vjoh n N/itaglian o 1 9 Seymou rS^ee t WintUp , M A 0215

2
Januar y 10 , 200 5 The Honorabl e Danie l A . Grabauskas , Secretar y Executiv e Offic e o f

Transportatio n Commonwealth o f

Massachusett s 1 0 Par k Plaza-Suit e 317 0 Boston , Massachusett s 0211 6 Mr . Rober

t W . Golledge , Jr. , Commissioner Departmen t

o f Environmenta l Protectio n Executiv e Offic e o f

Environmenta l Affair s On e Winte r

Stree t Boston , Massachusett s 0210 8 Subject : MBT A Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n Statu s Dea r Secretar y Grabauska s an dCommissioner Golledge : Havin g serve da

s bot h Transportatio n Commissioner fo r th e Cit y o f

Bosto n an da

s aMassachusett s Por t Authorit y boar dmembe r I wan t t o expres s m y grav e concer n abou t you r recent publi c comment s concernin g th e propose dMBT A Blu e Lin e connectio n t o th e Re dLin e a t Charle s Statio n whic h infe r tha t th e statu s o f

thi s crucia l transi t

improvemen t

projec t i s unde r review . Whe n th e Bi g Di g wa s evolvin g throug h it s formulai c stage s amajo r concer n wa s tha t

thi s impressiv e projec t woul dno t

b e a n incentiv e fo r increasin g regiona l automobil e dependenc y s o tha t anumbe r

o f importan t

transi t mitigatio n measure s wer e designe dt o complemen t th e project s highwa y improvemen t aspects . Thes e transi t upgrade s were considere dt o b e s o crucia l that the y wer e incorporate dint o th e legall y bindin g 199 0 Memorandu mo f

Understandin g betwee n EOTC , MH D an dCLF i n orde r t o provid e publi c assuranc e o f th e Bi g Dig s lon g ter mregiona l traffi c an dai r qualit y benefits . O f th e transi t

commitment s include di n th e 199 0 MO U non e wa s mor e importan t tha t th e propose ddirec t connectio n betwee n th e MBT A Blu e Lin e an dRedLin e a t Charle s Station . Thi s projec t woul dgreatl y enhanc e transi t

acces s t o th e Massachusett s Genera l Hospita l fo r

al l o f th e Blu e Lin e communitie s includin g East

Boston , Chelsea , Winthrop , Revere , Lyn n an dothers . Presentl y resident s o f thes e municipalitie s wh o wis h t o us e th e Blu e Lin e t o utiliz e Mass . Genera l mus t wal k hal f amil e afte r disembarkin g a

t th e Bowdoi n station , aparticularl y hars h disincentiv e fo r th e infirm . The Blu e Line-Re d Lin e connectio n woul dals o provid e significantl y improve dtransi t servic e betwee n thes e nort h shor e communitie s an dth e man y importan t destination s i n Cambridge . Anothe r majo r benefi t o f th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e connectio n woul db e muc h bette r transi t servic e t o Loga n Airpor t

fro mth e residentia l communitie s northwes t o f Boston . Re dLin e passenger s fro mthes e areas mus t

travers e throug h Par

k Stree t Station , th e MBTA s mos t congeste d station , o n thei r wa y t o Logan . The sam

e i s tru e fo r

th e man y busines s passengers fro mCambridg e als o boun dfo r Logan . Both o f thes e constituencie s woul drealiz e avastl y improve dtransi t lin k t o Logan wit h th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e connection . I t

i s essentia

l t o note here that , contrary t o certai n publishe daccounts , th e ne w MBT A Silve r Lin e servic e i s not

acompetitiv e substitut e fo r th e Blue-Re dconnectio n bu t rathe r afin e complement .The Silve r Line s direc t

connectio n t o Loga n serve s onl y certai n Bosto n origin/destination s withou t addressin g th e northwes t communitie s an d Cambridg e mentione dherein . I t i s als o importan t

t o note th e significan t

benefi t th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e connectio n woul dprovid e i n th e for mo f congestio n relie f

a t Par k Stree t Statio n whic h suffer s fro man absenc e o f th e kin do f

primar y syste mredundanc y inheren t i n th e Blu e Line-Re d Lin e connection , a n importan t consideratio n i n ligh t

o f contemporary security concerns . I n summary I strongl y urg e yo u t o immediatel y initiat e adesign/buil dprogra mfo r th e MBT A Blu e Line

Re dLin e connectio n projec t t o assur e it s completio n b y th e origina l 201 0 deadlin e obligate db y th e 199 0 MOU .

