Avenue, Woodrow Avenue, and the Neponset River); and construction of a new interlocking and an upgraded signal system (required to advance the bridge reconstruction work). The intent of these upgrades has been to enhance future service, allowing for increased frequency on the line.
Planning Conformity
Throughout the life of the project, improvements to the Fairmount Line have been included in all relevant transportation planning documents, including the Regional Transportation Plans of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Project Status
The sections below describe the current status of the different elements of the Fairmount Line Improvement Project:
Systems
Necessary upgrades to the required interlocking and signal systems have been completed and are currently in use, which has allowed for the reconstruction of structurally deficient bridges along the Fairmount Line.
Bridges
Construction to replace the Columbia Road, Quincy Street, and Massachusetts Avenue bridges was completed in 2010. The construction of the Talbot Avenue and Woodrow Avenue bridges is complete (see “New Stations” below). Construction of three bridges over the Neponset River was completed in summer 2013.
Existing Stations
As stated above, existing stations at Uphams Corner and Morton Street required rehabilitation for the project. The MBTA held a station re-opening at Uphams Corner on January 23, 2007. The reconstruction of Morton Street was celebrated at a station re-opening on July 17, 2007. New elements at both stations include extended high-level passenger platforms, accessible walkways, canopies, benches, windscreens, signage, bicycle racks, variable message signs, lighting, and landscaping.
New Stations
Four Corners Station opened for service July 1, 2013. The station had been under construction since January 2010. The construction of Four Corners Station experienced delays due to unforeseen geotechnical conditions, relocation of existing utilities, and a redesign of the inbound sloped walkway structure at Geneva Avenue. Substantial completion of Four Corners Station occurred in June 2013 and final construction was completed in September 2013.
The construction of Talbot Avenue Station and the Talbot and Woodrow Avenue Bridges began in fall 2010. The construction lasted approximately twenty-six months, with substantial completion of the station and the bridges in October 2012 and final completion of work in January 2013. The structural replacement of the two bridges was completed over weekends in November and December 2011. Talbot Avenue Station opened in November 2012.
Newmarket Station opened for service on July 1, 2013. The station had been under construction since October 2010. Delay in the completion of the station was attributed to the discovery of an existing power duct bank for the South Bay Shopping Center not previously identified on any existing utility plans. The necessity to redesign elements of the inbound and outbound retaining walls and a delay in the manufacturing of the precast concrete platform panels further contributed to the delay.
The proposed Blue Hill Avenue Station has been the subject of significant community controversy over the past five years. In early 2009, after design work for the station was well underway (at the 60% design level), a small number of abutters raised concerns about negative impacts to residences immediately surrounding the proposed station, which at the time was proposed to have two side platforms. In an effort to address these concerns, the MBTA conducted a new analysis of alternative station locations. This additional analysis determined that at least one alternative location (River Street) was infeasible due to track curvature, and that two other alternative locations (north of Blue Hill Avenue and south of Cummins Highway) would have greater impacts to abutting residential properties than would the original design. Also these alternatives would serve fewer riders at a greater cost. The MBTA developed one additional alternative that made use of a center-island platform at the original station site in order to address abutter concerns by locating the platform further from homes and backyards. The MBTA then completed an additional analysis of noise and vibration impacts and considered mitigation measures to try and address any outstanding abutter concerns.
The MBTA and MassDOT made a final determination on the Blue Hill Avenue station in May 2011. Design of the center-island station concept is continuing, as is ongoing discussion with the opposing abutters about appropriate mitigation. The redesign of the station has reached the 60% level. On September 15 the Design and Construction Department held a community meeting at the Mattapan Library led by the MBTA General Manager. While the community still has concerns the project team is now advancing the design with the understanding that continued coordination with the community is paramount. The 90% design plans are expected in December of 2014, and 100% plans in March 2015, and construction is scheduled to begin in September of 2015. If this schedule holds the station opening will be in June 2017.
Project Funding
In August 2007, MassDOT and the MBTA executed a contract to transfer approximately $39 million from the ‘immediate needs’ Transportation Bond Bill of 2007 (which provided Commonwealth bond funding to support the costs of the SIP projects) from MassDOT to the MBTA to support the costs of (1) signal work, (2) reconstructing the Columbia Road, Quincy Street, and Massachusetts Avenue Bridges, (3) designing the Talbot Avenue, Woodrow Avenue, and Neponset River Bridges, and (4) designing the Newmarket, Talbot, and Blue Hill Avenue Stations.
