ARBORWAY LINE

Green Line service to Jamaica Plain

ARRPAC: Arborway Rail Restoration Project Advisory Committee

Green Line service at Riverway station. This branch (E Line) will continue along the historic Arborway line to Forest Hills. Photo by Sean Sullivan.

Green Line service to Jamaica Plain
The MBTA is planning the return of Green Line streetcar service to the Jamaica Plain district of Boston. The route will follow the historic "Arborway Line" which operated from the 19th century until 1985. An extension of current "E Line" service, the streetcars will run on South Huntington Ave, Centre St and South St, and meet the Orange Line at Forest Hills station.
ARRPAC is an MBTA-sponsored citizens' advisory committe providing community input into the design and construction process. This website is part of our community outreach, and we welcome your comments and suggestions regarding the Arborway Line restoration project.

Update for December 1, 2009: Since the ARRPAC organization is no longer operational, I have opted to let this site's domain name arborway.info expire. However, the content of the ARRPAC website will be preserved, and will continue to be available as part of my personal website at http://www.golux.org/topics/arborway/ For historical reasons, I am leaving this website in its original form, but any references to the 'arborway.info' domain (including e-mail addresses) are clearly dated. To reach me, please see the contact information at my home page.

Update for October 30, 2008: The Arborway Rail Restoration Project has been formally cancelled by the MBTA and the state Executive Office of Transportation. The state has arranged for changes to the Big Dig environmental commitments, now officially approved, eliminating the legal requirement for Arborway rail restoration that had been driving the project forward in recent years. With this change, the MBTA and EOT have stopped all work on the project, and there are no plans for any future work.
This project may be revived in the future, but from a practical perspective, the chance of this happening anytime soon is nearly zero. A streetcar line could be constructed anywhere in the state, if the political conditions make it happen. Saying that it "might happen" is only a way of saying that there is nothing to prevent a future administration from taking up the concept. The MBTA will probably continue to evaluate the Arborway route in capital planning studies, but the same can be said for other rail extension concepts with virtually no chance of being implemented for several decades (for example, Green Line to Needham). Arborway is as unlikely to be built as any other unfunded transportation concept that might be put forward in Massachusetts.
There is at least one pending legal challenge to the cancellation of this project. But at this time, the state and local transportation agencies are all working under the presumption that Arborway rail restoration will not happen, at least anytime in the foreseeable future.

Update for March 21, 2005: There have been no ARRPAC meetings for a long time. MBTA officials involved in the design process have periodically made reference to resuming meetings "soon", but so far this has not transpired.
There seems to be debate at high levels of Massachusetts government regarding whether the State will complete the transit projects specified in a prior legal agreement. The State formerly agreed to implement several new transit projects, including Arborway restoration, a Green Line extension through Somerville and Medford, and a direct connection between the Red and Blue lines. There may be legal avenues that would let the State abandon all these agreed-to projects, but it is not clear at this time. These debates are happening out of sight of ARRPAC, and so there really isn't much that we know.

Update for January 15, 2004: The date for the next ARRPAC meeting has been confirmed: January 21.

Update for January 9, 2004: Rescheduled: The next ARRPAC meeting has been postponed by one week, with January 21 the most likely date. This date is not definite, and more information will be posted here when a date becomes definite. More information is available on the Events page.

Update for January 1, 2004: After an extended period with no meetings, ARRPAC will re-convene on January 14 at the State Labs location.

Update for August 19, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on August 20. More information is available on the Events page.

Update for June 26, 2003: This is a reminder that ARRPAC operates a mailing list hosted by yahoogroups. This is primarily a working group for ARRPAC members. Public participation is welcome. We strongly note, however, that ARRPAC is not the proper forum for conversation about the policy question of whether or not the Green Line should be restored to Jamaica Plain. ARRPAC has no opinion or influence on this question.
At this time, the group is unmoderated, meaning anyone may post. However, if there is a substantial amount of off-topic message traffic, or commercial spam, it will switch to a moderated format (meaning posts must be approved before they appear on the list).
The link given above provides access to an online archive of message traffic, and includes instructions for posting new messages or subscribing to the group (automatcally getting messages sent to you via e-mail). The link also appears on the ARRPAC "Links & Resources" page.

Update for June 24, 2003: MEPA has issued a certificate regarding the planning process for Arborway restoration. According to the decision, the MBTA does not have to undertake a new study of alternatives to Green Line restoration, and the MBTA's request for filing a single Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is approved.

Update for June 23, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on June 25. More information is available on the Events page.

Update for March 7, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on March 19. More information is available on the Events page.

