No, the MBTA is not expanding the Red Line to Lexington
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Image: Committee to Elect Burhan Azeem
MBTA riders in Cambridge, Medford and Somerville will be thrilled to find out the T has plans to extend electrified rapid transit well into the suburbs — but not for long.
- That's because the news is an elaborate April Fools' Day prank put on by a political candidate.
Why it matters: Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem says his campaign spent more than $5,000 putting digital video ads on 109 MBTA station billboards to get riders hyped about expanding the T.
The satirical ads say the T will expand:
- The Red Line to Lexington
- The Green Line to Woburn and Bird's Hill in Needham
- The Orange Line to Greenwood in Wakefield
- and the Blue Line to Lynn.
The other side: The MBTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Whomp whomp: The truth is the advertised "Coolidge Plan" at the heart of the expansion was actually shelved by officials in the mid-20th century in favor of more highways and automobile-focused infrastructure.
- It's a very real 1947 plan that proposed extending the Red, Green, Blue and Orange lines to 29 cities and towns.
What they're saying: "In the '70s and '80s, we added, like, 22 stations in a decade. And now we're just struggling to keep the lights on," Azeem told Axios.
Catch up quick: The original Coolidge Commission, chaired by Lt. Gov. and presidential cousin Arthur W. Coolidge, called for a $100 million electrified regional rail buildout using existing railroad rights-of-way.
Between the lines: Azeem's real target isn't MBTA management, it's the Beacon Hill leaders who fund the T.
- The T videos are also political ads for Azeem's run for the 2nd Middlesex state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Patricia Jehlen.
- A QR code on the ads drives traffic to a historical explainer video that's racked up 300,000 Instagram views.
The bottom line: The joke is that it's not a joke, and Azeem's April Fools' "prank" is a real, if far-fetched, policy platform.
- And he thinks the ad buy was a good investment, calling the $5,000 price tag "my little way of contributing to the MBTA budget shortfall."