Letter: Medford Mayor Calls For Green Line Extension Funding

The following letter was sent from Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn to state Transportation Secretary Richard Davey on Sept. 15, 2011 (Read letters from other local officials and ):

The City of Medford has reviewed the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) Draft Long Range Transportation Plan - Paths to a Sustainable Region (LRTP) and the draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for fiscal years 2012-2015 and would like to submit
the following comments.

The Green Line Extension project has been documented for air quality, transportation and economic development benefits. Of these, the air quality benefits should be of overriding concern. The City is concerned that the Green Line Extension Project has been underfunded and
construction delayed as a result. In addition to the fact that legal commitments have not been fulfilled of more concern should be the fact that even additional and necessary, planning, design
and engineering has failed to progress to the point of making this project" construction ready" in the event federal funding becomes available as part of an economic stimulus package.

The City respectfully requests that the MPO revise the LRTP and TIP to allocate the necessary funding for implementation the Green Line Extension Project in keeping with the State's current legal commitments and that the project be allocated sufficient funding for planning and design to make the project "shovel ready."

Thank you for your consideration of these comments.

Very Truly Yours,

Michael J. McGlynn

Mayor

-----------

Read more on the Green Line Extension:

• '