GOV. PATRICK ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF SILVER LINE

CHELSEA - Governor Deval Patrick today announced the extension of Silver Line service to connect South Station and the Seaport District with East Boston and Chelsea and also announced funding for construction of the Chelsea Greenway. These two projects, coupled with other recent investments the Patrick Administration has made in the region, will stimulate economic growth and opportunity for residents north of Boston.

“Growth requires investment, and connecting the people of Chelsea directly to the airport, Seaport District and South Station, accompanied by new greenway space, will bring new opportunities for the residents of these communities,” said Governor Patrick. “If we want to expand opportunity in our Commonwealth, this is what government must do and do well.”

The Silver Line Gateway Expansion will create a new branch of the MBTA Silver Line Service that will connect South Station and the Seaport District with East Boston and Chelsea. This service is projected to carry 9,000 riders per day with an estimated travel time of just 15 to 19 minutes from the Seaport to Chelsea, connecting thousands of residents north of downtown Boston with work and play opportunities in the rapidly growing Seaport District. The Silver Line Gateway Expansion will also include the modernization of the Chelsea Commuter Rail Station, which will be relocated to Everett Avenue as part of a new multimodal Silver Line/Commuter Rail Station that will be fully accessible and ADA compliant. In addition, MassDOT will begin reconstruction on the Washington Avenue Bridge.

After incorporating feedback from community meetings and other stakeholder events into route planning, service will follow the same routing as Silver Line service in South Boston before taking the Williams Tunnel and will stop at Airport Station on the Blue Line. Service will then follow the Coughlin Bypass Road and the Chelsea Street Bridge to the new Grand Junction busway, with four new stations, Eastern Avenue, Box District, Downtown Chelsea and Mystic Mall. The project is will cost an estimated $82.5 million, with the bulk of funding, $20 million, being dedicated to the new Chelsea commuter rail station. Service is expected to begin in late 2015.

"Bringing Silver Line service to Chelsea will provide an even more convenient and cost-effective route for its residents and neighbors to connect with the vibrant opportunity growing in the Seaport District and the City of Boston," said MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey

The Chelsea Greenway project, also announced today, will provide creative, accessible green space for the densely populated communities north of Boston. A $3 million state investment will help build the three quarter mile Chelsea Greenway, which will run through the Box District neighborhood on a portion of the former CSX Grand Junction Secondary Track right of way. The Box District, Chelsea’s newest neighborhood, has already transformed a blighted industrial area to an inviting neighborhood for families. The greenway will provide bicycle, pedestrian and green space connections in the Box District and the greater Bellingham Hill neighborhood.

"Governor Patrick's historic investment in land protection and urban parks is an investment in our future," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. "The Chelsea Greenway will connect neighborhoods, transform a community, and create growth, not only for the people of Chelsea, but for the entire area north of Boston."

These latest announcements build on record investments in infrastructure, innovation and education north of Boston by the Patrick Administration. The Commonwealth is currently renovating and expanding the Wonderland Station on the Blue Line, creating 1,400 additional parking spaces, as well as modernizing Orient Heights on the Blue Line to create a new pedestrian bridge and increase accessibility. In 2012, the new Chelsea Street Bridge opened connecting East Boston and Chelsea, where more boats can now pass through in a safer, more efficient manner. Belle Isle Bridge, connecting East Boston to Winthrop, is currently under construction. In Everett, reconstruction and signal improvements on Route 99 are 90 percent complete, and the Patrick Administration will soon begin resurfacing Route 1 in Chelsea and Revere.

In 2012, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center provided Revere High School with a grant to revamp their science program and purchase high quality resources needed to foster talent in science disciplines that are fueling the jobs of the 21st century global economy. Motorcycles of Manchester is also looking to open a new office in Revere, renovating a long-dormant building on Broadway.

In Chelsea, the Governor’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative, partnering with local entities, has helped nearly 500 youth this year stay off the streets by creating real pathways to jobs and education. The Commonwealth has partnered with the private sector to award approximately $1.1 million, training over 1,500 workers and job seekers in Chelsea alone since 2007. In addition, through the assistance of a $114,280 Workforce Training Fund Grant, Kayem Foods of Chelsea has grown to over 200,000 square feet and recently concluded training approximately 430 employees. The newly created Box District in Chelsea has been transformed and the Commonwealth has partnered Chelsea to provide grants for the reconstruction of streets, utilities and a new park.

In Medford, non-profit Management Services for Health is moving into a 40,000 square foot office complex in the commercial building at River’s Edge, bringing 200 jobs to the city.

In Malden, at the Residence at Malden Station, the Malden Redevelopment Authority is developing the site into a five story building containing 80 new high-end market rate apartments. Private investment in the project is estimated at $20 million. The new development will create 210 market-rate apartments and nearly 2,000 square feet of commercial space. Both complexes will increase foot traffic downtown and are convenient to reliable public transportation to travel into Boston.

New Station Locations PDF

Contact: Cyndi.Roy@state.ma.us