Update for January 21, 2003: ARRPAC will be holding its 2nd public forum on February 3rd, to get community feedback on the current proposal for station locations on the new Green Line service to Jamaica Plain. Unlike ARRPAC's working group meetings, the primary purpose of these community forums is to get feedback from the community, and much of the time will be devoted to hearing public comments. Therefore, this is a particularly good event to attend.
We remind you that ARRPAC has no influence on the question of whether Green Line service is restored to Jamaica Plain. We are an advisory committee providing community input on engineering issues to the MBTA. Since limited time is available at this forum, we will need to keep discussion focused on the specific issue of advice to the MBTA regarding station locations.

Update for January 11, 2003: The next ARRPAC working session will be on January 15th at the State Lab building, 305 South St, 7-9 pm. The primary topics include power station substation locations, initial traffic simulation discussion, track maintenance, and snow removal.

5-minute walking zones around proposed stations (approximate). Click on map for full-size image.
Update for December 4, 2002: ARRPAC has issued a draft recommendation for station locations on the Arborway line. Detailed information is available on the project design page. ARRPAC seeks community feedback on these station locations. We are holding a series of two community meetings to discuss this issue:

Wednesday, December 18 at the Agassiz School (20 Child St in Jamaica Plain), 7 PM
Early 2003, date and location TBD
Final recommendations to the MBTA will not be made until after hearing community feedback at these two meetings.
For a quick summary of the eight proposed station locations, and the main rationale:

VA HOSPITAL
Direct access to hospital facilities

BYNNER ST
Midway between VA HOSPITAL and PERKINS
Near Mount Pleasant Home
At traffic light for pedestrian safety

PERKINS ST
Near Hyde Square business district (one block)
Access to neighborhoods via Perkins St
High ridership stop on bus line #39

MORAINE ST
Access to neighborhoods via Moraine, Boylston and Centre streets
High ridership stop on bus line #39

BEAUFORT RD
Midway between MORAINE and JP CENTER

JP CENTER
Centre St business district
Access to neighborhoods via Green St & Seaverns Ave
High ridership stop on bus line #39
Outbound location doesn't obstruct traffic merging from Green St

MONUMENT
Centre St business district
Access to neighborhoods via Eliot and Centre streets
High ridership stop on bus line #39

CHILD / JAMAICA
Midway between MONUMENT and FOREST HILLS
Direct access to Farnsworth House
Access to neighborhoods via Jamaica and Child streets

These station locations are not finalized, and we actively seek community feedback to help ensure that the Green Line restoration is successful and meets the needs of the community. We welcome any comments and suggestions. To contact ARRPAC, please see our contact page.

This page designed and maintained by Sean Sullivan

Green Line service at Riverway station. This branch (E Line) will continue along the historic Arborway line to Forest Hills. Photo by Sean Sullivan.	Green Line service to Jamaica Plain The MBTA is planning the return of Green Line streetcar service to the Jamaica Plain district of Boston. The route will follow the historic "Arborway Line" which operated from the 19th century until 1985. An extension of current "E Line" service, the streetcars will run on South Huntington Ave, Centre St and South St, and meet the Orange Line at Forest Hills station. ARRPAC is an MBTA-sponsored citizens' advisory committe providing community input into the design and construction process. This website is part of our community outreach, and we welcome your comments and suggestions regarding the Arborway Line restoration project.

	Update for December 1, 2009: Since the ARRPAC organization is no longer operational, I have opted to let this site's domain name arborway.info expire. However, the content of the ARRPAC website will be preserved, and will continue to be available as part of my personal website at http://www.golux.org/topics/arborway/ For historical reasons, I am leaving this website in its original form, but any references to the 'arborway.info' domain (including e-mail addresses) are clearly dated. To reach me, please see the contact information at my home page.

	Update for October 30, 2008: The Arborway Rail Restoration Project has been formally cancelled by the MBTA and the state Executive Office of Transportation. The state has arranged for changes to the Big Dig environmental commitments, now officially approved, eliminating the legal requirement for Arborway rail restoration that had been driving the project forward in recent years. With this change, the MBTA and EOT have stopped all work on the project, and there are no plans for any future work. This project may be revived in the future, but from a practical perspective, the chance of this happening anytime soon is nearly zero. A streetcar line could be constructed anywhere in the state, if the political conditions make it happen. Saying that it "might happen" is only a way of saying that there is nothing to prevent a future administration from taking up the concept. The MBTA will probably continue to evaluate the Arborway route in capital planning studies, but the same can be said for other rail extension concepts with virtually no chance of being implemented for several decades (for example, Green Line to Needham). Arborway is as unlikely to be built as any other unfunded transportation concept that might be put forward in Massachusetts. There is at least one pending legal challenge to the cancellation of this project. But at this time, the state and local transportation agencies are all working under the presumption that Arborway rail restoration will not happen, at least anytime in the foreseeable future.

