F o r a thrivin g Ne w Engla n CL F Massachusett s 6 2 Summe rStree t Bosto n M A 0211 0 P : 617.350.099 0 F : 617.350.403 0 www.ctf.or g Septembe r 14 , 201 2 Jerom e Graf e Massachusett

s Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Protectio n (MassDEP

) On e Winte r Street, 6t h Floo r Boston , M A 0210 8 RE : Propose

d Amendmen

t to Transit

Syste mImprovemen

t Regulation s Dea r Mr
. Grafe : O n behalf o f th e Conservation La

w Foundatio n ("CLF" ) I writ e t o urg e MassDE P no t to amen d it s Transi

t Syste mImprovemen

t Regulation s a

s the y relat e to th e requiremen

t t o desig n th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto r ("Connector")
. Completio n o f environmenta

l review an

d fina l desig

n o f th e Connecto

r by Decembe

r 31 , 2011 , i s alega

l requiremen

t o f th e curren t Massachusett

s Stat e Implementatio n Pla

n ("SIP")
. Th

e Commonwealt

h shoul d not

be relieve d fro mth e obligatio n completel

y withou t substitution
. Th

e potentia l benefit s fro mthi s projec t ar e fa r to o grea t fo r i t simpl y to b

e removed fro mth

e SIP
. A deadlin

e extension o

r asubstitutio n projec t o r measur e woul d be apermissibl e approac h unde r th e SIP
. I . Projec

tBenefit s Th e Red/Blue Lin e Connecto r i s acritica l transi t

projec t tha t woul d be o f

grea t benefi t t o ai r quality , publi c health , mobility , environmenta l justice , an

d economi

c developmen

t i n th e region
. Th

e Massachusett

s Ba y Transportatio n Authority' s ("MBTA" ) Re d an d Blu e Line s ar

e th e onl y tw o o f

Boston' s rapi d transi t

line s tha t d o not intersect
. A s aresult , transi t riders travellin g fro mpoint s alon g th e Blu e Lin e t

o th e Re d Line , o r fro mRe d t o Blue , must

transfe r twic e b y using eithe

r th e Gree n o r Orang e Line , reducin g ridershi

p an d unnecessaril

y increasing congestio n a t downtow n Boston station s includin g Governmen t Center , Par k Street , Stat

e an d Downtow n Crossing
. Th e nee d to transfe

r twic e als o restrict s access t o jobs , suc

h a s those a t th e academi c an d medica l institution s along th

e Re d Line , particularl y fo r

residents o f

Eas t Boston , Revere , Winthro p an

d Lynn
. Th

e Red/Blu e Connecto

r i s projecte d t

o mor e tha n double dail y boarding s (22,39 0 instea

d o f 10,05 0 boarding s b y 2030) a t Charles/MG

H Statio n alone
. Se

e Draf t Environmenta

l Impact Repor t fo r th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto r Projec t ("DEER" ) a

t 3-21
. Th

e absenc e o f adirec t connectio n betwee

n th e Re d an d Blu e Line s makes trave l fa r mor e difficul t tha n necessar

y an d ofte n discourage s th

e us e o f publi c transit
. Fo

r example , coming hom

e fro mCambridge , a

n Eas t Boston residen

t ha s t o wai t o n three differen t

platform s fo r thre e trains
. Thi s ca

n tak e particularl y lon g fo r

peopl e wh o wor k a t night , a s man y do , sinc e th e MBT A Rapi d Transit

lines ' arrival an

d departur e time s a t Par k Street, Governmen

t Center, Downtow n Crossin

g an d Stat e Stree t ar e no t coordinate d an

d th e train s ar e frequentl y delayed
.

i,L F MAIN E • CL F MASSACHUSETT S • CL F NE W HAMPSHIR E • CL F RHOD E ISLAN D • CL F VERMON T conservatio n la w foundatio n

# cl f

conservatio n la w foundatio n Eve n i f on schedule , a

t 1 0 p.m . o

n aweekday , atri p fro mHarvar d Squar e to Maveric k

Station involve s seventee

n minute s o f

waitin g tim e alone
. B y contrast , th e rout e ca n b e driven i n onl y sixtee n minutes , resultin g i n aclea r disincentiv e to us

e publi c transportation. 2 Man y people , however , d

o no t hav e the choic e betwee

n drivin g an

d takin g publi c transportation
. Th

e Blu e Line , mor

e tha n an y othe r MBT A rapi d transit

line , serve

s almost exclusively communitie s wher e alarg e percentage o f

resident s depen d on mas s transit
. A t

th e sam e time , resident

s o f thes e communitie s ar

e als o i n nee

d o f greate r acces s to jobs
. Likewise , man y Massachusett

s Genera l Hospita l (MGH ) patient s nee

d to trave l fro mRevere , wher e MG H ha s asatellit

e clinic , to th

e hospital' s main campus i n Boston' s Wes t End
. Takin g publi c transportation unde

r th e curren t circumstance s i s no t

asimpl e tre

k fo r th e infirm
. Extendin g th

e Blu e Lin e to Charles/MG H woul d significantl y improv e trave l tim e an d convenience fo r

thos e travelin g betwee

n Re d Lin e an d Blu e Lin e locations
. Furthermore , i t woul d reduce trave l tim e o n publi c transportatio n to Loga n Airport , providin g anecessar y incentiv e fo r

alarg e numbe

r o f travelers to leav e thei r

car s behind
. Fo

r example , fro mHarvar

d Squar e to Loga n Airpor t th e trave l tim e woul d be reduce d approximatel

y twenty-tw o percent. 3 Th e reductio n i n congestion a t th e intersection s o f

th e Re d Lin e with th

e Gree n Lin e an d Orang e Lin e woul d benefi t

passenger

s throughou

t th e system . A s aresult , mor e people woul d choos

e t o tak e publi c transportatio n whic h woul d reduce automobile , traffic—an d therefor e harmfu l aut

o emissions—i

n local neighborhoods
. I t woul d als o decreas

e vehicl e mile s travele d overall
. Th e associate d reductio n i n greenhouse ga s emissions , i n turn , woul d hel p th e Commonwealt

h i n it s effort s to mee

t th e importan

t goal s o f th e Globa l Warmin g Solution s Act , M.G.L
. Chapte r 2 IN
. II . Ai r Qualit

y Benefit s Associate

d wit h Desig n Unde r th e Clea n Ai r Act , state

s ar e assigne d th e primar y responsibilit

y to achiev

e an d maintai n complianc e wit h th e nationa l ambien t ai r qualit y standard

s ("NAAQS")
. To thi s end , Massachusett

s ha s adopte d aSI P containin g th

e project s an

d measure

s relie d o n to satisf y th e state' s obligation s t

o achiev e an d maintai n th

e NAAQS
. I n 2008 , th

e Commonwealt

h sough t an d received approva

l fo r it s revise d SIP
. Th

e Commonwealt

h include d th

e desig n o f th e Connecto

r i n it s revise d SIP , recognizin g an d relyin g o

n th e associate

d ai r qualit y benefits
. Last

year , onl y

1 Se e MBT A Tri p Planne r a t www.mbta.co

mfo r Tuesday , Septembe

r 11 , 2012 , las t accesse d o n Septembe r 11,2011
. 2 Se e Googl e Map s a t www.google.com/maps , las t accesse d o n Septembe

r 11 , 2012
. 3 Base d o n acompariso

n betwee n aweekda

y trip startin

g a t 5:0 0 p.m . fro mHarvar

d Squar e t o Termina l A o f Loga n Airpor t usin g th e Re d an d Silve r Lines (4 5 minutes ) versu s connectin

g fro mth e Re d Lin e t o th e Blu e Lin e a t Charles/MG

H an d usin g th e MassPor t Shuttl e t o ge t t o Termina l A (3 5 minutes)
. Se

e MBT A Tri p Planne r fo r Tuesday , Septembe

r 11 , 2012 , las

t accesse d Septembe

r 11 , 2012
. Estimate

d tim e fo r Red/Blu e Connecto

r i n place : nin

e minute s t o Charles/MGH ; abou

t fiv e minute

s fo r connectio n t o Blu e Line , twelv

e minute s t o Airpor t Station , approximatel

y fiv e minute

s fo r th e connectio

n t o MassPor t Shuttle , an d four minute s o n th e MassPor t shuttle
. -2 -conservatio n la w foundatio n

thre e year s afte r th e revise d SB? wa

s approved , MassDO T denie d tha t th e sam e projec t ha s an y meri t an d sough t to remove i t

fro mth e SI P claimin g tha

t i t doe s no t hel p th e stat e mee t nationa l ambien t ai r qualit y standards
. I n it s reques t t o MassDEP , MassDO T reasone d tha t ther e ar e n o ai r qualit y benefit s associate

d wit h the desig

n o f atransi t project , callin g i t

a"purel y procedura

l requirement, " whic h raise s th e question why th

e Commonwealt

h woul d hav

e include d th

e Connecto r i n th e revised SI

P i n th e firs t place
. Base

d o n it s inclusio n i n th

e revised SIP , th

e Commonwealt

h should be precluded fro marguin g now tha t th e desig n o f atransit projec t ha s n o calculabl e ai