A supplemental funding agreement providing $23,756,574 in Commonwealth bond funding to the MBTA was executed in June 2009 in order to advance the construction of the station at Four Corners. A third funding agreement, approved in June 2011 in the amount of $61,616,500, has allowed the remaining stations (including Blue Hill Avenue) and bridges to advance. These contracts total approximately $124.4 million in authorized spending on the Fairmount Line Improvement Project to this point.
Community concerns (described above) regarding the construction of a station at Blue Hill Avenue, as well as construction challenges throughout the Fairmount Line, have resulted in a delay of the overall Fairmount Line Improvement Project beyond the December 31, 2011 SIP deadline. A reliable completion date for Blue Hill Avenue station now is expected to be in summer 2017.
MassDOT recognizes that this delay has triggered the Project Delay component of the SIP regulation. Therefore, MassDOT prepared a Petition to Delay and an Interim Emission Offset Plan, to be implemented for the duration of the delay. Both the Petition and Offset Plan were submitted to DEP, and posted to MassDOT’s SIP website.
As described in the Offset Plan, MassDOT estimated the reduced emissions expected to be generated by the implementation of the new Fairmont Line stations. MassDOT and the MBTA, in consultation with Fairmount Line stakeholders, identified a set of potential interim emission reduction offset measures that would meet the emissions reduction targets. MassDOT submitted these proposed measures to DEP in a July 27, 2011 petition, after which time MassDOT and the MBTA continued to work to refine the offset concepts for implementation, including a second letter to DEP (dated November 29, 2011) describing changes to the proposed offsets. On January 2, 2012 (the first weekday following January 1), the offset measures were implemented: additional trips via a dedicated shuttle on the CT3 bus route between Andrew Station and Boston Medical Center; and increased weekday frequency on the Route 31 bus.
The proposed Red Line/Blue Line Connector consists of an extension of the MBTA Blue Line under Cambridge Street to Charles/MGH Station on the Red Line station. As currently envisioned, the project consists of two major components: (1) a new tunnel extending the Blue Line under Cambridge Street from Government Center to Charles Circle and (2) a new underground Blue Line station connected to the existing Charles/MGH Station. The project will also consider whether and how to relocate Bowdoin Station.
The SIP regulations require only that MassDOT complete final design for the project. Construction of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector is not required.
Planning Conformity
The design of the Red Line/Blue Line connector project has been included in all relevant transportation planning documents, including the Regional Transportation Plans of the Boston Region MPO.
On September 14, 2007, MassDOT filed an Expanded Environmental Notification Form with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office. A public scoping session was held on October 17, 2007, and the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs issued a certificate on the project on November 15, 2007. Based on the project scope as defined in the MEPA Certificate, MassDOT issued a Request for Proposals on March 27, 2008 for a consultant to complete the necessary environmental reviews and engineering for the project. MassDOT awarded a consultant contract during the summer of 2008.
MassDOT has completed the following environmental reviews and conceptual engineering for the project:
A Definition of Alternatives/Conceptual Engineering Report was completed in November 2009.
The ‘immediate needs’ Transportation Bond Bill of 2007 provides state bond funding for the design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector project. The estimated funding needed to complete design has increased from the previous $29 million estimate to $52 million, according to the new cost estimates completed during the development of the DEIR for the project.
MassDOT has made a good faith effort to meet the commitment to complete final design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector, including the accomplishments listed above. However, as part of the environmental review and conceptual design process, MassDOT determined that the ultimate construction costs for the project will far outstrip the cost projections in place at the time that the SIP regulation was promulgated: $290 million at the time of the SIP regulation versus the current best estimate of $748 million (escalated to year of expenditure). MassDOT has already spent $3 million to advance the project through environmental review and conceptual design, but the current $52 million estimate to complete final design substantially exceeds the $29 million last identified for the effort in the 2009 Regional Transportation Plan for the Boston Region. Furthermore, MassDOT has been unable to identify funding with which to construct the Red Line/Blue Line Connector at any point in the next 20 years. As a matter of policy, MassDOT believes that it is irresponsible to spend precious public funds to design and permit transportation projects for which there are no identified construction funds, particularly given the need to continually refresh planning and permitting materials for major projects. To pursue final design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector project at this point would be to squander resources that could otherwise be spent on projects for which construction funds are already committed.
