October 27, 2017 
 
State Senator John F. Keenan
 
Dear Friends,
 
I hope all is well. As we move through the Fall, I know interest remains high in the work to be done at our Red Line stations. I have been in regular conversation with the MBTA and local officials on this subject, to make sure Quincy and Braintree receive the MBTA upgrades we need, with as little disruption to commuters and residents as possible. In this newsletter you will find the latest updates from these discussions. 

Also, if you did not have a chance to read my previous newsletter on this subject, you can view it here.  
 
 
Stay Connected: 
Wollaston Station Website & MBTA App
The MBTA has created a dedicated website for announcements and regular updates  concerning the Wollaston reconstruction project, you can find it here .

Alerts, announcements, and the MBTA's social media can also be found on the MBTA mTicket App.  If you have a smartphone,  this is a simple way to stay updated with real-time service notifications.
  
 
Your Voice: Citizens Advisory Committee Established
Over the next few years, nearly $1-billion will be invested in the Red Line on track, signal, power, station and vehicle repairs or purchases. With this amount of work, there is obvious potential for disruption to commuters and residents.  It is important that commuters and residents have a way to make sure their concerns about the local impacts of these projects are heard and responded to by the MBTA, and that is why I called for the creation of a Citizens Advisory Committee ("CAC"). 
 
I am very pleased that Quincy and Braintree residents have shown so much interest in serving on the CAC, and happy to announce that the committee has been formed, 11 members have been appointed, and that they are ready to begin their work. The members were appointed by Quincy Mayor Koch, Mayor Sullivan of Braintree, Quincy City Councilors, the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, and Quincy Asian Resources, and will begin meeting with MBTA officials in the next two weeks. My hope is that members of this committee will be introduced at the MBTA's next public meeting.
 
To those who have volunteered for the CAC - thank you!
  
 
Next MBTA Public Meeting
Wednesday, November 15th, 6:30pm: A public meeting will be held at Quincy Central Middle School,  875 Hancock Street,  in the auditorium, to provide additional details about the Wollaston Station reconstruction and continue to receive public feedback.
  
  
Upcoming Construction Work and Impacts
Soon we will notice work being done in preparation for the Wollaston Station reconstruction, so I wanted to alert residents now of what to expect in the next few weeks.

Newport Avenue Lane Shift: The construction contractor will be working on water infrastructure around the station, most visibly on the Newport Avenue side of the station. We are told that no lane closures  will occur, but that lanes will be slightly narrowed and traffic shifted while this work is done. The City of Quincy traffic planners and engineers must review and approve these traffic changes before the work begins.

Night and Weekend Shuttle Service: To prepare for the demolition of the Quincy Center garage, and for the work to be done at the Wollaston station, portions of the Red Line track will need to be periodically shut down. For this purpose, beginning in mid-November and extending into the early part of January, shuttle service will be replacing late evening trains (after 9pm) between North Quincy and Braintree on Sunday through Thursday nights. This will allow early work to be done along the track during low-traffic periods overnight.
 
 
New Red Line Cars arriving in Springfield in November
CRRC, the company that won the bid to build 152 new Orange Line cars and 372 new Red Line cars, announced that their plant in Springfield, MA will begin assembly of Red Line cars  this coming summer. Governor Baker recently visited the plant and was  extremely encouraged by the progress. 
In addition to bringing new vehicles to update an aging fleet, the opening of the Springfield plant ensures that the cars  will be assembled in Massachusetts, bringing jobs and advancing hopes of developing a rail car industry within the Commonwealth.  

Within a year the Springfield plant hopes to have around 200 employees, with plans to build cars for other cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia. New cars, when they arrive, will enable the MBTA to run trains more frequently, and decrease breakdowns and delays in service. 
You can read more here.
 
 
Expanded Commuting Options: Squantum Ferry Service
O n October 23rd, thanks to a new partnership  between Quincy and Bay State Cruises,  four peak-hour commuter runs were added to Quincy's existing ferry service. The new service will deliver commuters to the Seaport's Fan Pier in a short 20 minutes.

The additional times:

Depart Squantum Point Pier at 7:40 a.m. 
Arrive Seaport's Fan Pier at 8:00a.m.

Depart Squantum Point Pier at 8:25a.m. 
Arrive Seaport's Fan Pier at 8:45a.m.

Depart Seaport's Fan Pier at 4:55p.m.
Arrive Squantum Point Pier at 5:15p.m.

Depart Seaport's Fan Pier at 5:40p.m.
Arrive Squantum Point Pier at 6:00p.m.

Winthrop and Bay State Cruises will continue  service until Friday, December 1st.   For  a complete schedule, go to  www.mbferry.com


Continuing Discussions with MBTA
While working to establish the CAC, I have also been stressing to MBTA leaders the importance of managing these projects effectively. The Quincy legislative delegation, at a meeting with the MBTA at the end of September, pressed for more detailed and thorough mitigation planning.
 
MBTA leaders have been responsive to many of our recommendations and inquiries thus far, including specific concerns and questions we've brought to them after hearing from you.
 
For example, they have committed to better traffic management at the Neponset Circle through the presence of a police office. They have committed to conducting trial runs of the proposed shuttle service so that traffic impacts are clearly understood. They have also, through their parent agency MassDOT, begun working with the City on the extension of Commander Shea Boulevard to create direct access to ferry service from Marina Bay. They have begun posting information at the Wollaston Station to alert riders of the upcoming project, and have scheduled another public meeting for community feedback before the station closes.
 
While much progress is being made towards effectively mitigating the impacts of the work, I still have concerns. I have asked for of a comprehensive plan to replace the the loss of some parking spots at the Wollaston and North Quincy stations, continue to push for an  increase in the frequency of the 210, 211, 215, and 217 bus routes as a complement to the planned shuttle service, and am pushing for a comprehensive plan to manage likely crowding at the North Quincy platform. 

These are areas where I will continue to demand more information, more detailed planning, and better public communication, and in this regard will strive to  to keep you updated. 

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns. Thank you!
Sincerely,





Senator John F. Keenan
Norfolk and Plymouth District
State House, Room 413-F | (617) 722-1494           
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