DEP/EOT AMENDED ADMINISTRATIVE CONSENT ORDER AC0-BO AMENDMENT # Annual Report and 9 th Status Report June 30, 2006

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1 DEP/EOT AMENDED ADMINISTRATIVE CONSENT ORDER AC0-BO AMENDMENT # Annual Report and 9 th Status Report 1. Orange Line Signal Improvements and Additional Coaches... 1 a. Project Description... 1 b. Project Schedule and Status Report Purchase and Delivery of 85 New Emission Control Diesel Buses... 2 a. Project Description... 2 b. Project Schedule and Status Report Blue Line Platform Lengthening to Accommodate 6 Car Trains... 3 a. Project Description... 3 b. Project Schedule and Status Report Construction Retrofit Program... 5 a. MHD Retrofit Project Description... 5 b. MHD Retrofit Project Schedule and Status Report... 5 c. MBTA Construction Retrofit Program Urban Ring Draft Environmental Impact Statement... 6 a. Project Description... 6 b. Project Schedule and Status Report Fairmont Line Stations... 8 a. Project Description... 8 c. Project Schedule and Status Report Silver Line Phase III a. Project Description b. Project Schedule and Status Report Greenbush a. Project Description b. Project Schedule and Status Report Service to TF Green Airport a. Project Description b. Project Schedule and Status Report Signal Priority for Transit Vehicles a. Project Description and Status... 17

2 DEP/EOT AMENDED ADMINISTRATIVE CONSENT ORDER AC0-BO AMENDMENT # Annual Report 1. Orange Line Signal Improvements and Additional Coaches a. Project Description The initial commitment as described in the September 2000 ACO requires signal improvements be made to the Orange Line, such that peak period headways can be improved from 5 minutes to 4 minutes. This would result in three additional trains running in the peak hour. These three trains are comprised of 18 Orange Line coaches. The signal improvements to allow for the improved headways have been completed. 1 As reported in prior Transit Commitment Annual Reports, the MBTA has determined that it is cost prohibitive to purchase 18 new Orange Line coaches as well as cost prohibitive to convert existing Blue Line coaches to Orange Line coaches. In the alternative, the MBTA will proceed with the planning and programming necessary to purchase a new Orange Line fleet of vehicles; included in this fleet will be a sufficient number of coaches to accommodate the improved scheduling. The preliminary step is to develop an infrastructure survey to see what changes need to occur to accommodate new vehicles. That infrastructure survey will include an analysis of bridge upgrades, track alterations, track work, platform changes, alterations to the maintenance facility as well as several other issues. The MBTA will use this survey to determine how the vehicles and the associated infrastructure improvements need to be developed so as to accommodate the new vehicles. The MBTA will then program in the appropriate CIP, the purchase of a sufficient number of new Orange Line cars such that the total is 18 more than are in the fleet in 2005 (or its equivalent carry capacity if the coaches are of a different length) as well as the infrastructure improvements to accommodate the new vehicles. b. Project Schedule and Status Report The schedule for Orange Line vehicle procurement is as follows: a. Completion of initial infrastructure survey: May 1, 2005 This report was completed in April The report identifies a series of recommendations for procurement of Orange Line vehicles under a number of different scenarios as well as the various infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate the new vehicles. b. Assessment of infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate the new coaches: December 1, This assessment has been completed. Based on the suggestions in the report completed in April 2005, the MBTA has determined what type of infrastructure improvements are necessary to bring new Orange Line vehicles into service. From this report, the MBTA has determined that power upgrades are required at the power substations at Sullivan Square, 1 The Orange Line signal improvements project also includes improvements to make the service safer and more reliable. These improvements are separate, however, from the headway improvements and are not part of the Transit Commitment. This component of the project is on going in construction. Page 1 of 16

3 Wellington, Malden and Oak Grove. Track improvements (e.g., Mainline turnout replacement at Wellington, Wellington Yard Rehabilitation, Cross Tie Renewal from Oak Grove to Community College, etc.) are also required. Signal modifications for the maintenance yard are also required. Major upgrades are also required at the Wellington Car House. These upgrades include a major expansion of the car house to accommodate new lifts, hoists, wheel truing equipment, a lift/turn table as well as a Clean Room. Building a 96,000 square foot expansion on to the facility will accommodate these upgrades. In addition, new third rail upgrades and special track work are required for the Wellington Yard. In the current Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2006 to 2011, the MBTA has programmed $40 million for overall Orange Line vehicle procurement. Of that $40 million, the CIP programs $10 million for the design of the next generation of Orange Line vehicles as well as $30 million for Orange Line power substation upgrades. Future CIP s (which are prepared annually) will identify funds for third rail upgrades, Wellington Yard special track work, the maintenance facility improvements as well as the vehicle procurement. c. Provide schedule with milestones for purchase of additional coaches: December 1, d. New Orange Line coaches in revenue service: December 31, Purchase and Delivery of 85 New Emission Control Diesel Buses a. Project Description In the ACO Amendment #2, EOT is required to procure 85 new 40 low floor handicapped accessible buses. These buses will be equipped with emission-controlled diesel engines. These engines will utilize advanced engine control microprocessors and exhaust after treatment devices. These technologies working in conjunction with the use of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel provide the lowest exhaust emissions available. These buses will be used on routes along the Orange Line corridor. b. Project Schedule and Status Report The ACO Amendment requires MBTA Board approval no later than March 31, At its meeting on February 10, 2005, the MBTA Board of Directors voted to authorize the execution of a contract option with Neoplan USA Corporation for the furnishing and delivery of 85 additional Emission Control Diesel buses. At the same board meeting, the MBTA Board of Directors authorized a contract for the engineering services needed to support the oversight and delivery of the new buses. The MBTA anticipated delivery of 50 of these buses by the end of December 2005 and the remaining 35 buses to be delivered in spring of The ACO Amendment requires delivery by July 15, 2006 and that these buses be deployed along the Orange Line corridor. Page 2 of 16

4 In a letter dated August 4, 2005, EOT notified the DEP of a delay to the delivery schedule of these buses and invoked the Force Majeure provision of the ACO. As described in that letter, Neoplan USA s original production schedule was to build and deliver 45 of the vehicles by November 2005 with the remaining 40 vehicles to be delivered by May In the summer of 2005, however, Neoplan USA informed the MBTA that due to severe financial difficulties, the company would very likely to be unable to meet its contractual commitments to the Authority and that it was considering ceasing production before the end of In a letter dated August 26, 2005, DEP concluded that it was premature to determine whether a Force Majeure event exists since efforts to address the situation were ongoing, and since it was not known at that time whether EOT/MBTA would be able to meet the July 15, 2006 deadline. DEP then went on to provide some guidance as to the type of information that would be required in the event that it is definitively known whether the July 2006 deadline can be met or not. Since the time of DEP s letter, however, the MBTA and NeoPlan have firmly concluded that NeoPlan will be unable to manufacture and deliver any additional buses over and above the 18 out of 85 buses that have been delivered to date. As a result, EOT will be unable to meet the July 2006 deadline for the remaining 67 vehicles. A Force Majeure letter was sent to DEP on November 8, The Force Majeure letter explained the reason for the delay as well as the steps EOT and MBTA took to minimize the delay and a schedule by which EOT would meet the requirement of the ACO Amendment. On December 8, 2005, the DEP responded with a letter in which it requested additional information on the bus procurement process. This supplemental information was submitted to the DEP on January 18, Additionally, on February 9, 2006, EOT provided the DEP with other information it requested. This information related to the protocol that the MBTA employs when it receives a new vehicle from the manufacturer and the timeline for bringing the bus into service. In addition, the DEP requested information in regard to the Check Engine Light Standard Operating Procedure employed by the MBTA Bus Operations. To address the delay in securing the new ECD buses, the MBTA began a procurement for additional buses. On July 21, 2005, the MBTA issued an Invitation for Bids for the delivery of 150 new ECD buses. This bus delivery would include the buses that NeoPlan is unable to deliver as well as additional buses. On October 13, 2005, the MBTA opened bids from three bus companies interested in manufacturing the buses. At its meeting on December 8, 2005, the MBTA Board of Directors voted to approve the contract with the new vendor (New Flyer Incorporated). Based on the schedule that was established by the MBTA and agreed to by New Flyer, the MBTA will have 50 of the buses by December 31, 2006, and the remaining 17 buses that are part of the DEP requirement by April Thus, based on this schedule, the MBTA is requesting a ten month extension to the original due date of July Blue Line Platform Lengthening to Accommodate 6 Car Trains a. Project Description The MBTA will modernize each of the Blue Line Stations so that they may accommodate sixcar Blue Line trains as opposed to the current four-car train configuration that is currently in operation along the line. In order to operate six-car trains, the MBTA must modify many of the stations. The following describes the work, which must be completed to accommodate six-car trains: Page 3 of 16

