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SouthCoast rail planned for 2016
By David Kibbe
Standard-Times staff writer
 Trains
would be rolling to Fall River and New Bedford by
December 2016 — nearly a decade from now — under a
commuter rail plan Gov. Deval Patrick will announce at
UMass Dartmouth today, according to sources familiar
with a private briefing by the state's transportation
secretary.
Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen also gave
SouthCoast lawmakers a new price tag on the proposed
extension of the MBTA's Stoughton Line, which originates
at South Station in Boston: a whopping $1.4 billion.
Previous estimates on the cost of extending rail to
SouthCoast were $800 million to $1 billion.
The key to bringing the train to New Bedford and Fall
River will be finding a source of money for the project,
something Gov. Patrick may elaborate on when he gives a
presentation to local leaders at 10 a.m. today at UMass
Dartmouth's Woodland Commons Building.
Mr. Cohen did not commit to a funding source in his
private, hour-long meeting with SouthCoast legislators
in the governor's office late yesterday afternoon. The
governor spoke to the group briefly.
His time line to finish the rail project is half that of
former Gov. Mitt Romney, who had projected 20 years.
Legislators were tight-lipped as they left the meeting,
but they were smiling. They uniformly called the meeting
positive. Transportation officials said no official
announcement would be made until today.
"It's an aggressive plan," said Rep. Stephen R. Canessa,
D-New Bedford. "I'm looking forward to hearing what he
has to say at UMass Dartmouth. I think the people of the
SouthCoast will be pleased with what the governor has to
say."
According to sources familiar with the plan, the
administration would get a project manager in place
quickly to get design and permitting moving. The
administration expects to bond up to $17 million in the
next few years for preliminary work on the rail line.
The administration also pledged to forge ahead on
negotiations with CSX Corp., which owns much of the
existing rail line to the SouthCoast.
The governor's plan would expand capacity at South
Station, including the relocation of a main Post Office
facility. New Bedford-Fall River rail would be
responsible for $31 million of the station expansion,
only part of the overall cost of making South Station
larger.
Mr. Cohen told legislators a federal permit would be
needed from the Army Corps of Engineers to extend the
line through the environmentally sensitive Hockomock
Swamp. Local officials had been led to believe in the
past that a federal permit would not be needed.
"I believe what we have for the first time is an honest
governor and an honest administration, who will tell us
realistic projections on the time line and environmental
permitting," said Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, D-New
Bedford, who has fought for bonding and law changes to
make the rail project possible during 16 years in the
Senate.
Sen. Montigny said he had faith that Gov. Patrick would
deliver, but much work was needed to see the project
through to completion.
"I believe the secretary and the governor are fully
committed to working together with us to get it done,"
Sen. Montigny said. "That's the most you can ask for in
a project of this scope."
Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, D-Taunton, agreed that the
governor was "fully committed to building it, but there
are a lot of what ifs," particularly with a funding
source.
Gov. Patrick will appear at UMass Dartmouth today with
Mr. Cohen, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, a big proponent of
regional rail, and other members of his development
cabinet. His presentation comes a week after the
Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission released
a report saying the state had a deficit of up to $19
billion just to maintain its existing roads, bridges,
rail and public transportation networks. The MBTA alone
has a $2.7 billion backlog in projects, not including
expansion.
Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, is getting
interest in his bill to fund commuter rail expansions
outside Boston through a mix of existing and new revenue
sources. They include some fees that are no longer
needed for the Big Dig, and new revenue sources like a
"green" fee that would be more costly to owners of
trucks and SUVs.
Rep. Cabral was optimistic following the meeting with
Mr. Cohen.
"The service might not start when all of us wish it
would, but I think the governor is committed, and this
is going to happen," Rep. Cabral said.
Publication date: April 04, 2007 |
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