The Special Committee on the Boston Common has delivered a damning indictment of the failed Silver Line project. The report echos the utter lack of support in the community for the Barely Rapid Transit project that will destroy part of The Common, put the Central Burying Ground at extreme risk, ignore the existing infrastructure and provide substandard service at a cost approaching a billion and a half dollars.

Silverline

The Silverline project will rip up the entire stretch of the Common along Charles Street for up to 10 years, for the staging area for heavy equipment. It will snarl traffic as they close a lane for the construction of a new tunnel, and it will make an entire stretch of the Common nearly unusable during that time. All of this will be done for the purpose of putting in bus transit that is unnecessary, when tunnels already exist for light rail, and when it is nearly universally agreed that the bus system as set up does not work, and is not nearly as effective or efficient as light rail.

Our Recommendation

The Silverline Project is a mistake. The plans in place will disturb sacred grounds, such as the historic graveyard. Unused light rail tunnels already exist below ground, and the MBTA, with its multimillion dollar deficit, should be looking at ways it can build a system around what is there, and ensuring that we have opportunities to become a greener, more efficient city while not tearing up our precious parks system during the construction.

Will the mayor listen? No.
Will the MBTA listen? No.
Will the EOT listen? No.
Will the media listen? No.