5 Wonderland Station, Revere Beach, Suffolk Downs, Beachmont Station, Wood Island, Airport, Orient Heights, Maverick Aquarium and Government Center: These stations are ready to accommodate six-car trains. Modernization work (e.g., making the stations handicapped accessible, providing new and improved amenities, etc.) will continue via separate construction contracts. Maverick Station contract has been awarded and work is underway. Government Center Station contract will be advertised later this year. Orient Heights will be advertised in early State: In order to accommodate six-car trains, the MBTA must undergo an extensive remodeling of the station. The MBTA must perform major modifications to the tunnel system to allow for the platforms to be extended. This work will require significant street utilities and utility relocation for the office buildings (60 and 53 State Street, as well as others). Additionally, the MBTA will build two new fully accessible entrances along each side of State Street. The entrances also provide the necessary increase in the emergency egress capacity that is triggered when the platforms are extended. Bowdoin Station Due to limitations resulting from the track geometry, Bowdoin Station cannot accommodate six-car trains. As described in the Blue Line Modernization EIR (EOEA #8772) Bowdoin Station will be closed to passengers when six-car trains begin running. The new additional Blue Line headhouse, which is to be located near the JFK Building, is only 560 feet from the existing Bowdoin Street headhouse and as such, passengers destined for that area can enter the transit system in the same vicinity. Given the current construction constraints on the Government Center project, however, there may be a period of time where Bowdoin Station will be closed, but the new Government Center entrance will not yet be open. Passengers who normally enter at Bowdoin will need to enter one block further at the current Government Center entrance. b. Project Schedule and Status Report State Street Station remains the major milestone to be completed in order to operate six-car Blue Line trains. Unlike Government Center, Orient Heights and Maverick Station, major reconstruction of State Street Station is required in order to service the station with a six-car train. The tunnels must be demolished to extend the platforms. The MBTA has contracted with Barletta Construction Inc. to rebuild State Street Station. In Amendment #2, the DEP made certain findings concerning Blue Line Modernization and issued a revised schedule. The DEP ordered EOT to complete the State Street Station platform extension by December 31, 2005 yet expressly recognized that due to delays in obtaining full access to the construction work zone, the contractor might not be able to meet the 12/31/05 deadline. Accordingly, the Amendment #2 provided that [i]f the contractor is unable to meet this deadline, EOT will provide the Department with its determination, and the reasons therefore, that the contractor cannot meet the deadline within 30 days of making such determination.... In the event that the EOT meets this reporting requirement, the completion date will automatically extend to 12/31/06. In a letter dated November 4, 2005, EOT notified the DEP that it has determined that the contractor cannot meet the deadlines for modernization of the State Street Blue Line Station Page 4 of 16

6 and EOT requested that DEP grant the extension for running six car trains on the Blue Line to December 31, The reasons for this delay are described below. Given that the State Street Station extension requires permanent easements from the City for the new underground structures, the MBTA must obtain approval from the City of Boston Public Improvement Commission (PIC). These easements are necessary to build the new fire safety and emergency access structures that lead to the entrance/exits at 60 State Street and 53 State Street, as well as to provide access to persons with disabilities. PIC coordinates and combines the requirements of the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), the Boston Public Works Department (BPW) and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC). The MBTA must satisfy the requirements of each of these departments before access permits and approvals may be received. At the time of Amendment #2, the MBTA believed it would receive certain limited access to the City-owned right of way after the standard winter moratorium, which normally concludes in mid to late January. The purpose of this moratorium is to prevent major street openings during the holiday season. Given the very significant amount of snow in early 2005, the City extended the winter moratorium to early April. Accordingly, the contractor could not get the early access to the site on the time line anticipated. The City first issued a temporary permit in the late spring, and only then could the contractor undertake early action work such as utility relocation. Concurrently, the MBTA was working with PIC and other entities at the City of Boston to resolve these issues that were numerous, complicated and frequently time consuming. These issues included but are not limited to a difference of opinion as to the terms and conditions of the Support of Excavation Agreement, conditions associated with a BWSC easement and an issue concerning the necessity of certain City permits. Also, BTD required the contractor to prepare changes to the previously developed traffic management plans. All of these requirements arose after early Moreover, many of these requirements are unique to this project and have not been part of the PIC process for other MBTA projects. The City of Boston PIC approval was finally granted on March 9, 2006 and the contractor only had full access to the entire work zone as of this date. In the mean time, the abutting landowners have been cooperative regarding ongoing construction. 4. Construction Retrofit Program a. MHD Retrofit Project Description The Massachusetts Highway Department shall adopt a standard specification for all construction contracts requiring its contractors to implement diesel construction retrofits (such as oxidation catalysts or particulate filters) on the exhaust system side of all large nonroad diesel construction equipment greater than 50 horsepower. b. MHD Retrofit Project Schedule and Status Report As required by the ACO Amendment, this standard specification was implemented for all contracts advertised since March 15, Since that time, all projects have required the retrofits as a standard specification. In each case, the contractor signed a certification that it would abide by the new retrofit specification. Also included at Tab A are the results of the MHD s first survey of contractors identifying which vehicles subject to the retrofit requirement Page 5 of 16

7 are to be used on each job. Finally, MHD has added this certification as a mandatory document to be submitted by the contractor before the Notice to Proceed is issued. Current information is provided in Tab A. c. MBTA Construction Retrofit Program The MBTA has established a standard specification (reviewed by the DEP prior to implementation) and has used it on all construction projects advertised since January 1, A list of all contracts issued since 01/01/01 can be found at Tab B. 5. Urban Ring Draft Environmental Impact Statement a. Project Description This project includes the development of federal environmental review documents to develop, evaluate and recommend non-radial transit service alternatives that would provide better access to key activity centers in a 15-mile long, one-mile wide corridor located just beyond the Boston central core through the municipalities of Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Somerville, Cambridge, Brookline and Boston. The project would ease congestion in the central subway system and increase the overall MBTA system ridership. These alternatives would provide access to existing and planned radial bus, transit and commuter rail lines and would generally follow the alignment of what had previously been a proposed inner belt highway. The alternatives include Transportation System Management (TSM) improvements to existing cross-town and express bus services, and new and overlapping Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and light or heavy rail services. The alternatives would connect to new and current station stops on the existing and planned radial lines wherever they cross the Urban Ring Corridor. b. Project Schedule and Status Report On November 30, 2004, in compliance with the Administrative Consent Order, the MBTA filed a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA). Amendment #2 to the ACO further required EOT to submit a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) through the NEPA process on or before October 31, 2005, provided that FTA has accepted proposed modeling revisions and the Commonwealth has identified the source of 50% non-federal matching funds. To date, neither of these conditions has been met and EOT, therefore, has not filed the EIS. In a letter dated May 18, 2005, the MBTA informed MEPA of its intent to re-link the EIR and EIS. In that letter, the MBTA explained that it is currently seeking the guidance of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in the development of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Phase 2 to comply with the requirements of NEPA. Additionally, the MBTA stated its intention to combine the DEIS with a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) in a joint document, which would respond to the comments received during the Draft EIR public review period. On May 20, 2005, MEPA issued a Certificate on the DEIR in which the Secretary determined that the DEIR submitted for this project adequately and properly complies with [MEPA]. The Certificate then went on to state, however, that this finding was conditioned on the MBTA submitting a Notice of Project Change (NPC) in which it describes proposed changes to the Special Review Procedure (SRP) proposing a process, including dates, for the MBTA Page 6 of 16

