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Rankin g Democrati c Member , Subcommitte e o n Oversigh t & investigation s Committe e o n Transportatio n & Infrastructur e Democrati c Steerin g & Polic y Committe e Democrati c Caucu s Chair , Committe e o n Oversight , Stud y & Revie w www.house.gov/capuan o 

# Congress o f th e United State

s Hous e o f

Representative s Michae l E
. Capuan o 8t h District , Massachusett

s WASHINGTO N OFFICE : 141 4 LONGWORT H BUILDIN G WASHINGTON , DC 20515-210 8

(202)225-511 1 FAX : (202 ) 225-932 2 DISTRIC T OFFICES : 11 0 FIRS T STREE T CAMBRIDGE , M A 0214 1 (617)621-620 8 FAX:(617 ) 621-862 8 ROXBUR Y COMMUNIT Y COLLEG E

CAMPU S LIBRAR Y ROO M 21 1
Commissione

r Kennet h L
. Kimmel l Septembe r 19 , 201 2 Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Protectio n On e Winter Stree t Boston , M A 0210 8 Dea r Commissione

r Kimmell : Ia mwritin g t o commen

t o n th e Massachusett

s Departmen

t o f Transportation' s (MassDOT) formall y propose

d amendment

s t o 31 0 CM R7.36 , tha

t delet e MassDOT' s requiremen t to complet e final desig

n o f th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connector
. A s yo u know , desig n completio n i s alega l commitmen

t mad e b y MassDOT , an

d par t o f MassDOT' s overal l Stat

e Implementatio n Pla n commitmen

t jus t recently made
. Six year s ago , MassDOT endorse d ane w lis t o f Stat e Implementatio n Pla

n (SIP) projects , includin g full y designing th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connector
. A t th e time , muc

h wa s mad e b y MassDOT that , whil e these substitutio n project s di d displac e others , MassDOT woul d stan d b y these lega l commitments an

d se e the mthrough to completion
. I t i s difficul t

fo r m e t o understan

d ho w MassDOT no longe r wishe s to hono

r alega l commitmen

t i t seemingl y embrace

d eagerl y jus t afe w year

s ago . I understan

d an d suppor t tha t ther e ma y b e th e nee d t o allo w mor

e time to complet

e fina l design
. However , I urge th e Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Protectio n to kee

p thi s requiremen

t i n place
. I t i s m y understandin

g tha t MassDOT doe

s not wis h t o full y desig

n aprojec t

whic h i t i s not prepare d t o build
. Normally , I woul dsuppor t tha t decision
. However , I d

o not suppor t MassDOT' s reques

t i n thi s instance
. Firs t

o f all , a s noted above , thi s i s acommitmen t MassDOT supported
. Ther

e wa s ampl e opportunit

y whe n th e SI P substitution s wer

e mad e t o leav e ou t commitments MassDOT di d no t actually support . Second, thi s i s aprojec t whic h make

s sense . I f constructed , i t

woul dalleviat

e strai n on th

e hu b o f the transi t

syste man d ope n u p neighborhood s along bot h line s fo r economi c development
. Thi s i s especiall y tru e i f MassDOT i s seriou s abou t extending th

e Blu e Lin e to Lynn
. Bu t nothin g ca

n b e buil t withou t firs t being designed
. Sinc

e MassDO T clearly ha

s n o intentio n o f

completing th

e design , i t

must b e force d t o d

o so . Lastly , I appreciat e tha t ther e i s n o ai r qualit y benefi t t o aproject' s desig

n component . However , I firml y suppor t requirin g MassDOT to hono r th e lega l - an d mora l - commitmen

t i t mad e to th e Commonwealt

h an d full y desig

n th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connector
. Than k yo u fo r th e opportunit

y t o commen

t on thes e propose d amendments
.

lichae l E
. Capuan

o Membe r o f Congres s

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