Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 22, 2024 EXTENSION | FROM PAGE 1 and livelihoods for countless people throughout Everett, Chelsea and beyond. The economic impact will be great, providing more options to work outside Everett. It’s been a priority of mine and the Mayor’s for years and the state has known this for a while now.” Reaction from the city has been positive. “The importance of the Silver Line’s ability to increase access to jobs and educational opportunities for all Everett residents cannot be understated and I am proud to endorse this commitment from the MBTA,” Mayor Carlo DeMaria said. “The Silver Line will also provide critical transit access that will support Everett’s growth while reducing reliance on private vehicles.” “There is a demand for public transportation in Everett which needs to be fulfilled, and extending the Silver Line is a signifi cant step in providing residents with access to transportation options,” Councillor at-Large and Community & Business Development & Public Utilities Subcommittee member Katy Rogers added. “Increasing our accessibility to surrounding communities improves the quality of life and opens up opportunities for the people of Everett.” “It’s great,” stated Ward 1 Councillor and Community & Business Development & Public Utilities Subcommittee member Wayne Matewsky. “There’s no place for parking near several new developments, so people use public transportation. It’ll be convenient for new residents and everyone who lives in Everett.” Development and transportation go hand in hand. Development creates a need for access and increases in access lead to development. People travel to attractive places, but if more people can get to Everett, business will pick up and grow, which could lead to redevelopment of Everett Square and parcels on Lower Broadway near the Encore Casino. “The proposed Silver Line extension has incredibly positive impacts for Everett,” Director of Planning and Community Development Matt Lattanzi thinks. “The proposed route would connect some of our largest development areas, as well as the heart of the City, Everett Square, to Boston, not only allowing Everett residents to get into Boston more easily, but also provide a direct connection for folks from outside the City to travel here more easily. Greater connectivity increases the possibility of attracting commercial and employment sectors to develop within our borders, increasing the tax base and providing greater employment opportunities.” The route would run between Sullivan Square in Charlestown to the Chelsea Commuter Rail Station. “It would extend past the Chelsea Commuter Rail Station, hug the commuter rail tracks, turn right onto Second Street to Chelsea Street, go through Everett Square, turn left and travel down Broadway to Sweetser Circle, continue onto Lower Broadway and terminate at the Sullivan Square Orange Line Station,” Lattanzi said. Described from the other direction, from Sullivan Square, the route runs up Medford Street and across the Mystic River and Revere Beach Parkway through Sweetser Circle onto Broadway and into Everett Square. From there, it turns right onto Second Street and runs back onto Revere Beach Parkway/Rte. 16 eastbound and into Chelsea. Everett once had an MBTA subway station on Lower Broadway where it meets Beacham Street. It seems to have been the second to last stop in between a Mystic River stop and Charlestown. It lasted from 1919 to 1975, when the line was reconfi gured to bypass Everett and run to Malden. Everything will take time, however. “The next step for the extension is design and construction,” MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston said. “Reports estimate $95 million is needed to fully construct the extension to Sullivan Square. A further timeline will depend on the availability of funding for design and construction. Once design is underway, it is estimated design and construction will take approximately fi ve years. “The MBTA has submitted a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant application requesting $22.4 million for an estimated project cost of $28 million to support construction of a transitory on Lower Broadway. It will serve existing service and future high-frequency service in the redesign of bus networks, a signifi cant portion of the extension route. An announcement of this funding won’t be until at least mid-summer. The MBTA is also looking at other funding opportunities to begin preliminary design work on other portions of the route.” “It’s not as fast as we’d like,” Lattanzi confessed. Infrastructure ranges from bus stop booths and signage to widening streets for dedicated bus lanes. That could involve acquiring private land or repurposing public land and reconfiguring intersections. “It’s not simply rerouting buses,” Lattanzi pointed out
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