Therefore, MassDOT initiated a process to amend the SIP to permanently and completely remove the obligation to perform final design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector. To that end, MassDOT officially sought approval from DEP to support a SIP amendment process. MassDOT is not proposing to substitute any new projects in place of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector commitment, given the absence of any air quality benefits associated with the current Red Line/Blue Line commitment (final design only). Correspondence from MassDOT to DEP formally initiating the amendment process was submitted on July 27, 2011, and is posted to the MassDOT website.
On September 13, 2012, DEP held two public hearings (at 1pm and 5pm) to take public comment on MassDOT’s proposed amendments to 310 CMR 7.36, Transit System Improvements, including the elimination of the requirement to complete final design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector. Between the two hearings there were 16 attendees, 10 of whom gave oral testimony. All those who spoke at the hearings testified in favor of DEP not removing the commitment. DEP accepted written testimony until September 24, 2012.
On August 23, 2013, EPA sent a letter to FHWA providing an update on Massachusetts Air Quality Conformity. In that letter, EPA noted the Red Line/Blue Line Connector Design project has not met the SIP completion date of December 31, 2011, but that MassDOT is not obligated to implement interim emission reduction offset projects because no emission reductions are associated with the design project.
On October 8, 2013, the Department of Environmental Protection approved a request made by MassDOT in July 2011 to revise 310 CMR 7.36 to remove the requirement for MassDOT to complete the design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector. This revision to the State Implementation Plan must now also be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The timing of that final approval is currently unknown. The text of the revision is available on the MassDOT website at:
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/17/docs/sip/October13UpdatedSIPReg.pdf
This project – the purpose of which is to improve corridor mobility, boost transit ridership, improve regional air quality, ensure equitable distribution of transit services, and support opportunities for sustainable development – will extend the MBTA Green Line from a relocated Lechmere Station in East Cambridge to College Avenue in Medford, with a branch to Union Square in Somerville. The project is a collaborative effort of MassDOT and the MBTA, with the MBTA taking the lead in design, engineering, construction and project management.
New Green Line stations are currently proposed for:
College Avenue, Medford – Located at the intersection of College Avenue and Boston Avenue in Medford, adjacent to Tufts University. The station platform will be located on the north side of the College Avenue Bridge, which crosses over the MBTA Lowell Line. Access to the station will be provided from both Boston Avenue and College Avenue, as well as from the Burget Avenue neighborhood, which lies northeast of the station site.
Broadway/Ball Square, Medford/Somerville – Located at the intersection of Broadway and Boston Avenue on the north side of Ball Square. The station platform will be located on the north side of the Broadway Bridge, which crosses over the MBTA Lowell Line. Access to the station will be provided from both Boston Avenue and Broadway. A traction power substation will also be installed at this location.
Lowell Street, Somerville – Located at the Lowell Street Bridge, which crosses over the MBTA Lowell Line adjacent to the proposed extension of the Somerville Community Path. The station platform will be located on the north side of the Lowell Street Bridge. Access to the station will be provided from Lowell Street.
Gilman Square, Somerville – Located in the vicinity of the Medford Street crossing of the MBTA Lowell Line, behind Somerville’s City Hall, Public Library and high school. The station platform will be located on the north side of the Medford Street Bridge, which crosses over the MBTA Lowell Line. Access to the station will be provided from Medford Street. The Somerville Community Path will be located adjacent and connected to the station. A traction power substation will be installed on the south side of the corridor.
Washington Street, Somerville – Located at the Washington Street Bridge, proximate to Somerville’s Brickbottom, Inner Belt, and Cobble Hill neighborhoods. The station platform will be located south of the MBTA New Hampshire Main Line Bridge over Washington Street. Access to the station will be provided via entrances located under or adjacent to the south abutment of the bridge, in conjunction with improved sidewalk and street-crossings in the area. The extension of the Somerville Community Path will be located adjacent to and provide access to the station.
Union Square, Somerville – Located east of Prospect Street in the vicinity of Union Square in Somerville. The station platform will be located within the MBTA Fitchburg Line right-of-way east of Prospect Street. Access to this station will be provided from both the street and bridge levels of Prospect Street.
