Grafe , Jerom e (DEP ) From : Matthe wDanis h [matthew.r.danish@gmail.com ] Sent : Thursday , Septembe r13 , 201 2 3:5 2 P M To : Grafe , Jerom e (DEP ) Subject : Writte n Testimon yregardin g Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto r
Hello , I a msubmittin g thi s e-mai l a s writte ntestimon yfo r th e publi c meetin g o n th e Re d Line/Blu e Lin e Connecto r project , a s describe d here : http://www.mass.gov/dep/public/hearings/transitl2.ht m Th e reaso n I a

mwritin g thi s letter , an d th e reaso n tha t th e publi c ha s bee n asked t o comment , i s tha t th e DO T i s tryin g t o brea k th e law
. Dus t as importantly , the yar e breakin g a promis e t o ^e-peopl e o f Massachusett s an d th e resident s o f th e Bosto n region."Tha t i s wh ytfie yschedule d thi s publi c commen t perio d wit h suc hlittl e notic e an

d th e meeting s a t inconvenien t times
. Th e massive boondoggl e highwa yprojec t know

n a s th e Bi g Di g was supposed t o b e balance d ou t b yke ytransi t improvement s tha t woul d hel p alleviat e th e negativ e effect s caused b ysuc h enormous highways
. Th e whol e agreemen t i s bein g thrown off-balanc e b yDOT' S shirkin g o f it s commitments
. I t seem s clea r tha t th e DO

T neve r intende d t o fulfil l thes e commitment s an d entere d int o the

m dishonestly , knowing tha t the ycoul d procrastinat e indefinitely
. Th e Blue/Red Connecto r i s a n improvemen t t o th e cor e rapi d transi t system . Ever yday , man

y peopl e crow

d th e Green an

d Orange line s t o rid e fo r one sto p becaus e th e Blue/Red connectio n doe s no t exist
. Thi s wil l onl yge t wors e ove r tim e a s th e Blu e lin e i s currentl y underutilized , bu t tha t won' t b e th e cas e forever
. I t als o cause s delay s t o th e alread y strugglin g Green an

d Orange lines , whic hmean s i t affect s mos t o f th e rapi d transi t system . I f w e d o no t buil dth e Blue/Red connecto r soon , i t wil l onl ybecom e more congested , more necessary , an

d more expensiv e t o fi xi n th e futur e a s more developmen t take s plac e aroun d Cambridg e Street . Thi s connectio n ha s bee n planne d sinc e th e days o f th e Bosto n Elevate d RailwayCo , an

d i s a ga

p i n th e system

whic hha s becom

e more an

d more pressin g ove r tim e sinc e then
. D o w e wan t t o loo k back i n 2 0 year s an d regre t tha t w

e di d no t d

o anythin g becaus e w

e wer e unwillin g t o studya short , 150 0 foo t tunne l now ? Wha t i s th e reaso n tha t th e DO T i s refusin g t o studythi s necessaryproject ? W e kno wtha t th e $75 0 millio npric e ta g i s vastl yinflate dover f . th e actua l cost . Th e DOT' s document s stat e tha t a 40 % contingenc yha s bee n added , whic hi s fa r i n exces s o f typica l contingenc yamounts . I naddition , the yoverestimate d th e amount o f inflation
. A s th e CL F ha s pointe d out , i f you tak e olde r projec t estimate s an d updat e the

mt o present-da ydollars , i t onl ycome s ou t t o approximatel y$30 0 millio ni n cost . I s th e DO T ashame d o f th e misrepresentatio n o f costs , an d tha t the ywer e irresponsibl e fo r no t pursuin g thi s projec t sooner ? Instead , the ypursue d extremel yexpensiv e an d dubiou s commuter rai l extensions
. Greenbus h cos t $53 4 millio nan

d onl yattract s 3,00 0 riders , mos t o f the mforme r ferryboa t users . A miserabl e retur n o

n investment
. Sout hCoas t Rai l ha s alread yspen t ove r a $10 0 millio ni n studie s an

d wil l ultimatel ycos t $ 2 billio nt o serv e 5-8,00 0 rider s i n optimisti c scenarios
. Th e DO T i s happ

yt o pursu e parkin g lo t constructio n (e.g
. Wonderland ) bu t become s extremel y sting ywhe

n i t comes tim e fo r improvement s tha t hel p th e cor e o f th e rapi d transi t system . Ho wi s i t tha t parkin g lo t constructio n i s permitte d a s "ai r qualit ymitigation " whe n parkin g lot s onl yattrac t more car s ont o th e roads , caus e more ai r pollution , more traffi c congestio n lan d more sprawl ? I t i s shamefu l tha t parkin g lo t constructio n i s allowe d t o procee d unde r th e rubri c o f transi t fundin g an d as "ai r qualit yimprovement " whe n i t i s neither
. Tha t mone y coul d hav

e bee n used t o a t leas t studyth e Blue/Red connecto r project , whic hactuall yhas th e abilit yt o dra

wrider s wh

o woul d otherwis e b

e usin g thei r automobiles
. I als o fin di t strang e tha t th e DO T ha s bee

n happ yt o pursue , even forc e through , project s tha t serv e affluen t communitie s i n th e suburb s

-- eve n whe n town s lik e Hingha

mdidn' t wan t i t -- bu t continue s t o neglec t communitie s i n th e cor e lik e Eas t Boston . Th e mone yt o studySout hCoas t Rai l -- whic hi s an d wil l probabl y alway s b e a n infeasibl e transi t extensio n tha t shoul d b e droppe d immediatel y-- coul d hav e bee n use d t o studythe<Blue/Re d connector , whic hi s a muc hmore realisti c an

d usefu l project
. Wh yi s th e DO

T an d th e MBT

As o obsesse d wit hforcin g commuter rai l extensions , even o n communitie s tha t don' t wan t it , whil e leavin g cor e communitie s i n th e cold ? Wh yha s th e T continue d t o focu s o

n inefficient , ineffective , sprawl-promotin g commuter rai l whe n th e rapi d transi t syste

mi s i n disrepai r an

d no t even finished ? Wh yca n th e DO T fin d$50 0 millio nfo r barel yused commuter rai l extension s bu t canno t fin d$1 0 millio nfo r a studytha t coul d potentiall ybenefi t ever ysingl e ride r o f th e rapi d transi t system ? Ho wca n w e believ e anythin g fro mth e DO

T an d it s associate d agencie s whe n the ytos s awa

ycommitment s lik e this ? Thes e ar e al l question s tha t I woul d lik e t o se e answered befor e throwin g awa yth e decade s o f work tha t hav

e gon e int o th e Blue/Red connector . Fro ma macroeconomi c standpoint , thi s i s a tim e whe n infrastructur e project s shoul d b e movin g int o hig hgea r i n preparatio n fo r construction , as ther e i s muc hunused slac k i n th e economy . W e shoul d no t b

e talkin g abou t endin g projects , w

e shoul d b

e talkin g abou t ho

wt o ge t themeshovel-ready
. I woul d als o lik e t o hea r ho wth e DO T plan s t o implemen t interi moffset s t o mak e u p fo r th e tim e betwee

n th e misse d De

c 31 , 201 1 deadlin e an d wheneve r th e complian t Blue/Red connecto r fina l desig n pla n i s released
.

Writin g a s a residen t o f Boston , Matthe wDanis h

2