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Green Line shutdown adds concerns in Medford, already impacted by Orange Line shutdown

By John Monahan, Boston 25 News
By John Monahan, Boston 25 News

MEDFORD, Mass. — Green Line trains running from Union Square Station in Somerville will soon be on hold for a month.

“How will I get to work? Probably buses now,” said Rose Petrozzino who has been using the new Green Line Extension to get to her job.

The MBTA says free shuttle buses will run between Union Station and Government Center. The MBTA announcing the Green Line section is set to close August 22nd through September 18th.

Also on hold, a planned opening in late August of the Green Line Extension to Medford. It is now postponed until November.

Riders are not happy.

“I do use the line and I do use it mostly to go the other way I work near Lechmere so that’s definitely going to be effected by that,” said Petrozzino.

With the Orange Line already shutting down for 30 days, Medford’s mayor says her city’s residents will have a hard time getting into Boston.

[ Green Line shutdown to overlap with closure of Orange Line ]

“People who need to go to a medical appointment, go to school, college, university, go to work,” said Breanna Lungo-Koehn who is the Mayor of Medford.

The MBTA announced “the diversion” as they called it in a series of tweets:

  • Saying it’s partly due to the Government Center garage that needs to be demolished
  • And adding the pause will help finish the green line extension
  • Another tweet says shuttle buses will be free

Riders simply say it’s all exasperating.

“I think it’s a little bit frustrating it feels like there is always something, whether it’s for maintenance, for construction, or an issue,” said Petrozzino.

After the Orange Line shut down was announced the Mayor’s of Malden, Melrose and Medford urged the T in a letter to do more to help their residents who are caught in the middle.

“We wrote a simple letter asking for more shuttle service than they are preparing for to get our residents directly into Boston,” said Mayor Longo- Koehn.

Medford’s mayor will join  a meeting with the MBTA on Monday morning hoping to get answers now that Orange and Green line service to her city will be on hold for a month.

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