A typical day on campus brings a student or visitor at Tufts a vast array of conflicting sensations: the green (or white) campus and the perpetually crowded streets, or the clang of Goddard's bells and the relentless honking of car horns. Although Tufts may bill itself as a "suburban" University, the reality on the ground, as most Tufts students know, is that the Medford and Somerville communities in which Jumbos live and learn are very urban. They are also underserved by public transportation, a situation which is an unfair hindrance to economic growth and quality of life in the two cities.
When the Big Dig was started, certain concessions were made to affected communities to offset the environmental disturbance that the dig would bring. Now with the Dig winding up, the state and the MBTA need to take steps to fulfill assurances made to Hub communities years ago. This is not simply a matter of goodwill on the part of the parties involved: the Green Line extension, for one, has been mandated by two separate court decisions. In order for the stations of the extension to be in place by 2011 (as required), planning must be expedited. The right-of-way, after all, is already in place as a commuter rail line that runs along Boston Avenue.
A Green Line extension would do much to ease the lives of residents in Medford and Somerville. Somerville, the most densely populated city in Massachusetts, has long been underserved by the MBTA, with the results being traffic, pollution, and noise. It isn't just a pain, it's unhealthy: Somerville has the highest rates of lung cancer in the state, a statistic that is almost certainly due in part to the prevalence of air pollution in the city. On the other side of the hill, Medford residents would greatly benefit from a rail extension that would make the town a bit quieter and more mobile.
The extension won't just mean physical mobility for the two towns: it will be a huge economic boon for businesses and residents alike. Residents used to dealing with traffic in their journeys to Boston will gain a quick, convenient, and cheap way to access all that the metro area has to offer. Businesses across the area will see their fortunes look up when T stations bring people and pocketbooks into Medford and Somerville.
Tufts, of course, would also benefit, as the current plans call for a T stop essentially on campus. Gone will be cold midwinter walks to Davis, replaced by convenient transportation that allows students a quick way in to Boston and affords visitors an easy way to get to campus.
Bringing the Green Line out to the hillside will finally bring the residents of local communities the transportation they have paid for and deserve. The trains are not a luxury: they are absolutely necessary. Somerville and Medford residents deserve the same transportation options afforded to the more affluent and influential inner 'burbs, and now is the time to work for transportation equality. The MBTA needs to get its act together and make the next stop for the Green Line extension progress.
