Why Restore the Arborway Green Line?
Arborway Green Line service:
- Is better and less costly public transit than bus service.
- Would promote economic development and tourism.
- Is good for the environment.
- Is good for people and fair to transit users.
You've probably been hearing some pretty scary things about trolleys. If you've been trying to keep an open mind and maintain some perspective about the decision to restore Arborway Green Line service, you won't get much help from the opponents.
But how about something completely different, like Informed Discussion ?
Transit
From the beginning, restored Green Line service has been about a one-seat ride from Centre Street into the central subway. Park Street and Government Center are critical junctions for JP transit riders. Buses simply cannot provide as fast and as direct an alternative to these points. For two-thirds of its route to Park Street, the Green Line operates along its own right-of-way. Buses must travel in traffic for the full 5.5-mile route. For this reason the MBTA in 1987 and in 1996 raised the possibility of terminating the #39 bus at Ruggles Station instead of Back Bay. The Green Line is the only assurance of fast, direct service to downtown.
Traffic and Access
We love Centre Street, but its capacity is finite. For merchants who desire to grow their businesses and for residents who desire adequate parking, the answer is to increase the street's accessibility without increasing the number of cars. How then do we expand the reach of JP's appeal and encourage ever increasing numbers of people to come to Centre Street without more autos? The only viable alternative is public transit, and to be effective, transit needs to be on the subway map, directly accessible to Red, Blue, and Orange Lines. The only service that can provide such a benefit is Green Line service.
Environment
Where does “waking up the earth ” begin? Like most things it begins at home. Restoring the Green Line is an environmental initiative. In a neighborhood that has a higher asthma rate than the state average and that is chronically out of compliance with federal clean air standards, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ordered the restoration of Arborway Green Line service. This will reduce neighborhood exhaust emissions including non-methane hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, not only by removing 800 bus trips each day from Centre and South streets, but also by providing a transit incentive that has the best chance of getting people out of their automobiles.
Equity
Green Line restoration is also about treating transit riders and would-be transit riders with respect and fairness, but the record of the #39 bus is notorious. Only 43% of daily service adheres to schedule, and buses regularly operate at well over 100% capacity. And who bears this burden? According to MBTA statistics, 60% of riders are women, 40% do not own an automobile, 20% report household incomes below $20,000, and about 10% are elderly. These folks and the rest of JP deserve the kind of quality service that only the Green Line can provide.