r qualit y benefits
. Moreover , ther

e ar e clearl y ai

r qualit y benefit s associate

d wit h designing atransi t

project
. Fo r atransi t projec t t o be constructed , i t

ha s t o be designe

d first
. Frequentl

y fundin g become

s availabl e fo r

atransit projec t onl y after

i t ha s bee n designed
. Despit

e MassDOT' s gri m prognosi s o f

th e availabilit

y o f federa l funding , increasingly onl y project s tha t ar e shovel-read

y ar e eligibl e t o appl

y whe n federa l fundin g opportunitie s arise
. Thu s designing atransi t project , mor e tha n anythin g else , raise s it s chance s o f eve r bein g built
. On

e ne w opportunit

y fo r potentia l funding , fo r

example , onl y recently becam e apparen t and , to th e bes t o f ou r knowledge , th

e Commonwealt

h ha s not pursue d i t yet . Th e Commonwealt

h shoul d reques

t tha t th e owner s an d developer s o f th e propose d casin o a t Suffol k Down s contribut

e significantl y to th

e Connecto

r a s aconditio n o f

proceedin

g wit h their

project
. A s aresult , ai

r qualit y benefit s ca

n be calculate d b y applyin g adiscounted percentag e o f thos e th e constructed projec t

woul d produce
. Thi s percentag e ca n tak e th e estimated likelihoo d o f

construction , a

t th e tim e o f th e inclusio n i n th

e SIP , int o consideration
. I n 2006 , th e Commonwealt

h estimate d tha t th e Connecto

r woul d reduce emission s o f

carbo n monoxid

e b y 15 6 kilograms , nitrogen oxide s b y 4 kilograms , an d volatil e organic compound

s b y 9 kilogram s pe

r day
. Se e DEER , Appendi x E , a

t 3-1 6 an d Centra l Transportatio n Planning Staf f ("CTPS") , "Descriptio n o f Modelin g Assumption s an d Analysi s Methodolog y fo r

th e Stat e Implementatio n Pla

n Transi t Commitmen

t Projects Curren

t an d Propose d Substitutions, " Decembe r 28 , 2006 , revise d Marc h 15,200 7 ("200 6 SE P Analysis")
. Eve n i f discounted b y ninet

y percent , th

e design o f

th e Connecto

r woul d stil l provid e emission reduction s o f

15. 6 kilogram s fo r

carbo n monoxide , 0. 4 kilogram s fo r nitrogen oxides , an

d 0. 9 kilogram s fo r

volatil e organi c compound s pe r day
. Th e fac t tha t these ai r qualit y benefit s fro mth

e Connecto

r wer e previously not

include d i n th e ai r qualit y mode l fo r th e revised SI

P doe s no t mak e th e projec t an y les s o f a n obligation
. Th e EP A approve

d th e revise d SI

P expecting tha

t th e estimat e fo r th e revised SE

P i s leavin g the Commonwealt

h som e roo mfo r

error—th e Connecto

r helpe d t o creat e tha t necessar y buffer
. Thus , i t i s no t permissibl e fo r

th e Commonwealt

h to simpl y remove tha

t projec t now . Ultimately , th

e SI P ha s t o allo w th

e Commonwealt

h to attai n complianc e wit h th e NAAQS , currentl y Easter

n Massachusett

s continue s to b e i n non-attainmen t status fo r

ozon e an d ha s not applied fo r

redesignation after

arecen t attainmen

t determination
. MassDE

P should therefor

e no t follo w MassDOT' s flawe d logi c an d should not

amen d i t Transit Syste mImprovemen

t Regulations , a

s proposed
.

# cl f

conservatio n ta w foundatio n III . Deliberatel

y Htllh^^stimate s I n a n attemp t to justif y it s reques

t to simply be relieve d fro ma n importan

t SB? requirement , althoug

h onl y afe w year

s hav e passed, MassDO T las t

yea r claime d tha

t th e cos t o f designin g th e Connecto

r ha s gon e u p significantly
. Se

e MassDO T Reques

t to Amend Transit Syste mImprovemen

t Regulation s date

d July 1,201 1 ("Request" ) a t 3
. MassDO T explained tha t th e desig n costs , whic h ar

e typicall y te

n percen t o f th e tota l constructio n costs , hav e increase d becaus e th e ultimat e constructio n cost