Sincerely ,

Joh n Vitaglian oJoh N YiTAql'lAN O 

### 1 9 SEyMou R STREE T 

### WiNThRop, MA 0219 2
Januar y 11 , 200 6 Christin e Kirb y Departmen t

o f Environmenta l Protectio n Burea u o f Wast e Managemen t One Winte r

Stree t Boston , M A 0210 8 Subject : Propose dAmendmen t t o 31 0 CM R7.3 6 t o Eliminat e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n Dea r Ms . Kirby : Havin g serve da

s bot h Transportatio n Commissione r fo r th e Cit y o f

Bosto n an da

s aMassachusett s Port Authorit y boar dmembe r I wan t t o expres s m y stron g oppositio n t o th e propose damendmen t t o 31 0 CM R7.3 6 whic h woul deliminat e th e MBT A Blu e Lin e connectio n t o the Re dLin e a t Charle s Station , a publi c promis e tha t

wa s mad e i n 199

0 an dwhic h I wa s directl y involve din . Whe n th e Bi g Di g wa s evolvin g throug h it s formulai c stage s amajo r concer n wa s tha t

thi s impressiv e projec t shoul dno t

b e an incentiv e fo r

increasin g regiona l automobil e dependency , s o anumbe r o f importan t

transi t mitigatio n measure s were designe dt o complemen t th e project' s highwa y improvemen t aspects . Thes e transi t upgrade s wer e considere dt o b e s o crucia l tha t the y wer e incorporate dint o th e legall y bindin g 199 0 Memorandu mo f

Understandin g betwee n EOTC , MH D an dCL F i n orde r

t o provid e publi c assuranc e o f th e Bi g Dig' s lon g ter mregiona l traffi c an dai r qualit y benefits . O f th e transi t

commitment s include di n th e 199 0 MO U non e wa s mor e importan t tha t th e propose ddirec t connectio n betwee n th e MBT A Blu e Lin e an dRe dLin e at Charle s Station . Thi s projec t woul dgreatl y enhanc e transi t

acces s t o th e Massachusett s General Hospita l fo r al l o f th e Blu e Lin e communitie s includin g East

Boston , Chelsea , Winthrop , Revere , Saugu s an dothers . Presentl y resident s o f thes e municipalitie s wh o wis h t o us e th e Blu e Lin e t o utiliz e Mass . Genera l mus t wal k hal f amil e afte r disembarkin g a

t th e Bowdoi n station , aparticularl y hars h disincentiv e fo r th e infirm . The Blu e Line-Re d Lin e connectio n woul dals o provid e significantl y improve dtransi t servic e betwee n thes e nort h shor e communitie s an dth e man y importan t destination s i n Cambridge . I t i s als o importan t

t o note th e significan t

benefi t th e Blu e Line-Re d Lin e connectio n woul dprovid e t o th e entir e MBT A transi t

systemi n th e for mo f measurabl e congestio n relie f fo r bot h th e Par

k Street an d Governmen t

Cente r Station s whic h presentl y mus t accommodat

e Blu e Lin e passenger s boun dfo r Mass . General Hospita l an dCambridge . Thes e passenger s no w mus t chang e a

t Governmen t

Center , tak

e th e Gree n Lin e t o Par

k Stree t an dthe n boar dth e Re dLine . B y bypassin g bot h o f thes e congeste d station s th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n woul dbenefi t al l MBT A users . Finall y I've notice dtha t alarg e par t