8 to re-establish the coordinated federal/state review as well as to make proposed changes to the Citizen s Advisory Committee. At the time, the MBTA and its consultant evaluated the level of effort necessary to complete the RDEIR/DEIS. Based on that review, the MBTA estimates that it will take 18 to 24 months from the time MEPA issues a Certificate on this Notice of Project Change and a Notice to Proceed is issued to the consultant to complete this work. On August 31, 2005, the MBTA filed with MEPA an NPC to the SRP Certificate. A draft of the NPC was given to the existing CAC, who provided comments on the NPC. In the NPC, the MBTA proposed the following chronology to re-link the MEPA and NEPA process: File a RDEIR/DEIS for Urban Ring Phase 2 with both MEPA and the FTA no later than November 30, File a Final EIR/Final EIS for Urban Ring Phase 2 with both MEPA and FTA no later than December 31, File a Draft EIR/Draft EIS for Urban Ring Phase 3 with both MEPA and FTA no later than December 31, A Final EIR/Final EIS will be filed at a subsequent date, yet to be determined. As previously anticipated, the Scope for the Phase 3 EIR/EIS would be defined through a coordinated MEPA/FTA process at a later date. The Scope of this Final EIR for Phase 3 would be issued in the same time frame as the Certificate on the Phase 2 FEIR. The NPC went on to explain that the MBTA s ability to meet these dates is contingent upon several factors, most importantly, completion of all of the federal components to the FTA s satisfaction. Since the project now is (and hopefully will be) eligible to compete for federal New Starts funding, this coordination is expected to be quite important. Alternatives to the currently proposed project phasing could also result in changes to the above outlined schedule. In the NPC, the MBTA also recommended that the Secretary reconstitute the CAC. The MBTA recommended that as part of the public review of this NPC, stakeholders use the public comment period to notify the Secretary of their interest in serving on the CAC. MEPA accepted public comments on the NPC (including nominations for membership to the CAC) until September 27, In a letter dated September 30, 2005, EOT informed EOEA that it secured the necessary funding to complete the RDEIR/DEIS. Additional correspondence in September 2005 informed the MBTA and EOEA that in accordance with Chapter 196 of the Acts of 2004, EOT s Office of Transportation Planning (OTP) is the primary source of expansion planning for the statewide projects. As a result, OTP s Transit Group will now direct the expansion planning of the Authority, including the RDEIR/DEIS for Urban Ring Phase 2. On November 17, MEPA issued a new Certificate on the Special Review Procedure agreeing to the dates in the NPC and establishing new membership for the CAC. Page 7 of 16

9 The Executive Office of Transportation's Office of Transportation Planning (OTP) is managing the planning and environmental review for the Urban Ring project, a phased set of transit improvements in the circumferential Urban Ring corridor. On June 2, 2006, OTP issued a Request for Responses (RFR) in order to hire a consultant to prepare the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report / Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIR/DEIS) for Urban Ring Phase 2, which entails a series of overlapping bus rapid transit routes. Responses to the RFR are due on July 14, OTP also re-initiated the Urban Ring public process with meetings of the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) on March 7 and June 8, Fairmont Line Stations 2 The Fairmount Commuter Rail Line, which runs from South Station through Dorchester and Hyde Park terminating in the Readville section of Boston, consists of 9.2 miles of track, four stations and forty-one bridges. It is the only Commuter Rail Line that exclusively serves the City of Boston and the MBTA s urban core. The right of way is entirely owned by the MBTA. As part of the Supplemental Environmental Project, EOT agreed to accelerate the award of construction contracts for two stations and to accelerate the design of a third station. a. Project Description The project includes the following elements: Design and engineering for the rehabilitation of up to two existing stations Reconstruction or rehabilitation of up to six bridges Design and construction of up to four new stations Implementation of one new interlocking Associated upgrades for signal and track work De-leading, painting and minor structural repairs to neighborhood bridges. When complete, the stations will meet all state and federal accessibility laws and regulations as well as be able to accommodate nine (9) car train sets. The Transit Commitments ACO required EOT to advance the construction of two stations and to advance the design of a third station. These three stations are as follows: Uphams Corner Station (Dorchester) and Morton Street Station (Mattapan): The MBTA currently operates stations at Uphams Corner in Dorchester, as well as at Morton Street in Mattapan, but the stations are in disrepair, are not accessible for people with disabilities, do not form cohesive connections with the community, nor do the platforms accommodate a full consist of nine commuter rail coaches. Station modernization for both stations include, but is not limited to construction of new high-level platforms in both the inbound and outbound directions. These platforms will allow easier access on to and off the train, as well as provide full access to persons with disabilities. Additionally, the platforms are being built to accommodate nine car trains. When commuter rail trains are full (and the MBTA has available coaches) capacity can be added by making the train sets longer. 2 The ACO Amendment requires that EOT submit a SEP Completion report within thirty days of awarding the construction contracts. The SEP Completion report will include air quality and VMT analysis for the projects. This section on the Fairmont Line Stations is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to fulfill the requirements of Section V.3 of the ACO. Page 8 of 16

