Why everyone's hating on the Orange Line extension idea
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A recent proposal to extend the MBTA's Orange Line is already hitting a wall of logistical, financial and political objections.
Why it matters: Expanding the MBTA's subway system could be a bold move for the Bay State as it struggles with traffic and aging transit systems.
- But experts say a plan from City Councilors Miniard Culpepper and Brian Worrell to bring the Orange Line to the Blue Hill Avenue corridor that connects Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan isn't the answer.
State of play: The councilors want to extend the Orange Line underground from Ruggles Station to Mattapan Square.
- That part of Boston is one of the most transit-dependent stretches in the city, with roughly 37,000–40,000 daily riders relying on buses.
Yes, but: TransitMatters executive director Caitlin Allen-Connelly called the plan "not a serious transit proposal."
- She faulted the councilors for pitching a multibillion-dollar project without addressing concerns like operations, timelines or integration with existing transit networks.
Culpepper and Worrell stumbled further when the AI-generated map displayed at their press conference contained major errors.
- It omitted the Charles River and the entirety of the Red Line's Braintree branch, and depicted a fantastical island placement for Aquarium station.
By the numbers: Mayor Michelle Wu pegged the likely federal investment needed for an expansion of that magnitude at well over $1 billion.
- State Sen. Liz Miranda, who represents the corridor, was probably closer when she estimated that it would cost something like $10 billion.
- There's no funding source currently identified.
Between the lines: The councilors suggested redirecting an $80 million federal grant already awarded for improvements to the Blue Hill Avenue bus system, WBUR reported.
- Another expert, former state transportation secretary Jim Aloisi, flatly rejected the idea, noting federal grants aren't interchangeable across projects.
The big picture: Even the most optimistic projections put completion of an Orange Line expansion at over two decades away.
- As Miranda cautioned, the idea has "never gone through a community planning process."
- Construction would have to go through dense neighborhoods and would likely require taking property through eminent domain.
The MBTA is actually already conducting a study on extending the Orange Line — south from Forest Hills to Roslindale Village, not a new spur to Mattapan.
What's next: MBTA general manager Phil Eng has made clear his focus is on strengthening existing infrastructure, not adding new subway tunnels.
The bottom line: Residents aren't happy with the approved center-running bus lane project set for Blue Hill Avenue, but half-baked subway dreams aren't going to get anyone to work any faster.