Grafe , Jerom e (DEP ) From : Sent : To : Subject : Scot t Kan e [kanesco@gmail.com ] Monday , Septembe r24 , 201 2 9:4 5 P M Grafe , Jerom e (DEP ) Re d / Blu e Lin e connectio n Dea rMr

. Grafe , I kno wi t i s afte r th e officia l deadlin e fo r testimon ybu t I hope yo u wil l allo won e more . I liv e i n Eas t Boston an d a ma dail ycommuter o

n th e blu e line . I n a pas t positio nI worke d a t Alewif e althoug hthes e day s I a m luck yenoug

ht o no t have t o us e th e Re d lin e much . Lik e I woul d suppos e virtuall yeveryon e i n Eas t Boston , Revere , an d th e Nort hshor e I a

mi n favo r o f th e connection . Ther e ar e an ynumber o f reason s I coul d sit e fo r thi s bu t ther e ar e tw o mai n one s I'l l highlight . On e i s tha t I thin k a

n enormou s number o f improvement s hav e bee n don e t o Eastie i n th e pas t fewyear s sucha s Breme n stree t park , th e bi g di g tunnels , Airport , Maverick , an d no wOrien t height s stations , th e ne wlibrary , th e extende d Eas t Bosto n greenwa ybik e path , th e centra l sqredesign , Pier s park , an d ne whousin g development s al l ove r th e neighborhood . I t i s a ver y goo d valu e fo r th e mone

ybu t stil l remain s undervalued . I thin k a bi g par t o f tha t i s i t i s cu t of f fro mth e vibranc yo f th e studen t population s i n Cambridge . Psychologicall yth e lin e jus t seem

s disconnecte d an

d distant . I ofte nhea r th e jok e tha t i t isn' t even reall ypar t o f th e system . It s becaus e i t doesn' t cros s arguabl yth e mos t importan t lin e o n th e T . Th

e overheate d jo bmarke t i n Cambridg e needs cheape r housin g an d Eastie coul d us e th e vibranc yo f Cambridge . Whe

n you connec t thos e tw o place s I thin k everyon e i s comin g ou t a winner . Th e secon d reaso n i s jus t th e realit yo f rus hhour . Having peopl e transfe r a t Park s t / Downtow n crossin g t o ge t of f th e Blu e lin e i s addin g enormou s pressur e t o tha t on e stop . I don' t kno

who wofte nyo u pac k i n t o thos e train s bu t I d o i t everyda

yan d it s horrible . I see al l th e peopl e everyda ymaking tha t transfe r an d I' mfrustrate drigh t alon g wit hthem . I t isn' t jus t Easti e that' s bein g helpe d ou t here

- it s th e entir e downtow n system . I a ma bi t o f a histor ybuf f an d was intereste di n lookin g u p th e histor yo f Scolla ys qan d Wes t en d som e year s ago . I n th e boo k I rea d the yshowe

d drawing s o f th e origina l pla n fo r th e are a whic hdi d hav

e th e re d an

d blu e connected . I gues s i n th e 50 s whe n thi s wa

s happening i t wasn' t a priorit ythough . I understan d th e technica l sid e o f this . I t s no t a s thoughCharle s stree t doesn' t hav e sewer , electrical , an d ever yothe r typ e o f lin e alread yrunnin g underneat hit . I understan d thi s woul d ad d th e expens e bu t th e realit yi s Government cente r i s a mes s an d wil l hav

e t o b e deal t wit ha s well . It s no t a n AD Acomplain t statio nan

d wil l eventuall yhav e t o b e rebuilt . Wh

yno t work thi s redesig n o f th e blu e lin e i nwit htha t neede

d redesig n project ? I thin k thi s i s a muc hneede d par t o f th e syste

man d sinc e th e nee

d isn' t ever ygoin g t o go awa yi t shoul d b

e deal t with . What bette r tim e tha n th e present ? Than k you , Scot t Kan

e

l