A few questions for Republicans about Massachusetts

[Verily]

The legislature could just pass funding for the Green Line over any veto anyway, right?

Provided there were enough Democrats who gave a crap about a tiny little part of the Commonwealth, yes.

In other words, no. Probably not even close to a majority of the legislature would support the project unless the governor were pushing for it. At least, not over cutting the project to avoid raising taxes or cutting something more people care about statewide.

[Verily]

The legislature could just pass funding for the Green Line over any veto anyway, right?

Provided there were enough Democrats who gave a crap about a tiny little part of the Commonwealth, yes.

In other words, no. Probably not even close to a majority of the legislature would support the project unless the governor were pushing for it. At least, not over cutting the project to avoid raising taxes or cutting something more people care about statewide.

That's what I was getting at. It's a terrific project for my hometown of Somerville (and might result in me seeing a serious jump in property value), but I doubt someone out in Sturbridge, MA would be super excited about the Green Line getting extended into Medford.

In general, though, Massachusetts Republicans tend to be quite supportive of mass transit (especially commuter rail projects) because virtually all of them come from commuter rail districts.

Is the Green Line extension to be connected to the commuter rail? I know there's a commuter rail stop in West Medford that must be at least close to a stop on the extension.

[Verily]

Is the Green Line extension to be connected to the commuter rail? I know there's a commuter rail stop in West Medford that must be at least close to a stop on the extension.

I don't think there's any plan to take advantage of that connection. If they did, it would be a minor part of its appeal. It's a project with local appeal. Thankfully Somerville has a very vocal and active population that supports this project. I have to hope that I'm overstating the impact an R win would have on this project, whose planning and environmental review are well underway.

I know, I get occasional excited emails from the Tufts alumni network talking about it. It would have been amazing to have a T stop right next to campus while I was there. Does anyone worry that it would harm the vibrancy of Davis Square to have a competing line? (I don't think it would, just curious.)

[Verily]

I know, I get occasional excited emails from the Tufts alumni network talking about it. It would have been amazing to have a T stop right next to campus while I was there. Does anyone worry that it would harm the vibrancy of Davis Square?

I didn't know you had that connection. How recently did you live in the area?

I graduated in 2005 and moved back to the NYC metro, so not within the timeframe of my presence on this forum.

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I was a bit of a shut-in, so I'm personally not the best example. But I certainly knew people who were in Boston many times a week. Tufts has (or had, at least, and I can't imagine they'd discontinue it at least until the Green Line extension is finished) a free shuttle that ran very regularly between campus and Davis Square, so getting into Davis or Boston was very easy.