The Green Line Extension will also require the construction of a new light rail vehicle storage and maintenance facility in the vicinity of the Green Line Extension. The facility will be constructed on an L-shaped parcel in the Inner Belt area of Somerville that is adjacent to the MBTA’s Boston Engine Terminal. The MBTA has acquired two of the four parcels needed to build the VSMF facility and is in progress on the remaining two parcels. Relocation activities are ongoing.
Until recently, the Green Line Extension project included just the design of the proposed extension of the Somerville Community Path from the proposed Lowell Street Station to the Inner Belt area. In May 2014, MassDOT and the City of Somerville, announced an agreement to add the construction of the Community Path, including a connection to the Cambridge/Northpoint area to the scope of the program. The Path Extension is not part of the SIP commitment.
Before December 31, 2014, construction of the following facilities shall be completed and opened to full public use: 1.) The Green Line Extension from Lechmere Station to Medford Hillside and 2.) The Green Line Union Square spur of the Green Line Extension.
The MBTA has established an experienced project team to manage the design and complete the construction of the Green Line Extension project. These team members are referenced throughout the remainder of this report:
In addition to these team members, the GLX also works very closely with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and its Program Management Oversight Consultant (PMOC) on the GLX project.
MassDOT is pursuing federal funding – through the competitive New Starts program managed by FTA – to support the design and construction of the Green Line Extension project. The Green Line Extension project is, in many ways, a strong candidate project for the New Starts program. In June 2012, FTA rated the Project as a “Medium” and approved the Project to enter the Preliminary Engineering phase. Following enactment of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) in January 2013, the FTA revised the project’s status from Preliminary Engineering to Engineering. The project’s updated status allowed the MBTA to begin planning for the submission of the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) application – which, if approved, will provide federal match for the project.
During September and October of 2013, the MBTA developed and submitted a Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) New Starts Update package to FTA which included an updated GLX Project Finance Plan. This effort was followed by a letter from the MBTA General Manager to the FTA in late January 2014 reiterating the project’s goals and the importance of the timing of the advance work approval and FFGA execution toward this end.
In March 2014, the project was recommended for $100M in funding in President Obama’s FY2015 budget. Subsequently, on March 31, 2014, the MBTA submitted a Request for Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) to FTA to allow advance work associated with the Fitchburg Mainline and Millers River Drainage. On July 9, 2014, the MBTA received a letter from FTA approving the LONP. This is a major milestone for the project, as it allows critical work to commence ahead of the FFGA.
In August 2014, the MBTA submitted an updated financial plan to FTA that includes the most up-to-date information regarding GLX project costs and MBTA system-wide cost and revenue projections. At the same time, information was submitted for FTA’s Fiscal Year 2016 New Starts Update package to facilitate the rating of the project for the FY16 federal budget recommendations.
The MBTA has also been working with FTA and their PMOC over the past year to facilitate a review of the project and their assessment of project “readiness”. The New Starts Update rating, the review of the Financial Plan and the PMOC/FTA Readiness Report are the three final actions that are ongoing. It is anticipated that the formal FFGA request will be submitted in the coming month and that the final congressional review/application execution process may take about three months. Therefore, it is anticipated that FFGA approval may be received in late fall 2014/early winter 2015.
Budget and Schedule
In January 2014, an MBTA/FTA risk workshop was held using the September 2013 Advanced Preliminary Engineering (APE) documents and estimate as its base. This workshop included participation by representatives from the FTA, PMOC, MBTA, Owner’s Representative (OR), Independent Cost Estimator (ICE), Design Consultant, CM/GC and PM/CM. As part of the risk modeling process, the participants evaluated possible base cost adjustments based on the known design changes. The preliminary model results were reviewed with the MBTA and the FTA in mid-February. The FTA also requested their PMOC to run an independent risk simulation model separate from that prepared by the MBTA.
Based on the PMOC’s risk analyses, the FTA recommended that the final FFGA GLX project budget be established at $1.992 Billion, which included a 30% project cost contingency. The FTA also determined a project completion date of June 2021, including a year’s worth of contingency, was reasonable. The MBTA believes the FTA’s budget and schedule is based on an extremely conservative assessment of the Project’s ability to mitigate many of the identified cost and schedule risks but has accepted that budget and schedule which will be used in the completion of all documentation for the FFGA. The MBTA is actively working towards delivering the project at a cost lower than the aforementioned FFGA budget. Relative to schedule, the one-year contingency effectively signifies that the MBTA is committed to completing the project by June 2020 if the schedule risks are successfully mitigated. A completion date in June 2020 remains within the range of completion outcomes first developed in 2011.
