State commits funds for Blue Line environmental impact study

LYNN – Standing atop the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority parking garage on Market Street, state Transportation Secretary James Aloisi Jr. told rapid-transit advocates Monday that $300,000 has been committed to complete an environmental study necessary before the Blue Line can be extended from Revere to Lynn.
Aloisi also slammed Revere officials for allowing the construction of a high-rise condominium building and multi-level parking garage on Route 1A north that encroaches upon an MBTA right-of-way, directly in the planned Blue Line path.
The building’s balconies literally hang over the Route 1A road shoulder and leave no room for a railway corridor.
“We will have to build a trestle system through the marsh,” said Aloisi, adding that the state has no plans to take the controversial building by eminent domain.
Construction of the building was halted after it was discovered the footprint went beyond the property line. The structure stood vacant for several years but has since been completed and occupied.
“That is the kind of thing that hurts communities like Lynn and Swampscott,” he said, referring to the questionable building practices in Revere.
Despite the setback, Aloisi vowed not to let the Blue Line project “die on the vine.” The $300,000 in state funds represents the commonwealth’s commitment to the rapid-rail project and to the North Shore, he said.
The funds will be used to complete the draft Environmental Impact Statement required to move the project forward.
“We’re poised to make unprecedented investments in public transit access in every corner of the commonwealth that will give people better options for getting to work, school or a doctor’s appointment,” he said. “Careful analysis has shown the tremendous value to commuters and local businesses of extending Blue Line service beyond Wonderland Station to Lynn, and we are committed to moving forward on this critical project.”
Most of the Blue Line planning has been paid for through federal grants over the past decade, the funding secured through the efforts of U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, a Salem Democrat.
Tierney, who accompanied Aloisi to Lynn, said the state’s continued support of the Blue Line extension is critical. “As I have long argued, this project will address the significant mass transit needs of the North Shore. It will benefit the residents of the communities I represent as well as reduce congestion on local highways and boost economic development in Lynn and the surrounding towns,” he said.
Completion of the Environmental Impact Statement will include answering comments from federal and state environmental agencies and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Following FTA approval, the Executive Office of Transportation and the MBTA will schedule a public hearing on the impact statement in Lynn.
The roof-top press conference was also attended by Sen. Thomas McGee and state representatives Steve Walsh, Robert Fennell, Lori Erlich and Mark Falzone, Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr., as well as members of various city and state agencies and the Lynn Chamber of Commerce.