10 The project also includes providing passenger amenities such as steel canopies, new signage, benches and windscreens, new sidewalks, ramps, stairways, lighting systems and other station improvements. The construction of the Morton Street Station will also include construction of an access road and retaining wall to facilitate the installation and maintenance of a new railroad interlocking to be located between Park Street and Harvard Street. The new interlocking and upgraded signal system are important as the improvements will allow for more flexibility and increased frequency on the line. Four Corners Station: Currently, the Fairmont Line passes through and is immediately adjacent to the Four Corners neighborhood, but there is no commuter rail station for residents to access the service. The proposed Four Corners Station site would be located near Washington Street, about one-quarter mile southeast of Columbia Road and about onehalf mile southeast of Grove Hall. The neighborhood surrounding the proposed Four Corners Station has similar demographics to the other sections of the Fairmont Line. Based on the 2000 census, nearly 23,000 people live within one-half mile of the Four Corners area. The average income is below the median income level for the City of Boston as a whole. Nearly 40% of the households do not own an automobile and 75% work within the City s central business district. The public transit mode share is lower than what would normally be expected in a neighborhood with these demographics, which is most likely the result of a lack of convenient access to rapid transit. The initial assessment for the Fairmont Corridor indicates that of all the stations (existing and proposed) on the line, Four Corners has the opportunity to achieve the highest level of transit ridership. c. Project Schedule and Status Report Uphams Corner Station: The construction contract was advertised in December 2004, with bids opened in January At its meeting on March 12, 2005, the MBTA Board of Directors approved a construction contract with S&R Construction, Inc., and the MBTA issued a Notice to Proceed. Construction began on April 14, 2005 with a ceremonial groundbreaking, and full construction began the end of April. The station will now remain open at the request of the neighborhood. The construction schedule is being revised to extend contract completion to January Foundation supports (mini-piles and H-piles) have been installed and the contract work is proceeding smoothly. The ACO requirement for this project has been met. For informational purposes, EOT will continue to report on the progress of the station until the project is completed. Morton Street Station: In an attempt to meet the ACO schedule, the MBTA completed the design and the contract was advertised on April 29, The MBTA Board of Directors awarded a contract to S&R Construction Inc. at its meeting in September 2005 and a Notice to Proceed was issued. The construction duration is 16 months, resulting in a completion of the station by spring The station will remain open during construction. The ACO requirement for this project has been met. For informational purposes, EOT will continue to report on the progress of the station until the project is completed. Four Corners Station: EOT has flexed highway funds to the FTA for the MBTA s community involvement and design process for the Four Corners Station. As occurred at other Dorchester neighborhood stations, a community process was established at which residents and locally elected officials could be involved in and contribute to the development Page 9 of 16

11 and design of the station. As of yet, the exact location of the station has not been identified, and so the MBTA will begin with that issue through the community process. This will involve identifying available parcels of land as well as assessing the impacts and ramifications of a new station location from operational and neighborhood perspectives. The MBTA has a design team for the entire Fairmont Line components. Upon securing the award of flexed funds from the FTA, the MBTA will issue a scope of work to begin the design and community process for the new Four Corners Station. 7. Silver Line Phase III a. Project Description The MBTA will incorporate the principles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the development of the Silver Line. BRT combines the flexibility of a surface bus system with the service characteristics of a more traditional light-rail or heavy-rail transit system. This approach allows transit operators to integrate exclusive transit rights-of-way, such as tunnels or bus lanes, with surface bus routes operating in general traffic. Using this combination of routing options, the MBTA can feed multiple bus routes with large coverage areas into a high capacity line on an exclusive right-of-way. Bus location and headway adherence can be monitored and maintained, even in general traffic, through recent advances in vehicle tracking technologies. These Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) services can also provide riders with information about bus arrivals at stations. Furthermore, the Silver Line will have transit priority lanes with surface stations on roadways with sufficient right-of-way and will operate in mixed traffic on streets where it is not possible to provide transit priority lanes. As a result, the BRT approach will enable the MBTA to facilitate access from neighborhoods in all directions to the job centers in Boston. Therefore, transit riders on the Silver Line will be provided with a high level of service. For example, along Washington Street between Dudley Square and Chinatown, the Silver Line has improved transit service and has completely reconstructed the street. The improvements include new curbs, sidewalks, lighting and other urban design amenities. Stations similar to Green Line surface stations are provided at major intersections. The flexibility of the BRT approach already has been demonstrated in the coordination between the Silver Line and two projects recently developed by other agencies. The MBTA will provide access to the Boston Convention and Exposition Center (BCEC) by extending one of the previously planned routes to a new station that will be built by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. In addition, the MBTA has worked closely with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to provide a Silver Line connection to Logan Airport as part of Massport s Airport Intermodal Transit Connection (AITC). Eventually, the MBTA plans to institute a one-seat ride from Dudley Square to the South Boston Waterfront or to Logan Airport. Silver Line/Phase I (EOEA #11707) is the Surface Route project, which improved transit service along Washington Street in Roxbury, the South End and Chinatown. Improvements on this corridor have been anticipated since the removal of the elevated Orange Line in the 1980 s. In Phase II, Silver Line routes use a tunnel and surface streets to provide new service to the South Boston Seaport District, which is considered the next new area of significant economic growth in the City. This section, the Silver Line Phase II (EOEA # 6826) opened for service in December Finally, the MBTA will use its best effort to secure Page 10 of 16

12 federal funding necessary to construct the tunnel connection, Silver Line Phase III, thereby fully integrating Silver Line service. The following further describes the three sections of the Silver Line: Silver Line Phase I - Dudley Square to Downtown Crossing (Surface Route): The MBTA constructed this section by completely reconstructing Washington Street from Dudley Square to downtown Boston. The Silver Line uses BRT technology to provide service that is comparable to the former elevated Orange Line. The Silver Line also improved the overall quality of the public right-of-way through the corridor. A transit priority lane is provided between Melnea Cass Boulevard and the MassPike. Six stations are located at major intersections. Silver Line buses travel on surface streets and turn around at Downtown Crossing. This section was completed and opened for service in July The MBTA now operates 60 articulated CNG buses along the corridor. Silver Line Phase II - South Station to World Trade Center Tunnel/Seaport District Surface Routes: Silver Line Phase II provides service in the tunnel between South Station and the World Trade Center in the South Boston Seaport District, with stations at South Station, Courthouse Station, World Trade Center and Silver Line Way. At Silver Line Way, the vehicle goes off wire and provides service to the Boston Marine Industrial Park, the Boston Convention and Exposition Center and Logan Airport. The construction of the tunnel was coordinated with the CA/T project that shares right-ofway in key downtown sections of the corridor along Atlantic Avenue. The tunnel has stations at South Station, the new Federal Courthouse and the World Trade Center. This section was completed and opened for service in December The MBTA now operates 60 articulated CNG buses along the corridor. Service to Logan Airport began in June Upon completion, the Silver Line will provide the following benefits: Improved and expanded transit service. Ridership for the full Silver Line, including the Phase III tunnel is forecast at over 162,320 daily riders a day, of which 13,971 are new riders to the transit system each day, who would have otherwise used an automobile. This increased ridership will result in overall savings of 52,200 vehicle miles of travel achieved each day. It also results in a savings to new and existing transit riders of between 810,540 and 1,086,720 minutes each day in travel time. Greater access to riders, particularly transit-dependant communities. The Silver Line corridor contains some of the most transit-dependent populations in Boston. Within one-half mile of the Phase III stations over 50 percent of households do not own automobiles, and 20 percent (2,000 households) are low income. Increased transportation mobility by providing a direct connection to existing MBTA transit modes: Green, Orange and Red Lines, Commuter Rail, Amtrak and Intercity Bus at South Station; Page 11 of 16

13 Direct access to employment centers (South Boston Waterfront, South Station and Logan Airport Terminals) for the communities of Roxbury, South End, Chinatown, Back Bay and Downtown; Meets the significant growth and ridership demand in the developing South Boston Waterfront area; and Quick, reliable and efficient transportation to jobs in the South Boston Waterfront area, as well as to cultural and recreational sites, such as the New Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. b. Project Schedule and Status Report In January 2002, the MBTA filed a preliminary New Starts application with the Federal Transit Administration. In order to secure the federal funds which are necessary to complete a project of this size, the MBTA will annually update and resubmit the New Starts application as more design, ridership, land use and other information is available. It is anticipated that this additional information will result in an agreement with the FTA to fund 60% of the cost of Silver Line Phase III. A successful New Starts application will result in a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) that requires a 40% local match. In July 2002, the FTA issued its first review of the Silver Line New Starts application and listed the project as Recommended. As part of this first rating, the MBTA was also given permission to begin Preliminary Engineering for the project. In the PE stage, the MBTA will develop the necessary engineering and operational analysis required to update the New Starts application annually and complete the necessary NEPA approvals. The MBTA then filed New Starts Annual Reports with FTA, with the most recent report filed with the FTA in August In the President s FY 2007 budget, released on February 8, 2005, the FTA issued its Annual New Starts Report in which it rated the MBTA s Silver Line Phase III with a Recommended rating. In May 2005, the MBTA released an environmental document that assessed the environmental impacts of four possible alignments: three alignments that had a portal on Washington Street and one alignment that had a portal on Columbus Avenue. During the public review of this document, the MBTA received substantial comments from over 300 participants. These comments raised a number of issues. A major point of contention was the use of Eliot Norton Park, a small urban neighborhood park between Bay Village and Chinatown. The MBTA alignment would require the disruption of the park for up to 24 months, which would require approval by two thirds of the members of both houses of the state legislature. An additional concern was the location of the portal at Washington Street, since the hospital, the hotel and the Chinatown neighborhoods felt that this was bringing too much automobile traffic to the neighborhood. Given the lack of community consensus around the alignment, the MBTA decided to hold off on the federal New Starts process until such consensus could be built. On March 8 th, the MBTA, along with EOT and the Office of Commonwealth Development (OCD) announced a new portal location for Silver Line Phase III. The alignment is similar to the Charles Street Alignment that was previously reviewed through the environmental review Page 12 of 16