	Update for March 21, 2005: There have been no ARRPAC meetings for a long time. MBTA officials involved in the design process have periodically made reference to resuming meetings "soon", but so far this has not transpired. There seems to be debate at high levels of Massachusetts government regarding whether the State will complete the transit projects specified in a prior legal agreement. The State formerly agreed to implement several new transit projects, including Arborway restoration, a Green Line extension through Somerville and Medford, and a direct connection between the Red and Blue lines. There may be legal avenues that would let the State abandon all these agreed-to projects, but it is not clear at this time. These debates are happening out of sight of ARRPAC, and so there really isn't much that we know.

	Update for January 15, 2004: The date for the next ARRPAC meeting has been confirmed: January 21.

	Update for January 9, 2004: *Rescheduled:* The next ARRPAC meeting has been postponed by one week, with January 21 the most likely date. This date is not definite, and more information will be posted here when a date becomes definite. More information is available on the Events page.

	Update for January 1, 2004: After an extended period with no meetings, ARRPAC will re-convene on January 14 at the State Labs location.

	Update for August 19, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on August 20. More information is available on the Events page.

	Update for June 26, 2003: This is a reminder that ARRPAC operates a mailing list hosted by yahoogroups. This is primarily a working group for ARRPAC members. Public participation is welcome. We strongly note, however, that ARRPAC is not the proper forum for conversation about the policy question of whether or not the Green Line should be restored to Jamaica Plain. ARRPAC has no opinion or influence on this question. At this time, the group is unmoderated, meaning anyone may post. However, if there is a substantial amount of off-topic message traffic, or commercial spam, it will switch to a moderated format (meaning posts must be approved before they appear on the list). The link given above provides access to an online archive of message traffic, and includes instructions for posting new messages or subscribing to the group (automatcally getting messages sent to you via e-mail). The link also appears on the ARRPAC "Links & Resources" page.

	Update for June 24, 2003: MEPA has issued a certificate regarding the planning process for Arborway restoration. According to the decision, the MBTA does not have to undertake a new study of alternatives to Green Line restoration, and the MBTA's request for filing a single Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is approved.

	Update for June 23, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on June 25. More information is available on the Events page.

	Update for March 7, 2003: The next ARRPAC working group meeting will be held on March 19. More information is available on the Events page.

	Update for January 21, 2003: ARRPAC will be holding its 2nd public forum on February 3rd, to get community feedback on the current proposal for station locations on the new Green Line service to Jamaica Plain. Unlike ARRPAC's working group meetings, the primary purpose of these community forums is to get feedback from the community, and much of the time will be devoted to hearing public comments. Therefore, this is a particularly good event to attend. We remind you that ARRPAC has no influence on the question of whether Green Line service is restored to Jamaica Plain. We are an advisory committee providing community input on engineering issues to the MBTA. Since limited time is available at this forum, we will need to keep discussion focused on the specific issue of advice to the MBTA regarding station locations.

	Update for January 11, 2003: The next ARRPAC working session will be on January 15th at the State Lab building, 305 South St, 7-9 pm. The primary topics include power station substation locations, initial traffic simulation discussion, track maintenance, and snow removal.

5-minute walking zones around proposed stations (approximate). Click on map for full-size image.	Update for December 4, 2002: ARRPAC has issued a draft recommendation for station locations on the Arborway line. Detailed information is available on the project design page. ARRPAC seeks community feedback on these station locations. We are holding a series of two community meetings to discuss this issue: Wednesday, December 18 at the Agassiz School (20 Child St in Jamaica Plain), 7 PM Early 2003, date and location TBD Final recommendations to the MBTA will not be made until after hearing community feedback at these two meetings. For a quick summary of the eight proposed station locations, and the main rationale: VA HOSPITAL Direct access to hospital facilities BYNNER ST Midway between VA HOSPITAL and PERKINS Near Mount Pleasant Home At traffic light for pedestrian safety PERKINS ST Near Hyde Square business district (one block) Access to neighborhoods via Perkins St High ridership stop on bus line #39 MORAINE ST Access to neighborhoods via Moraine, Boylston and Centre streets High ridership stop on bus line #39 BEAUFORT RD Midway between MORAINE and JP CENTER JP CENTER Centre St business district Access to neighborhoods via Green St & Seaverns Ave High ridership stop on bus line #39 Outbound location doesn't obstruct traffic merging from Green St MONUMENT Centre St business district Access to neighborhoods via Eliot and Centre streets High ridership stop on bus line #39 CHILD / JAMAICA Midway between MONUMENT and FOREST HILLS Direct access to Farnsworth House Access to neighborhoods via Jamaica and Child streets These station locations are not finalized, and we actively seek community feedback to help ensure that the Green Line restoration is successful and meets the needs of the community. We welcome any comments and suggestions. To contact ARRPAC, please see our contact page.