The FTA’s estimate is important to set the upper limit for the project’s budget and federal reimbursement levels. In addition, acceptance of the FTA’s higher project cost and later scheduled completion actually improves the Program’s likelihood of receiving the desired FFGA.
Changes from the previous estimate of the project budget are caused by additions to the project scope; design modifications based on new information; and administrative factors. The additions to the project scope since the last budget estimate include:
Project Phasing and Delivery
To tailor the project delivery method to best mitigate the larger project risks, the MBTA is implementing a phased project delivery plan, which has structured the project into four phases.
Phase 1 Early Bridge/Demolition is using the traditional Design-Bid-Build approach for (1) the widening of two railroad bridges (Harvard Street Bridge in Medford, and Medford Street Bridge in Somerville) to accommodate the additional Green Line tracks and (2) the demolition of the MBTA tire storage building at 21 Water Street in the Lechmere Station area to provide parking and staging areas for the Phase 2/2A work.
Phase 1 Status
The MBTA awarded the Phase 1 contract on December 13, 2012 and issued a Notice to Proceed to Barletta Heavy Division on January 31, 2013. The MBTA has also added some retaining wall construction to the Phase 1 contract that had previously been programmed for Phase 4 in that area. By constructing this work under the Phase 1 contract, this retaining/noise wall should be completed in time to better support and facilitate track relocation as part of the construction of Phase 4. The addition of this work has extended the end date of the Phase 1 contract by six months.
At the Harvard Street Bridge in Medford, the work on the final sections of the storm drainage improvements in Winchester Street continues and is expected to be completed in October. Final backfill operations and track bed preparation activities behind the new walls are ongoing, which when completed will allow the outbound commuter rail track relocation and the next phase of bridge work to commence. This work is anticipated to begin in late October.
At the Medford Street Bridge in Somerville, a weekend roadway closure occurred on October 4 – 5, 2014 to erect the new bridge bay on the south side of the existing bridge. Work on detailing the bridge steel and final painting of the field connections at the new north and south bridge bays will continue through the fall.
In Cambridge, the 21 Water Street building demolition activities are complete. The soil stockpile and soil transport activities for reuse as retaining wall backfill at the Harvard Street Bridge site in Medford are ongoing. This work is anticipated to be completed in October.
Phases 2, 3 and 4 are expected to be completed utilizing the CM/GC project delivery-approach after legislative approval to use this method as a pilot program was given in 2012. The CM/GC contract award was authorized by the MassDOT Board of Directors in July 2013. Since that time, the CM/GC has provided preconstruction services including design reviews and estimating, as well as bidding and reconciling the bids on the three early work contracts. The CM/GC has also been active in performing constructability assessments, preparing access and construction staging plans, preparing schedules for each Interim Guaranteed Maximum Price (IGMP) and recommending construction savings opportunities.
As part of the CM/GC delivery method, an Independent Cost Estimator (ICE) was hired in October 2013. The ICE began by validating the estimate prepared by the PM/CM and has prepared independent estimates for the first three Interim Guaranteed Maximum Price (IGMP) packages. Recently, the ICE review of the CM/GC and PM/CM estimates and after a series of reconciliations and re-submission of bids, determined that the pricing was within the required range to recommend contract award for the three early work packages. The NTP was issued on October 2, 2014 for the three early work packages. Thus, the project now has started construction activities in Phases 1, 2/2A and 4. The execution of the FFGA is needed prior to the start of construction on the balance of work for Phase 2/2A, Phase 3 and the balance of work for Phase 4.
Phase 2/2A will extend service from the (new) Lechmere Station to the Washington Street and Union Square Stations and relocate the bus facility and vehicle storage at Lechmere Station. MBTA’s schedule anticipates award of the balance of the work package for Phase 2/2A in February/March of 2015 after the FFGA is obtained with a completion of construction and testing date for Phase 2/2A in late 2017.
