MGNA: Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance

Medford Mayor Michael J. McGlynn has called on the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to provide additional funding and planning resources to get the Green Line Extension project completed.

In the city’s Sept. 13, 2011, comment letter on the Boston MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP),  McGlynn wrote:

“The Green Line Extension project has been documented for air quality, transportation and economic development benefits. Of these, the air quality benefits should be of overriding concern. The City is concerned that the Green Line Extension Project has been underfunded and construction delayed as a result. In addition to the fact that legal commitments have not been fulfilled of more concern should be the fact that even additional and necessary, planning, design and engineering has failed to progress to the point of making this project ‘construction ready’ in the event federal funding becomes available as part of an economic stimulus package.

“The City respectfully requests that the MPO revise the LRTP and TIP to allocate the necessary funding for implementation the Green Line Extension Project in keeping with the State’s current legal commitments and that the project be allocated sufficient funding for planning and design to make the project ’shovel ready.’ ”

The Boston MPO is scheduled to vote  on both the LRTP and TIP planning documents at its meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday at the State Transportation Building.

Read the full text of McGlynn’s letter.

Read other public comments on the Long Range Transportation Plan.

The renovated Blue Line station at Maverick Square is helping transform the East Boston neighborhood, which boasts new building projects, housing, restaurants, and a drop in crime.

Residents say the station has provided both a physical and psychological boost for the neighborhood, serving as a shiny, clean and welcoming gateway to Maverick Square.

“It’s become amazingly vibrant,’’ said Tony Giacalone, the longtime owner of Tony’s Realty, in a Boston Globe article. “There’s more street life and people wanting to work and live here. I don’t see many ‘vacancy’ signs on shops anymore.’’

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said more improvements are on the way, including a program to spiff up the facades along Sumner Street and elsewhere.

“It’s a changed area - and it will keep getting better,’’ said Menino.

The PowerPoint presentation from the August 24 meeting of the Green Line Extension Design Working Group has been posted to the GLX project website. The presentation included a project update, a review of latest station concepts, and planning for upcoming public meetings.

The next project meeting is a workshop on the design of the Somerville Community Path. It will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave.