Long Awaited Green Line Extension Opens Today North of Boston

The Green Line Extension project, in the works for decades, is now providing rail transit service from Boston north into Somerville.

1 minute read

March 21, 2022, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A map showing the route of a light rail transit line from Boston up through Somerville and Medford.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts / The Green Line Extension project map.

The Union Square Branch of the Green Line Extension Project, with service to Somerville, opens today in Massachusetts.

An article by Adrianna MacNeill previewed this milestone event for the decades-long Green Line Extension Project (GLX), noting the new access to transit offered to public transit by the new rail line's opening. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo is quoted in the article saying: "When both branches of GLX are open, 80% of Somerville’s population will be within walking distance of a rail station. Today, that figure is only 20%."

The other branch Pesaturo is referring to is the Medford Branch, which is expected to open this summer. "In all, there will be six new stations, as well as a reconstructed and relocated Lechmere station. The new stations include Union Square on the first phase, plus East Somerville, Gilman Square, Magoun Square, Ball Square, and College Avenue stations as part of the second," reports MacNeill.

The source article, linked below, includes more detail on the long history of planning leading up to today's historic opening, as well as the most recent history of delays from the past several years. For more background, see also articles previewing the opening, published earlier this year by the Boston Globe and Boston.Com.  

Friday, March 18, 2022 in Boston.com

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight