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Green Line Extension project actually running a surplus
By adamg on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 9:36am
Remember when it was about to get cancelled because it was going to cost too much? CommonWealth Magazine reports the project is now forecast to come in under budget, only in part thanks to $103 million in federal recovery aid for mass-transit projects and possibly enough so to let Cambridge and Somerville recover the $45 million they ponied up to keep the project going.
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Comments
This is proof
The Feds are wasting money. Why allocated unnecessary monies.
You needed this?
You needed this to prove it?
This is how this all works. And we can thank the gov't itself for this issue.
Example:
Shelbyville Transit Co (STC) needs to build a rail line
STC doesn't have money
STC applies for a 2b FTA grant
FTA Grants 2B for rail project
Shelbyville Construction Co (SCC) practices better construction sequences, and saves 1m dollars while building rail line
STC ends up not spending the full 2B & gives it back remainder to the Fed.
TWO YEARS LATER...
Shelbyville Transit Co (STC) needs new buses at a tune of 3B (okay extreme here).
STC applies for another FTA grant
FTA replies "We'll give you money but 2.5B instead of 3B because you didnt spend it all in your last project"
STC now is short on bus project & will need to see funds elsewhere.
See how that works? Happens EVERYWHERE. Even in my former human service job, end of June was spend spend spend, and we also got a check. Why? because if we didn't spend all our money the Commonwealth allocated to us, we would get less next year. So the company made sure it was all gone by spending it and what was left dispersing this to the employees.
Maybe this isnt the way to go, Government.
In Grant writing land, you always ask for far more than you need, because it gives you wiggle room for an example like this.
Boy, they just can't fucking
Boy, they just can't fucking win, can they?
Go over budget? They're wasting money!
Come in under budget? They're wasting money!
Too bad they didn't ask you to be the Director of Finance on this project.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Congestion
So after all the whining and moaning about being unable to support a wider community path we've found extra money? How convenient that it is too late to make the community path wider now that the critical sections are already built.
Now for the bad news
The MBTA did a study that shows the new Green Line Extension Project will benefit rich white passengers as opposed to poor people who will continue to ride buses.
Hey, welcome back
Care to share that "study" with us?
It's here and real
https://patch.com/massachusetts/somerville/green-line-extension-will-ben...
In short, Somerville has experienced gentrification since the previous study in 2010.
In addition to demographics, replacing bus lines with more expensive-to-ride light rail isn't helping. The T is proposing also running busses along the route of the extension, which seems silly to me compared to the obvious alternative. (Quick, it's not too late to save money on the installation of fare-collection equipment!)