Written By: Kate Maker, Michael Baker International

On Thursday, August 26th, 2021, WTS-Boston members and non-members took part in a private tour of Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s (MBTA) Green Line Extension (GLX) Project!  The tour was led by MBTA GLX Program Manager of Stakeholder Engagement, Terry McCarthy, and City Point Partner’s Marty Nee.

Tour participants met at 200 Inner Belt Road in Somerville for a safety briefing prior to embarking on the tour route.  Despite the oppressive heat (real feel over 100), we had almost 40 attendees!  From the safety huddle, the group exited the construction yard and was provided an unobstructed view of the new rail yard and yardmaster’s building.  Next, the group visited the vehicle maintenance facility (VMF) which currently houses a new Type 9 light rail vehicle.  The VMF is an approximately 95,000 square foot building that will be used to repair and maintain the existing and future fleets.  Currently all maintenance occurs at Riverside Station at the end of the D line.  The location of the new VMF will reduce maintenance downtime significantly.

The tour continued up the new 10’ wide community path which offered spectacular views of the new rail yard, Boston skyline, and beyond.  When completed, the path will provide a safe, accessible, ADA-compliant bicycle/pedestrian path that will be a primary route to four of the GLX stations.  Regionally, the path will link the Minuteman Bikeway and Charles River path networks, creating 48 continuous miles of regional path.  The tour concluded with a view of the nearby East Somerville Station.

The tour was followed by a networking event at the Tavern at the End of the World!

A HUGE thank you to Terry and Marty for their support.  The tour would not have been the success it was without them.