APRIL 13, 2020
At today's joint meeting of the MassDOT Board and the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board, Green Line Extension program manager John Dalton announced plans for the implementation of dedicated bus lanes in both directions of Charles River Dam Road as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project's planned bus diversion from Lechmere Station in East Cambridge to North Station in Boston.
Lechmere-North Station shuttles for Green Line extension closure will feature two-way bus lanes. pic.twitter.com/m26v1B8aWJ
— Adam Vaccaro (@adamtvaccaro) April 13, 2020
The planned bus diversion is expected to begin around May 25 as the GLX project will move to the next phase of work on a new Lechmere Station on the north side of O'Brien Highway and the Lechmere Viaduct will be closed for renovations.
Rep. Connolly welcomes today's announcement as the culmination of months of advocacy. Soon after breaking ground on the Green Line Extension project back in June 2018, Rep. Connolly started advocating to MassDOT officials and the GLX team for the implementation of dedicated bus lanes on Charles River Dam Road, which is also known as Craigie Bridge, O'Brien Highway, and Route 28.
As the date of the planned shutdown of Lechmere Station drew closer, Rep. Connolly intensified his efforts by organizing a delegation letter to Secretary Pollack calling for dedicated bus lanes. The letter was signed by all of the state legislators representing districts most directly impacted by the pending closure of Lechmere and Science Park Stations, including Reps. Christine Barber, Jay Livingstone, and Denise Provost, and Senators Joe Boncore, Sal DiDomenico, and Pat Jehlen.
I’m pleased to announce the legislators representing areas most directly affected by the pending closure of Lechmere Station and Science Park Station are calling on @MassDOT to present a plan to the public for dedicated bus lanes on Charles River Dam Road in #CambMA and #Boston. pic.twitter.com/JazI3F8tO3
— Mike Connolly (@MikeConnollyMA) February 6, 2020
In addition, Rep. Connolly met with various East Cambridge constituents and the Kendall Square Association who also voiced support for dedicated bus lanes to help mitigate the impact of the temporary closure of Lechmere Station. GLX construction work on the new Lechmere Station is expect to run for a little less than one year.
Please reach out to our office with any questions or concerns as we continue to work to advocate for local priorities and to keep constituents informed with updates on the Green Line Extension project.
