Mott MacDonald marks extension of Boston’s historic Green Line

Construction has completed on the Boston Green Line Extension and is now open to the public. Mott MacDonald has played a central role in several Green Line projects in recent years, including the Green Line Extension.

The project extends the Green Line from Lechmere Station in Cambridge to Medford/Tufts Station in Medford. On 21 March, the previous segment of the Green Line Extension began service to Union Square in Somerville.

Operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Green Line is the oldest transit line in the United States. Its four branches date back to a streetcar system founded in 1856. The Green Line’s average weekday ridership has recently been as high as 137,700. The Green Line extension project supports an increased ridership, adding 50,000 passenger trips per day.

“We are proud to have played a part in extending America’s oldest transit line from Cambridge to Medford,” said Mike Isola, president and CEO of Mott MacDonald in North America. “Mott MacDonald has been honoured to work with the MBTA on other important projects that have increased reliability, accessibility, and climate resilience for the Green Line.”

The design-build contract for the $2.3 billion Green Line Extension project was awarded in November 2017. Beginning in 2011, Mott MacDonald provided independent oversight on all elements of the project and as the owner’s representative, reported monthly to the MBTA and annually to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During the initial stages of the program, Mott MacDonald’s value engineering studies resulted in project savings of $25 million — a savings of $100 for each $1 spent on the study.

The MBTA Green Line Extension will provide service to areas that lacked fast and reliable public transit. It will significantly reduce vehicle emissions in the Boston area and support Medford, Somerville and Cambridge communities with sustainable and urban redevelopment.