Amendment ID: S2813-150

Amendment 150

Regional Rail Implementation

Messrs. Collins, Brady and Crighton move that the proposed new text be amended in section 6621-2108, in line 161, after the word “Commonwealth” by adding the following words: “provided further, that funds may be expended for costs associated with implementing rapid, electrified regional rail in greater Boston, in accordance with the November 2019 FMCB vote in support of the MBTA's rail vision study, provided that funds may be expended on planning, design, capital costs, vehicle acquisition, rights of way, platforms, rail infrastructure, electrification, and other costs associated with implementation; 

and further, in said item, by adding at the end thereof the following language:- “provided further that funds may be expended for the design and construction of additional commuter rail stations that encourage housing production and reduce congestion on adjacent highways; provided further that funds may be expended for the design and construction of high-level platforms to enable ADA access and faster service, high-level platforms should be added at stations with high ridership across all lines to further geographic equity; provided further that funds may be expended for the design and construction of bottleneck alleviation projects such as Ballardvale station on the Haverhill Line, the segment of the Old Colony Main Line between Braintree and Dorchester, and the tunnel south of Salem station on the Eastern Main Line, that increase the reliability and capacity of the Commuter Rail network;  provided further that these projects shall contribute to increased service and access to the Cape, South Coast, Springfield, Western MA, North Central MA, and other regions underserved by rapid regional transit”;

and further, in said item, in line 181 by striking the figure “$150,000,000”, and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$350,000,000”;

and further, in said item, in line 183, after the word “Beverly” by adding the following language: “,South Station to Readville, and the remaining segments of the Providence Line in the Commonwealth; provided further that no less than $25,000,000 be expended for an electrification study for all other commuter rail lines”.