14 process in The new alignment was developed in response to comments that were raised during last year s environmental review process. The new portal alignment (referred to as the Charles Street Modified (CSM) Alignment ) is shown on the attached graphics. The CSM Alignment has a portal on Tremont Street, just south of the Church of All Nations. The vehicle will utilize contraflow lanes on both Herald Street and Marginal Road, thus satisfying one of the FTA s basic requirements that the vehicle, when on surface routes, utilize independent reservations as much as possible. New Starts Status: On March 17, 2006, the MBTA wrote to the FTA requesting permission to return to Preliminary Engineering (PE). On April 5, 2006, the FTA responded and identified the submittals that the MBTA must make before the PE request could be granted. The MBTA is preparing the New Starts submittal for this year. This submittal will address all of the FTA s data needs and provide the FTA with all of the information necessary to allow the MBTA to return to PE. The document is due to the FTA by August 15 th, but the MBTA is attempting to file the FY 2008 New Starts submittal earlier than that so as to allow the FTA time to review the submittal, and hopefully issue a rating and PE permission earlier than the standard review cycle. The new cost and schedule for the new alignment has not yet been developed but is underway. As part of that New Starts filing, the MBTA will prepare Standard Cost Category Worksheets which will identify the new cost and schedule. Environmental Review Status: The MBTA met with FTA staff to discuss the new alignment and to determine what future environmental review was required. The FTA determined that because the new alignment was substantially similar to what was prepared in the Supplemental Draft EIS in 2005, and because the new alignment was responsive to comments raised by the public in the public review of the SEIS, the MBTA should take the new alignment to a Supplemental Final EIS, and that an interim filing is not necessary. The MBTA has opted, however, to prepare an interim filing for the state environmental review process. This Notice of Project Change (NPC) will be filed with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs later this year (most likely in the Fall) and public comment and public hearings will be held. Once that process is complete, the MBTA will prepare a joint state/federal environmental document. It is anticipated that this document will be filed with FTA in February or March At this point the MBTA has not yet established a new construction and operations schedule. The documents prepared for the New Starts process and the environmental review process require a certain level of analysis and planning which will allow the MBTA to establish the new schedule. The MBTA will complete this work this fall and inform the DEP as to the new schedule. 8. Greenbush a. Project Description Page 13 of 16

15 The Greenbush Commuter Rail Line involves the restoration of the third branch of the Old Colony Restoration Project. This line involves upgrading the track and signal on the corridor from the Braintree Wye to Greenbush in Scituate. In addition, the project involves building commuter rail stations at Weymouth Landing, East Weymouth, West Hingham, Nantasket Junction in Hingham, Cohasset, North Scituate and Greenbush. The project also involves building a layover facility in Scituate as well as an 800-foot underpass in Hingham Square. Throughout the entire project, the MBTA will also make intersection improvements, roadway changes and other modifications to the current street program to accommodate the commuter rail trains. The Greenbush Line, like the rest of Old Colony, was planned for completion by December 31, EOT sought and received an extension of this deadline to December 31, While the other two lines of the Old Colony Railroad (Middleborough and Plymouth) were completed in 1997, service along the Greenbush Line has not yet resumed. As a result, air quality and VMT offsets are required. In a letter dated November 30, 2000, the MBTA provided the DEP with a series of interim offsets for the Greenbush project, which will remain in place until the Greenbush Line is in service. A series of public comments and questions were received on these offsets and EOT responded in its Response to Comments section of its prior submittal dated May 8, b. Project Schedule and Status Report The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was filed with MEPA on May 21, A Certificate approving the FEIR and completing the MEPA process for this project was issued in August In January 2005, the MBTA successfully completed the state and federal permitting for the entire right of way. These permits are as follows: Clean Water Act/Section 404 Permit from the Army Corps of Engineers Three wetlands variances from the DEP Hingham Right of Way and Stations and associated intersection improvements Cohasset Right of Way and Station Stations and associated intersection improvements Scituate Right of Way, Stations and Layover Stations and associated intersection improvements Four Orders of Conditions from local conservation commissions Braintree Right of Way Stations and associated intersection improvements Weymouth Right of Way and East Weymouth Station Stations and associated intersection improvements Weymouth Landing Right of Way and Stations in Braintree Weymouth Landing Right of Way and Stations in Weymouth 401 Water Quality Certification from the DEP Consistency Statement from the Office of Coastal Zone Management. Three Chapter 91 permits Hingham Underpass Home Meadows in Hingham North Scituate Station Massachusetts Endangered Species Permit Programmatic Agreement under Section 106 of the NHPA Page 14 of 16

