Who's gonna pay for the T's "Little Dig" tunnel?
On the heels of the Big Dig’s official launch of the Kennedy Greenway (reminiscent of Bush’s faux-announcement of the end of the war in Afghanistan?), the MBTA is pushing forward plans to build a new tunnel to connect the two Silver Line bus routes that currently serve Roxbury and South Boston.
The Globe reports that the MBTA does not mention how it will pay for the expense, other than requesting more loans from the federal government. Rider advocate groups against the new connector claim that those who utilize public transportation the most–low-income riders–will bear the most burden of the cost.
I have mixed feelings about the results of the Big Dig: at times, I zip from Dorchester to Cambridge through the tunnels; at other times, including 9:00 pm on a weeknight, I’m stuck creeping along South 95 from downtown to JFK/UMass.
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The MBTA should be lauded...
...for its continued efforts to provide improved customer service against all obstacles. Connecting the two branches of the Silver Line will make a lot of riders' commutes a lot easier.
Lauding
Do people commute from Roxbury to City Point? Possibly.
I would argue more people would benefit from the North Station - South Station connector... (if that project survived the feasibility test)
Do you work for the state? Or a lobbyist firm?
Actually...
I think a lot of people would benefit from a BRT line providing high frequency, "high quality service from Dudley Square and lower Roxbury through the South End, Chinatown, downtown, and on to the South Boston Waterfront" and Logan International Airport. By implementing Silver Line Phase III, the MBTA will deliver a significant improvement to the transportation network in the downtown core by providing "important transit service enhancements to two currently underserved corridors," namely the Washington Street corridor and the South Boston Waterfront, along with a whole host of other improvements.
Incidentally, I don't work for the state or a lobbyist firm. I do commute to work every day on the T; I also take the T to run errands and have fun around town on weekends.