Green Line Extension Will Benefit White, Wealthier Riders: Study

SOMERVILLE, MA — The Green Line Extension will be a boon to residents of Somerville and Medford, but some populations will enjoy the benefits of the project more than others. And after decades in limbo, those may not be the people the extension was originally intended to reach.

"Over the 20+ years that GLX has been a discussion point in Boston, it's fair to say that the neighborhoods encompassing GLX have changed," Lynsey Heffernan, the MBTA's director of policy and strategic planning, said Monday.

Heffernan shared the findings of an equity analysis, a requirement under the Civil Rights Act for projects that receive federal funding, at an MBTA meeting Monday. The analysis found that service changes under the GLX provide a "disparate benefit to non-minority riders and a disproportionate benefit to non-low-income riders."

This was attributed in part to changing demographics in the neighborhoods closest to the upcoming Green Line stops. While these areas will experience increased service, this will not amount to a direct negative impact on low-income or minority riders.

"Everybody's getting more service, but some individuals are getting slightly more service than others," Heffernan said.

A 2010 analysis posited a more equitable distribution of benefits. The study found the Green Line Extension would not impose a "disproportionate burden" on environmental justice populations, which are typically lower-income with more residents of color, nor would it provide a "disproportionate benefit" to non-environmental justice populations.

In fact, environmental justice populations were expected to "slightly outperform" non-environmental justice areas in mobility, congestion and environmental benefits.

But a technical memo warned against directly comparing the two studies, citing "significant differences in methodology and objectives."

"The 2010 analysis measured impacts of GLX on accessibility, congestion, and the environment while the present analysis measures the impact of GLX on service hours and route length," the May 12 memo stated.

The T's Fiscal Management and Control Board on Monday approved changes to the bus network in an effort to close the disparity gap. This includes keeping the Route 80 bus, which runs parallel to the Medford branch.

The route was originally slated for reduced service under the T's pandemic response plan, which would have forced riders to pay higher fares on the Green Line, Heffernan said. The bus is one piece of a "holistic" approach that the MBTA is considering to provide equitable service to all populations.

"Given the duration for which the Green Line Extension project will be with us – forever – a similar investment in bus network redesign is really the way to move this project forward," Heffernan said.

Officials plan to begin service on the GLX's Union Square branch in October, according to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak's March 29 presentation on bringing transit systems back to pre-pandemic levels. The Union Square branch has one stop and will be part of the Green Line D branch to Riverside Station in Newton.

The longer leg of the extension, the six-stop Medford branch, will be part of the E branch to Heath Street in Jamaica Plain. That is expected to open in December, according to the schedule.