o f th e rational e pu t

forwar dfo r

eliminatin g th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n i s base d o n th e allege dsucces s o f th e ne w Silverlin e servic e to Loga n Airport , implyin g tha t i t replace s an origina l propose dbenefi t o f th e Blu e Line-Re d Lin e Connection . Thi s aclassi c re dherrin g argumen t becaus e th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n wa s never justifie dt o improv e transi t acces s t o th e airpor t bu t rathe r a s amajo r

publi c transi t

improvemen t

betwee n th e majo r

populatio n center s o f Boston' s nort h shor

e regio n an dCambridg e an dMass . General Hospital . Durin g m y fourtee n year s a s aMassport boar dmember

an da s Boston' s Transportatio n Commissioner th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n wa s never

propose da

s an airpor t

transi t acces s palliative . Istrongl y urg e yo u t o categoricall y rejec t th e recommende deliminatio n o f th e Blu e Line-Re dLin e Connectio n an dinstea drequir e tha t i t b e complete da

s originall y promise d Sincerely ,

# laft

f Sojato n

+ ^Srt ' ^Wkf r 617-567-9600-617-567- 1

4 0 Willia m Kell y Square , Eas tBosto n J^ J

Distribute d FRE E o f Charg e i n EastBosto

n an d Winthrop-Establishe

d i n 193 7 - Decembe

r 7 , 200 5 

## BLU E LIN E CONNECTO R

JOH N LYND S PHOT O A trai n pull s int o th e Orien t Height s sto p o n th e Blu e Line . A group , le d b y th e Conservatio n La w Foundation , i s fightin g th e state' s decisio n t o abando n plan s t o construc t a connecto rbetwee n th e Blu e an d Re d lines . 

# Force s connec t Partner s Healthcar e join s effor tt o mak e sur e stat e build s a Blue-Re d Lin e connecto r B Y JOH N LYND S john@eastietimes.co

m Wit h th e Romne y administratio

n abou t t o holdapublic hearin

g o n th e state' s decisio

n t o remov e th e Blue-Re dLin e Connecto

r fro mits list o f Bi g Di g mitigation projects , th e Conservatio

n La w Foundatio

n (CLF ) ha s gaine d ane w all y i n its ques t t o ensur e th e projec t get s done. Partner s Healthcar

e (PHC) ha

s joinedCL

F i n alawsui t agains t th e state' s highes

t official s for

thei r fail

ur e t o buildalong-promise

dpubli c transi t projec t tha i wouldgreatl

y benefi t resident s o f Eas t Boston , Re

vere , an

d othe r workin g communi

ties eas t o f Boston , providing the

m wit h bette r acces s t o job s a t Charles / MG H an d alon g th e Re d Line . Wit h public hearings se

t fo r Wednesday

, Dec . 21 , a

t 1 0 a.m. an d 6 p.m . a t th e Departmen

t o f Envi

ronmenta l Protection' s office s in Boston , CL

Fan dno w PH C ar e chal

lengin g th e Romne y administratio

n t o buil daconnectio

n betwee n th e Blu e an dRe d Lin e MBTA subwa

y line s a t Charles-MG

H station . CL Fan dPH C argu e tha t th e proj

ec t wa s promise d t o Easti e resident s in exchang

e fo r thei r suppor t t o buil d th e Bi g Dig . Now , 1

5 year s later , th e Bi g Di g i s nearl

y complet e an d th e slat e i s attemptin

g t o g o bac k o n it s promis e t o buil dth e Blue-Re d Con

nector . "Th e commonwealt

h i s penal

izing thousand

s o f Mass Genera

l patient s an dworker s b y it s decisio n t o abando n avita l transi t link, " sai d CL FPresiden

t Phi l Warburg . "Part

ner s Healthcar

e i s demonstratin

g rea l civi c leadershi

p b y takin g thi s lega l action . Buildin g th

e Bi g Di g i s fa r fro meverythin

g th e peopl e o f Greate r Bosto n wer e promise dbac k in 1990. W

e welcom e Partners ' sui

t a s a n importan

t ste p towar d holdin g stal e official s accountable. " Th e Centra l Artery-Thir

dHarbo r Pleas e se c MBT A Pag e 4

### 900 2 ' Z Jeqiusos Q SQLUj i uojso g jse g