Phase 3 will construct the Vehicle Maintenance and Storage Facility (VMSF). As the full storage yard and maintenance facility are not needed to support initial (Phase 2/2A) passenger service to Washington Street and Union Square, this phase has been scheduled to be completed some six months ahead of the date for revenue service to the northern four stations. It is anticipated that the relocation activities of the current occupants of the VMSF site will be completed by early 2016, such that the site cleanup and demolition contract can commence shortly thereafter. The property acquisition and relocation activities that are described below are critical to the start of construction and completion of this facility.
Phase 4 will provide service beyond Washington Street Station (completed as part of Phase 2/2A above) to College Avenue Station. It is currently targeted to be completed in accordance with the schedule discussed earlier in this document. The bulk of construction is anticipated to begin later in 2015, again after receipt of the FFGA from FTA.
New Green Line Vehicles
The MBTA advertised for new vehicles in January 2011 and proposals were submitted in June 2011 to be reviewed by the MBTA Technical Selection Committee. In March 2013, the MBTA requested the two proposing teams update and re-submit their proposals as a Best and Final Offer to the MBTA. These were received in September 2013. On May 14, 2014, the MassDOT Board approved a $118M contract for CAF USA to supply 24 light rail vehicles for the Green Line Extension project. The NTP was received on September 4, 2014 with the new vehicles anticipated to be supplied beginning in late 2017 through late 2018. The MBTA is also proceeding with the rehabilitation of eight cars to support the Phase 2/2A opening of the extension to Washington Street and Union Square.
Real Estate:
MassDOT and the MBTA are collaborating on tasks associated with the property acquisition efforts for the Green Line Extension project The MBTA continues to review and refine the list of identified properties that are impacted, including further definition of temporary easements that may be needed to support construction.
Acquisition packages (title review, survey and environmental assessment) for Phase 2/2A and early Phase 2 and Phase 4 utility work have been submitted and are being used by the MBTA. License agreements and acquisitions are under negotiation for a number of the properties. A license agreement with NStar to access property (near the School Street and Medford Street Bridges) is being finalized while the negotiations to acquire the full property are continuing. This property is required for early Phase 4 utility work and Gilman Square Station. In addition, Phase 4 property work activities inclusive of title and survey work have been initiated for approximately 80 permanent easements, with the temporary easement process to follow.
The appraisal and relocation plan for the current occupants of the Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility (VSMF) site was approved by the FTA. With this approval, MBTA acquired two of the properties at the VSMF site, and payments were made to complete the acquisitions and start the relocation process. Negotiations with the remaining two properties continue.
Real estate coordination is underway with the City of Somerville for several parcels. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Community Path was executed on February 20, 2014 in which the City committed to acquire the parcels needed for the Path. The Union Square MOA Amendment No. 1, which is necessary to convey temporary access and staging parcels at the Union Square Station site, is currently being finalized. The City of Somerville has recently begun to clear the area needed by the GLX to allow for the start of the environmental work. The City had engaged the Middlesex sheriff’s office to have the premises vacated such that this work could commence. The Gilman Square MOA, to convey necessary parcels at the Gilman Square Station site, has been drafted and is anticipated to be executed this fall. Completion of the various agreements will continue throughout 2014.
The MBTA is currently reviewing documents, plans and obtaining title work on properties to be released by Pan Am at the closing tentatively scheduled for the end of October 2014.
Design Progress
Many project design milestones have already been reached on the Green Line Extension project. The three key early work packages have completed the 100% design conformed documents phase and have been awarded, including: (1)IGMP#1: procurement of long lead items such as bridge steel, special track work, signal and electrical equipment, (2) IGMP#2: construction of utility relocation work elements that do not require additional FTA approval (i.e., Phase 2/2A and Phase 4 utility relocation work); and (3) IGMP#3: work approved by the Request for Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) by FTA on July 9, 2014 for drainage work in the Millers River area and relocation of the Fitchburg Main Line between the Red Bridge area and Union Square.
IGMP #4 through IGMP #7 represent the balance of work elements that are scheduled to commence construction after FTA approval of the Project’s FFGA. The design consultant submitted the 90% design package for IGMP #4 (Phase 2/2A balance of work) on July 30, 2014. The PM/CM and the CM/GC are currently reviewing the 90% design plans as well as preparing the estimate for this package. On October 1, 2014 the design consultant submitted 60% complete design work for IGMP#5 (Phase 4 balance of work). Design work associated with the VSMF site (IGMP #6 & IGMP #7) will recommence in the fall 2014. Cost and schedule reviews and updates to the Program delivery plans including project phasing plans continue on a regular basis. As station, track, wall and bridge design have continued, new challenges have developed. Some of these new issues relate to the incorporation of geotechnical conditions for some of the viaduct sections and at the VSMF site, and the continued coordination with adjacent developers at Lechmere, Union Square and College Ave. Stations.
