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FTA downgrade of Silver Line project draws mixed reaction by St. John Barned-Smith
MySouthEnd.com ContributorWednesday Dec 24, 2008 Phase III of the Silver Line project looks like it may be skidding off the rails and community reaction to the news is decidedly mixed.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) plans to downgrade the project from "medium" to "medium-low," according to a report from The Boston Globe on Dec. 11. The downgrading means that the T, which has been hoping to use money from a federal program called "New Starts," is less likely to receive a 60 percent subsidy needed for the $1.5 billion dollar project.
Phase III, the final segment of the MBTA’s Silver Line, would connect hybrid electric/diesel bus service from Dudley Square to some of Boston’s emerging waterfront district around Marine Industrial Park and the World Trade Center, as well as a single route to and from Logan Airport.
Some feel that the recent news on the Silver Line could actually turn into a positive.
"This goes back to when the new Orange Line was being built, and the ’El’ on Washington Street was taken down," said State Representative Byron Rushing, who argues that the Silver Line is the latest in an almost 25-year battle between residents of Roxbury and the MBTA.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the proposed tunnel, which would link Phase I, service from Dudley Square to Temple Street, to Phase II, service through South Boston to Logan Airport.
"I don’t think most of the riders on Washington Street have much of an interest of going to the airport," said Rushing. "They want to be able to get into the system."
"This is a typical example of the attitude of the T to the majority of its riders-they have an easier time talking to their riders who are upper middle class than lower working class-and they don’t take them seriously," said Rushing, who added he thought an extension of the Silver Line southward, even to Milton, made more sense than the proposed tunnel, especially when most Roxbury riders just want a way to "get into the system" without paying more than one fare.
"There are much better ways of having this money be better spent," he added.
Washington Gateway Main Street Board President Guy Busa disagreed with Rushing’s analysis.
"It’s disappointing that the T is running into fiscal problems, but not surprising," he said.
Busa, who said the link would help pull business into the Dudley Square community, also said that Phase III would draw future residents of the to-be-developed South Boston waterfront down to Roxbury.
"Mobility and access are extremely important," he said, adding that Phase I has been a boon for Roxbury, with more equipment, signal overrides, and a higher passenger capacity than a typical bus.
Other community leaders weren’t shedding tears over the news either.
"It’s disappointing, but I’m not sure that was the best plan," said Blackstone Franklin Neighborhood Association President Andrew Parthum. "Maybe they’ll reconsider their plan, come up with something less expensive...In 8 years, [there’s] just going to be more growth, [it would be] nice for them to take step back and reconsider what they’re planning."
Opponents also remained unconvinced of the proposal’s effectiveness, citing high financial and environmental costs to the community.
Groundwater and other environmental issues concern John Kyper, Transportation Chair for the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club, who cited recent damage of the Old South Church as well as damage to houses on Chandler St. during the construction of the Back Bay Station 25 years ago.
The construction would drain the water table, Kyper said, exposing old wooden pilings to rot, potentially damaging buildings, and undermining foundations of buildings around the construction.
"I thought this decision was pretty inevitable because it was a very poorly conceived project, combining two discreet projects," said Kyper.
Kyper, long an opponent of the project, added, "It was a shotgun marriage-a pea and shell game to leverage federal aid...they cobbled together these two bus projects a dozen years ago to call it the Silver Line. It’s going to be a budget disaster if they ever build it, and an environmental disaster."
The MBTA’s response to the new rating of its controversial project remains to be seen.
In an email regarding the planned Silver Line Phase III MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said, "No official announcement has been made on the FTA rating as of the moment, but more information should be forthcoming in the next couple of months."
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