The Green Line extension will bring passengers five stops further than ever before starting Monday. The $2.3 billion dollar project is the biggest expansion the MBTA subway system has seen in decades, connecting Medford and Somerville to the Green Line.
“This is like so awesome, especially for university students,” said Jack Clohisy, a senior at Tufts University who lives in Medford, Massachusetts. “Typically we would have to walk down to Davis Square, which is like a mile south to access the Red Line. But just having a stop here on campus to access Boston… this just makes it so much more accessible.”
The work involved widening the area around the existing tracks to accommodate the T as well as the commuter rail. Bridges had to be replaced and new stations had to be built to bring train service to people who need it.
Opening day was originally set for this time last year, but has been delayed several times mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shorter branch to Somerville’s Union Square opened back in March. And after years of construction, people are ready for all the stations to reopen.
“This is just such a positive thing for the community. You’re also going to see a number of developers that want to build housing. People want to live and they want to work near transit so you’re going to see a great amount of development in and around this district.” said Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, who thinks the extension will transform the city.