s o f th e projec t wer e estimate d to "fa r outstrip " th

e cos t projection s i n place a

t th e time tha t th e SB ? regulatio n wa

s promulgated
. Id
. MassDOT liste d a numbe r o f factor s tha

t ma y hav e contribute d to a

n increas e i n th

e estimate d cos t o f th e Connector
. Se

e ic L a t 3-4
. Amon g those , MassDO T admitte d to budgeting amuc h mor e conservative contingency fo r th e most recen t cos t estimate , but

faile d to disclos e tha

t i t als o include d ahighe

r inflatio n rate . Likewise , MassDO T di d not explai n tha

t i t use d les s favorabl e assumptions t

o estimat e th e cos t o f th e Connecto

r tha n an y othe r transi t projec t i t currently i s planning
. Bu

t withou t markups , th

e raw-cos t

estimat e fo r constructio n o f

th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto

r i s abou t $33 6 millio n rathe

r tha n th e $74 8 millio n figur e MassDO T relie d upo n to suppor t it s request . Se

e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto r Projec t 10 % Desig n Cos

t Estimate , Basi s o f Estimate , a

t 1
. A t th e tim e o f th e SJ P revision , i n Jul y o f

2008 , the Commonwealth' s estimat e wa s $290 millio n fo r

constructio n o f

th e project , whic h i s no

t a s significan t

o f a difference
. Specifically , th

e tota l cost

estimate d fo r th e Connecto

r include d afort y percen

t contingency (u

p fro matwent

y percen t contingency applie d i n earlie r plannin g stage

s o f thi s project) an

d a n inflatio n rat

e o f 4.2 % (although constructio n cost change s ar e currently unde

r tw o percen

t a s i s genera

l inflation , an

d inflatio n i s no t

expecte d t o increas e significantl y an y tim e soon)
. T o mak

e matter s worse , these add-on

s ar e no t applie d equally to ever

y projec t MassDO T i s planning
. A s acomparison , fo r th e ongoin g Sout

h Coas t Rai l Project , MassDO T i s applied a lowe r contingency (31.70 % instea d o f 40%) , alowe

r inflatio n rat

e (3.25 % instea

d o f 4.20%) , an

d alowe r desig n cos t estimat e (13.44 % o f

presen t constructio n cos

t no t includin g th

e contingency instea d o f 14 % o f presen t constructio n cos

t plu s th e contingenc y whic h translate s int o 19.6 % withou t th e contingency)
. Se

e Sout h Coas t Rail , Alternativ e Descriptio n Technica l Repor t a t 4

- 5 3 (Septembe

r 2009)
. Thus , acarefu l revie w o f MassDOT' s number

s revea l tha t th e "dramatic increase " i n projec t

cost s i t describe s i n it s lette

r i s als o aresult

o f th e applicatio n o f

a particularl y an

d deliberately conservative budgeting approac h fo r th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connector
. Conclusio n Amendin g th

e Transi t Syste mImprovemen

t Regulation s woul d reliev e th e Commonwealt

h fro ma n obligatio n to desig

n acritica l transi t

projec t tha t ha s grea t potentia l to hel p Massachusett

s compl y wit h th

e NAAQ S withou t

proposin g an

y othe r projec t to tak e it s place
. An y concerns wit h the lack o f immediat e fundin g fo r

thi s projec t

coul d b e addresse

d by
-4 -conservatio n la w foundatio n

eithe r substitutin g th

e projec t o r amendin g th e regulation s t o provid e fo r adeadlin e extension
. To evaluat

e an y potentia l substitution , MassDE

P should requir

e MassDO T t o remode

l th e ai r qualit y benefit s expecte

d fro mth e project s i n th

e revised SI

P an d the n compar e the mto thos e o f th e remainin g transit

syste mimprovemen

t project s withou t

th e Connector
. Fo

r th e reason s state d above , w e respectfull y reques t tha t MassDE P not amen d th e Transi t Syste mImprovemen

t Regulations , a

s currentl y proposed
. I f yo u hav e an y questions , I ca

n b e reache d b y phon

e a t (617 ) 850-173 9 o

r b y emai l a

t rmares@clf.org
. - ,^..„ , .. . Sincerely ,

Rafae l Mare s Staf f Attorne y

c c (b y email )

US EP A - Region 1 Donal d Cook

e Ai r Technica l Uni t Jo e Cosgrov

e Directo r o f Planning/Developmen

t Massachusett

s Ba y Transportatio n Authority
Katherine S
. Fichte

r Massachusett

s Departmen

t o f Transportation Offic e o f Transportatio n Plannin g Scot t Hamwe y Massachusett

s Departmen

t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Transportatio n Planning Christin e Kirb y MassDE P