16 All permits are now in hand and the MBTA and its contractor have full access to the entire right of way, though some permits have certain time period restrictions on work in order to lessen the impacts on vernal pools or anadramous fish. EOT and MBTA plan to complete the project under a Design-Build (DB) approach. The MBTA advertised a Request for Qualifications for DB services on June 16, Four DB teams submitted proposals, which were reviewed by the MBTA and interviews with the teams were held. Based on these proposals and interviews, the MBTA selected the joint venture of Cashman/Balfour-Beatty as the best value and most qualified team. The MBTA Board of Directors awarded a Design Build Contract with the joint venture in February 2002, and a contract Notice to Proceed was issued in April Construction was initially scheduled to commence in the fall of In February 2003, the MBTA provided the contractor with a six-month delay to construction due to the fact that three major components of the project had not yet been satisfactorily brought to resolution. These components included real estate acquisitions, environmental permits, and municipal mitigation agreements. In September 2003, the MBTA determined that sufficient progress had been made on these issues and lifted the delay for the project. Since that time, the contractor has been moving forward with construction, addressing major early action items such as the Hingham Square Tunnel, the Greenbush Layover area and other right of way issues. Regular progress is being made on the project and the MBTA anticipates running the service by July 1, Service to TF Green Airport a. Project Description This project is also referred to as South County Commuter Rail Service which includes service to TF Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island as well as Wickford Junction. TEA 21 authorized $25 million for the development of an Amtrak/commuter rail station and automated people mover connection from the Northeast Corridor to TF Green Airport in Warwick, RI. The Northeast Corridor is located approximately 1,300 feet west of the Airport. It is the closest intercity rail-to-air connection in the country. Since 1995, the City of Warwick has proposed a redevelopment of the area between the railroad and the airport terminal. The City has adopted the Warwick Station Redevelopment District to oversee the redevelopment of 70 acres between the train station and airport. RIDOT completed a reevaluation of the Environmental Assessment (EA) in 2002 to identify the potential environmental impacts associated with a consolidated rental car facility with a train station. In addition, RIDOT has secured a $25 million New Starts project to extend commuter rail to Wickford Junction Station in North Kingstown, RI. RIDOT s commuter rail operating plan for the South County Commuter Rail Service includes the extension of eight (8) round trips of the existing MBTA Providence service south to Wickford Junction, with a stop at TF Green Airport. The project has the following primary purposes: Environmental: To improve air quality adjacent to the airport and to provide for the cleanup and removal of potentially hazardous materials from the train station sites. Page 15 of 16

17 Transportation: To relieve peak hour traffic congestion both on the I-95 corridor and the adjacent roadways, in addition to providing an alternate mode of travel for area residents to access jobs in Providence and Boston. Economic Development: To support and enhance the City s redevelopment efforts within the adjacent Warwick Station Development District. Warwick Station: RIDOT, in conjunction with the R.I. Airport Corporation (RIAC), is currently negotiating an agreement with the nine (9) rental car agencies that serve TF Green Airport. The consolidated rental car facility will consist of a 3,000-space garage (2,000 for rental cars and 1,000 for rail passengers), built over the Northeast Corridor, to be connected by a 1,300 foot automated people mover. Total facility cost is estimated at $175 million. In addition, RIDOT and Amtrak have conceptually agreed upon a final track configuration that includes the ability to stop both intercity and commuter trains at the airport. Use of the RIDOT-built freight track within the Northeast Corridor for commuter rail is included in the track configuration plan. Wickford Junction: RIDOT is working with the adjacent landowner and retail center developer to design and construct a 1,000 space parking garage and train station. RIDOT completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed commuter rail service, including the proposed Wickford Junction Station. A FONSI was received from FTA in February RIDOT has completed conceptual design for a siding and platform along the Track 1 side of the corridor. An EA Re-evaluation was completed and submitted for approval to FTA on June 20, FTA approved that re-evaluation in January This EA covers additional property acquisitions adjacent to the station. In addition, RIDOT has coordinated a proposed eight (8) round trip schedule with MBTA, which has been reviewed by the MBTA s railroad operations department and its service provider. RIDOT exercised an option in the MBTA s equipment contract to purchase five (5) bi-level coaches through Amendment No. 3 to the Pilgrim Partnership Agreement. Those coaches are now in service and the MBTA and RIDOT are developing the reimbursement system. b. Project Schedule and Status Report Construction of Pawtucket layover is now complete and anticipated start of operations in mid July This new layover is necessary to accommodate the additional service. Financing and bond issuance for Warwick Station was completed in June Complete redesign of Warwick Station in fall Bid contracts in late/early 2007 for construction. Complete trackside improvement design at Wickford Junction in early Finalize agreement with developer by December Anticipate construction start in mid Page 16 of 16