Vol. 5, No. 3
January 21, 2005
Contents
1) IMPORTANT GREEN LINE EXTENSION "SUBSTITUTION" MEETING...
has been confirmed for Monday, January 24, 2005, at the Somerville High School Auditorium,
81 Highland Avenue, from 6:30to 8:30 pm.
At the risk of inducing 'important meeting' fatigue, I would ask for as many people as can come
that night and give testimony, PLEASE do so. Be advised, however, that "priority will be given
to individuals who were unable to provide testimony at the December 14, 2004 meeting."
Many have asked if this is "another" meeting called by the MBTA, in repetition of the notorious
October 27, 2004 "Red Socks Victory Night" meeting. Approximately 500 residents turned out
that evening to demand the Green Line extension through Somerville. THIS IS NOT AN MBTA
meeting - and the stakes are much higher now.
OK _ But Why?
Like the one at the Statehouse on Dec. 14, 2004, this meeting has been called by the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Executive Office of
Transportation (EOT), regarding the "Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) Transit Commitment Re-evaluation process." In other words, the state's proposal to change existing regulations to allow
"substitutions" for transit projects which the Commonwealth has already agreed to build, in
order to qualify for federal money for the CA/T project.
Many rightfully question the very legitimacy of "re-evaluating"
the CA/T transit commitments at this point - isn't it a bit like "re-evaluating" your marriage
vows once you've received and spent your dowry? Yet, now that the Conservation Law
Foundation (CLF) has filed suit against the state, and Somerville and Medford intend to do so,
what goes "on the record" from residents concerning the project "substitution proposal" is vitally
important, as each side positions to build its case.
Comment Period Extended by Both Agencies
I've learned that not only DEP, as previously announced, but also EOT, have extended the
public comment deadline on the substitution proposal to February 4, 2005. PLEASE consider
sending comments, however brief.
Secretary Daniel A. Grabauskas
Executive Office of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Suite 3170
Boston, MA 02116
daniel.grabauskas@state.ma.us
(try Daniel.Grabauskas@mhd.state.ma.us if that doesn't work)
Commissioner Robert W. Golledge, Jr.
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108
robert.golledge@state.ma.us
2) EACH VOICE MATTERS:A TRANSIT VICTORY STORY
Background
In March of 2004, representatives of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
and Federal Highway Administration (FHA) came to Boston to decide whether to
recertify the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Such reviews,
mandated by the federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21),
evaluate how well MPOs are conducting the transportation planning process
for their region. MPOs are federally-mandated organizations that plan for the
expenditure of federal transportation money coming a the region, for both
highway and transit projects.
In May of 2002, the overseeing federal agencies had recertified the Boston MPO
only conditionally. FHA and FTA gave the Boston MPO 120 days to complete a
number of tasks focusing on "equity" in the Boston region's transit system,
the development of a definition of "environmental justice (ej)," a system for
assessing "ej" within our transit system, the development of a new Public
Participation Plan, etc. I'm sure you get the drift of their concerns.
The conditions of the 2002 recertification were encouraging to those transit-watchers
who felt that there was little meaningful public input into Boston
MPO programming, and too many transit dollars being spent on the expansion of
commuter rail into the suburbs, while the "inner core" communities - such as
Somerville - were left languishing. Frustrated with the lack of funds
committed for either the Green Line extension or the Orange Line Stop at
Assembly Square, many of us planned to go to FHA/FTA's public hearing and
speak out.
The Story of One Man, and What he did with his Voice
I had urged Nelson Salazar, the Director of the Welcome Project, to come to
the MPO Recertification Hearing, and he decided to attend. We took the train
into Boston that evening without either of us knowing precisely what we were
going to say. We signed the speakers' list, sat, and listened to a lot of
other people express their frustration with the MPO's process and planning
documents.
When Nelson's name was called, he stood up, looked the men from FHA and FTA
straight in the eye, and began speaking - in Spanish. He asked them - in
Spanish - if they had a translator available. The whole room froze. The men
running the meeting began to whisper to each other; some of them blushed.
Nelson kept asking questions - in Spanish.
Finally, one of the men said, haltingly, and with evident embarrassment, that
no translation services were available. Nelson switched to English, and
started to talk about how much the immigrant community relies on public
transportation, and how hard it is for people commuting between their multiple
jobs at odd hours to do so on a transit system that caters to those traveling
during traditional commuting hours. He questioned how such people could ever
hope to participate in a public hearing, or any MPO public participation
process. Then he sat down.
The Victory
When the July 2002 edition of TRANSReport, the MPO's monthly newsletter
arrived, one of two cover stories was "Por fin en Espanol!" - "Finally in
Spanish!" (The other cover story was about planning for the then-upcoming
DNC). The English language version of "Por fin..." stated, "[i]n keeping with
the Boston Region MPO's commitment to inform as many people as possible about
transportation issues that affect them, and to let them know about
opportunities to be involved in transportation decision-making, TRANSReport is
now available in Spanish."
Additionally, we learned, "the MPO has recently begun issuing Spanish press
releases and legal notices to two Spanish-community newspapers,...informing
readers of its public meetings and the availability of an INTERPRETER for
them." (emphasis added)
To request a Spanish language version of the MPO newsletter, contact Daniel
Peralta at (617) 973-7116 or publicinformation@ctps.org.
Gracias, Nelson! And think of what we can each of us do if we're willing to go
to meetings, and speak up!
3) FEBRUARY PUBLIC HEARING ON "SMART GROWTH" REGULATIONS
The state's draft regulations implementing the new Chapter 40R of the
Massachusetts General Laws are now posted on the
Commonwealth's Department of Housing
and Community Development (DHCD) website.
There are 21 pages of draft regulations. For discussion of some of the issues
they raise, see Vol. 5, No. 2 of SOMERVILLE AT LARGE. A public hearing on them
will be held on Friday, February 18, 2005, at the Saltonstall Building, 100
Cambridge Street, Boston, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. For more information, call
DHCD at 617-573-1100.
4) PREVENTION GROUP DISCUSSES HEALTH SURVEY WEDNESDAY
Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) will hold its first annual meeting on
Wednesday, January 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the cafeteria of the Lincoln
Park School, at 290 Washington Street. The meeting will focus on the 2004 Teen
Health Survey conducted almost a year ago among students at Somerville High
School. If you want to know the most recent data on tobacco, drug and alcohol
use; other risky behaviors; domestic abuse and other violence among
Somerville's young people, this is one way to find out.
copyright 2005 Denise Provost
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