Public Outreach
Public outreach on the project has included hundreds of meetings and other events over multiple years. MassDOT and MBTA staff have met with numerous public groups, elected officials, and other interested parties. Meetings have been held with a variety of local groups, including two different project advisory committees and their subcommittees; design review sessions with right-of-way abutters; interagency meetings; neighborhood briefings; briefings with elected officials; institutional and business group meetings; public meetings and hearings; land use workshops; and ‘meet and greet’ sessions, as well as many others. Last month, a public meeting was held soliciting input from the community on the artists who submitted applications to the second phase of the project’s integrated art program. The MBTA held a construction update meeting on September 18, 2014 to outline the anticipated start of the IGMP #1, #2 and #3 construction work. The MBTA also held a GLX Working Group meeting at the beginning of October to update the members on upcoming activities. A public meeting is scheduled for October 28, 2014 to discuss the advancing design of Lechmere Station. Another public meeting is scheduled for November 6th on the design of the Washington Street and Union Square stations.
Project Funding
As highlighted above, MassDOT is pursuing federal funding – through the competitive New Starts Program managed by FTA – to support the design and construction of the Green Line Extension project. As noted in the current MassDOT Capital Investment Plan (released January 2014), MassDOT and the MBTA will use Commonwealth funds in addition to the use of any federal funding to support the design and construction of the Green Line Extension project.
SIP Requirement Status
MassDOT has met the first four interim milestones associated with the Green Line Extension project - filing an Expanded Environmental Notification Form, procuring multiple design consultants, and publishing both Draft and Final Environmental Impact Reports. The GLX project, a top transportation priority of the Commonwealth and the largest expansion of the MBTA rapid transit system in decades, has transitioned from planning and environmental review phases to design, engineering, and construction.
In the 2011 SIP Status Report, MassDOT reported that the Green Line Extension project would not meet the legal deadline of December 31, 2014. At that time, MassDOT projected a timeframe for the introduction of passenger service on the Green Line Extension. The points within the timeframe are associated with different probabilities, as shown below:
As stated earlier in this report, the MBTA is committed to delivering the project within the range of completion (June 2020) as shown above. FTA’s projected completion is June 2021 which includes one year of schedule contingency.
MassDOT and the MBTA continue to seek measures to accelerate the project timeline wherever possible. The phasing approach discussed above provides for an accelerated delivery of some portions of the project. In addition, the use of CM/GC delivery method described above is expected to aid in meeting the established project schedule and overcoming some of the delays that were encountered related to the FONSI and the approval to enter into the FTA New Starts program. A major critical path item for the entire program is the completion of the next steps in the New Starts process, primarily completion of the package to initiate the negotiations for a FFGA, and receipt of an FFGA by late 2014/early 2015. The receipt of the FFGA is a key milestone, as it restricts the start of construction for the bulk of the Phase 2/2A and Phase 4 work.
Although the goal of the phased project delivery approach is to complete components in an incremental way, the timeline for overall project completion listed above represents a substantial delay beyond the current SIP deadline of December 31, 2014. Consequently this schedule triggers the need to provide interim emission reduction offset projects and measures for the period of the delay (beginning January 1, 2015). Working with the Central Transportation Planning Staff, MassDOT and the MBTA have calculated the reductions of NMHC, CO, and NOx – reductions equal to or greater than the reductions projected for the Green Line Extension itself, as specified in the SIP regulation – that will be required for the period of the delay.
In June 2012, MassDOT released a list of potential mitigation ideas received from the public that could be used as offset measures. In the summer and fall of 2012, MassDOT solicited public comments on these potential measures. The MBTA created an internal working group to determine a final portfolio of interim mitigation measures to implement by December 31, 2014, the legal deadline for the implementation of the Green Line Extension. This work resulted in a recommendation to implement the following three interim mitigation measures which collectively would meet the emissions reduction target for the project:
The Petition to Delay, submitted to DEP on July 22, 2014 which expands further on the analysis and determination of the interim offset measures, is available on MassDOTs website.